Piercing Definitions
Please note: This is not necessarily a complete list of piercing names, as procedures and names are invented and modified by individuals and may not have evolved to be a standard term of description.
Ampallang – A male genital piercing placed horizontally through the head of the penis.
Anti-eyebrow – A surface piercing of the upper cheek below the eye. The placement is opposite from the eyebrow.
Anti-tragus – A piercing through the prominence on the lower posterior part of the conch of the ear, opposite the tragus.
Apadravya – A male genital piercing vertically through the head of the penis. Sometimes this term also refers to piercings vertically through the shaft of the penis.
Bridge – A horizontal piercing through the bridge of the nose, also called an “earl.”
Cheek – This can refer to surface piercings in the cheek, but most often refers to piercings which run from inside the mouth to the surface of the face.
Chin – This can be a labret piercing in that area, or a piercing in the surface of the face below the mouth.
Christina – Shortened name for “Queen Christina,” the name for a clitoral hood piercing.
Cicatize – To heal or become healed by the formation of scar tissue. this is related to body art formed by cutting or branding. Cicatrise was practiced most often in African scarification rituals where material would be rubbed into fresh cuts to encourage the formation of scar tissue. US health codes ban this practice on the grounds of danger of infection. Another way to encourage cicatization of a cut is to prematurely removed the scabs.
Cleopatra – The name given to a “reverse” Prince Albert.
Clitoris – Any piercing of the clitoral bundle. A clitoral hood piercing is much safer and works pleasurably for many women.
Conch, inner or outer – A piercing thru the main shell of the ear.
Cutting – The name for making incisions or lacerations for the formation of body art, most often with a scalpel or other skin-oriented knife.
Daith – This is an inner ear cartilage piercing located at the top of the opening of the ear canal.
Dydoe – This is a male genital piercing in the ridge around the head of the penis.
Earl – Alternate name given to a piercing through the bridge of the nose.
Ear – This generally refers to piercings made in the lower, fleshy section of the ear lobe.
Eyebrow – A piercing made through the ridge of the eyebrow. This piercing is technically a surface piercing and some people have a lot of trouble healing them. They can keloid heavily when they heal badly.
Foreskin – Any piercing of the foreskin of the penis. These piercings are exclusive to uncircumcised men.
Fourchette – A piercing through the back edge of the vaginal opening. This is often considered the female contemporary of the male guiche.
Frenum – A piercing perpendicular to the penile shaft, made through loose skin located below the head of the penis.
Guiche – A male piercing made through the perineum.
Hafada – A surface piercing made in the loose skin of the scrotum.
Hand web – A piercing through the finger webbing between the thumb and first finger. This are notorious for not healing and having to be removed.
Helix – An outer cartilage ridge piercing of the ear.
Hood, horizontal or vertical – This is shortened from “clitoral hood,” and these piercings can be placed horizontally or vertically through the fleshy hood surround the clitoris.
Industrial – These are pairs of ear piercings with one barbell worn so as to go through both of the holes.
Jungle – A piercing that sticks straight out the front of the nose.
Knuckle – A surface piercing between the knuckles on the top of the hand
Labia – This is a female genital piercing, with majora and minora variations available.
Labret – Any lip piercing, most often referring to lower lip piercing
Lobe, stretched – This term refers to larger gauge holes in the ear lobes. These are enlarged after an initial piercing heals by wearing increasingly bigger pierces of jewelry.
Lobe, transverse – A piercing across the length of the lobe, rather than through it.
Madison – This is surface piercing placed at the base of the neck, somewhere around the hollow of the throat.
Madonna – This is the name given to an off-center top lip labret, placed to look like a beauty mark.
Medusa – This is the name for a central top lip labret.
Nape – This is a surface piercing located along the back of neck.
Navel – A piercing made through the edge of the navel. Most often placed along the top edge, this piercing can be done just about anywhere around the bellybutton that has an appropriate tissue flap to pierce through.
Nipple – Piercings made through the areola of the nipple.
Nostril – Any piercing along the rims of the nasal openings.
PA, reverse – This piercing’s placement mirrors that of a Prince Albert, with the piercing ring worn goving over the top of the head of the penis.
Pocketing – A form of surface piercing where a barbell is worn in a pair of piercings so that the ends are embedded in the skin and the main bar of the jewelry lies visibly on the surface of the body.
Prince Albert – This male genital piercing is traditionally a ring worn in a piercing which runs from an entrance hole made through the shaft just under the head, into the urethrea and out via the urethral opening.
Rook – This is a variation on ear piercings worn in the ridges in the shell of the ear.
Scarification – To create a design on or in the skin by making shallow cuts. Sometimes the lines are rubbed with a coloring agent, most often tattooo ink, to highlight the marks and any resultant scar tissue.
Scrotal – The name for surface skin piercings of the testicles. See Hafada.
Scrumper – A piercing of the thin webbing between your upper teeth and lip.
Septum – A piercing made in the cartilage that separates the two chambers of the nose. A ring that curves into and between the nostrils or a barbell can be worn in this piercing.
Smiley – An alternate name for Scrumper (see above).
Surface piercing – General name for types of piercings that are on the outer surface of the body as opposed to through a piece of easily protruding skin.
Tongue – Any piercing of the tongue muscle itself. Piercings can be set around the rim or through the tongue webbing under the tongue, but most often are found down the middle of the muscle. They can be aligned along the center or pierced off-center. A barbell is the most common jewelry worn in this piercing.
Tragus – The tragus is the small tab of tissue which projects over the opening of the ear canal. It is usually placed in the natural fold where the tragus attaches to the side of the face.
Uvula – This rare piercing is of the uvula at the back of the throat opening.
Venom – An alternate name for an off-center tongue piercing.
Wrist – A surface piercing of the skin on the outside or inside of the wrist. Most often barbells are worn in this type of piercing. Pocketing is also done here.