Inside: What is an industrial piercing, how to take care of it & 71 Cute Ideas!
Industrial piercings have been a popular body modification choice since 1992. It has personally always been one of my favorites, I remember growing up and seeing this piercing grown in popularity and always wanted my own.
Broken down to basics, an industrial piercing is two holes connected by one piece of jewelry—typically a barbell. With so few guidelines, the possibility for customization is endless. You can go for an ornate bar or something super minimal. You can choose to include gemstones or go for smooth steel.
And while industrial piercings have historically had a punk, grunge aesthetic, the personalization aspect means it can take on any vibe you want.
Industrial bars might be one of the most intimidating types of piercings, having a silver bar going in and out of your ear at two points! If you have a girlier aesthetic and want to edge it up a bit, or if you’re fully committed to all the scary piercings, this is the best piercing for you!
Check out everything you need to know about an industrial piercing.
Do you already have the piercing or are you simply in the debating stage? Here are the answers to some questions you may have that convince you to take the plunge.
Does an Industrial Piercing Hurt?
If you’ve had a standard cartilage or helix piercing already, you kind of know what to expect with the industrial, since it’s in the same kind of area. The lower/outer entrance point tends to be a little bit of a tougher area, it might be a little more painful than the very top cartilage area.
However, even if the area isn’t a struggle for you, the sensitivity of your whole ear post-piercing is no joke, and having to sit through a second one on the same ear immediately after might be where there’s an issue.
It’s totally doable and if you can get through the first one, just power through the second. No big. But just know that if you hear people saying it’s a mega painful process, that’s why!
How Long Does it Take for an Industrial Piercing to Heal?
Healing time is longer than a standard piercing about 4-6 months; they can sometimes take up to a year to heal, though, based on aftercare and the individual.
Since it’s a pretty standard location for a piercing (just two of them…) professionals recommend a normal cleaning process.
Grab a piercing or saline solution from your piercer and gently clean the area in the morning and evening. If you’re suspecting an infection on one or both piercing points, remove the piercing or return to the shop and seek for some professional advice.
What Does An Industrial Scar Look Like
Cartilage scars are hardly anything to be worried about. Ultimately, as long as there isn’t any extra pulling, snagging, or tearing while wearing the piercing, it should produce a scar so light that it is hardly existent.
Don’t let the concept of a scar stop you from this piercing!
How Much Does It Cost?
Based on the piercer and the shop, the industrial could cost you anywhere from $40 to $70. The price jump comes into play when a shop considers it two separate piercings because of the two different holes.
If they don’t, and you find a shop in a less trendy part of town, you can find yourself on the cheaper end of the scale. But always vet the piercer and look for someone with good experience, especially if they’ll be dealing with two piercings on your ear at once.
Industrial Piercing Inspiration
2. Gold Industrial Bar Piercing
3. Industrial Piercing Chain-Industrial Bar Earring
4. Hoop with Connecting Chain Piercing
5. Sunflower Industrial Piercing
6. Two Studs with Connecting Chain
Aftercare for this Piercing
Connecting two piercings with a single piece of jewelry isn’t the easiest thing for your body to adjust to so it is pretty important to be diligent with aftercare. Industrial piercings are a big responsibility and they take a lot of care and attention for them to heal properly.
They must be cleaned every day with saline, must avoid any pressure on them, and the hardest part is they cannot be slept on during the healing process. They require a lot of time and patience.
Side Effects of Industrial Bar Piercings
- Irritation bumps: Small bumps around the piercing sites are common when your new piercing is irritated in some way, whether you’ve been touching it or you happen to be allergic to your jewelry. Be sure to pay closer attention to your aftercare, stop playing with your piercing, and/or get a new barbell put in if you think it’s allergies.
- Rejection: Rejection is when your body perceives your new piercing as a threat and pushes it out of your skin. As the piercing is forced out, your body heals the skin below it quickly so it can’t be pushed back in. The only way to address rejection is to go to a professional to have it removed so as not to prolong the process.
- Infection: Infections of piercings are more common than you’d think, but they’re also easily avoided by simply following aftercare procedures correctly. Typical infection symptoms include prolonged redness, swelling, yellow or green discharge, tenderness, burning, itching, and intense pain. It’s normal to see some redness, feel some soreness, or notice some crusting of the piercing sites as they heal. But anything more than a slight annoyance could be signs of a bigger problem.
- Keloids: Industrial piercings easily cause keloid scars, says Green. These are scars that form as a response to the skin’s trauma and tend to be much larger than the initial piercing site. Aside from being annoying, keloids can be quite painful. They require major attention in the form of cortisone injections or removal of the scars via lasers or surgery.
How to Change Out an Industrial Piercing
If you want to change out your industrial piercing, it’s so important to wait until it’s fully healed and potentially a bit longer just to be sure — anywhere from 5-9 months. If you try and take it out before then, you risk the piercing healing over and having to get it redone.
What Type of Jewelry To Use?
Generally, it will be a straight barbell.
A barbell is a piece of jewelry consisting of a metal bar with a small bead on both ends. Each of the ends are removable.
What gauge is an industrial piercing?
The most common thickness would be 14 gauge, but 16 and even 18 gauge industrials are growing in popularity. The length of the bar would be dependent on the specific ear.
Learn More About Piercings and Find Inspiration
Now that we have answered the question, “What is an industrial piercing”, check out more info about some of our favorite piercings.
- When Can I Change My Ear Piercing? – If you’ve paid to have your piercing done, chances are you don’t want it to close up, and you’d be surprised how quickly this can happen with new piercings. the longer you have a piercing, the longer you can leave it without wearing an earring/piece of jewelry…(Read More)
- How Long Does a Tongue Piercing Take to Heal? – Your tongue is a muscle, so its healing process can be slightly different from a skin piercing. Tongue piercings heal quite quickly compared to other body piercings. However, the healing time can vary from person to person and depends heavily on how well the tongue piercing is being cared for at the start of its life…(Read More)
- How to Care for a Nose Piercing? – A new nose piercing requires frequent cleanings. Like any new piercing, regular cleanings help keep debris out of the piercing while also preventing infection. However, the aftercare doesn’t stop there. You’ll need to regularly ensure your nose piercing and jewelry are both in good shape to prevent any future problems…(Read More)
71 Cute industrial piercing ideas for anyone considering an industrial
If you’re interested in something fun going in your industrial, here are 71 ideas for you!
If you like charms, chains, different bar colors, or all of the above, there are a ton of options for any which way you would like to showcase your style in an industrial piercing.
Cute Industrial Piercing Jewelry Ideas
Just because something looks intense and edgy doesn’t mean it has to be! Or vice versa, just because something looks cute and easy going doesn’t mean that it is! If you love the intensity of an industrial piercing but want to keep it cute and fun, there are a ton of jewelry options for you to show your true colors if you’re not fully an industrial piercing kind of girl. Although if you committed to it, maybe you are…
Here are some fun and cute industrial piercing jewelry ideas for you!
- Florals
- Emerald Gem
- Honey Bee
- Minimal Star
- Funky
- Gatsby Stones
- Colorful Gems
- Squiggly Bar
- Baby Snake
- Opal Ends
- Full Snake Bar
Cute Industrial Piercings With Chains
Hoops and chains are so fun to have a part of your piercing and jewelry collection! They add so much to an ear full of earrings, that studs just cannot do. It makes it feel like you have a lot more going on than you do, and it’s a classy way to elevate your earring game without trying.
If you like the ideas of chains on your industrial, here are some inspo pictures for you, ranging from dainty chains to chunky, from minimal to extra. There is an industrial chain for any style!
- Pearls and Stars
- Two Piece Stud
- Separated Triangles
- Locked Up
- Key
- Chain Embellishments
- Basic Bar and Chain
- Heart Chains
- Bar and Pearl
- Planets
- Chunky Chain
- Studded
Unique Industrial Piercings
You’ve already taken the bold step of getting the industrial piercing, but just because the piercing isn’t rare, doesn’t mean the jewelry you put in it has to be basic! You can find so many fun ways to style this piercing– the creativity put into some of this jewelry is amazing: you can totally find something as unique as you that fits your style perfectly. Have fun with it!
If you want to do something different than the standard silver bar, here are some more unique jewelry options for your industrial piercing!
Industrial Piercing Jewelry Options
It can be overwhelming trying to find the best jewelry to wear in a piercing like this, but here are some ideas to help you narrow it down. Do you want to sit in the middle of something unique and something simple, or do you want to go all in on one end of the spectrum?
Whatever your style, there’s a ton of options for you!
Maybe you kept the standard barbell for a while and just want something new now! It’s fun to change it up sometimes.
Girly Industrial Piercing Ideas
The industrial looks so daunting or like it might be too much for your girly persona, but there’s no rules here, even with an intimidating piercing like this one! You want flowers on your industrial bar? Get one with flowers? You want butterflies? Get the butterflies.
Change it up and do the unexpected! If everyone is expecting a manly piece of jewelry, throw them off and get something more you.
Industrial Piercing Ideas
Knowing how many options there are out there for this piercing can stress you out, or it can open your eyes to the different ways of styling this mega cool piercing!
If you’re considering the piercing and want to know how else you can wear it for the future, here are some other ideas just to get your mind going on different kinds of jewelry you might like to try out later on.
Whatever your style is, there’s an industrial piercing for you! Charms, chains, anything is possible and would be a really fun vibe to add to your earring game.
Industrial piercings are no joke, but they don’t have to be as punk rock as they seem! We’re in an era where girly and grunge go hand in hand, so if you’re leaning towards something more edgy but you don’t want to commit to the full grunge aesthetic, there are so many options for you that can be cute, girly, or the classic edgy industrial.
Styling your piercings are more personal now than ever, there’s no need to stick to the typical status quo of what the piercing has been in the past– make it yours and make it fun!
If you’re on the fence, maybe this has convinced you to full send and get the industrial! Try one of these cute industrial piercing and jewelry ideas!