Laura Ljaze
Body Piercing

The Bridge or 'Erl' Piercing as it was originally called, gets its name from body art pioneer Erl Van Aken the first customer to receive this piercing.  The Bridge piercing is a horizontal piercing through the tissue between your brows (glabella tissue) or between the eyes (nasion tissue).  This piercing can only be done on a viable amount of tissue to stop the jewellery from resting on the bone, which could lead to bone density loss and necrosis so not every body is suited to this piercing.

Will it hurt? Bridge piercings are highly debated in terms of how painful they are, with the majority of people agreeing it is not that bad. It is important to remember that piercing pain is always entirely subjective and that each individual will have a different experience of the amount of pain caused by a Bridge piercing.

Healing? Bridge piercings healing times can be longer than other facial piercings and rejection rates are high for this piercing. Healing will take 4-6 months if not longer.

To avoid infection, follow these precautions:

• Clean your Bridge piercing twice daily following recommended aftercare
• Make sure you clean every part of your jewellery including both the balls and the bar
• Always wash and dry your hands before touching your piercings
• Refrain from touching the piercing to allow the tender tissue to heal and to reduce the risk of inflammation and pain.
• Avoid applying lotions, moisturisers, make-up or perfumes to the area.
• Try to keep your hair tied up and away from the piercing wherever possible during initial healing.
• You should not remove your jewellery during the healing process. The jewellery must be kept in at all times or you can risk the piercing closing over.

You can dramatically reduce your risk of any problems by following this advice.

Jewellery:  A Bridge piercing does well with heavier gauge jewellery. When you are first pierced you will be pierced with Titanium Jewellery, this jewellery is a lot bigger than needed. This is to accommodate any swelling you may encounter post piercing, however rare it happens its always best to play it safe to ensure a stunning healthy healed piercing. All of Our Titanium Body Jewellery is made from Ti6-Al4-V ELI Medical Grade Titanium, the only grade conforming to ISO 5832-3:1996 and comes from UK suppliers direct, only the best available for our clients. 

DISCLAIMER: Each body is unique and healing times vary considerably. If you have any questions, please contact your Piercer. These guidelines are based on a combination of vast professional experience, common sense, research and extensive clinical practice. This is not to be considered a substitute for medical advice from a doctor.