Women Are Getting Their Ring Fingers Pierced Instead Of Wearing Engagement Rings

It’s a hot new trend that’s been blowing up Instagram: women are flaunting their engagement rings that are actually not rings but diamond studs. Yes, they’re getting subdermal piercings on their fingers. WTF? They look gorgeous, but the idea is also a little scary. Here’s what you should know about this trend before you say “I do.”

1. It’s called a diamond dermal piercing. Basically, you end up with a diamond stud in your finger that looks like an earring stud. You don’t have to limit yourself to one. You could have three diamonds in a row to mimic the design of an engagement ring, for example. How the stud looks really depends on how decorative you want your “engagement ring” to be. Some people even connect an actual ring to the stud.
2. It feels more permanent. While piercings aren’t as permanent as, say, a tattoo, they’re definitely more permanent than slipping on an engagement ring—and probably much cheaper than buying a huge diamond ring.
3. So, how’s it done? Diamond dermal piercings are done by sticking a needle through the side of the finger. Ouch. Then, a flat plate is inserted beneath the skin. This enables the diamond to remain fixed in place. So basically, the stud sits right on top of your finger and is secured by the flat plate underneath. Due to how your finger’s getting pierced and cut, you might need stitches.
4. Expect to feel pain and deal with a possible infection. If you’re interested in a diamond dermal piercing, brace yourself because the procedure sounds painful. There are also some risks involved. As with any piercing, you want to choose a professional who’ll pierce your finger with sanitary tools to decrease the risk of infection. It’s also important to care for your diamond dermal piercing afterward to keep it clean and free of infection. Follow the rules you’re given to keep it clean so it looks fabulous instead of foolish. A good tip is to choose a piercer who’s done diamond dermal piercings before and can show you their previous work.
5. It can injure you. Another good reason to get an expert to do the finger piercing for you is that someone who’s inexperienced could insert the needle too deeply into your finger. Ouch! Clearly, this isn’t the time for DIY piercings.
6. There are other things to consider too. If the plate and diamond haven’t been put in correctly, they can damage surrounding blood vessels and nerves. Even if they have been inserted perfectly, your body might reject them. You never know how your body will react to having metal under your skin all the time. Your piercing might also get in the way of some medical procedures in future. For instance, diamond dermal piercings can disturb MRI scan findings or be a problem during certain surgeries. Always best to consider these possibilities.
7. The plate MUST be titanium. The plate that’s inserted into your finger is basically an anchor. From there, you can choose whatever jewels you want to show off to the world. But, it’s highly important for the plate to be implant-grade titanium. This minimizes the risk that your body will reject it. It’s also important to avoid any metals you’re allergic to. If you’ve ever had skin symptoms from wearing metal jewelry, you should be extra careful to prevent the use of cheap materials because it’s going to be underneath your skin. Too close for comfort! Get an allergy test for metals at the doc and choose hypo-allergenic metals for all your jewelry.
8. Otherwise, you’re good to go. Once you’ve ensured that you’ve found a professional to pierce your finger and you’re choosing titanium, diamond dermal piercings are safe and don’t have to be complicated—even though they look like they are. Done correctly, these piercings don’t take longer to heal than regular ones.
9. Just don’t get snagged. A big problem with diamond dermal piercings is that the diamonds can snag on clothing and other jewelry. This can actually cause your body to reject the piercing, so you need to be careful. When you snag on the diamond, you create a tear in your skin that leaves you vulnerable to loads of germs. Just think of where your hands go every single day. Here’s a scary fact: we carry 3,200 bacteria from 150 different species on our hands.
10. It’s easy to remove. One of the benefits of diamond dermal piercings is that they’re really easy to remove, so if you lose interest in them or break up with your partner, you won’t be stuck with it. And, you won’t require stitches (thank goodness) when having them taken out. Removal can be done in a few seconds.
11. It’s fun for jewelry lovers. The coolest thing about these piercings is that their bases that are set into your finger give you a chance to enjoy a bunch of different diamonds and jewels. You can change them whenever you want and they look so cool. Diamond dermal piercings have made engagement rings so much more unique and versatile. And no, you don’t have to be engaged to rock this trend!

A post shared by The Diamond App (@thediamondapp) on Mar 17, 2018 at 7:31am PDT