Many a millennial has memories of begging their parents to get their ears pierced. And some might have also had similar arguments about double piercings, nose piercings, and tattoos. But in the year of our lord 2025, body modification has come a long way, and parents are fielding a lot more requests, some of which we haven’t even heard of.
This brings us to Kim Kardashian, who is facing judgement and backlash (for the millionth time) over her 12-year-old daughter North West’s apparent dermal piercing on her middle finger.
The actor and business woman and her eldest daughter were photographed recently while vacationing in Rome, and a few eagle-eyed fans zoomed in on North’s hand, which appears to have a dermal piercing on one of her fingers where a ring would go.
While many people voiced their outrage that a kid her age would have a “dangerous” body piercing, many other were saying, “Um, wait, what’s a dermal piercing?”
What’s a dermal piercing?
A traditional piercing has an entry point and an exit point — like an ear or nose piercing. A dermal piercing, also known as a single-point piercing, surface piercing, or a micro dermal, usually shares only one entry and exit point.
Dermal piercing jewelry is T-shaped with a flat base that acts as an anchor to the skin. Your skin grows into the base, securing it in place, while the decorative jewelry part of the piercing seems to “float” on top of the skin.
Since they do not require an exit point, dermal piercings can be placed almost anywhere on the body, but popular dermal piercing locations include:
- Between the eyebrows
- Cheek bones
- Hips
- Lower back
- Chest
- Back of neck
- Collarbone
- Wrist
- Finger
Surface piercings are comparably rare — while not a ton of statistics about piercings exist, it seems like less than 5% of all piercings fall into this category.
Why are dermal piercings considered dangerous or controversial?
Unlike more traditional piercings, dermal piercings are not considered permanent, as they are often eventually rejected by the body. This means that the jewelry will eventually need to be removed, which can result in permanent scarring.
In addition, because of the single entry point, dermal piercings are more likely to become infected — and harder to heal if they do become infected. Because of the way they are anchored, they could also become displaced.
If your single-entry piercing is not done by a professional, there is also a chance of tissue or nerve damage.
Those with dermal piercings should look for symptoms like
- Sensitivity
- Heat
- Redness
- Discharge
- Odor
- Swelling
- Rash
- Fever
What’s the right age for dermal piercings or surface piercings?
Most body piercing businesses won’t give a surface piercing to anyone under the age of 18.
“Dermal piercings, AKA surface piercings, are usually a service offered for clients 18 or over,” said Trist’n Peterson, co-owner and body piercer at Brightside Body Art in Missoula, Montana, told Scary Mommy. “This is because surface piercings are not permanent and your body will eventually reject the piercing resulting in noticeable scarring.”
Peterson added that her shop only offers a limited number of piercings to clients between the ages of 13 and 18: ear lobe, nose, septum, and ear cartilage/helix.
And in general, Peterson continues, dermal piercings are never a good idea on fingers.
“For surface piercings on a finger, most piercers wouldn’t even offer this on an adult,” she said. “The finger has so much daily movement and potential to snag, causing the piercing to reject pretty quickly.”
Are there laws regarding dermal piercing in the United States?
Tattoo and body piercing laws go by state — you can check your state laws here, though you should also check your state’s official laws. Some states allow anyone to get their ears pierced, but require parental consent for other piercings. Other states allow parental consent for some piercings but not others. Some states accept written consent from parents while others require a parent or guardian to be present.
How do you know you are going to a reputable piercer?
A reputable piercer will definitely steer you (and your kid) away from any dangerous or age-inappropriate piercing decisions. So finding a good place to go is vital.
“Researching your piercer is important,” Peterson said. “A good piercer will have a portfolio with fresh and healed piercings, use implant grade jewelry from high quality manufacturers and follow local/state requirements.”
On the other hand, you should also look for warning signs at a body piercing business.
“Warning signs to stay clear would be low quality jewelry, no verifiable work available, and a dirty lobby/working area,” Peterson said.
It’s unclear where Kardashian and North went for her piercing — and it’s possible that they were not in the United States. We also have no idea if Kim gave her permission to North. The bottom line, as always, though, is to educate ourselves on the topic and make the right decisions for our own kids and our own families.
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