Microdermals: everything you need to know about installation and maintenance

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

This type of piercing looks very dainty, but be prepared to leave a scar on your skin.

What is microdermal piercing

This type of piercing is also called single point Dermal Piercing. The bottom line is that with traditional piercing, the skin is pierced through to install the jewelry, so that the inlet and outlet holes for installing the jewelry are obtained. An earring is a classic example.

There is no outlet in the microdermal version. The puncture is made not through and through, but deep into the skin, into the dermal layer. Then a microimplant is inserted there - the so-called "anchor", which is a flat plate 6–7 mm long (this is enough for a secure fixation). The jewelry is screwed onto a thin pin that remains above the surface of the skin.

Such an implant (aka microdermal) can be implanted on almost any part of the body - you only need a small flat area of the skin. Popular places for single point piercings are collarbone, chest, abdomen, face, fingers.

Please note that after removing the microderm, a scar will remain in its place.

Piercing can only be done in specialized salons that are licensed for medical activities.

What microdermals are made of

This is an important issue that needs to be addressed.

Your first microdermal should be made from surgical titanium. This is the safest hypoallergenic material.

Also, microdermals are made from the following materials:

• Surgical stainless steel … It is also considered hypoallergenic, but the risk of skin irritation in this case is slightly higher than with titanium.
• Niobium … Alternative to steel.
• Gold … It sounds rich, but with gold piercing you need to be careful, as it can provoke an allergic reaction, which is why the microdermal may not take root and will be rejected by the skin.

How microdermals are installed

Dermal Piercing: Pictures, Procedure, Aftercare, and Risks takes a couple of minutes. First of all, the master puts on disposable gloves and takes sterile instruments. Then he treats the skin at the puncture site with an antiseptic. When the moisture is dry, the piercer will mark the point where the microdermal will be placed with a marker.

Next, an incision is made in this place a couple of millimeters long using a punch - a round scalpel for piercing. In the dermal layer of the skin, a "pocket" is cut to the size of the plate, which will be inserted there.

The microdermal "anchor" is set in the formed hole with forceps.

Then the decoration of your choice is screwed onto the anchor pin. After that, the master seals the microdermal with a plaster to protect it from dirt and infections.

Does it hurt to put microdermal

As a rule, microdermal is placed under local anesthesia. Or even without it, since the procedure does not last long.

Any piercing without pain relief is unpleasant. However, the sensations may differ from person to person. It depends on the:

• puncture sites (for example, the skin on the fingers is more sensitive than on the abdomen);
• your individual pain threshold;
• experience and skill of the piercer.

"It hurts, but, as for me, this is the most painless type of piercing," - for example, writes a girl who has gone through the microdermal installation procedure more than once.

What decorations are used

Jewelry is called wrapping because it is wrapped around the microdermal “anchor” pin.

The wrapping must be flat, otherwise it will start clinging to clothes, and this is traumatic: you can accidentally pull out the jewelry along with the skin. Taking into account this requirement, the shape and design of wrapping can be very different: a disc decorated with a stone or rhinestone, a heart, a star, a cross …

Choose your first piece of jewelry responsibly. It cannot be replaced while the skin with the established microdermal is healing, which takes months. Later, when the implant finally takes root, you will be able to change the wrapping at least every day. But it is highly advisable that this is done by the master who installed the piercing for you.

How to care for microdermal

Prepare to be patient. Small swelling, redness and crusting will appear around the fresh puncture - this is normal. Light swelling will last up to two weeks. Completely, the skin, injured by single-point piercing, heals within 3-6 months. How quickly this happens in your case depends on the puncture site and compliance with a number of hygiene rules.

What to do in the first 2 weeks after installing microdermal

• Keep it under the patch for 3-5 days around the clock. Then stick the patch for another 9-11 days at night. It should be changed every time you flush the puncture.
• Rinse the piercing with saline twice a day. If the microdermal is installed on the finger, it is enough to immerse it in a container with liquid and hold it for 3-5 minutes. If the piercing is on the abdomen, collarbone, or face, moisten a clean cotton swab with saline and gently treat the wound. In both cases, after completing the procedure, the solution must be washed off with clean water.
• Only remove moisture from the piercing with a disposable paper towel. This will reduce the risk of infection.
• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching the wound.
• If you suspect that dirt has got into the puncture, treat it with any liquid antiseptic - hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine, an aqueous solution of furacilin. But you cannot constantly use antiseptics - this interferes with healing.
• Try not to get cosmetics on the microdermal.

Do's with an unhealed piercing (less than 3 months old)

• Tug or twirl the decoration.
• Allow microdermal to cling to hair.
• Wear clothing that fits snugly against the puncture.
• Swim in the pond, pool, go to the bathhouse or sauna.
• Rip off the resulting crust.
• Change jewelry or remove it.
• Touching the piercing with dirty hands.

What complications can there be?

If the piercing was done by an experienced craftsman in a licensed salon, observing sanitary and hygienic standards, the risk of complications is minimal. But you still need to know about them.

• Bacterial infection. Failure to take care of the puncture while it heals or touching it with dirty hands can lead to infection. The wound will turn red, swollen, hurt, bleed, or fester.
• Allergic reaction. You may be allergic to certain types of metals. It can be recognized by redness, noticeable and progressive swelling, itching of the skin.
• Rejection of decoration. Sometimes microdermal does not take root: inflamed and scarring skin pushes it out, forcing it to fall out within a few weeks after installation. This is an individual reaction. This can even happen to people who have followed all the precautions.
• Infection with hepatitis or HIV. This is an extremely rare but nonetheless possible situation. You can get infected if the master uses reusable instruments and does not sterilize them well or does not do it at all. To reiterate, to reduce your risk, only get piercings in licensed parlors.

When you need to see a doctor as soon as possible

Be sure and do not hesitate to contact a therapist or dermatologist if:

• feel persistent pain in the puncture area;
• you notice that the swelling around the microdermal has become more pronounced, and the skin is hot;
• yellow or green discharge from the wound appeared;
• an unpleasant odor has arisen;
• a rash appeared next to the piercing.

Any of these symptoms are highly likely to indicate that an infection has entered the puncture. This threatens blood poisoning, so run to the doctor.

How to remove microdermal piercings if tired

Sooner or later, microdermal will fall out by itself. This is due to the fact that the skin regenerates and slowly pushes the "anchor" out. For some, the regeneration is faster and the piercing may fall out in six months or a year, for others it is slower - and the process will take up to 3-5 years.

Be prepared for a deep enough scar in the place of the microdermal. To get rid of it, most likely, you will have to contact a surgeon - he will remove the formed scar tissue and apply a suture.

If you want to get rid of microdermal sooner, contact the technician who installed it or your surgeon. In no case try to remove the piercing yourself - this is fraught with infection of the wound.

A master or surgeon will use a scalpel to make an incision in the skin and use forceps to remove the anchor from the dermis. Then he will process the hole in the skin and put a suture on it to make the scar as invisible as possible.