Industrial Piercings

More Info on Industrial Piercings & Scaffolding Bars

Industrial piercings have much longer bars as they pass through multiple piercings, generally through the outer edge of the upper ear.  The most common bar length is 38mm (with a gauge of 1.6mm) - so considerably longer than a cartilage or tragus piercing.

You may also see these piercings referred to as scaffolding piercings or scaffolding bars but they are exactly the same as industrial piercings.  It’s also worth noting that standard barbells of the appropriate length can be used for industrial piercings too.
 

Types of Industrial Piercing

As you would expect there are thousands of different industrial piercing bars available.  The most popular choices are summarised below:

• Straight Barbells - the most simple and basic is the straight barbell with ball ends.  Available on various materials including 316L Surgical steel, Titanium and Acrylic.  A great choice for a new or existing industrial piercing.

• Decorated Industrial Barbells - there are many styles available which have a fixed attachment positioned in the centre of the bar.  These are particularly eye catching as the attachment sits perfectly within the upper cartilage rim of the ear. 

• Dangle Industrial Barbells - as the name suggests these industrial piercings have a dangle from the piercing, some just have a small attachment which hangs down by a couple of centimeters, others have a longer length chain which hangs down almost to the lobe.

Getting an Industrial Piercing

One of the first questions many will ask when getting an industrial piercing is; does it hurt?  The answer is of course always subjective as we all feel pain a little differently.  Generally speaking, customers have commented that they felt less than a normal ear piercing so it should only cause some minor discomfort for a very short amount of time!  

Once the piercing has been done it’s perfectly normal to see some redness and swelling which may last around 3-6 days.  If you notice this continues beyond this point it’s advisable to seek professional medical advice.

In terms of which industrial piercing bar is most suitable, we recommend a basic barbell when first having it done.  This will help with the healing process and ensure no unnecessary stress is put on the piercing (due to heavier piercing designs or dangles being caught on clothing or hair).

Caring for your Industrial Piercing

As with any piercing you should always continually pay close attention to your piercing and care for it frequently, this includes:

• Regularly clean the piercing with a saline solution - during the healing process you should be doing this at least twice per day.

• Avoid playing with or twisting the piercing when it’s healing, this will most likely cause irritation and extend the healing time.  The only time you may need to twist or disturb the piercing is when cleaning it.

• If possible, avoid water sports while the piercing is healing as this increases the chance of infection.  If avoiding entirely isn’t an option, you can purchase water resistant bandages or even use a swimming cap which covers the piercing.

If it’s not just a scaffold piercing you’re after take a look at some of our other piercings - we stock a massive range of labret bars, nose piercings and segment rings.