Our parents and grandparents might claim it can't be done, but in modern society, fashion and culture there are a few simple guidelines you can follow in order to make facial and body piercings look good. They are mostly common sense, but there are some tips and secrets to learn about body piercing that might help you along.

It's difficult, even sometimes impossible to get a decent view of ourself from the perspective of someone else. People with the foresight to know what suits them the best are incredibly lucky, so those of us who can't need to take a bit of time out to think and research. If you want a facial piercing then what shape face do you have? If you have a large stomach then is a belly button piercing really the best one you could choose?

Another important thing to consider is that some piercings simply cannot look 'classy'. Take the eyebrow piercing for example. A plain stud looks good, but a ring or any colored stone becomes too much. A better choice is a piercing somewhere on the lips or nose. In general, rings look more harsh on the face than plain studs or gems. That is, unless they are rings around the bottom lip. Rings on the nose are generally for those really looking to make a statement and draw immediate attention. Facial piercings also tend to look a lot better when they're symmetrical, so a philtrum piercing will be a better choice than a 'Monroe' (stud on one side of the top lip), unless you choose to have both Monroes pierced.

The next rule goes for anyone and everyone, piercings or not, and it's called the rule of three. That is, when it comes to accessorizing you should have three accessories on you at most. Piercings count here, so if you want to wear a large belt and necklace then try and keep to just one facial piercing. If you can't bear to do this then it's time to downsize your jewelry, i.e. only wear small, plain metallic studs as opposed to colored gems or decorated tunnels. If the hole that your piercing makes is particularly noticeable then it's actually better to wear a small stud than leave it open.

Last but not least, if you've got more than one piercing then you'll probably know how easily it is for them to all get infected at once. When you first have something pierced it is difficult to stop it getting infected if you lead a busy life, but luckily it's just as easy to get it clean again. Try to keep a bottle of tea tree oil with you at all times, and some clean cotton buds to clean the piercing every now and then. Each night you should soak the site with boiled salt water that's been left to go warm, especially for belly button piercings which can be particularly nasty if they go 'bad'. Your main aim for a piercing should be to get it to heal as fast as possible, so, keep it clean at all times, remember to twist it once a day and never change jewelry before the recommended healing time.

Stan Tian

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