A bridge piercing is a facial piercing through the skin on the
bridge
A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...
of the
nose
A nose is a sensory organ and respiratory structure in vertebrates. It consists of a nasal cavity inside the head, and an external nose on the face. The external nose houses the nostrils, or nares, a pair of tubes providing airflow through the ...
, usually directly between the eyes of the wearer. A variation on this piercing, the vertical bridge piercing is a
surface piercing
Surface piercings are Body piercing, piercings that are found on flat parts of the body, giving a double-pierced look that sits flat against the skin. A surface bar follows the plane of skin, while a standard piercing is pierced through the plane. ...
, with all of the risks or potential complications related to surface piercings.
History
The bridge piercing is a relatively modern body modification practice. Unlike septum or nostril piercings, which have roots in ancient cultures, the bridge piercing has no known historical or indigenous origins. It is believed to have emerged in the late 20th century with the rise of the contemporary body modification movement.
Body piercer Erik Dakota is often credited with popularizing the bridge piercing, reportedly coining the term "Erl" piercing in the 1980s after a client named Erl Van Aken, who was one of the first individuals to wear it regularly*. The piercing gained traction in alternative and punk subcultures throughout the 1990s, becoming more widely recognized due to increased visibility in body modification publications and online communities*.
As body piercing became more mainstream in the early 2000s, the bridge piercing remained a niche choice due to concerns about rejection and migration, which are common with surface piercings
Larratt, Shannon, *BME Encyclopedia*, 2008) Despite this, it continues to be a distinctive form of self-expression among body modification enthusiasts today.
The risk of
rejection is quite high for this piercing, as it is a surface piercing. There is also a high risk of scarring when the jewelry is removed.
Besides decorative jewelry, bridge piercings can hold spectacles.
Jewelry
Bridge piercings are most commonly pierced with
straight barbells, although curved barbells and
surface bar
Barbell style piercing jewelry is composed of a straight bar with a bead on each end, one or both beads unscrewable for removal and/or changing of the beads. Often one of the beads is fixed, either via epoxy or welding, so that only one bead ...
s are also possible initial jewelry. Once the piercing is healed, it is possible to wear a
captive bead ring
A captive bead ring (CBR), ball closure ring (BCR), captive hoop, or captive ball ring is a common example of body piercing jewelry.
The captive bead or ball fits into a small opening in the circle of the ring. The bead is slightly larger than thi ...
in it, although depending on the placement of the piercing, a D-ring styled ring may be necessary to prevent
migration
Migration, migratory, or migrate may refer to: Human migration
* Human migration, physical movement by humans from one region to another
** International migration, when peoples cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum le ...
caused by the pressure exerted by the shape of a ring.
Like many other
facial piercings, there are many misconceptions about bridge piercings. Some involve eye problems, such as involuntary eye crossing. Other beliefs have to do with infections from piercings spreading to the
brain
The brain is an organ (biology), organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It consists of nervous tissue and is typically located in the head (cephalization), usually near organs for ...
, via the
sinuses
Paranasal sinuses are a group of four paired air-filled spaces that surround the nasal cavity. The maxillary sinuses are located under the eyes; the frontal sinuses are above the eyes; the ethmoidal sinuses are between the eyes and the sphenoi ...
.
References
External links
*
Body Modification E-Zine Encyclopedia entry on bridge piercings
Body Modification E-Zine Encyclopedia entry on Erl van Aken
{{Body Piercing
Facial piercings
Surface piercings