Cheek piercings are an oral piercing done on both sides of the cheeks, usually at the place where dimples appear. Though this piercing for a while had a pseudo-celebrity status (with several reality TV stars sporting the adornment), it is a piercing we often try to dissuade people from getting as it requires a big commitment—often more than most people are expecting.
The healing time is estimated at six months to a year, and unfortunately that’s not an exaggeration. Swelling can be extensive, often starting immediately after the procedure and taking several months to fully disappear. Longer posts are needed for the initial piercing to account for this swelling, and will stick out quite a bit during healing. While most other oral piercings only need their jewelry downsized once, from the initial jewelry down to the jewelry length that will ultimately be worn, this piercing often requires three or more sets of posts between what is used for the initial piercing and what is worn when it’s healed.
Cheek piercings are also notoriously problematic, being especially prone to unexpected swelling and even developing small fluid pockets and excessive drainage of lymph—during and even after healing. Healing is not impossible, but it’s not often easy.
If you’re interested in the piercing, come in and talk to one of our piercers in person. They can talk to you honestly about this piercing, and make suggestions about whether it’s the right one for you. Just don’t be surprised if we try to talk you out of it.