Cheek piercing - Definition and Overview

A cheek piercing is a facial body piercing. It's done in the center of your cheek, where your dimple would be. It's considered one of the lesser seen piercings, because it's not really accepted by society. Cheek piercings are favorites of the vegetarian festivals in Phuket, Thailand where the monks enter trance and have huge piercings performed in their cheeks and go on a procession with all manner of objects inserted in them, such as anchors and 20ft spears. In other cultures piercings through the cheek, tongue, and out the other cheek aren't unheard of. A cheek piercing is considered a more social piercing. It is usually advised to have your cheek pierced slightly higher or lower than where your teeth meet inside the mouth; if this isn't taken into consideration, then the likelihood of biting the back of the stud is greatly increased. When pierced, the cheek can swell a lot, so ensure that you use oversized jewelry when you initially get the piercing. This piercing is an external and internal piercing so you have to take care of it in and out. The recommended jewelry to use when you first get it pierced is a 16-12 gauge labret stud. The healing time for this piercing is 8-12 weeks. See also Body Piercing Aftercare for more information.