Industrial Piercing has been done by people for a long period of time. Piercing was since the ancient times in the civilizations of Indians, Chinese, Egyptians. At that period of time it was done as a tradition. In India parents got the lobe of their infants at very young age. This kind of piercing was done by a thin gold wire. The gold smiths themselves used to pierce the ear lobes of the young infants and it was always considered as a part of their professions. It was also customary to reward the victorious soldiers with a gold ornament known as a “bhig bali”. This ornament was worn by having the upper or the inner cartilages pierced. The women in many of the civilizations had their noses pierced. It was customary to wear a ring or a precious stone in the nose.
However body piercing in the modern times has become a fashion. Moving to the topic, Industrial piercing is a piercing done in the ear cartilage. Or rather it is a pair of pierces that make an industrial piercing. In Industrial piercing two pierces both in the cartilage of the ear are pierced and a straight piece of jewelry is passed through the pierces. One of the two pierces is made close to the head, in the anti-helix position. The second can be done any where on the inner cartilage. However it is ideally done on the opposite side, in the helix piercing position.
A barbell which is straight is inserted through the holes. The barbell is inserted from behind the ear for safety precaution. It is secured with a bead that is screwed on above the upper hole.
The piercing is usually done with a hollow piercing needle. The needle is a medium gauge needle. The barbell wire is to be worn only during the healing period.
Sometimes instead of the needle a pair of captive bead ring is also used. They are exchanged for a barbell after the healing process is completed. Though the captive bead rings provide a faster healing, the alignment of the two piercings becomes very difficult, painful and also very challenging. The healing usually take as long as three months to about a year or so.