The Sheng Men Point (黑林石人脚)
A piercing called “Sheng Men” or “Shan Men” refers to the area around the ear lobe. The name comes from the Chinese word for ear, which means “sheng”.
There are many different types of shenmen points: some have small holes; others have large ones; still others have no holes at all. Some people believe that getting a shenmen piercing will make them look more masculine, while others think it’s just cosmetic.
In China, the shenmen piercing is considered one of the most beautiful body parts to get pierced. However, there are those who don’t like having their ears pierced because they feel it makes them sound stupid when speaking with other people.
There are two kinds of shenmen piercing:
Point Zero Piercing (最强石人脚): These piercings are made without any holes. They’re usually very small and can be easily seen through clothing.
They do not give off much heat, so they won’t cause pain if your skin gets burned.
The community refers to these as “zero holes” or simply “zero”. Many people think that point zero piercings make you look more composed and calm.
Shen Men Piercing (神门穴)
These piercings come in various different sizes, from small to large. Some of them have a single hole; others have multiple holes.
They can be made in a straight line or in a curve. Some shenmen piercings are hidden; they can only be seen by going through the hair.
They are very hot compared to other types of piercings. If you have short hair, they can expose the hole.
If your hair is long enough to cover the hole, you’ll look more masculine and cool. They make you look angry, but in a cool way that people like.
The shenmen piercings are very easy to get infected. If you do not take care of them, then pus will start to come out of the hole.
If this starts happening, a doctor should be able to give you medication for it.
If you wear a hat with your hair covering the piercing, then the skin under the hat will start to get red and swollen when you wear it for too long.
Advantages
Because these piercings are easy to get infected, they cause your body to produce more blood cells. This helps keep your immune system strong.
Disadvantages
These piercings can easily become infected if not cleaned properly. They can also be very painful to heal, as they are in an awkward place to reach.
Also, you may experience a burning sensation when your skin is hot.
Hair grows in patches around these piercings, so you’ll have to shave or wax more than other parts of your body.
Warnings
If you’re getting a shenmen piercing, make sure you go to a doctor who is experienced in this area. Getting one of these piercings done by a professional can be very expensive and painful.
Your best bet is to go to a piercing specialist, even if you have to pay more.
The Dispersing (开背穴)
This piercing is located right between your shoulder blades, on either side of your backbone. The name “Kai Bao” comes from the Chinese words for “open” and “backbone”.
It is also known as the “Heaven’s Keyhole” in English.
In ancient times, this piercing was believed to open a “spirit gate” that would allow you to speak with the spirits. Nowadays, most people just get it for fashion.
It is one of the few types of piercing that can be seen when your hair is tied up or worn in a bun. There are some health benefits too: it can alleviate headaches and even regulate your appetite to a degree.
Advantages
When you’re exposed to the cold, your back tends to get very stiff. This piercing alleviates that stiffness because it acts as an extra blood vessel that warms up the area.
It can also help you burn off extra calories if you have a smaller appetite, making you thinner. If you have a larger appetite, then this will make your food go further for the same amount of calories. You will rarely get headaches if you have this piercing.
Disadvantages
This piercing can be very painful to get. Having it done requires you to get an injection that numbs the area, so you won’t feel anything during the procedure.
The needle has to go through three layers of muscle and skin, so it takes a while. Getting the piercing itself only takes a few minutes, but the injection itself can take up to half an hour to fully kick in.
Most people won’t be able to see this piercing unless your hair is up. This forces you to keep your hair up if you want to show it off to others.
Also, some people may not like this as a fashion statement.
Warnings
Getting this piercing requires a numbing agent to be injected into your back. This can cause allergic reactions in some people, and it is possible to be allergic to the ingredients used.
Even if you don’t have an allergic reaction to the numbing agent, you may still have a reaction to the metal used for the piercing. There’s always a small risk of either allergic reaction, so you should ask your doctor before getting this procedure done.
The Tendon Piercing (肠子)
This piercing is located on the side of your navel. In ancient times, this used to be a male genital piercing, but it has since moved further up due to changes in fashion.
Nowadays it is known as the “Tendon Piercing” because it goes through the tendons in your stomach.
The name in Chinese is rather descriptive: “Chong Zhi”, which means “intestine piercing”. The English name for this type of piercing has not been as successful, and most people still refer to it as a navel piercing.
Advantages
This type of piercing looks good if you wear clothing that exposes your stomach. It can also be permed with larger rings if you want to add more later on, which adds to the visual appeal.
Some people claim that it alleviates menstrual pain, but there is no scientific evidence to back this up.
Disadvantages
Putting holes in your body has never been without its downside though. Having this piercing means you will always have a hole in your stomach, which increases the chance of getting an infection if you don’t clean the area regularly.
It can also be prone to getting caught on clothing, which is both painful and can rip out the ring.
Warnings
If you decide to get this piercing you need to go to a professional. The needle has to pierce three layers of muscle, and there is a danger of hitting a nerve or artery if it isn’t done carefully.
If the needle goes through the wrong layer of muscle, you could end up paralyzed or even die. Even if the procedure goes well, there is still a small risk of getting an infection afterwards, which can be very serious.
The Tongue Web Piercing (舌網)
The Tongue Web is a relatively new piercing that involves stretching the skin of your tongue and piercing it with two rings. The result is a web of metal under your tongue and the appearance of a second tongue.
Since its introduction to the western world, this type of piercing has become very popular among teenagers and young adults as a way of expressing their personality. It is frequently used along with a lip piercing to create a unique look.
Advantages
The Tongue Web piercing can be attractive to people who like minimal jewelry. The two rings are usually small and flat, which means they don’t interfere with speech or cause discomfort.
It can also be stretched to accommodate many sizes of jewelry, allowing you to change the look of your tongue piercing over time.
Disadvantages
The tongue is an important muscle for speaking and eating, so many people are not comfortable getting a piercing here. It can also be painful, since you’re sticking metal through a sensitive muscle.
The skin here is also very thin, which means it tears easily and can be prone to infection.
Warnings
Since this type of piercing goes through an important muscle, it is very important to keep the area clean to avoid getting an infection. Many doctors and insurance companies consider this type of piercing to be a medical procedure, so you may have to pay out-of-pocket if you don’t have supplemental insurance.
The Lips (嘴唇)
The Lips is a piercing that goes through either the upper or lower lip. This area can be pierced in many different ways: from just one ring to multiple rings in a row.
The double lip piercing involves piecing both lips at the same time with two rings, which creates a unique look.
Advantages
The Lips are one of the most common and popular types of piercings. You can stretch your piercing to accommodate many different sizes of jewelry, allowing you to change the look of your piercing over time.
Some people create elaborate styles that involve several rings and weigh down their lip to create a pouty effect.
Disadvantages
The Lips are a very visible piercing, so many people aren’t comfortable with drawing attention to themselves in this way. They can also be prone to catching on jewelry and clothing if not taken care of properly.
The skin in this area is also very thin, which means it tears easily and can be prone to getting infected.
Warnings
The lips are a particularly tricky place to heal because they are often involved in eating and speaking. It’s very important to take extra care when cleaning the area to avoid getting an infection.
It can be tempting to stick your tongue out or pucker your lips to see the jewelry, but this could tear the skin and cause problems.
The Tongue Bar (舌扁帽)
The Tongue Bar is a piercing that goes through the bar of your tongue. The skin is pierced with a singular hole that is stretched to accommodate a barbell.
The bar can go either across the tongue (from side-to-side) or down the middle (from front-to-back). This type of piercing is popular among those who like a more discreet piercing.
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