How to Fake a Facial Piercing

Co-authored by Karissa Sanford

Last Updated: December 23, 2023

Facial piercings have become more fashionable and trendy in the last decade, but there are still some people who feel apprehensive to such a permanent modification to their face. If you’d like to jump on the facial piercing bandwagon, but you’re scared of the pain and/or upkeep, have no fear! Here are some easy ways to switch up your look or freak out your parents with a fake piercing. Go elegant or go bold, either way it is completely temporary.

Method 1

Method 1 of 6:

Faking Hoop Piercings with Jump Rings

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1
Purchase some jump rings. You can find jump rings at your local craft store or Walmart. Jump rings are small and made of metal. They usually have a small gap between the two ends of the ring.
- Jump rings are the best decision if you want your hoop piercings to look as realistic as possible.
- Buy a large pack of different sizes so you can keep using them for fake piercings, or if you make a mistake and need a back up.
2
Decide where you want your piercing. Where you want your piercing will affect how large or small of a jump ring to use. You will have to make sure the gap in the jump ring is wide enough to fit your skin.
- Hoop piercings are usually worn on the lip, nose, septum, or eyebrow.
- If you use the jump ring for a nose piercing the gap is going to be smaller than if you used a jump ring for an eyebrow piercing.
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3
Pry the jump ring apart with pliers. Jump ring gaps start very small, so you will not be able to fit your skin inside unless you make the gap wider. The metal is usually not easily pliable, so pliers are the best tool.
- Use two pairs of flat pliers to grasp both ends.
- Twist the ends apart until you have your desired gap.
- Keep checking the jump ring against where you want your piercing to see how much wider the gap needs to be. Make sure the jump ring is snug on your skin.
Jump ring ends are usually sharp and can be harmful, especially if you are putting a good amount of skin between them. Clear nail polish will make a protective layer on the sharp ends, so they will not cut into your skin. ^{[1]
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5
Apply eyelash glue to the ends. Once the nail polish has dried, apply a small amount of eyelash glue to the ends of the jump ring. Eyelash glue is the best adhesive for fake facial piercings because it is already made for the skin, so it will last the longest and not be harmful.
- Choose an eyelash glue with a small applicator.
- Let the glue set on the ends of the jump ring for 20-30 seconds before applying to the skin.
Tweezers are the most effective when handling jump rings. You will be able to hold them steady and not get any glue on unwanted areas of your face. Place your jump ring on where you want your hoop piercing.

Method 2

Method 2 of 6:

Faking Hoop Piercings with Paper Clips

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1
Find some paper clips. Look around your house and find some paper clips of different sizes. You can go to your local craft store, convenience store, or office depot to find more paper clips if you ran out. ^{[2]
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- Use different color paper clips to make your hoop piercing more creative.
- Depending on how thick you want your piercing, you may want to use multiple paper clips. Two paper clip hoops can be placed together to create a thicker hoop.
2
Straighten the paper clip out with pliers. With one pair of flat nose pliers, pull the paper clip out of its original shape. Then use the pliers to help you straighten it out completely by pulling each end flat. ^{[3]
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- Cut the straightened paper clip using scissors or diagonal cutting pliers, if you want to make it smaller.
- The length of the straightened paper clip will affect the size of the hoop piercing.
3
Roll it with a cylinder object. The size of the cylinder object depends on how wide you want your hoop piercing. Pens, markers, and highlighters can work for this step. ^{[4]
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- Take one end of your straightened paper clip and curve it around your cylinder object. Roll the object to make the entire straightened paper clip curved into a hoop.
- Depending on how long your straightened paper clip was, you may have to gently pull apart the ends of your “hoop” so you have a gap for your skin.
Figuring out where you want your piercing will help you decide how wide of a gap to leave between the two ends of the paper clip, so your skin can fit inside. Hoop piercings are usually worn on the lip, nose, septum, or eyebrow.
5
Apply eyelash glue to the ends. Apply a small amount of eyelash glue to the ends of the paper clip(s). Eyelash glue is the best adhesive for fake facial piercings because it is already made for the skin, so it will last the longest and not be harmful.
- Choose an eyelash glue with a small applicator.
- Let the glue set on the ends for 20-30 seconds before applying to the skin.
Tweezers are the most effective when handling paper clips. You will be able to hold them steady and not get any glue on unwanted areas of your face. Place your paper clip hoop where you want your piercing.

Method 3

Method 3 of 6:

Faking Hoop Piercings with Liquid Liner

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1
Decide where you want your piercing. You may be restricted on where you can draw your piercing if you want to make it look as realistic as possible. Hoop piercings are more difficult to draw on because of the depth perception usually made by the hoop shape.
- You may not be able to draw a realistic hoop on your eyebrow, but it should work for the nose or lip.
- Fake septum hoop piercings are not achievable if drawing on the hoop.
2
Apply a white base. A white base will guarantee that your liquid liner pops out in the light, you want your piercing to be noticeable. Use a cream formula, this will hold more to the skin and last longer.
- Use a white eyeliner pencil.
- Use a thin makeup brush and dip it into your leftover white Halloween makeup.
3
Pick a liquid eyeliner. A liquid liner will be more effective in faking a facial piercing because it is more vibrant than gel or charcoal liners. Choose any color you want for the eyeliner, be creative with it!
- Metallic colors such as silver or gold will definitely look the most realistic when compared to actual piercings.
4
Apply the liquid liner. Do not use the applicator that comes with the liquid liner because it may go on too thick to start, which might not be what you want. Use a thin makeup brush or a thin paintbrush to apply your liner.
- Dip your thin brush into the bottle of liquid eyeliner and apply as much or as little as you want, depending on how thick you want your “fake” piercing to look.
- For a fake hoop lip piercing, try applying your liner vertically down the center of your bottom lip.

Method 4

Method 4 of 6:

Faking Surface Piercings with Beads or Crystals

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1
Acquire multiple beads or crystals. Look to see if you have any beads around your house or stop by your local craft store and pick up a pack of multiple colors and sizes. You can also use gems or crystals for surface piercings. ^{[5]
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- Get fake gems and crystals at a craft store, or use real crystals that are from your necklaces or rings.
- Fake surface piercings can be as small or as large as you want.
2
Decide where you want your piercing. Surface piercings are piercings that are only visible on the surface of your skin. The part of the piercing visible is usually a stud or crystal.
- Surface piercings can be on your cheek, nose, above the eyebrow, and above or below your top or bottom lips, respectively.
- Try putting a fake surface piercing in only one place first to see how you feel, then add more if you want a bolder look.
3
Apply eyelash glue to one side. Since you are not forcing any skin between two ends for these fake surface piercings, you only have to apply eyelash glue to one side of your bead, gem, or crystal. Eyelash glue is the best adhesive for fake facial piercings because it is already made for the skin, so it will last the longest and not be harmful.
- Choose an eyelash glue with a small applicator.
- Let the glue set on the ends for 20-30 seconds before applying to the skin.
Tweezers are the most effective when handling beads, gems, or crystals, especially considering their small size. You will be able to hold them steady and not get any glue on unwanted areas of your face. Place your bead, gem, or crystal where you want your surface piercing.

Method 5

Method 5 of 6:

Faking Surface Piercings with Liquid Liner

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1
Decide where you want your piercing. Surface piercings are piercings that are only visible on the surface of your skin. The part of the piercing visible is usually a stud or crystal.
- Surface piercings can be on your cheek, nose, above the eyebrow, and above or below your top or bottom lips, respectively.
- Try putting a fake surface piercing in only one place first to see how you feel, then add more if you want a bolder look.
2
Apply a white base. A white base will guarantee that your liquid liner pops out in the light, you want your piercing to be noticeable. Use a cream formula, this will hold more to the skin and last longer.
- Use a white eyeliner pencil.
- Use a thin makeup brush and dip it into your leftover white Halloween makeup.
3
Pick a liquid eyeliner. A liquid liner will be more effective in faking a facial piercing because it is more vibrant than gel or charcoal liners. Choose any color you want for the eyeliner, be creative with it!
- Metallic colors such as silver or gold will definitely look the most realistic when compared to actual piercings.
4
Apply the liquid liner. Do not use the applicator that comes with the liquid liner because it may go on too thick to start, which might not be what you want. Use a thin makeup brush or a thin paintbrush to apply your liner.
- Dip your thin brush into the bottle of liquid eyeliner and apply as much or as little as you want, depending on how thick or wide you want your fake piercing to look.
- With your thin brush, draw a circle “stud” where you want your piercing. You can decide to draw something other than a circle, i.e. diamond or triangle.
- For a nose surface piercing, draw your “piercing” on one of your nostrils.

Method 6

Method 6 of 6:

Faking Barbell Piercings

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1
Purchase a barbell piercing. If you want to fake a barbell facial piercing, your best bet is to buy an actual barbell piercing. You can get these piercings at a tattoo shop where they also do piercings, or at a jewelry store such as Claire’s.
- Barbell piercings usually come with rounded silver studs. But, you can choose from different colors and shapes.
- Decide whether you want a straight or curved barbell. This may be dependent on where you want to place the fake piercing on your face.
2
Decide where you want your piercing. Barbell piercings are usually used for eyebrow, bridge, and septum piercings on the face. The middle bar pierces through the skin and the two studs or “bells” at either end are visible outside of the skin. Sometimes the actual bar can be visible as well, depending on whether it is straight or curved.
- Bridge barbell piercings are located at the top of your nose, between your eyes.
- Eyebrow barbell piercings can be both vertical and horizontal.
3
Cut the piercing using pliers. With an actual barbell piercing, the bar would be going through your skin. Since this is a fake piercing, you need to cut the barbell into three parts.
- Use diagonal cutting pliers to cut the barbell. Do not just cut it in half. You want to be able to make an illusion that the barbell is going through your skin.
- Cut the barbell closer to each end stud, instead of right down the middle. This will leave you with three parts.
  - The middle piece is the part of the barbell that would have been in your skin.
  - The two end pieces are what you are gluing to your skin to make your fake barbell piercing.
4
Apply eyelash glue to the ends. Apply a small amount of eyelash glue to the ends of of both pieces of barbell. Eyelash glue is the best adhesive for fake facial piercings because it is already made for the skin, so it will last the longest and not be harmful.
- Choose an eyelash glue with a small applicator.
- Let the glue set on the ends for 20-30 seconds before applying to the skin.
Tweezers are the most effective when handling these two barbell pieces. You will be able to hold them steady and not get any glue on unwanted areas of your face. Place your two barbell pieces where you want your piercing.

Community Q&A

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Question

What if I don't have pliers?

Community Answer

You can slide something through the gap to try to open it up, or you can pull it apart gently using your fingers.

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Question

What other glue can I use?

Community Answer

Eyelash glue, spirit gum, or theatrical make-up adhesive. You can get all of these on Amazon. If you use spirit gum, don't forget to get the remover too (it's a liquid that loosens the adhesive so you can take off the prosthetic without damaging your skin). NEVER EVER use super glue, craft glue, epoxy, or anything else made for crafting. They will do damage to your skin, potentially causing rashes, allergic reactions, illness, and ripping your skin off when you try to remove the adhesive.

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Question

How long will the piercing stay on? I would not want to go through any embarrassing moments where the piercing falls off.

Community Answer

It will last as long as the eyelash glue packaging says it will last.

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