Fake piercings are beauty’s favourite plaything right now

1. THE TREND: Piercings as a non-committal fashion accessory that you can chop and change.
2. WHO’S DOING IT? Troye Sivan is sticking them on his nipples, Doja Cat on her nails, and Isamaya Ffrench on her mascara. Make-up artist Alice Dodds sticks them all over her face and anyone else’s she gets her hands on.
3. HOW CAN I GET IT? Pop down to Claire’s Accessories, check Etsy, or Alan Crocetti for a high fashion option.

A video of Troye Sivan ripping off his nipple piercing post-Grammys would be enough to make anyone sick – until you realise that it’s a fake and the only skin being torn off is the skin-like latex of the SFX make-up. Sivan isn’t the only one who’s been playing around with temporary piercings recently. Emma Chamberlain wore fake eyebrow and medusa piercings to the Alexander McQueen FW24 show, and Doja Cat has been wearing studs on her acrylic nails. On the runway, fake piercings have covered the faces of models like Bella Hadid and Amelia Gray at Balenciaga SS23, Sinead Gorey and Christian Cowan FW24. Isamaya Beauty’s Industrial collection also comes with stainless steel piercings adorning the packaging, all of which are removable and reusable.   

Puncturing the reserved aesthetics of the clean girl and picture-perfect Instagram face, piercings can act as the ultimate disruptors, and fake piercings let you play around with the style before making a permanent decision. It’s not surprising these temporary spike-studded dimples and clusters of barbells have become so popular. Beauty today isn’t about committing to one particular subculture or aesthetic; it’s about changing your look to express how you are feeling that day. 

Piercings have long been used as a vehicle for self-expression; in ancient times, they carried deep spiritual and religious significance. Ancient Egyptians flaunted earrings as markers of wealth, while the Romans used them to stop slaves from procreating. More recently in the West, piercings came to represent non-conformity. The punk movement of the 70s and 80s popularised piercings as a symbol of rebellion against the status quo.

“In the climate we live in, there is a desperate need for more punk ideologies and rebellion, people are responding through political views and personal style,” explains Alice Dodds, a London-based makeup-artist who has created pierced looks for the likes of Isamaya Ffrench, Jordan Luca and Chopova Lowena.

This piercing renaissance also follows a wave of unconventional beauty iterations that have shifted into the mainstream, from the ugly beauty trend to the rise of goths and a fascination with grossness. “I think we’re sick of the manufactured perfection peddled to us constantly,” explains Dodds. “Eventually that elastic band had to break to snap us right back into sleaze. We want to look rough, to look like individuals again.”

The nail industry has also witnessed a piercing renaissance in the last few years. Pierced manicures evolved from the 90s hip-hop scene, with figures such as Flo-Jo, Janet Jackson, Lil’ Kim and Missy Elliott popularising the style. Becki and Juliette are two nail artists from Scotland playing with piercings. Taking inspiration from early 2000s sets, both are bringing bling to their manicures. In some designs, nails are scattered with the shrapnel of curved barbells, labrets and bead rings. Others take a more delicate forms, with flower-shaped charms dangling from floral sets and fine metal chains lining the perimeter of nail beds. In one design, nails resemble tongues with one singular barbell piercing the pink-thick flesh. “I created a set of nails last year inspired by stretched animal skin. I added piercings to these to create the illusion of flesh being pierced – and an extra layer of ‘what the fuck’, I suppose!” explains Becki. “I’m also a sucker for Claire’s Accessories piercings being used on nails, as they just make me nostalgic.” 

Like the fake body and face piercings, one of the main selling points of the pierced manicures is the low commitment, says Juliette. “Having piercings on nails is totally a statement piece, but one that does not involve any pain, hesitation or commitment for longer than three weeks,” she says. “It’s the same as people that have the routine of taking their jewellery off before going to bed.”