The winner of our Daith photo contest on Facebook, Carling. We love the combination of cartilage piercings, earrings, and plugs.

The word, daith derives from the Hebrew and it means intelligence. A piercing that passes through the ear’s innermost cartilage fold, it is considered in Hindu folklore to be a symbolic filter of all that is false and nonsensical.

Created in 1992, this ear piercing requires a highly advanced technique and a specially curved needle. In the end, the bottom part of the ring must appear to come directly out of the ear canal. If you can see both the entrance and exit hole of the ring, it has not been done correctly. There must be enough room to insert a bar or a ring, and usually wearers prefer jewelry with small gauges that can be easily inserted.

The jewelry size and gauge selected will depend on the thickness of the cartilage. Whether the preference is for a captive bead ring, circular barbells, smooth segment rings or a curved bar, choices are manifold, each one available in many material options. These are all easily accessorized with either clip-in or threaded body jewelry accessories.

The healing time is typically 3 to 6 months, a bit longer than most cartilage piercings. This is because the nature of the piercing usually causes complications. The best way to promote quick healing is to clean it after you use the phone or have any other contact with it. Steer clear of perfumes, hair products, and other irritants until it is healed.

This unique piercing requires quite a bit of maintenance but it is definitely worth it in the end, as it looks amazing!

Daith Piercings is a post from: FreshTrends.com Body Jewelry Blog

“Native” seems to be one of the key words when it comes to fashion these days. Ethnic prints and exotic details are on everything – and everyone, and you know your piercings will most definitely thank you for making them look current should you adorn them with tribal-inspired body jewelry. Many people who get into the piercing culture do so because they are drawn to different ethnicities, and how people of other cultures around the world have worn piercings. Simply, piercings are inherently tribal!

There are two ways you can take the tribal trend when it comes to your piercings; with the actual choice in placement of the piercings, and when it comes to the jewelry you wear there. You’ve got enough options to make this look work, and tailor it to your personal style, however you take it. Traditional piercings that have a tribal look and history include the nose, septum, lip, all over the ears, and stretching of the ears; AKA plugs.

The tribal body jewelry look can encompass a lot of things; it can involve using body jewelry made of natural materials or those with very organic looks to them, echoing nature and the kinds of jewelry tribes-people would wear. Spikes, horns, curves, and anything that bears patterns like non-uniform horizontal stripes, chevrons, triangles, and really pull this off.

Get the Look: Tribal is a post from: FreshTrends.com Body Jewelry Blog

Emeralds are lovely, no doubt about it! One of the most precious stones around, and among the most coveted, they look good on everybody. Right now, they are hotter than ever because they are Pantone’s color of the year. So, for 2013, you can expect everything possible in shades of emerald, body jewelry included. One of the best ways of working trends into your signature look is with accessories, because when you have the ability to change up the look with just a few key pieces it makes things come together so much more easily while looking current and fashionable.

Emeralds are radiant, they add a sense of harmony, they brighten any complexion, and the color range is just so refreshing. The spectrum of emerald can go from softer hues like pistachio and mint, with hints of turquoise, and go all the way to deep, rich forest green. All are appropriate for working this trend, and if you want to really capture the relaxed mood with your piercings, go for something bold and noticeable, like a sparkling emerald set into your labret, or nose piercing. Emerald labrets are quite popular right now, and they add a lovely, yet striking pop of green to your face. Should you have a non-traditional ear piercing, like a helix, rocking some emeralds here would look amazing!

Should you not have any piercings, or just want another take on this look, opt for jewelry styles. Wearing an emerald ring is one way to use this trend to your advantage, letting you incorporate a subtler lush green look. Emerald earrings can also do this well, adding some glitter to your face, without being overbearing.

Rockin’ Pantone’s Color of the Year with Body Jewelry is a post from: FreshTrends.com Body Jewelry Blog

Surface piercings are not your ordinary body piercings, however they are growing in popularity. What they are is basically any kind of piercing that goes through the skin, where there is not a mound of flesh, cartilage, or in a concave/ convex area that supports a standard piercing. Surface piercings are different than traditional piercings because they run along the plane of the skin, rather than pierce through the tissue and plane.

Some of the most common ones are the corset piercing, which is a series done most often on the back, and laced like a corset; the lower back, which is SUPER SEXY; the Madison, which is a horizontal piercing above the collarbone, the hip piercing, nape piercing, (at the back of the neck), and the neck piercing, which also goes by the name “vampire bites.”

Surface bars are the standard body jewelry for surface piercings. They are the least likely to get rejected, while Bioplast body jewelry can sometimes be used because of their high flexibility.

Because surface piercings pierce through the skin, they are more often than not temporary. They are known to last anywhere from 3 months, and up to a few years, but they have a high tendency to get rejected. The body most often will view the jewelry as a foreign object, and therefore attempt to expel it and cause it to literally grow out. You will be able to tell if your body is rejecting the piercing if it becomes abnormally red. If you are experiencing rejection, or you think it may be occurring, head to your piercer right away so they can look at it. Rejection can be painful, and there runs the risk of infection so be wary if you are looking into getting a surface piercing. These should absolutely be done experienced piercers, as proper placement and the correct jewelry will give you a better success rate.

Surface Piercings: They’re Only Skin Deep is a post from: FreshTrends.com Body Jewelry Blog

Every gal nowadays seems to be sporting some kind of eloquent quote, name, or saying tattooed in an elegant font on their ribs. Sexy, but not trashy, hidden but able to be shown off, and obviously stylin’… rib tattoos are the epitome of hipster cool right now – for both men and women. Megan Fox, Rhianna, Scarlet Johansson, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, and Justin Bieber have all gotten ink on this very alluring spot, making the trend even more prominent. Some may call these out as overdone, but when done tastefully, rib tattoos are absolutely legit.

Rib tattoos have been in existence for a long, long time, though in recent years they have gotten immensely popular. One obvious reason people love these is how they can work with whatever you wear. If you have a job in a conservative office, where tattoos are frowned upon, you won’t be fretting about covering it up. Perhaps you are into tattoos, but not necessarily the attention you get from them, and in that case a rib tat will allow you to display it only when you wish to. For those who seek larger, more elaborate work, the rib area is an amazing canvas to have a sizable piece of body art on.

Rib tattoos also give you a certain amount of toughness credibility; for 90% of people, getting ink done on these highly sensitive bones can be incredibly painful! For some, this is part of the allure, especially when getting something particularly meaningful tattooed. Don’t expect this trend to be fading anytime soon!

Rib Tattoos Are the New Sexy is a post from: FreshTrends.com Body Jewelry Blog