Editing Bridge piercing

{{Short description|Facial piercing through the skin on the nasal bridge}}
{{more footnotes|date=May 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox Piercing
| name          = Bridge piercing
| image         = Erl-piercing.jpg
| image_size    = 200px
| location      = [[Nasal bridge]]
| nicknames     = Erl, Earl
| jewelry       = [[Barbell (piercing)|Straight barbell]], [[surface bar]], [[captive bead ring]]
| healing time  = 
}}
A '''bridge piercing''' is a facial piercing through the skin on the [[nasal bridge|bridge]] of the [[human nose|nose]], usually directly between the eyes of the wearer. A variation on this piercing, the '''vertical bridge piercing''' is a [[surface piercing]], with all of the risks or potential complications related to surface piercings.

==History==
The bridge piercing is a relatively modern body modification practice. Unlike septum or nostril piercings, which have roots in ancient cultures, the bridge piercing has no known historical or indigenous origins. It is believed to have emerged in the late 20th century with the rise of the contemporary body modification movement.  

Body piercer Erik Dakota is often credited with popularizing the bridge piercing, reportedly coining the term "Erl" piercing in the 1980s after a client named Erl Van Aken, who was one of the first individuals to wear it regularly*. The piercing gained traction in alternative and punk subcultures throughout the 1990s, becoming more widely recognized due to increased visibility in body modification publications and online communities*.  

As body piercing became more mainstream in the early 2000s, the bridge piercing remained a niche choice due to concerns about rejection and migration, which are common with surface piercings [(Larratt, Shannon, *BME Encyclopedia*, 2008)]. Despite this, it continues to be a distinctive form of self-expression among body modification enthusiasts today.  

The risk of [[Transplant rejection|rejection]] is quite high for this piercing, as it is a surface piercing. There is also a high risk of scarring when the jewelry is removed.

Besides decorative jewelry, bridge piercings can hold spectacles.<ref>{{Cite web |author1=Bill Christensen |date=2006-05-22 |title=New Glasses Require Piercing Bridge of Nose |url=https://www.livescience.com/10459-glasses-require-piercing-bridge-nose.html |access-date=2022-05-19 |website=livescience.com |language=en}}</ref>

[(Fakir Musafar, *Body Play* Journal, 1990)]

[(Pitts, Victoria, *In the Flesh: The Cultural Politics of Body Modification*, 2003)]

==Jewelry==
Bridge piercings are most commonly pierced with [[barbell (piercing)|straight barbells]], although curved barbells and [[surface bar]]s are also possible initial jewelry.  Once the piercing is healed, it is possible to wear a [[captive bead ring]] in it, although depending on the placement of the piercing, a D-ring styled ring may be necessary to prevent [[piercing migration|migration]] caused by the pressure exerted by the shape of a ring.

Like many other [[facial piercing]]s, there are many misconceptions about bridge piercings. Some involve eye problems, such as involuntary eye crossing. Other beliefs have to do with infections from piercings spreading to the [[brain]], via the [[Paranasal sinus|sinuses]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Bridge piercings}}
* [http://encyc.bmezine.com/?bridge_piercing Body Modification E-Zine Encyclopedia entry on bridge piercings] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060217151734/http://encyc.bmezine.com/?Bridge_Piercing |date=2006-02-17 }}
* [http://encyc.bmezine.com/?Erl_van_Aken Body Modification E-Zine Encyclopedia entry on Erl van Aken]

{{Body Piercing}}

[[Category:Facial piercings]]
[[Category:Surface piercings]]