Even though piercings have become more popular and accepted, there are still times when you might need to hide them. Whether it's for a school or job dress code, or spending time with family members with old-fashioned beliefs, finding a convenient way to conceal your piercings is essential. Here, we'll focus on facial and ear piercings since most piercings below the neck are usually hidden by clothing and we'll discuss different hiders and retainers to help you find the best option for those piercings.
We understand that you may need to tone down or hide your piercings. Try our retainers and hiders to make your piercings less noticeable. We have all kinds of retainers for all types of piercings like stretched ears, septum, eyebrow piercing, labret / lip piercing, tongue piercing, navel piercing and more.
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Hider plugs are small pieces of body jewelry made from silicone or glass. They're designed to blend with your skin tone, making your stretched earlobes less noticeable. Think of them as a way to create a 'blank canvas' effect.
These plugs come in various skin tones, so you can find one that’s close to your color. The goal is to blend in with your natural skin rather than match it perfectly. This creates an optical illusion that makes your stretched ears look less obvious.
You can also wear a regular earring through a silicone hider plug. This way, your stretched lobes stay hidden, but you still get to show off some style with a conventional earring. It’s a neat trick to keep your look stylish yet discreet.
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Septum retainers are designed for comfort and to be able to be flipped up in your nose to hide your piercing as needed. Many people still like to wear them as actual jewelry especially with colorful titanium septum retainers like below. Retainers designed for septum piercings can also be worn flipped down and are available in materials like glass, titanium, or steel. For those with allergies, septum plugs or silicone skin eyelets can help minimize visibility.
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Over the last 30 years, piercings and tattoos have become increasingly popular. Even though body modifications are becoming more accepted, there are still times when hiding a nostril piercing is necessary, like at work or school.
The tips below are best for well-healed piercings. If you need to hide a fresh piercing, discuss it with your piercer to ensure the jewelry used is both the right size and subtle enough for your needs.
Using small bandages or makeup can help camouflage a nostril piercing, but retainers or hider jewelry are better if you want to keep the piercing open. Here are some options:
Glass retainers are a top choice for many piercings because they are biocompatible, easy to insert, and comfortable. They're made from quartz or borosilicate glass, which are strong and easy to clean with soap and water.
When choosing a glass retainer, consider the color. Clear glass retainers minimize the visibility of the piercing but might still be noticeable in certain lighting. Tinted glass retainers in fleshtones blend better with your skin. If you can't find an exact match, choose a color that resembles a freckle or mole.
Keep in mind that glass, even when strong, can still break more easily than metal, especially in common sizes like 18g and 20g.
If you need more flexibility, PTFE (a type of monofilament nylon) is a great option. It's safe, smooth, and can be used in initial piercings. PTFE can be autoclaved for sterilization, but at home, clean it with soap and water.
Other flexible acrylic jewelry comes in various colors but is usually not suitable for fresh piercings or sensitive skin. Always check if the acrylic piece can be autoclaved if needed.
Silicone retainers are excellent for blending in with skin tones and are very flexible. Implant-grade silicone is safe for body piercings, and it's easy to care for by cleaning with soap and water.
Small gauge silicone jewelry can be tricky to insert, so using a skin-friendly lubricant and tweezers can help. Silicone is sturdy enough to maintain the size of your piercing but shouldn't be used for stretching.
Labret studs are becoming popular for nostril piercings. Though less common, hider versions are available and can be more comfortable for some people. Labrets need to be inserted from inside the nostril and are often made from high-grade steel or titanium.
Options like the Neometal Matte Mini-Discs can help disguise a piercing. As this trend grows, more hider ends will likely become available.
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Whether you have snake bites, a monroe, or a medusa piercing, we carry a variety of retainers to hide your lip piercing in acrylic, flexible bioplast, glass, and silicone. Clear acrylic retainers are good for short-term wear and are durable. Silicone retainers sit flush with your skin, blending in well.
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Our acrylic belly retainers / hiders and great not only for helping to hide your belly piercing, but also work well if you need to get an MRI or surgery.
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Our acrylic tongue retainers / hiders are comfortable to wear, clear, come with a low profile top, and also come in different gauges for those of you with stretched tongue piercings. They are also useful if you need to get an MRI scan. PTFE barbells or glass retainers are also used to hide tongue piercings as they are flexibile and invisibile.
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We carry acrylic, flesh tone, and clear glass curved retainers. These are typically used to hide an eyebrow piercing, but depending on the gauge, you can also use them to hide a belly piercing.
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We get asked this a lot so let’s talk about it.
If you just got a new piercing, you should wait until your piercing is fully healed to switch your jewelry to a retainer. You want to avoid touching your new piercing while it heals.
If you can’t wait until your piercing heals, talk to your piercer beforehand about getting pierced with a glass retainer. Glass is very safe and can be used as your initial piercing jewelry.
We get this question all the time, so let’s talk about it. The short answer is it depends on the material of the retainer.
Everyone is different, so keep an eye on the piercing and if there’s any irritation, take the retainer out.
Some guides suggest using adhesive bandages combined with makeup to hide piercings. While this might work temporarily, it can be uncomfortable, awkward, and even more noticeable than your regular jewelry. Retainers, on the other hand, offer a low-maintenance solution that keeps your piercings open and makes it easy to switch back to regular jewelry.
Retainers and hiders come in several materials:
Each material has its pros and cons, so consider them carefully before choosing the right one for you. For new piercings, follow your piercer's aftercare advice and stick with the jewelry they recommend until it's fully healed.
Here are some tips and tools to hide your piercings effectively:
Long hair can cover most ear piercings, but for those with short hair or specific requirements, there are other options. Glass labrets work well for straight post piercings, and a small dab of matte nail polish on the disc can help conceal them further. Silicone hiders are good for flatter areas like the conch, tragus, or lobe piercings. Clear curved acrylic retainers are an inexpensive alternative for short-term wear.
Remember, piercings are meant to be noticed. They are fun, meaningful, and beautiful. Unfortunately, not every situation is accepting of them, but with the right hider, you can temporarily conceal your piercings without having to remove them entirely.
Have you ever seen a silicone heart retainer and wondered “How the heck do I use that thing?!” Since they have an interesting design, they can be a bit confusing to use. However, once you get the hang of it, they are perfect for things like contact sports or just concealing your piercing for the day.
Let’s go over how to insert one in 4 easy steps:
We hope you found this helpful, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask! Please remember to follow us on all our socials @Bodyartforms!
