How Acceptable Are Piercings at the Office?
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How acceptable are piercings at the office these days, in your experience? This post was partly inspired by a WSJ story from 2021 titled “Do Multiple Ear Piercings Spell Mid-Life Crisis?” (Hmm.) It noted, “Gen X and older millennial women are increasingly splurging on multiple earlobe and cartilage piercings. Some are awakening long-dormant wild streaks. Others are reasserting their identities.” So, today let's talk about ear and nose piercings in the workplace!
It seems like body mods just keep getting more and more mainstream. For example, Axios pointed out that millennials make up 25% of the U.S. population and 30% of the workforce, and that 47% of them have at least one tattoo. That's a lot of tattoos at work.
As for piercings, Forbes noted earlier this month that the Gen Z-friendly NYC startup Studs was designed to be “more economical than a Maria Tash but more upscale than the mall mainstay Claire’s.” (It's raised $30 million in capital. Piercing + startup culture + corporatization = ? Hmm…)
{related: tattoos in the workplace}
Readers, do tell:
Gen Xers and elder millennials, are you finding yourself “splurging on multiple earlobe and cartilage piercings” like the WSJ claimed? In your field, how acceptable are piercings located anywhere other than your earlobes (or stretched ears)? Are nose piercings OK — nostril and septum? What does your employer's dress code say about piercings, tattoos, and hair color, if anything? When you're in the office, do you remove your jewelry in certain types of piercings (perhaps replacing them with clear retainers)?
P.S. Looking at past comment threads, readers have talked about piercings at government jobs (and how they aren't a big deal, though YMMV), while a reader who was transitioning from the NGO/academic space to the conservative professional world and wondered about her piercings. Readers have also discussed nose piercings, “unconventional” piercings, and cartilage piercings at work.
Different Kinds of Ear Piercings
To focus discussion, below are some images from jewelry designer Maria Tash‘s website, which allows you to shop by piercing. These image show the placement of several cartilage piercings: a helix, daith, Tash rook (her “signature piercing,” which TBH basically looks like a “flat piercing” to me), rook, and forward helix piercings. (Note: Some people say that their daiths have eased their migraines, but unfortunately, there isn't much evidence to support it.)
Meanwhile, Studs sells entire collections called “earscapes” for multiple piercings. (Maison Miru sells something similar that they call “the system.”)
More vocabulary fun:
- On your nose, a low/side piercing is a nostril piercing, while the one that goes through the bottom of your septum is called, yes, a septum piercing. There are also “high nostril” piercings (about what you'd expect) and “bridge” piercings (across the bridge of your nose).
- With ear stretching (which is done gradually, of course!), the jewelry you wear is usually called plugs or eyelets.
- There are other piercing locations, of course, such as your tongue, eyebrow, lip, nipples, and beyond. The piercing world goes through trends just as the fashion world does; septum piercings went mainstream (as piercings go, that is) a few years ago, for example.
- Here are a couple piercing glossaries from Body Candy (mostly nose piercings) and Fresh Trends (mostly lip piercings). (Note: I wouldn't recommend either company as a top choice for jewelry; see below.)
Here's Kat's $.02: I'm interested to hear what the readers say! At this point, if I hired a new lawyer or other professional who had multiple piercings and/or nostril piercing(s) I wouldn't bat an eye.
On the other hand, I think (in the abstract) ear plugs, eyebrow piercings, and septum piercings seem somehow inherently rebellious and anti-establishment — but it would depend on the candidate, the job, the amount they interface with people outside the office, and more.
It's interesting to note that when we discussed work jewelry in 2016, a commenter wondered about “a somewhat more fringe jewelry question – double ear lobe piercings.” So I think the culture and propriety around piercings is changing really quickly! Again: just my $.02.
Tips on Piercings (from Someone with Multiple Earlobe/Cartilage Piercings)
Before we kick off the discussion today, here are a few tips from someone with multiple earlobe and cartilage piercings — and by that I mean me, Kate:
1. Go to a professional piercer — and never get anything pierced with a piercing gun, only a single-use needle. Piercing guns can cause tissue damage and various other complications and can't be sterilized in an autoclave — and the sort of jewelry that's compatible with piercing guns isn't safe for new piercings. Use the Find a Piercer feature on the website of the Association of Professional Piercers (APP). Annual “Best of [City]” listings in your local paper or alt-newsweekly can also help you find a good piercer (or tattoo artist), too. By the way, be prepared to wait quite a while for an appointment — piercers (and tattoo artists) may be booked for months right now.
2. Follow your piercer's aftercare instructions carefully. Here are a few tips from me: (1) This is my favorite saline spray (recommended by the piercing place I go to). (2) When you shower, let the warm water run over your healing piercing for a couple of minutes. (3) Never use rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, tea tree oil, or cotton swabs on your piercings. “LITHA” — “Leave it the hell alone!” — is an oft-repeated phrase in the piercing world. (4) If you think your piercing might be infected, don't immediately remove the jewelry, as this can seal in the infection. Contact a professional piercer and/or your doctor. (5) Do not sleep on your new cartilage piercing! (Disclaimer: None of the above should be considered medical advice. IANYD, nor do I play one on TV.)
3. Stick to high-quality jewelry in safe metals from high-quality brands like BVLA and Anatometal. You can find a ton of jewelry on Etsy and Amazon for non-earlobe piercings, but I buy directly from shops with professional piercers because I can trust that they're safe.
4. Make sure to tip your piercer (and tattoo artist!). Also, I pay for my piercings/jewelry with a credit card but tip in cash when I can. There's no magic number/percentage, so here's a good discussion from from r/legitpiercing. (You're usually going to pay more for your new jewelry — sometimes a lot more — than the cost of piercing itself.)
Removing and Hiding Piercings at the Office
It's worth noting that, depending on the piercing, you can usually either remove jewelry or wear clear retainers to maintain the piercing. Some septum jewelry can be flipped up out of sight, as well. This video from YouTuber BreeAnn Marie (from 2017) goes through her methods and reasoning for removing piercings at work.
Be aware that some piercing locations make it tricky to remove the jewelry yourself, and you may need a piercer's assistance to make a switch.
Let us know your thoughts! From your perspective, how acceptable are piercings at work in 2021? Which piercings do you think are totally fine, and which would give you pause if you were a hiring manager? Does your office have a dress code that addresses piercings? If you have piercings, do you remove them at work?
Social media images (woman with multiple nostril piercings) via Stencil.
First reaction: what office?
Lol. I have multiple ear piercings but pretty sure no one can see them on zoom.
I have a tragus piercing that I’ve had for 15 years. I recently met some colleagues in person for the first time on a business trip, after only seeing them on Zoom for 10+ months. One of my colleagues was like “OMG what is that???” She had never seen it because my headset covers my ears.
FWIW, she’s 26 and she thought it was super-cool, and we came thisclose to going and getting her a tragus piercing of her own on the business trip.
the only people I see with an earful of holes like the picture are influencers (tbh I feel like this whole “trend” is the jewelry industry trying to sell more earrings), but I think the only thing that people would side-eye at my office are the “stretched out earlobe” style. For some reason those make me feel slightly queasy…
Yep – agreed. I really think as long as the jewelry itself is tasteful, almost nothing would raise eyebrows except gauges (they also make me queasy to look at *shudders*)
Same! I have to look away.
I keep feeling like those stretched-out lobes are just going to snag on something or a baby or dog is going to grab them. I feel like if I catch pockets and purse straps on things on the regular then it wouldn’t be too long before I’d be posting here on how to find a good plastic surgeon to sew up a ripped one.
I and numerous people I work with have multiple piercings in our ears — some of mine are decades old, 3 are new in the last 5 years. We are not influencers! Lol
In NYC, I *highly* recommend Nine Moons Piercing. If you have a complicated issue (eg reopening a closed piercing that healed badly), make an appointment with Starr (the owner), she’s great.
I find the gages and stretched out lobes really off putting, too. Never seen it in the workplace, and of this, I’m glad.
I think piercings are NBD in all but the most conservative of offices. Who cares.
My piercings are all from middle school. I kind of wonder who would only be just getting them now like the WSJ claims.
I got mine done in my mid-30s and was the only person at Claire’s who was old enough to sign her own waiver.
2 holes is plenty — I don’t need more accessory complications or a bigger jewelry budget.
Me. I didn’t have the money for nice jewelry until my early 40s. Costume junk is fine for a necklace or a bracelet, but not for something shoved through my cartilage.
I’m late 20s and am planning on getting 2 more!
I was only allowed to have single lobe piercings in high school. I got my second holes done the first weekend of college and got my first cartilage done two years ago!
I did think about finally getting my belly button pierced when I turned 40, though I didn’t go through with it. Might still be time!
(Obviously not a work issue!)
Me! I had 5 total in HS, got my belly ring in college, and have added 3 more in the last few years (mid-30s). I think I’m done with piercings but I’m definitely not done with tattoos (I only have one but it’s enormous).
But for the WSJ snark, me – I grew up in the era of pearl clutching over double piercings, worked as a lawyer where conservative style ruled the day, and really like that this is all just totally fine now. I was considering it, but dislike the snark and feel like I might be a wee bit too old for it. But jury is still out.
I’m a Gen Xer with what they call a “curated ear” meaning I do have a variety of cartilage piercings, but they were all pre-planned to go together based on the jewelry I wanted and the shape of my ear, rather than just punching holes willy-nilly. There are a few I wanted that didn’t work with my ear shape, like a hidden helix. And I was just about to pull the trigger on a new Maria Tash invisible set solitaire for my tragus to reward myself for getting a new job.
I have four lobes, a tragus, two forward helix, and a snug. All the jewelry I wear is white gold with diamonds and is very petite, so if I wear my wavy hair down you can’t even see any of it.
Agree with others that gauges and coin slots are the only types of piercings that people would comment on or judge negatively in my workplace. (And I can’t look directly at those without gagging, because I saw a peer get an earring ripped out during a field hockey game, and it takes me right back to that moment.)
TL;DR: Per the WSJ, I am basic AF. I’m okay with that.
I work in a very conservative government office. I have seen one pierced nostril with very discreet jewelry. Visible tattoos are actually listed as a no no in the dress code. Personally I don’t care, but I have zero influence on the dress code (can’t even get them to allow sleeveless tops). I doubt someone with multiple ear piercings would be hired.
Wow, do you have to take a time machine to your office?
I’m 28 – I have double lobe piercings on each ear and 1 cartilage. I have an appointment for a second cartilage piercing in 2 weeks. I would like a third cartilage and a nose stud, but we’ll see if/when I get those.
I used to have 2 other cartilages but they came out and closed up.
I have no tattoos and never plan on getting one.
For my office (hospital system in a mid-south state-btw, never left the office, so I have plenty of recent experience), our official policy is to “use good judgement” on hair styles and colors, and piercings are limited to 3 per ear and small nose piercing. In practice, at least in my (corporate, not patient-facing) role, I occasionally see lower-level employees with, say, colored hair streaks or visible tattoos, but on the higher-level people, nothing more than the occasional 2nd ear hole, and I do think something more flashy would be frowned upon, even if not forbidden. I personally have 3 holes in each ear (leftover from my hazy teen years) but I definitely only wear one for work.
Federal office director here, elder millenial. In office, even during pandemic, as we are are mission critical, so we don’t benefit from Zoom fuzziness. 10 tattoos, 8 piercings at various spots in my ears, former nose ring (and kicking myself for removing it). Didn’t start getting tattoos until in my 30s and 3 of my ear piercings were in my late 30s. Nose ring was early 30s and I took it out for career advancement purposes which turned out to be completely unnecessary. I wouldn’t stretch my earlobes, but I wouldn’t hold it against someone who did good work. They may not have a national VIP-facing role that way, but I hope that continues to change. It’s technically not a hiring consideration. In my office, I enforce that it’s definitely not a hiring consideration in practice, either.
I negotiated our business casual dress policy with our union. It is deliberately silent on piercings, hair color, and tattoos, and requires people to be clean and inoffensive (meaning no racist, sexist, Hatch-Act-violating political items in your appearance, not “offends someone’s more traditional sensibilities”).
My tattoos are not visible when I wear a jacket, which I do for VIPs. My general advice when junior staff ask is to go with something that you have the option of covering when it’s in your best interest to do so. Acknowledge that you might not be a Deputy Assistant Secretary with a neck tattoo (or you can be, but hope you love scarves!). With the possible exception of stretched lobes, very few ear piercings on others catch my eye unless I’m looking for them.
I recognize the government is different, especially my agency which somehow is very buttoned up and outward facing but also very forward-thinking (socially) at once. As long as you can command the room when you need it, it’s fine. I suspect the attorneys in our agency have a different bar.
Xennial here, and sure, multiple piercings are fine. I don’t personally like all kinds (agree on the discomfort of watching stretched out lobes), but can’t imagine piercings being in the way of succeeding in an interview at my office.
I would be uncomfortable if I saw a lot of piercings at the doctor’s office, but that’s a hygiene thing. Very long nails, tons of perfume or pets in the office would be way worse.
It’s interesting to know that daiths have eased the migraines of some people. With that in mind, I would love to try that this year, since I have been having that kind of headache for the past year. I will definitely look for a reputable body piercing shop first to consult with them and see if I can make the process easily.
I’m 42 and decided to get a nose piercing. I’ve always wanted one, but was too afraid of other people’s opinion. With the mask mandate, I bit the bullet in October of 2021 and got it. I absolutely love it, and I do not want to have to remove it for a job, an event or any other superficial reason of it not being “professional”. I am glad to see that having a piercing other than the earlobe is not as taboo as it once was.
Are piercings acceptable in an office environment? Most people think that piercings around the ear and a simple nostril piercing is. Thank you for your information.
I work in a school setting but we have a business casual dress code (leans more casual, women wear skinny jeans and blouses, closed toed shoes/sneakers allowed). But in my opinion, if I were to work for the government or a law office that was very corporate I really think it depends on the jewelry. For example, I probably would avoid a huge jeweled hoop around my cartilage if I am asked to dress very professional. I wear studs in my piercings and I have long hair. Yes, it’s noticeable but what I wear on my body is more apparent.