Now that we’re more than halfway through 2026, there’s no better time to check in on the piercings that have made a splash this year — and, well, there’s a lot to discuss.
Ice Spice showed off her new tongue piercing, complete with an oversized $50,000 diamond stud; Odessa A’Zion has been giving her septum ring the red carpet treatment; and Alysa Liu brought her smiley piercing to the Winter Olympics. Then there’s North West, whose ever-growing collection of dermals and faux facial piercings has kept the internet plenty busy.
Celebrities aren’t having all the fun, though. That same sense of experimentation is showing up in piercing studios, where clients are finding new ways to customize classic placements — whether that means swapping out a traditional rook for the faux kind, updating their early-aughts navel piercing with floating jewelry, or hiding a helix beneath the fold of the ear. If there’s one takeaway from the year so far, it’s that no piercing is one-size-fits-all anymore.
Ahead, four piercers share what their clients have been requesting most — and what they expect to see more of through the end of 2026.
1Faux Rook
For a rook with a little more flexibility, there’s the faux version. Rather than piercing vertically through the cartilage ridge, it passes through the flat of the ear from the front and exits on the backside, like other traditional piercings. This allows it to accommodate more ear anatomies than a traditional rook while still getting jewelry in the same area.
“I’ve been seeing more and more requests for faux rooks pop up,” says Elaine Valentin, piercer at Nine Moons Piercing in New York City. “It’s an underrated one with so much impact.” Part of that comes down to the jewelry options: unlike a classic rook, which requires a hoop or curved barbell, the front-facing placement gives you plenty of room for larger statement pieces.
2Hidden Helix
If you want something a little more unexpected than your standard cartilage piercing, try a hidden helix. The piercing itself sits near the upper rim of the ear, but instead of showing off a stud or hoop, the jewelry uses a bar that tucks beneath the natural fold, allowing charms or chains to dangle down underneath it.
“We’re obsessed with these for any ear shape,” says Starr Ellis, founder of Nine Moons Piercing. “Just anticipate a bit of a longer healing process and multiple check-ins or jewelry resizing appointments, especially if you wear glasses.”
3Tragus & Conch Combo
Conch piercings aren’t going anywhere — and for good reason. “It’s a fantastic way to add jewelry to the ear without making it look overcrowded,” says Nine Moons piercer Roze Rahim. And because it sits near the center of the ear, “it also does a great job of tying in other piercings,” she adds.
Case in point: people are increasingly pairing their conch with a tragus piercing, according to Brian Keith Thompson, owner of Body Electric Tattoo in Los Angeles. Together, they draw the eye across the center of the ear, giving any earscape a more balanced feel. The only catch? You’re healing two cartilage piercings at once, which Thompson says can be more uncomfortable and may take upwards of a year to fully heal.
4Back Dimples
Ears aren’t the only thing getting blinged out this year. Surface anchors — or dermals — are making a strong comeback, according to Thompson, and the lower back is one of the buzziest spots to get them.
“These sparkling cuties have been really popular,” Ellis adds. “Other places we’re seeing them [are] along the cheekbone and in the center of the chest.” Or, take a cue from Cardi B and mix and match. Last December, she debuted a matching pair on her back dimples and neck to go with the dermal already decorating her cheek.
5Floating Industrial
If you want an industrial piercing but don’t have the right anatomy for the classic placement, consider the floating variation, which swaps out the traditional straight-across bar for something designed to work with the natural curves of your ear.
“Alternative industrial styles have been increasingly requested,” Ellis says. “We work with the individual’s anatomy and desired outcome for a completely one-of-a-kind showstopper.” Instead of connecting two cartilage points, you can play with placements along the helix, forward helix, and even lobe. Depending on where you land, though, it can be one of the more painful piercings, with healing taking nine to 12 months.
6Y2K Placements
Everything Y2K is cool again, so it’s no surprise the era’s most iconic piercings are having a revival. Ellis has seen plenty of clients refreshing their existing belly button piercings with more modern jewelry, like floating styles that skip the traditional dangling bottom piece in favor of a statement gem above the navel.
Another throwback placement having a renaissance? “Surprisingly, I’ve seen a surge in tongue piercings recently,” Rahim says. For anyone with Janet Jackson, Mel B, or Evan Rachel Wood in Thirteen on the mood board, there’s another reason to consider the placement: it typically only takes four to six weeks to heal.
7Earscaping
“A lot of people have been going for the maximalist look lately,” says Rahim. Instead of focusing on one statement piercing, this entails layering multiple lobe and cartilage piercings to create a fully styled ear.
It’s not just about piling on more piercings, though. With earscaping, everything from the jewelry itself to the placement is curated by a piercer. The natural shape of your ear helps determine placement — and, from there, it’s about choosing hoops, studs, and chains that play off one another. Think of it as the piercing equivalent of getting dressed by a stylist.
