Meet Eli, the professional piercer at Apex Tattoo. A proud U.S. Air Force Veteran, Eli brings the same discipline, precision, and steady hand from his military service to every piercing he performs.

Before finding his passion at Apex, Eli was a familiar face in the community as a local truck driver. When he’s not in the studio helping clients achieve their perfect look, you can find him tackling a new home repair project or catching a game—he’s an avid fan of all sports.

Types of Piercings

Lobe Placements

• Lobe: The classic, most common piercing, placed in the soft, fleshy lower part of the ear.

• Upper Lobe: Any piercing placed in the lobe above the first, still in the soft tissue.

• Transverse Lobe: A horizontal piercing that runs through the lobe from side to side, rather than front to back.

Cartilage Placements

• Helix: A piercing on the outer rim of the ear's upper cartilage. A "double" or "triple helix" consists of two or three piercings in this area.

• Forward Helix: A piercing on the inner, forward rim of the ear, just above the tragus where the ear cartilage meets the face.

• Industrial: Two separate helix piercings (one forward, one backward-facing) connected by a single, straight barbell.

• Tragus: A piercing through the small, thick piece of cartilage that sits just in front of the ear canal opening.

• Anti-Tragus: A piercing through the fold of cartilage just above the earlobe, opposite the tragus.

• Rook: A vertical piercing through the fold of cartilage in the upper-inner ear, located just above the daith.

• Daith: A piercing that passes through the innermost fold of cartilage at the entrance of the ear canal.

• Conch: A piercing of the "cup" or inner shell of the ear. An Inner Conch is in the center, while an Outer Conch is on the flatter part of the shell between the helix and the anti-helix.

• Snug: A horizontal piercing through the inner ridge of cartilage, located between the outer rim of the ear and the inner conch.

• Flat: A piercing placed on the flat, upper plane of the ear cartilage, located between the helix and the rook.

🙂 Facial Piercings

These piercings are placed on the features of the face, often for symmetrical or accenting purposes.

• Nostril: A piercing on the curve of the nostril, which can be worn with a stud, L-bend, screw, or a hoop.

• High Nostril: Placed higher up on the bridge of the nose than a standard nostril piercing, often done in pairs.

• Septum: A piercing through the "sweet spot" of soft tissue (the columella) that separates the nostrils, found just below the harder cartilage.

• Bridge: A horizontal surface piercing placed across the bridge of the nose, typically between the eyes.

• Eyebrow: A vertical or horizontal piercing that runs through the skin along the ridge of the eyebrow, most commonly on the outer edge.

• Cheek (or Dimple): A piercing that goes through the cheek tissue, often placed symmetrically on both sides to mimic the look of dimples.

• Anti-Eyebrow (or Teardrop): A surface piercing placed on the upper cheekbone, just below the eye.

👄 Oral Piercings

This category includes any piercing on or around the lips, as well as inside the mouth.

Lip Placements

• Labret: A single piercing placed centrally below the bottom lip. A Side Labret is placed off to the left or right.

• Vertical Labret: A vertical piercing where one end exits in the center of the bottom lip and the other end exits from the skin just below it.

• Monroe: A single piercing on the upper lip, off-center to the left, mimicking Marilyn Monroe's beauty mark.

• Madonna: A single piercing on the upper lip, off-center to the right, mimicking Madonna's beauty mark.

• Medusa (or Philtrum): A single piercing placed in the center of the upper lip, in the grooved area known as the philtrum.

• Jestrum (or Vertical Medusa): A vertical piercing where one end exits from the philtrum and the other exits from the center of the upper lip.

• Ashley: A piercing where the entrance is inside the mouth and the exit is directly in the center of the lower lip.

"Bite" Placements (Symmetrical Lip Groupings)

• Angel Bites: A pair of piercings on the upper lip, combining a Monroe and a Madonna.

• Snake Bites: A pair of piercings on the lower lip, placed symmetrically on the left and right sides.

• Spider Bites: A pair of piercings placed close together on one side of the lower lip.

• Canine Bites: Four piercings total, combining Angel Bites (upper lip) and Snake Bites (lower lip).

• Dahlia Bites: A pair of piercings placed at the corners of the mouth.

Inside the Mouth

• Tongue: The classic piercing, a vertical bar placed through the center of the tongue.

• Smiley (or Scrumper): A piercing of the frenulum, the small web of tissue that connects the upper lip to the gums.

• Frowny: A piercing of the frenulum that connects the lower lip to the gums.

• Tongue Web: A piercing through the frenulum on the underside of the tongue.

🧍 Torso & Surface Piercings

These piercings are located on the torso or flat surfaces of the body.

• Navel (Belly Button): A piercing placed through the skin or "lip" just above or, less commonly, below the belly button.

• Nipple: A horizontal, vertical, or diagonal piercing that runs through the base of the nipple.

• Nape: A surface piercing placed on the back of the neck.

• Madison: A surface piercing placed vertically on the skin at the base of the neck, just above the collarbones.

• Dermal (or Microdermal): A single-point piercing where an "anchor" is set beneath the skin, allowing a piece of jewelry to sit on the surface. These can be placed on almost any flat surface of the body, such as the chest, back, or face.