So, you’re ready to ditch the metal. Maybe you've got a job interview tomorrow, or perhaps you're just over the look and want your face back. Whatever the reason, learning how to take off an eyebrow piercing seems like it should be the easiest thing in the world, right? You just unscrew a ball and pull. Simple.
Except it usually isn't.
Between crusty buildup (gross, but real), tiny jewelry that’s impossible to grip, and the very real fear of the hole closing up in thirty seconds, it can get stressful. I’ve seen people use pliers from their garage—please don't do that—and I've seen people accidentally rip their skin because they didn't realize the bar was threaded internally. Taking out jewelry is a skill. It’s about patience and hygiene more than it is about strength. If you force it, you’re going to bleed. If you don't clean it, you might end up with a nasty bump that lasts way longer than the piercing ever did.
The First Rule: Is It Actually Healed?
Wait. Stop.
Before you even touch that barbell, you need to be honest with yourself about the state of your skin. Eyebrow piercings are notoriously finicky because they are surface piercings. This means they are prone to rejection and migration. According to the Association of Professional Piercers (APP), a standard eyebrow piercing takes anywhere from six to eight weeks to heal on the surface, but it can take up to six months or even a year to fully mature.
If your piercing is less than two months old, taking it out is a permanent decision. The fistula—the fancy word for the skin tunnel—is still incredibly fragile. If you take it out now, it’s probably going to close up before you can even find where you dropped the jewelry. If you’re dealing with an active infection, taking the jewelry out is actually the worst thing you can do. Why? Because the hole can close and trap the infection inside, leading to an abscess. You don't want an abscess on your face. Honestly, if it’s red, hot, and oozing green stuff, go see a doctor or your piercer before you try how to take off an eyebrow piercing by yourself.
Gathering Your "Surgery" Kit
You aren't a surgeon, but you should pretend to be one for the next ten minutes. You need a clean environment. Don't do this over a wide-open drain in a public bathroom.
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First, get some latex or nitrile gloves. This isn't just for germs. It’s for grip. Body jewelry is tiny and usually polished to a mirror finish, making it slippery as an eel. Gloves give you that "tacky" friction you need to actually turn the ball. You also need sterile saline solution (the stuff in the pressurized can like NeilMed) and maybe some warm water.
The Step-By-Step Process of Taking It Off
Wash your hands. Seriously. Scrub them like you're about to handle a newborn baby.
Now, look in the mirror. Most eyebrow piercings are curved barbells. These have two balls on either end. Usually, both ends unscrew, but sometimes only one does. You need to figure out which way to turn. Remember the "righty-tighty, lefty-loosey" rule, but keep in mind that when you are looking in a mirror, everything is reversed. It’s easy to accidentally tighten the ball until it’s stuck.
Dealing With Stuck Jewelry
If the ball won't budge, it's probably "crusted" in place. Lymph fluid—that clear or yellowish stuff your body leaks while healing—dries into a literal biological cement.
- Soak it first. Take a clean paper towel or gauze soaked in warm saline and hold it against the piercing for five minutes. This softens the debris.
- The Grip. Put on your gloves. Hold the bar steady with one hand. You don't want the bar sliding back and forth through the hole while you're twisting; that causes micro-tears.
- The Twist. Use your thumb and forefinger of the other hand to twist the top ball counter-clockwise.
- Slide it out. Once the ball is off, gently—and I mean gently—slide the bar downwards. If you feel resistance, stop. There might be more crust on the bar that needs to be cleaned off before it can pass through the skin.
What Kind of Jewelry Do You Have?
Not all piercings are created equal. If you’re struggling with how to take off an eyebrow piercing, it might be because you’re fighting the wrong mechanism.
Threaded Jewelry: Most common. The ball has a hole (female) or a screw (male) that attaches to the bar. These require twisting.
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Threadless (Press-fit) Jewelry: This is becoming way more popular in high-end shops like those that stock Anatometal or BVLA. There is no screw. The end has a tiny pin that is slightly bent, and it stays in the bar through tension. To get this off, you don't twist. You just pull the two pieces apart. It takes a surprising amount of force, which can be scary, but it’s designed that way.
Captive Bead Rings (CBRs): These are the hoops with a single ball held in by tension. These are the hardest to remove without tools. You basically have to pull the ring slightly to pop the ball out. If the ring is thick gauge, you might actually need "ring opening pliers." If you're at this stage and it's not moving, just go to a piercer. They usually charge like five bucks to swap jewelry, and it saves you a lot of pain.
Aftercare: The Hole Doesn't Disappear Instantly
Once the jewelry is out, you’re left with two small holes. Even if you’ve had the piercing for years, the skin inside is different from the skin on the rest of your face.
If you're taking it out for good, expect a "divot" or a small scar. To minimize this, keep cleaning the area with saline twice a day until the holes have visually closed. Don't slather it in Neosporin or heavy ointments. These can clog the hole and cause a localized breakout or a sebaceous cyst. Your body knows how to heal; it just needs a clean environment.
Will the Hole Close?
It depends on your body. Some people can leave a piercing out for a decade and still slide jewelry back in. Others find the hole has vanished in twenty minutes. If you are taking it off just to clean the jewelry or for a short event, try to put it back in as soon as possible.
If you find you can't get the jewelry back in, do not force it. You will create a "false passage," which is basically a new, accidental hole that doesn't go all the way through. This is how you get permanent scarring and infections. If it's "shrunk," go to a professional. They can use a tool called a taper—a long, thin needle-like rod that gradually gets thicker—to gently stretch the hole back open without tearing it.
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Common Mistakes People Make
Most people mess this up because they're in a rush.
I’ve heard of people using needle-nose pliers from the toolbox. The problem is that those pliers have "teeth" that will scratch the metal of your jewelry. Even a tiny scratch on a titanium bar can become a breeding ground for bacteria the next time you put it in. If you must use tools, make sure they are specialized piercing tools or at least hemis (hemostats) that have been sanitized.
Another big one? Dropping the ball down the sink. Seriously, plug the drain. Put a towel down in the sink. Those 3mm balls are essentially invisible the moment they hit the floor.
When to See a Professional
Sometimes, you just can't do it yourself. And that's okay.
If the skin has grown over part of the jewelry (nesting or embedding), you need to stop immediately. This happens sometimes if the bar was too short to accommodate swelling. At that point, it’s a medical or professional piercer issue. If the metal has changed color or the ball feels "fused" to the bar, it might be cheap surgical steel that has oxidized.
Professional piercers have the advantage of "sightlines." They can see your eyebrow better than you can in a mirror. They have the right tools, they have an autoclave to ensure everything is sterile, and they have the experience to know if your piercing is actually healthy enough to be messed with.
Actionable Next Steps for Success
- Test the "Twist": Before you do anything, try to gently nudge the ball with dry fingers. If it moves easily, you're golden. If not, start the saline soak.
- Lubrication is Key: If the jewelry is out but you’re trying to put it back in and it’s sticking, use a tiny drop of water-based lubricant or even just a bit of saline. Never use Vaseline.
- The Mirror Trick: Use a magnifying mirror if you have one. It helps you see exactly where the threads start so you aren't pulling against the skin.
- Post-Removal Care: Once the bar is out, use a mild, fragrance-free soap to wash the skin around the area. Pat dry with a disposable paper towel; cloth towels can harbor bacteria and snag on the hole.
- Storage: If you're keeping the jewelry, drop it into a small shot glass of isopropyl alcohol for a few minutes, dry it off, and put it in a labeled Ziploc bag. You’ll thank yourself in six months when you decide you want the piercing back.