Surface bars are used in surface piercings. In surface piercings, the piercing does not travel fully through the skin. Rather, it goes through the surface layer of the skin. Surface bars are mainly barbells with two right angled bends in the same direction like a staple pin. It is two-pronged.
Surface bars are considered ideal for surface piercings because they exert less pressure compared to other body jewelry. The chances of rejection are also lower. Invariably, surface bars are custom fit to suit the specific piercing.
For some people, surface piercings are hard to heal since the body can reject the jewelry. Here the jewelry is pushed to the surface making the piercing protrude. A professional piercer must do the surface piercings, locating it properly and also choosing the right surface bars. If done the right way, surface piercings can last a long time. Once fixed, the surface bars are never removed until the person no longer wants the piercing. Even then, it is advisable to get an expert piercer to help you. The ends of the surface bar unscrew, similar to other threaded jewelry; however, there is a specific method by which to do this. The skin is handled in a specific way when the surface bar is removed.
Surface bars are used in common surface piercings like a Madison piercing that goes through the skin at the front of the neck above the collar bone, a vertical tragus in front of the ear via the tragus, a nape piercing at the back of the neck, a neck piercing or vampire bite which is a series of piercings that looks like a bite, a hip piercing in the pelvic area near the hip bone, hand web piercing on the skin between the fingers, a sternum piercing through the breast bone. Other surface piercings where surface bars are worn are wrist, forearm, stomach, knuckles, finger, clavicles or shoulder bones, etc.
You usually get surface bars in titanium and surgical steel and also internally threaded surface bars in different sizes. The visible beads can be changed often although the bar portion stays permanently.