A cheek piercing, also called a dimple piercing, passes through the cheek and exits inside the mouth, placed so the visible end sits roughly where a natural dimple would fall.
It is the highest-risk facial piercing covered on this site, and this page is going to spend most of its length on why. That is not squeamishness. It is that the risks here are structural rather than a matter of aftercare, and no amount of diligence on your part removes them.
Photo by Doct Blake via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
The parotid duct
Saliva reaches your mouth from the parotid gland through the parotid duct, which runs forward through the cheek and opens inside your mouth near your upper second molar.
A piercing placed badly can damage it. When that happens, saliva can leak into the surrounding tissue or track out through the piercing itself, which is a genuine medical complication rather than an irritation. It requires a doctor, and it can require surgery.
An experienced piercer knows where the duct runs and places well clear of it, which is why the identity of the person holding the needle matters more here than on any other facial placement. But anatomy varies between people, and “well clear” is a judgement rather than a certainty.
If a studio agrees to this piercing without discussing the parotid duct with you, leave.
The scarring is permanent
This is the part people most often do not expect.
A cheek piercing creates a channel through mobile tissue, and scar tissue forms along it. That tissue tethers the skin, which is what produces the dimple effect people want. It also means that when the piercing is removed, the indentation stays.
Some people are pleased by that and choose the piercing precisely for the permanent dimple. Others remove the jewelry after a year expecting their face to return to normal, and it does not. Whichever camp you are in, decide knowing that this one does not fully reverse.
Cheek piercings also have a higher-than-usual rate of leaving a dented, uneven scar rather than a neat dimple, particularly if they are removed during healing.
Healing is long and unreliable
Three months to a year, and a proportion never settle completely.
The cheek is a long channel through tissue that moves every time you speak, chew, smile or yawn. Constant movement in a long channel is the classic recipe for prolonged healing, and this placement is where that shows most clearly.
- Weeks 1-3: significant swelling, inside and out. Eating is difficult. Expect this to be more disruptive than a lip piercing.
- Weeks 3-10: swelling reduces, and downsizing becomes possible and necessary.
- Months 3-12: slow internal maturing, with flare-ups common along the way.
Downsize at four to ten weeks, later than a lip piercing because the swelling takes longer to go. The initial post has to be long, and a long post in a cheek presses on molars.
Pain
About 5 out of 10, higher than most facial piercings. The needle passes through a thicker section of tissue than a lip, so the sensation lasts longer.
The days afterwards are the harder part: swelling is substantial and eating is genuinely awkward for a week or more.
Your molars
The flat back sits inside your cheek, near your upper molars. On a long healing post it will contact them, which risks enamel wear over months.
Downsizing on schedule is the mitigation, and it matters more here than anywhere else because the healing period is so long. Tell your dentist you have this piercing and ask them to look specifically at the upper molars on that side.
If you decide to go ahead
- Choose the piercer, not the studio. Ask who has done cheek piercings before and how many. This is not a placement for someone’s first attempt.
- Have them explain the duct. If they cannot, they should not be doing it.
- Symmetry needs both marked together if you are having a pair, which is how they are usually worn.
- Expect a long project. Budget a year of aftercare, not three months.
- Accept the scar in advance. Assume the dimple is permanent, and be sure that is what you want.
Aftercare is the standard oral routine: sterile saline outside twice a day, an alcohol-free rinse inside after eating, drinking anything but water, and smoking. No alcohol-based mouthwash. The aftercare guide covers it.
Gentler alternatives
If it is the look you are after rather than this specific piercing:
- A dermal placed on the cheekbone gives a single decorative point with no channel through the cheek and no duct risk. It is not permanent, which here is an advantage.
- A medusa or monroe sits in the same part of the face with a fraction of the risk and a fraction of the healing time.
Cost
$60 to $140 each in a US studio, plus jewelry, and more from a piercer with real experience of the placement. This is a piercing where paying more for the right hands is straightforwardly worth it. Tip 15 to 20 percent.
Frequently asked questions
What is a cheek piercing?
A piercing through the cheek, placed to sit where a dimple would fall, exiting inside the mouth. It is also called a dimple piercing. It is one of the highest-risk facial piercings and several professional bodies and piercers advise against it.
What is the parotid duct, and why does it matter?
It is the tube that carries saliva from the parotid gland into your mouth, and it runs through the cheek. A piercing that damages it can cause saliva to leak into the tissue or out through the piercing, which is a complication needing medical treatment.
Do cheek piercings leave scars?
Yes, essentially always. Even a cheek piercing that heals well and is later removed leaves a visible indentation, because scar tissue tethers the skin. People sometimes want that dimple effect, but it is permanent and it is not something you can undo if you change your mind.
How long do cheek piercings take to heal?
Anywhere from three months to a year, and some never fully settle. The cheek moves constantly with speech and eating, and it has a long channel through mobile tissue, which is a difficult combination.
Do cheek piercings hurt?
About 5 out of 10, more than most facial piercings, because the needle passes through a thicker section of tissue. Swelling afterwards is significant and lasts longer than with a lip piercing.
Why do some piercers refuse to do cheek piercings?
Because the risk profile is poor even when everything is done correctly: the parotid duct is nearby, the healing is long and unreliable, and the scarring is permanent. A piercer declining is exercising judgement, not being unhelpful.
Sources
- Association of Professional Piercers - Suggested aftercare for oral piercingshttps://safepiercing.org/oral-aftercare/
- Association of Professional Piercers - Jewelry for initial piercingshttps://safepiercing.org/jewelry-for-initial-piercings/
- American Dental Association (MouthHealthy) - Oral piercingshttps://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/oral-piercings
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This article is for education only and is not medical advice. If a piercing is hot, swollen, spreading redness, oozing yellow or green discharge, or you have a fever, see a doctor today.