To unscrew an eyebrow piercing, hold the bar steady with one hand and twist the ball counterclockwise (left) with the other. That’s the basic move, but small jewelry and tight threads can make it surprisingly frustrating. Here’s how to handle each situation you might run into.
Know Your Jewelry Type First
Most eyebrow piercings use a curved barbell, which is a slightly banana-shaped bar with a small ball screwed onto each end. One or both balls unscrew. Before you start twisting, figure out which type of threading your jewelry has, because it affects how removal works.
With externally threaded jewelry, the bar itself has threads (like a tiny screw) on the ends, and the balls screw onto them. With internally threaded jewelry, the ball has a small post that screws into a hollow end on the bar. Internally threaded pieces are considered higher quality because there are no rough threads passing through your piercing channel. The removal motion is the same for both: twist the ball to the left. The difference matters more when reinserting jewelry, since external threads can scratch the inside of the piercing on the way through.
A less common option is a captive bead ring, a small hoop where a single bead is held in place by tension rather than threads. That requires a completely different removal technique, covered below.
Step-by-Step Removal for Curved Barbells
Start by washing your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water. Even if you’re removing the jewelry permanently, clean hands reduce the chance of pushing bacteria into the piercing channel.
Spray both sides of the piercing with sterile saline wound wash. This loosens any dried crust or buildup around the balls and along the bar that might be preventing the threads from turning. Gently pat dry with a piece of gauze or paper towel. Avoid cotton balls or Q-tips, which leave behind tiny fibers that get caught in the threads and around prong-set gems.
Now grip the bar from underneath with your thumb and index finger of one hand. You need to keep it completely still. With your other hand, pinch the top ball and rotate it to the left, counterclockwise. Think “lefty loosey.” The ball should unscrew after a few turns. Once the ball is off, gently slide the bar down and out through the bottom hole.
If you’re changing jewelry rather than retiring the piercing, have your new piece ready to insert immediately. Eyebrow piercings are surface piercings, and even fully healed ones can start shrinking within minutes of the jewelry being removed.
What to Do When the Ball Won’t Budge
Stuck balls are the most common problem people run into, and it usually comes down to grip. Your fingers are slightly oily, the ball is tiny (often 3mm or 4mm), and the jewelry may be wet. All of that kills traction.
The easiest fix is a pair of latex or rubber gloves. Make sure the jewelry is completely dry first, then grab the ball with your gloved fingers. The rubber provides enough friction to generate the extra torque a stuck ball needs. This alone solves the problem most of the time.
If gloves aren’t enough, try wrapping a small piece of rubber band around the ball before gripping it. Some people also use the rubber grip from a mechanical pencil or a small sheet of shelf liner. The goal is the same: more friction on a very small, very smooth surface.
Dried lymph fluid (the crusty buildup common around healing piercings) can also act like glue in the threads. If the ball feels like it’s cemented in place, do a longer saline soak. Hold a piece of saline-soaked gauze against the ball for two to three minutes to dissolve the buildup, dry it off, then try again with gloves.
One important note: do not rotate the jewelry back and forth inside the piercing trying to loosen it. The Association of Professional Piercers notes that moving or rotating jewelry is unnecessary during cleaning and can irritate the piercing channel. Keep the bar still and only twist the ball.
Removing a Captive Bead Ring
If your eyebrow piercing has a small hoop with a bead that doesn’t seem to have threads, it’s likely a captive bead ring. The bead is held in place by the tension of the ring pressing into two small dimples on either side of it.
To remove it, grip the ring on both sides of the bead with your fingers and gently pull the sides apart just enough for the bead to pop free. Catch the bead, because they’re tiny and will roll under furniture immediately. Once the bead is out, rotate the ring so the opening lines up with one of the piercing holes and slide it out.
If the ring is too tight to open with your fingers, ring opening pliers (sold at piercing supply shops) can help. Insert the grooved end through the ring, gently squeeze to open the pliers, and apply just enough pressure to spread the ring slightly. Too much force will warp the ring permanently. If you don’t have the right tool and can’t get the bead out, a professional piercer can do it in seconds.
When to Let a Piercer Handle It
Some situations aren’t worth struggling with at home. If the skin around your piercing is severely red, swollen, or painful, or if you notice red streaks radiating from the site, you need medical attention rather than jewelry removal tips. Removing jewelry from an actively infected piercing can trap the infection under the skin.
You should also visit a piercer if the jewelry appears to be migrating. Signs include the skin between the entry and exit holes getting thinner over time, visible flaking or peeling of the skin between the holes, or being able to see the bar through your skin. A piercer can assess whether the jewelry should come out and how to do it safely.
If you’ve tried gloves, saline soaks, and rubber grips and the ball still won’t unscrew, a piercer has hemostats and specialized pliers designed for exactly this situation. Most shops will remove stubborn jewelry for free or a small fee, and it takes under a minute.
After the Jewelry Is Out
If you’re swapping to new jewelry, insert the replacement right away. Eyebrow piercings are notorious for shrinking quickly once jewelry is removed. A piercing that’s still healing can begin closing in just minutes. Even well-established eyebrow piercings can tighten significantly within a few hours.
If the jewelry came out accidentally and you can’t get the new piece in yourself, try to see a piercer within 24 to 48 hours. Within the first week, there’s still a reasonable chance a piercer can reopen the channel with a taper. After that, the odds drop considerably.
If you’re retiring the piercing for good, keep the area clean with saline spray for the first few days while the holes close. Eyebrow piercings are surface piercings, so they typically close completely and leave minimal scarring, though a small mark where the entry and exit holes were is normal.