Arguably the biggest development in body-piercing in 2006 was the microdermal (also called a ‘surface anchor’ or ‘dermal anchor’). Its design – essentially ‘half a piercing’ – allows it to be placed nearly anywhere on the body, in any type of tissue. Prior to the still-continuing development of the microdermal, these types of aesthetic ends could only be achieved with pseudosurgical ‘transdermal implants’, which required difficult implantation methods, and painful removal if they failed to heal.

Microdermals, on the other hand, can be placed using nothing but normal piercing tools – a needle, and a small threaded handle to hold the microdermal during placement. Having them performed is no more difficult or painful than any normal piercing – proponents of the technique swear it has the potential to become as widely adopted as navel-piercing. While complete jewellery cannot be easily removed by the wearer (removal requires a visit back to the piercer), the visible ends screw on and off and can be changed to suit the wearer’s mood – or to match the formality of an event’s dress code.