17 Nail Piercing Ideas, From Edgy to Sophisticated

a glossy manicure with a diamond piercing — @iramshelton/Instagram

Getting a new piercing is an easy way to add some edge to your look. But getting a new piercing on your face or body isn't always feasible. Maybe you're running out of real estate on your ears. Or perhaps the pain is too much. Whatever your reasoning, we have an enticing alternative: Nail piercings. They are totally painless, not permanent, and still look very cool.

To give you some inspo, we've rounded up 17 nail piercing ideas. From simple to sophisticated to a little scary, these show off ways to wear the trend.

01 of 17

Heavy Metal

chrome french manicure with a pierced nail — @imarninails/Instagram

Make a manicure featuring a horseshoe ring even more rock and roll by opting for chrome polish. Classic French nail art grounds the look.

02 of 17

Fit for Print

tie-dye mani with pierced nail — @digitzbydev/Instagram

Lava lamp? Tie-dye? Croc? Whatever you call the print on these vibrant French tips, one thing is for certain: It makes for a great backdrop for a few artfully placed hoops.

03 of 17

Prep School

argyle nails with pierced nail — @trillanails/Instagram

There's a good chance when you hear "argyle," you envision sweaters and that classy preppy aesthetic. But this argyle mani certainly flips that on its head. If the gold and brown tones weren't surprising enough, the little gold hoop takes things up a notch.

04 of 17

Black Magic

A black French mani with an airbrush stencil, stars and nail piercings — @trillanails/Instagram

A black French mani is always fab. But add an airbrush stencil, stars, and nail piercings, and you've got yourself a look.

05 of 17

Dangling Modifier

A silver chrome manicure with nail charms — @nails_of_la/Instagram

Who would be edgy enough to pull off chrome nails pierced at the tips to add dangling charms? Megan Fox, of course. She truly charms on every level.

06 of 17

Make It a Double

A long, nude almond-shaped manicure with gold hoop piercings — @iramshelton/Instagram

The nude mani is renowned for its elegant simplicity. But when you want to put a spin on it, simply add nail piercings. You can even make one a double.

07 of 17

Shine Bright Like A Diamond

diamond nail piercing on clear polish — @iramshelton/Instagram

Take Rihanna's advice and shine bright like a diamond with these luxe nail piercings. Level up the bling with a high-gloss polish.

08 of 17

Jelly Roll

jelly nails with long square tips and pierced rings — @angelsnailz/Instagram

Are you ready for this jelly? Sweet meets sultry when jelly nails get a goth makeover. With long square tips and pierced rings, this set brings that Halloween feeling to any time of year.

09 of 17

Opposites Attract

ombrÃ© pink nails with hearts and gold nail piercings — @nuka.nails/Instagram

A study in contrasts, this nail art has so much going on: Ombré pink tips with hearts galore, juxtaposed with gold nail piercings to bring on the bling. The matching sneakers inspo is the icing on top.

10 of 17

Silver Streak

abstract silver nails with piercing — @nuka.nails/Instagram

Proof that you don't need long tips to work the nail piercing trend, these shorties pull it off flawlessly. The silver chrome webs are the perfect pairing for the little silver hoop.

11 of 17

Thumbs Up

abstract black french mani with nail piercing — @iramshelton/Instagram

A little French mani, a little abstract, and totally fun and fancy, this mani would be a standout all on its own—but the nail piercing pushes it over the edge. Plus, the thumb makes for an unusual accent nail.

12 of 17

Orange Crush

orange and white Coffin nails with 3D silver details and rings — @digitzbydev/Instagram

Orange you glad you have this magical mani for nail inspo? Coffin nails look even cooler with 3D silver details and rings.

13 of 17

Ball and Chain

A sharp burgundy French mani with gold piercings — @digitzbydev/Instagram

Stiletto nails are daring on their own, but when you add nail piercings to every tip, they become downright fearsome. (In the best way.) A mix of gold and diamond jewelry brings visual variety.

14 of 17

Variety Pack

nails with swirls, smiley faces, funky French manis, and nail piercings — @digitzbydev/Instagram

You'll never get bored when every nail has a unique, vibrant design. Swirls, smiley faces, funky Frenchies, nail piercings—take your pick. The vibrant color pattern is the only thing they all have in common.

15 of 17

Long Story

super long nails in pewter with piercings — @imarninails/Instagram

Many will go to great lengths for a fantastic manicure—quite literally! The super long tips, perfect pewter polish, and edgy nail piercings make for a true triple threat.

16 of 17

Pinky Promise

sparkly nails with piercing on pinky — @saruhnails/Instagram

Your smallest nail deserves a little bling. In this case, the jewelry is the real deal—the nail piercing is 10k gold. But any material will give you that heavy metal look.

17 of 17

Charmed, I'm Sure

mani with charms dangling from the golden chains — @amyle.nails/Instagram

Who needs a charm bracelet when you can wear a charm manicure instead? We love the variety of charms dangling from the golden chains. They include a clamshell, dice, cherry, star, and rose, to name a few.