It’s no secret that the Internet has a mystifying fascination with watching things in slow motion. From hot knives slicing through lip balms to swirls of slime and metallic makeup, slowing things down can put a whole new perspective on your feed. (In fact, we discovered this firsthand when we got behind the camera to investigate liquid beauty.)
So, we can’t say we were all that surprised when we scrolled through our Facebook feeds and came across a slow-motion piercing video by Refinery29. In the opening shot, the camera zooms in on an ear being pierced, focusing on the needle as it meets the ear, then pushes all the way through to the other side. In the background, a piercer contemplates he process in soothing tones. It’s cringe-inducing, meditative, and mesmerizing all at once, and we seriously can’t stop staring.
Further research revealed that you can actually find other slo-mo piercing videos on YouTube, and they’re not restricted to ears, either. On the other hand, a search of #slowmotionpiercings turns up 0 results on Instagram (although #piercingvideo turns up plenty of finds), so this particular category of clips is more niche, less mainstream. We’re reminded of the endless stream of pimple-popping videos that have taken over the Internet lately, which fans love for their gross-yet-satisfying appeal. Maybe piercing is the new popping? Only time will tell.
