Biz Pac Review:

[M]illenials have been turning to a painful new procedure in jewelry.

Diamond engagement rings are now not just for wearing around a finger, but the diamonds are being embedded IN the ring finger as a new piercing trend is underway, WCBS reported.

A New York City tattoo and body piercing shop owner said he has noticed an increase in customers asking for the procedure.

“We notice lately a lot of people coming looking for that,” Sam Abbas, owner of Ink Studio in the West Village, told WCBS.

He explained that all tools must be sterilized in doing the type of piercing but maintaining the area and keeping it clean are critical for the customer.

“You’re dealing with the blood, so you got to be very, very safe,” he said, explaining that an experienced piercing artist is a must.

The process, as shown in a mock piercing on CBS2’s reporter, Cindy Hsu, involved marking the spot on the finger with a pen and then using rubbing alcohol and iodine to sterilize the area. A small tool is then used to remove a patch of skin where an anchor, made of titanium or gold is inserted. This anchor holds the gem in place.

“I think it looks nice, but if you really think what it’s doing to the body – and you can have scarring – it’s so many complications that can happen from it,” millennial Cynthia Rivas told the news outlet.

The whole procedure runs about $100 but the cost of the diamond is separate.

Abbas admitted the pain associated with the procedure is certainly a factor to consider, but some are surprised it isn’t as bad as expected.

“You’re going to feel it. You’re getting pierced. It is a little bit painful,” he said. But people did it, and I have a lot of people who say, ‘Oh nice, it’s nothing, I expect more.”

For medical professionals, like Dermatologist Dr. Monica Halem, more serious factors should be considered before making the decision to follow the latest trend.

“First of all, these procedures are not being done by a doctor, and it is a surgical procedure,” she told WCBS. “There are a lot of important structures that sit right under the skin there that can easily be damaged, like tendons.”

She also pointed to the danger of having the diamond, exposed on the finger, getting snagged.

“That’s sitting right above the skin, that’s easily caught on something and can do a lot of damage,” she said. It was not clear how the wearer can eventually add a wedding band as it is traditionally worn on the same finger.

Another caveat: It can take up to 5 weeks for the site to heal after the procedure. And if that engagement doesn’t quite pan out – or the fad wears off – removing the diamond is apparently more painful than getting it in the first place.