When millennials started proposing to each other with avocados, you might’ve thought you've seen it all. Not quite, as the latest trend to take the subversive wedding scene by storm is even more farfetched.

Introducing engagement piercings: the unusual - and rather painful - way the avant-garde lovebirds of today are marking their commitment to one another. A type of dermal piercing, typically made up of two pieces of jewelry, it consisting of a flat piece of metal that sits beneath the skin’s surface and a visible stud that can be changed just like any other body piercing.

“Our engagement dermals we got Friday,” wrote one Instagram user alongside a picture of his and his fiancée’s 'rings'.

Just one search for #fingerpiercing on Instagram reveals the extent of the growing trend - which has already racked up 3,430 posts. While some prefer a single diamond stud, resembling a more traditional engagement ring aesthetic, others are opting for trendier dual stud piercings.

There are obvious economical and logistical advantages for choosing an innovative piercing over a real diamond ring. However, dermatologists have warned of the health risks surrounding dermal piercings, which can be carried out on a number of different body parts such as the neck or back.

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They are usually carried out without local anaesthetic, meaning they are very painful, and complications can occur even after the piercing has been conducted if the metal plate isn’t inserted deep enough. Plus, they can be very tricky to remove. Also, how do you plan to propose with just a diamond? Where are you going to keep it when you go down on one knee?

While this trend has us thinking of all innovative ways of proposing, commitmentphobics are squirming at the mere thought of it. 

Pierce at your own peril.