Something called the "Magic Cross Piercing" is going viral on TikTok lately, and it's mostly because TikTokers are warning their fellow scrollers not to Google it.

The piercing in question is a painful one, according to experts and anyone who's seen a picture of it. Average men are shivering at the visual, because it has to do with piercing male private parts not once, but twice.

So, for those who want to know, what is the infamous "Magic Cross Piercing" and where did it come from? Let's explain.

What Is A 'Magic Cross Piercing?'

The "Magic Cross Piercing" is a distant, masochistic relative of the common earring. The body modification involves two barbells (called a pallang and an apadravya), which are poked through the head of a man's johnson to form the shape of a cross.

Most people would never want this, but it's apparently appealing for its punk look and effect on sensual stimulation — so they say.

@skylerrosefirth they’re getting worse😧#reacting #piercing #skylerrosefirth #fyp #goviralgo ♬ original sound – 𝓢𝓴𝔂𝓵𝓮𝓻 𝓡𝓸𝓼𝓮

Where Did The 'Magic Cross Piercing' Come From?

There isn't a clear origin for the "Magic Cross Piercing," but the earliest mention of the name that we could find online comes from a Czech piercing website in a December 2006 post.

However, body modification websites and encyclopedias credit the pallang and apadravya piercings to groups in the Indian subcontinent and the Philippines, where penial mods were commonplace for religious reasons. But it looks like the combo wasn't called the "Magic Cross" until this century.

@princ3alb3rt the most painful piercings #piercing #piercings #fyp ♬ jump – gumball !!

Why Is The 'Magic Cross Piercing' Viral On TikTok?

At the end of last year, TikTokers discovered that mentioning the "Magic Cross Piercing" without explaining it was a good way to go viral. All you had to do was look shocked and disgusted, which created a curiosity gap.

TikToker @chynnapegram, who posted her video in 2024, was a pioneer of the method, if not its creator. Perhaps she knew someone in real life who actually got the "Magic Cross Piercing" and had to share her honest reaction to it.

Since then, multiple videos about the notorious piercing have gone viral on the platform as it's garnered more awareness.

@chynnapegram #lon3l33girl ♬ Blues – Geordie Greep

@nataliexxxreynolds I can’t believe he did this! #fyp #piercing ♬ original sound – Natalie Reynolds

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For the full history of the Magic Cross Piercing, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.