You call them tomatos and I call them tomatoes, they both look the same. If you like dermals that is ok by me.

Not to hijack, but there are several abbreviations that are used frequently on this site, we so need a glossary.

Partial one Here

It's not just tomato, tomahto in this case, though, since if the piercing is confused for a medical procedure, that could land a piercer in a heap of trouble...

Single point piercings=SPPs?

SA - surface anchor mayhaps?

Very true. I don't have any "extreme" or uncommon mods, so sometimes that notion escapes me.

I've heard them referred to as dermal anchors and microdermals, but never surface anchors.

i think they should be called dermal anchors, because it makes the most scientific sense.
that is, if it even matters.
i cant really think of a situation in which it would.

As far as the paperwork goes, we call them single point piercings at my shop. However, the term "microdermal" spread so quickly that we can't keep it away- when someone comes in asking for them, that's what they always call them. The reason I think the folks at the conference wanted to make the distinction, is that "micro-dermal" comes from "transdermal" as in transdermal implants- because these are actually transdermal implants that are small enough that we can install them with a needle. It doesn't change what they are though. However, the APP, as an organization, has a very firm "no opinion" on anything other than piercings. So as long as we call them single point piercings, the APP can continue to have classes and discussions etc. on the topic. Make since?

One company called their original design Microdermals. Simultaneously, Industrial Strength came out with their version and called them Surface Anchors specifically to avoid the "medical" sounding jewelry and/or procedure.

I like Surface Anchor and I continue using the term partly because I thin Industrial Strength's are the best quality Anchors on the market.