Cheek piercing is facial body piercing through the cheek. The most common variation of the cheek piercing penetrates the facial tissue into the oral cavity. The usual placement is symmetrical on either side of the face, either penetrating or imitating dimples. The piercing will result in "man-made dimples". An alternative is microdermal implants, placed in the intended dimple location. This method avoids the long healing process of full cheek piercings. Permanent cheek piercing appears to be of primarily contemporary origin. Ritual cheek piercings were and are common throughout the world in both primitive and modern cultures. Perhaps the most well known of these rituals is the annual vegetarian festivals in Phuket, Thailand where "mediums" both people and monks pierce their cheeks with an array of objects in varying sizes, while in an altered state.