Asapersonwhousuallyprefersgettingpiercedinsteadofdealingwithemotionalproblems,onetypeinparticularhasbeencallingmynamesinceIturned14:nipplepiercings.That’sright,justlikeanyotherpieceofanatomy,metalbars(orrings)cangoinyourboobsforfashion,andIthinkit’soneofthefewthingsI’dwagerthe‘painisbeauty’plightfor.Nipplepiercingsaretheundefeatedfashionaccessorybutyou’veprobablyalreadyaskedyourself,dotheyhurt?Dotheyeverheal?Willtheyfalloffiftheygetinfected?Allowmetogiveyouthelowdown.
Whileyoumayhaveseenmanycelebrities—fromtheforevericonRihannatothemysteriousmuseBellaHadid—flaunttheirpiercedprizedpossessions,howdoesitworkexactlyandaretheysafetoget?Well,anipplepiercingisjustthat:apiercinginyournipples.Morespecifically,piercingthesensitivetissueconnectedtomilkducts,oryourareola,thedarkerringaroundit.
WebMDlistsanumberofpossibleproblemsyoucouldencounterifyougetyournipplespiercedhastilyandwithoutresearch.InboththeUKandtheUS,thelegalagetogetnipplepiercingsis18,withIDbeingrequired.Studiosjumpingatthechancetopierceyouatayoungerageorwithoutproofofageareabigredflagsinceit’squiteliterallyillegal.Amongtherisksoframpantinfectionsthathurtlikehellwithallpoorlyhealedpiercings—Ishouldknow,I’mcurrentlyprayingformysaltwatertomiraculouslyfixmykeloids,fatchance—thereareotherissuesthatyoumayrunintogettingthegirlspierced.
Firstthingsfirst,gotoaprofessional.Thatmeansanysignofunsanitarypracticeisyourgreenlighttogetout,immediately.WebMDadvisesfindingareputablepiercerthroughtheAssociationofProfessionalPiercers(APP),whichisaworldwidenetworkoftrustedandsafepiercers.Throughitsportal,youwillfind‘BusinessMembers’—thosewhoworkfulltimeaspiercers,withmorethanoneyearofprofessionalexperience—and‘AssociateMembers’whoarealsoworkingasprofessionalpiercersbuthavelessthanoneyearofexperience(likeapprentices,forexample).
Also,beingawareofwhatyourbodycanhandlewhenitcomestopiercingsisprobablygoingtohelpyououtalotwhenenquiringaboutthem.Knowingifyouhaveacertainallergytometalsthatareusedinbarsisamustbecausethelastthingyouwantisthealreadypainfulprocesstobedrawnoutbyinfection.
InaninterviewwithAllure,professionalbodypiercerandownerofStudio28,apiercingstudioinNewYork,TJCantwelldescribedtheprocesstotheoutlet.“Yourpiercerwillwashup,putongloves,andhavesterilematerialsready.Anyreputablepiercerwillalsoactsortoflikeameditationteacher,helpingyoukeepcalmandinstructingyoutobreatheastheypierceyou.Theactualpiercinghappensveryquickly.”
Cantwellstressedthatifthere’sonethingtolookoutfor,it’sthatalltoolsarepre-sterilisedandopenedinfrontofyoubeforeuse.
Generallyspeaking,astraightbarbellforthepiercingisyourbestbet.Curvedbarbellsareusuallyreservedforinvertednipples.Ringsandhoopsoftenmovearoundtoomuchandcanmajorlydisruptthehealingprocess.Notfun.
Anddon’tforget,always,alwaysgowithimplant-grademetal,folks.
Someopttohaveoneoftheirnipplespiercedtogetafeelforthepainlevelbeforehavingtheirsecondonepierced.Initially,thatwasmygameplan.AccordingtoGrazia,manystudiosofferatwo-for-onepriceonnipplepiercingsanyway,sothere’sabiggerincentivetogetthemdonetogether.Theycancostanywherebetween£25to£50.Onaverage,thepricetogetyournipplespiercedisaround£40,butthatcanchangedependingonthejewellerypickedontop.WhileIamapersonwithmultipleholesinmyearsandeverythingfromasurfacetragustobellybarsinmybody,IdothinkI’dstillneedmypiercertogetmetopayupbeforehandjustincaseIchickenout.
Beforewegettothecons,letmeanswerthelastfewquestionsyoumayhave.Firstofall,dotheymakeyournippleshardallthetime?Well,gettingyournipspiercedcanmakethemappearslightlymorepronounced,but,fearnot,itwon’tstaythatwaylongterm.Dotheyscab?Aswithanypiercing(aka,awoundinyourbody)theycanproducescabs,yes,butifyoufearit’slookingabnormalorit’stoopainful,considerspeakingtoyourGPordoctor.IfItaketheringoutwilltherebescarring?Unfortunately,thatprobablywillbethecase,especiallyiftakenoutbeforeproperlyhealing,anditcouldbeleftlookingalittledifferenttoitspre-piercedstate,accordingtoGrazia.WillIbeabletobreastfeed?Yes,butit’snotA-okayforeveryone.Youmightneedtoditchhoopsforsomebarsandtakethemoutwhenit’sthelittleone’sdinnertime.Andbeforeyouask,no,theyprobablywon’tgooffinanairportmetaldetector,Grazianotedthatmanymetalbodyjewelleryisnon-ferromagnetic—thescientifictermthatbasicallymeansifyourjewelleryismadefromgold,silverorplatinum,itwon’tgooff.Thankgoodness.
Anotherthingtonoteisthatmanywomenreporttheirpiercingsincreasingtheirnipplesensitivitydramatically—havinghealedcorrectly,thatis.
Asidefrombeingveryprettyandaddingalittlerazzle-dazzletoabralesslook,nipplepiercingsdocomewithalotofaftercareupkeep.Anditmakessensesincetheyhavealongerhealingtimecomparedtootherpiercings.
Amongthebad,nipplepiercingscancauseanumberofissues:abscesses(reallypainfulpus-filledlumps,yuck),rejection(wherethepiercingisliterallypushedoutbyyourbody)andlocalisedinfection—thoughonestudysuggeststhechancesofsystemicinfectionsareverylow.
Nipplepiercingstypicallytakeuptosixmonthstofullyheal,whichcanreallyputaroadblockinyourplans.Ifyouwanttoshowoffyournewstudsatthebeach,nowisthetimetogetthemdone,people.Atfirst,yourpriorityshouldbetokeepthemcoveredatalltimes—atleastforthefirsttwoweeks.Youmayalsobeadvisedtonotpokearoundortouchthem,exceptforcleaningoffthepusandgoopygoo,andavoidsoakingtheminwaterwhenyouwashtoo.Cleaningtwiceadayisalsoanabsolutemustandthesafestandmostrecommendedwaytodoitiswithasalinesolution.Trustme,skippingoutonthisisnotworththeheadache—thinkofitassleepingdrunkwithmakeuponbutthenwakingupwithahorribleleakingholeinyourbody,nothanks.
So,withalltheprosandconsofgettingyournipplespiercedsafelyinyourbackpocket,willyoudecidetogetthemdone?