Your Guide to Body Piercings

Body piercing is typically the most obvious way to show someone that you are into body art. The stigma around piercing and tattooing is profound among the generations, with some younger people even regarding it as dangerous, taboo, or otherwise strange. This is mostly due to the areas of the body that get pierced, whether it’s something like a nose ring on your face or even your genitals. Most people don’t blink at earrings, but they can get a bit disturbed by nipple rings. No matter what others think, body piercing is an artistic and personal expression that can’t be beat. Wherever you decide to get your work done, you can be confident that it will be one of the best ways to put your personality on display.

Oral Piercings:

Probably one of the more popular yet interesting places to get a piercing is on your lips or mouth. A lot of people will do this as teenagers without much regard for long term consequences, as this type of work can damage your teeth or gums over time. The classic Monroe piercing is similar to a beauty mark, reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe. A labret is a lip piercing that covers the top and bottom center of your lip. There are many other styles, but these two happen to be the most popular. Make sure that when you’re getting a lip piercing that you know how to properly take care of it so that it doesn’t rub against your gums or cause an infection. Proper cleaning is necessary in order to prevent this, and will work wonders in keeping you comfortable and looking good.

Torso and Trunk Piercings:

The chest and stomach have areas where you can pierce your body but conceal it to keep it hidden from others until necessary. Nipple piercings are probably the most common, and along with nipple piercings offer aesthetically pleasing locations to show off body art. Both of these options have long healing times, anywhere from half a year to a whole year’s worth of recuperation, so that is something to consider before getting the procedure done.

Why do people get piercings?

Individuals get body piercings for a number of different reasons, similar to tattoos or other forms of body art, permanent or otherwise. Oftentimes, it can be a symbol of rebellion and personal freedom to pierce a part of the body, or something that has a close cultural tie. Like tattoos, most people start small with one, and then graduate to bigger and better things that showcase even more aesthetically pleasing body artistry. Some people might even enjoy the pain of getting piercings in places that other people wouldn’t dare, and sharing the story with friends and family about how they managed to endure it. All of these reasons and more are plausible representations of the body art community, but no one should feel tethered to any one reason or justification of doing it. Instead, focus on what you want and what you’d like to represent more than what anyone else with think about why you did it.

What are the most painful piercings to get?

Piercings and tattoos are naturally painful, but piercings definitely take the cake in terms of immediate and sustained pain, since you’re actually puncturing all the way through the skin. There are a few places where getting pierced will hurt more than others.

Nipple Piercings:

Human nipples are some of the most sensitive parts of the body, as they are filled with nerve endings and are an erogenous zone meant for pleasurable sensation, not pain. Therefore, when you get a nipple piercing, the pain is amplified tenfold due to the amount of nerve endings present under the skin.

Anti-Tragus:

If you’re not familiar with this part of the body, it is located in your inner earlobe, and considered one of the more painful places to get pierced, since your artist will have to go through a very thick layer of cartilage. Our ears are sensitive to touch, so piercings tend to hurt worst on the thicker cartilage layers.

The Least Painful Piercings:

You can probably guess that the least painful piercing is the most ubiquitous: the earlobes. Our earlobes don’t contain as many nerve endings as other parts of the ear, and the cartilage is relatively thin to where it doesn’t hurt to push through with any type of piercing.

Are piercings harmful to the body?

While piercings themselves are not inherently harmful, infections can arise from improper procedure or lack of hygienic care. It is up to you to ensure that your new body art doesn’t cause issues while it heals, and this means taking care of it each day. Keep on the lookout for any redness and swelling that seems abnormal, as well as any intense pain that doesn’t seem to go away. Talk with your personal doctor about the work you had done if you had any issues, as they’ll need to know the details in order to prevent the spread of infection or any further pain. Always take care of your piercing by washing it with antibacterial soap and a saline spray, especially after it’s healed. This will help prevent the buildup of anything that can be harmful or irritating to your skin.

Do piercing needles remove skin?

Piercing needles are hollow on the inside to allow for a threading of the jewelry onto the needle. When your artist pierces your skin, the hole stays open due to the hollow nature of the needle, with the jewelry staying in place. This procedure is also much less painful than using a solid or blunt stud to go through the skin, so keep that in mind while you look for an artist to do your work. Never use a sewing needle or other non-certified implement to do your own piercings, and don’t let someone else do it either. Always ensure that your artist keeps a clean and professional working environment for you and themselves.