Question for body piercing experts

[treehugger]

I'm interested in getting a nipple piercing and would like to hear your stories, good or bad, about whether you'd do it again, etc. Does the pain compare to ear piercing? I've read a bit but it doesn't compare with being able to shoot ideas and information back and forth.

[OrganicGauntlet]

Never pierced a nipple, but pierced me dong.

Won't be doing that again.

[Benphi]

never actually pierced my nipple, got a couple others, but i know for a fact that the pain level does not compare in any way with that of an ear piercing. i know of people who had the intention of piercing both, got one done and kept it like that because it was too painful. it wont hurt for very long either way, unless it gets pulled on something. id like to hear peoples stories too though, ive been wanting to get mine done for a while now.

[toman]

I've never had nipple piercings, but I have and have had plenty of others. The pain is never that serious, especially since it only lasts a split second. (unless your piercer is a hack.) Larger gauge needles do hurt more though... You want a reasonably large gauge to start with, to minimise irritation. That will ensure it heals nicely; 10g is probably a good way to go. Anything less would be too small, and 8g needles definately get you into the pain zone, in my experience. also, barbells are better than rings, since they don't get moved and bumped nearly as much. Just go to a competent piercer, and get top quality jewelry and you'll be fine. Don't forget to tip! :D

[treehugger]

toman,

thanks for the advice on the needle gauge. I'll definitely do that. Voice of experience. I've never had any body piercing at all other than my ears. I have had a tattoo though.

What's an appropriate amount to tip? I feel dumb and maybe glib for saying this, but would it be 20% like in a restaurant?

[toman]

Any tip is good, really, just whatever you're comfortable with. For a standard piercing I'd say five or ten bucks, or multiple or large gauge, complicated stuff, maybe fifteen or twenty. Two nipple piercing with quality barbells will probably run you around $120, so $10 would be appropriate... Or get your piercer a non-monetary tip; books are great, or if you have some item you make, like jewelry cookies or something... :hippie:

[treehugger]

Okay. I made an appointment for next Friday at 12:30 PM. For just one nipple. I don't know if I'll be able to cope with the pain for both at once...so if I decide it's not horrible I'll make an appointment for the second one. They quoted me 55.00 for one. Which isn't far off your estimate, Toman, for half of it. Slightly lower.

Um, I looked at jewelry and 10G looks, ouchie!!!!! My nipples aren't that large! The people at the place where I stopped say they normally pierce at 12 or 14 gauge. What do you think about that? Is 10ga more like, the "experienced body piercing" gauge or something? Anyway, 12 or 14 ga looks a lot more palatable to me. Hmmm..

I just don't know, I guess. 10 gauge just looked HUGE to me...although it could be I'm being wimpy due to not having any piercings as an adult...

But, OMG I think nipple piercings are hot, plus I've heard they can enhance sensitivity. Which I'd enjoy. I'll do it for sure. I'm just not sure I can handle 10 ga.

I will probably tip around $20.00...if only for the reason that I plan to go back for my second nipple...and I want the piercer to be HAPPY when he/she sees me! Not pissed at me...

I must be going through a midlife crisis...for gods sakes I'm almost 40 years old....heh.

Funny thing is, I normally go out to eat with some co-workers on Fridays...and it's right in that area. We'd normally be eating in that time slot. I wonder if I should invite them to come watch??? I'd have to confiscate their cell phones first....don't need any pics of THAT...

[toman]

14g would be the absolute minimum, but I wouldn't go smaller than 10. It'll be over before you know it, and it greatly increases the ease of healing. Plus once it's healed you can always downsize if it looks or feels too big, but I virtually gaurantee you'll want to stretch them bigger eventually... :D I know a dude who has 5/8' stretched nipples. Pretty wild!

[treehugger]

LOL, toman, I don't think I'm THAT adventurous. I'm just a boring chica, here.

I have one more stupid question. When you say a 10 gauge piercing, I'm presuming that means they actually pierce with a 10 gauge needle. Do they then put 10 gauge jewelry in the piercing or do they use a slightly smaller gauge?

I'm just trying to wrap my brain around the larger/thicker piercing being easier to heal with less irritation. For whatever reason my brain keeps telling me it should be the opposite.

I know it's over quickly and the gauge, shit, if 10 gauge will heal faster and better, so be it.

I REALLY appreciate your advice! :)

[toman]

In soft tissue piercings, yes, the norm is to use the same size jewelry as needle. If you were to use smaller jewelry, it wouldn't really hurt anything, but you'd have a bit of bleeding probably. The way a piercing needle works is that it not only cuts a nice smoothe slit, but it also stretches it a bit so that there's some pressure, and that prevents bleeding. You can also stretch a fresh piercing up a size or two using tapers, because the tissue is very forgiving and soft. Now in cartiledge piercings, it's pretty comon to use one size or a half size larger needle, because the reduced pressure helps maintain bloodflow around the piercing, thus speeding healing since cartiledge allready suffers from low bloodflow.

A good analogy for the thicker is better idea is like one of those wire cheese slicers; you know how it just zips right through the cheese because it's so thin? Well body jewelry is the same way, if your skin is the cheese. Larger jewelry has more surface area to contact the skin, so there's less pressure overall and therefore less irritation, and irritation is what causes piercings to reject. The name of the game is to trick the body into ignoring this piece of foriegn material we've stuck into it, rather than doing the usual routine of forcing it out. We do this by using bio-compatible materials and taking as many other steps as possible to reduce the irritation cause by the jewelry, thus encouaging the body to ignore it. Aftercare is a big part of this too, thus, the philosophy that less is more. Don't use harsh products or soaps on or around the piercing, and don't touch it or move the jewelry. Just soak it in nice warm sea-salt solution (1/4 tsp. to 8 oz. water) once or twice a day for ten minutes or so, and then rinse in cool clean water. Believe me, this is the only way to go... When I got my first piercing years ago, which was my tongue, they told me to use mouthwash all the time, after anything went in my mouth. I, being ignorant, did that religiously. Needless to say, my tongue was swollen and sore for weeks, and took like two months to get back to anything resembling normal. Since then I've learned my lesson, and I heal piercings like there's no tomorrow... :D

[treehugger]

Ohhhh... (lightbulb clicks on). I get it now with the larger gauges. Thanks for such a clear and consise answer!!

My guy thinks I am insane. I shoulda told him, hey, with a tattoo it's really permanent...but if a piercing doesn't work all I have to do is take it out!!

And it makes sense, the less is more approach to the aftercare. I'd imagine if you keep irritating the area, that you'd almost make it more likely to get infected, just because you keep everything open and raw. The salt water sounds like a good deal.

Right now I use Doc Bronner's peppermint castille soap for basic showering...I imagine that wouldn't be too harsh. I might switch over to like the lavender one or something. Tea tree oil might be a good one too I suppose.


Thanx again Toman. I'm a bit nervous after reading all the pain reports, but like you said it's going to be fleeting. :cheers:

[toman]

yeah, the Dr. Bronners stuff is good, but don't use it right on a piercing. Everywhere else is probably fine though, just be sure to rinse the piercing well to make sure there's no residue... :D

[LIBRA]

Well good luck Kath!!!! I have no advice so, all I can say is good luck and let us know how you make out!!!

[UnderTheRainbow]

I see I'm a bit late, but I figured I'd reply.

I pierced my own nipples (I don't recommend ever EVER piercing yourself, but I do a lot of my own) almost two years ago. I did them with 12ga. needles and barbells (also 12ga.) and honestly, it was next-to-nothing for me. I've heard that men's nipples hurt a hell of a lot more than women's. The piercing itself is pretty easy, even if it *does* hurt, it's only for a second. The next day, I couldn't even tell that they were brand-new piercings, they felt like normal, half-healed (and doing well). Almost two years later, they still aren't 100% healed (nipples take quite a while, usually anywhere from 6 months to 2 years, and some will still seem unhealed even after they are) but they're happy and doing good. I'd also REALLY recommend sea salt water for after-care, it does wonders for piercings. If you're planning on using soap, I'd recommend something like Dial or Ivory... antibacterial, unscented, pretty much the most basic antibacterial soap you can find. Don't use anything scented, or anyhting too incredibly strong (because it'll cry out your piercing). And definitely DO NOT use alcohol (dries out your piercing like you wouldn't believe) or peroxide (it makes your body act as if the piercing is a foreign object that shouldn't be there, and long-term use will cause your body to start forcing the piercing out of your skin, AKA rejection).

As a side note - no, you're not crazy for wanting them done at 40 (this coming from a girl who's father is covered in tattoos and metal, including nipple piercings and several facial piercings, haha) and they definitely *do* increase sensation.
I'd also really recommend 12ga. ... in my mind, 14ga. is too small for such a piercing (you have to consider, they'll probably be played with, and get caught on bras, towels, shirts, whatever) and the gauge should depend on what you can get in there. I'm definitely happy with mine at 12ga. and think it's a great size (especially for smaller nipples). Just remember, at smaller gauges, you'll get what we call the "cheesecutter" effect - the smaller it is, the easier it is to rip out, or just tear/damage the pierced skin, if it catches on anything.

[treehugger]

You're not late, Rainbow...I haven't done it yet. But there's a damn good chance I'm going to...the appointment is made and barring a last minute wimping out by me, it's a done deal.

Now that toman, and now you, explain the cheesecutter effect to me, it makes perfect sense. I can relate it to (sort of the opposite idea) but flanges rated for higher pressure have a much narrower surface contact area. The idea being that with the same bolt tension, but lesser surface area, you actually get a much higher compression/PSI ratio. So...I get it. Can't explain it but I get it. :)

My co-workers want to watch....LOL. I'm not sure if I am going to let them. I'm sure they won't help matters. Dan will probably pass out at the sight of either a 10 gauge or a 12 gauge needle.

Kath

[toman]

My one inch ears sporting hand cast bronze weights, soon to be cut via scalpel, hopefully to 1.25" or bigger. Oh, and 10g septum.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y86/Felonious-Monk/c25ed67f.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y86/Felonious-Monk/DC4000087.jpg

[treehugger]

Wow, toman. Impressive. How long did it take to stretch that far? I can't say I'd ever do it, but I can definitely appreciate the committment that it must require.

(for me, it just seems too dangerous around equipment that starts and stops with no notice, plus I don't like to draw attention to my ears anyway)

I remember a couple years back (has it been that long already?) you were asking about emu oil...did you ever start using that? I saw last summer that at our farmers market they had a vendor listed as carrying it. Made me think of you.

[UnderTheRainbow]

This was my left ear, when it was still at 3/4" and the cartilage was at 00ga. It eventually went up to 1/2" ...and then I lost all my plugs in the river, so they're all currently naked. The cartilage is around 2-0ga. now (and not getting any smaller) and both ears are around 1/2" ...I'd love to stretch them back to 3/4" just so they're even again, though.
Don't have pics of any others, but there are quite a few, haha.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/DeathRowDisco/Ear.jpg

[toman]

For whatever reason, I haven't bothered to get the emu oil yet, but I really want to. I still hear great things about it... it's expensive though and I haven't found anyplace to get it locally, so I've just never gotten around to ordering it. :confused:

[treehugger]

I got it done!!! I feel so proud of myself...the body piercing virgin got her cherry popped I guess. It wasn't as bad as I was anticipating. I'm going to go to the farmers market tomorrow and get some emu oil...I also have a friend with a fresh tattoo and I'm sure it'll be beneficial to him as well.

Thanks for the support! :)

Kath

[LIBRA]

I got it done!!! I feel so proud of myself...the body piercing virgin got her cherry popped I guess. It wasn't as bad as I was anticipating. I'm going to go to the farmers market tomorrow and get some emu oil...I also have a friend with a fresh tattoo and I'm sure it'll be beneficial to him as well.

Thanks for the support! :)

Kath


Congrats Kath!!!

Both nipples or one? Hope all heals well,lol


Denise