A nipple piercing involves inserting jewelry through the nipple, creating a bold and popular look for both men and women. While it's a sexy and empowering piercing, the healing process can be long and difficult. Though there are different variations of a nipple piercing, there's not a specific type of men's nipple piercing or a female nipple piercing. Everyone has nipples and whether you can get pierced there depends on your anatomy.
Get ready to dive deep into the details, as there's a lot to cover on this topic.
This is an exciting piercing to get, but it is definitely not an easy one to care for and should be taken seriously. You’ll want to do research beforehand to not only find a reputable and experienced piercer but a piercer who you trust and feel comfortable with. If you wish to do so, you may ask a friend or family member to go with you for support.
As you get ready for your appointment, think of the clothes that you'll be wearing. Your nipples will be sensitive afterwards, so you don't want to wear anything that could snag on the jewelry. Wearing a loose fitting shirt that can possibly get stained with blood or other bodily fluids is helpful.
Depending on your anatomy, horizontal, vertical, and even diagonal piercings are options. The piercer will use a hollow needle to pierce through the nipple.
So, what's the average nipple piercing size? The gauge typically varies between 16g through 12g, but your piercer will assess your anatomy and recommend the best way to pierce them, and the gauge and the length of jewelry that will be used during the healing process.
The initial jewelry used is usually a straight barbell with a longer post to accomodate for swelling. Since this is a sensitive piercing, it's important to choose high-quality initial jewelry.
Whether you want to pierce a single or both nipples at the same time will be entirely up to you. Some people choose to only pierce a single nipple and to leave one for play while other people like a more symmetrical look. You can choose to pierce one nipple at a time, but keep in mind that you’ll have to go through the healing process separately for each.
Nipples have a lot of nerve endings, so as you can imagine, the actual piercing will hurt. Just remember that it’s over in a few seconds. Afterwards, you can expect some swelling and sensitivity in the piercing area.
If you are menstruating and usually experience sensitive breasts, you should avoid getting pierced during this time. Wait until your menstruation is over for a better experience.
Nipple piercing pain scale: 7/10
The total cost of a nipple piercing depends on whether you’re piercing one or both nipples, the piercer’s experience, your location, and the type of initial jewelry you select. The average cost is about $50-$100 per nipple, not including the type of jewelry you choose. The price of the jewelry depends on the material and the design. Since this is a difficult piercing to heal, opt for high quality jewelry like implant-grade titanium for smoother healing.
This delicate piercing can take up to a year or longer to heal. Proper aftercare is crucial during this time to prevent complications, rejections or migrations.
Piercings heal from the outside first and then inside. Even if your piercing looks healed, it's best to wait the entire healing period or have your piercer check out your nipples before stopping any aftercare or taking out the nipple piercing jewelry.
Switching out the jewelry early can lead to complications and delayed healing. So when can you change the nipple piercing jewelry? Wait until your piercing is fully healed to remove the jewelry.
Follow your piercer’s instructions diligently. Generally, clean your piercing twice a day using a saline spray. Remember to:
Clothing Choices
When healing, wear loose clothes to prevent snagging the jewelry. Any snagging can not only be painful, but it can cause trauma to the piercing, which can lead to rejection.
Can you wear a bra after a nipple piercing? Yes, however, opt for soft cotton bras or sports bras for support, and ensure they are clean to prevent bacterial transfer.
Activities to AvoidDuring the healing process:
Working Out
While working out is important to stay healthy, consider taking a break while your piercing heals. If you choose to continue working out, wait at least a few months to allow your piercing some time to heal.
Avoid activities and exercises that can irritate the piercing. For example, instead of running, opt to cycle instead.
If you wear a bra, using a sports bra can help to prevent the piercing from moving around and getting irritated.
After working out, shower immediately and clean the piercing site with saline spray.
When to Seek HelpIf you suspect any sign of infection or that the piercing is migrating or rejecting during healing, consult your piercer or a medical professional immediately.
Is there a difference between nipple piercing for men and a women? First of all, everyone has nipples, so anyone can get pierced if their anatomy allows. However, there are some things that are more specific to men and women.
Many men say their nipples feel more sensitive after getting pierced. However, this sensitivity can be different for each person. Men's nipples may also heal faster than women's. This is because men do not have monthly hormonal changes.
Nipple development or changes in nipple shape or texture, are more common in men and women with smaller or less developed nipples. These changes can be pretty noticeable, with the nipple growing in response to the piercing and jewelry.
When the piercing is placed in the right spot, following the natural lines of the nipple, it usually looks good. But if the piercing is off, the nipple might take on an uneven or less appealing shape. Sometimes, these changes stick around even if you remove the jewelry, so it's worth considering before getting pierced. While this is common, not everyone reacts the same way to nipple piercings.
Let's cover more specific things that can be seen in nipple piercings for women. Tenderness can change depending on a person's activities and hormonal changes. Many people notice increased discomfort, swelling, or even some discharge right before and during their period, even after the piercing has fully healed.
If you’re not pierced yet and you plan on nursing in the future, we can’t stress enough the importance of going to an experienced and knowledgeable piercer. Nipple piercings done incorrectly can lead to scarring and can cause complications with nursing down the line.
Now, if you’re nursing, it’s important to remove any jewelry to ensure your baby is able to latch on properly and so they don’t risk swallowing or choking on any small jewelry parts.
While you can remove and insert the jewelry every time you breastfeed, it can be a hassle. Instead, some parents opt to remove the jewelry altogether during the nursing period. If you decide to do this, keep in mind that there’s a chance the piercing will shrink or close once you have weaned your baby. Don’t worry, you can always get your nipples re-pierced. You’ll have to wait a few months until you do so.
Ready to wear that nipple piercing ring you've been eyeing? Before removing your nipple piercing jewelry, check with your piercer to make sure fully healed. Once your piercing heals, you can have fun shopping for body jewelry.
You can wear anything from barbells, rings, clickers, circular barbells, captive bead rings, nipple stirrups and nipple shields. At Bodyarforms.com we have tons of styles to accentuate your nipples.
That concludes our guide to nipple piercings! We hope you found it helpful. Nipple piercings are a bold and beautiful statement; however, they should be taken seriously. Always do your research to find an experienced piercer.
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