Pounded Ink

Do you want a new piercing that is going to hurt like hell? If you answered yes, then nipple piercings may just be for you.

Out of all the various holes I have punched in myself over the years my nipple piercings were by far the most painful. Both in actually getting them pierced and the time it took for them to heal. Not to mention the occasional mishap that leaves you wrathing in agony for an hour or so.

Although it has been quite a while since I got my nipples pierced, I remember it vividly.

How Nipples Are Pierced

When I went into the tattoo shop to get my nipples pierced the first thing they did was tell me to remove my shirt. Next, my nipples were scrubbed with sterilization wipes. The wipes are cold so your nipples will be standing at attention for the remainder of the process. After cleaning them, the piercer will clam your nipple with forceps, which is not a pleasant feeling. Don’t be discouraged though this is just the beginning of the pain you are about to experience.

The forceps are positioned so that they are centered and a dot is placed where the needle is to penetrate. The piercer told me to take a deep breath in and blow it out when she told me. I took a deep breath in and… breathe out…. BLAM!!! Now that is some pain as the 14 gauge needle pierces tons of nerves and slides through your swelling flesh. Ouch!

To be honest the first nipple didn’t hurt very much since I wasn’t told when the needle was actually going to go through. The second nipple hurt like hell, I saw stars as I was expecting the pain the second time around.

On a pain scale of 1-10 I would rate this piercing a solid 9.

Healing Time

Nipples do not heal quickly. Expect them to be sore to the touch for at least 8-9 months and it could even be more than 12 months until the skin grows through the piercing and it heals completely. Pay close attention to your nipples during healing months. Jewelry can move dangerously close to the surface of the skin (grow out) lending the piercing to getting ripped out. Scar tissue can also develop causing the piercing to become off center or generate bumps that will never go away. If any of these things happen you need to take out your jewelry right away to avoid more damage to your body.

Sea salt water helps to sooth the pierced area during healing. You need to turn your rings or barbels while in the shower to avoid skin growing fast to the jewelry which will also aid healing.

What Does It Do?

Do pierced nipples increase the sensitivity of your nipples? I would have to say “No”. Perhaps you will experience more sensitive nipples during the first year or two, but I have experienced no increase of sensation after the initial healing. I may even have less sensation now then I had before I pierced my nipples.

I have had my nipple rings for 10 years now and they are completely healed with no signs of growing out or scar tissue. I still really like them even though they serve no purpose other than looking cool.

I have almost ripped them out two times, which leaves you with several months of healing just as if they were freshly pierced. If one of my nipple rings ripped out, I don’t think I would get it re-pierced since I still remember the intense pain.