Although there are lots of things to consider before getting a nipple piercing, the most common questions piercers get asked are typically about pain. Lisa Marie Mytych, the owner and lead piercer for Straight to the Point in Tucson, AZ, says her go-to phrase is "Nobody knows what it's like to be you for a fraction of a second."
John Joyce, the owner of Scarab Body Arts in Syracuse, NY, agrees, and adds that, although pain differs for everyone, it's often over-exaggerated. "Most women will find that— when it's done properly— the piercing is quite a bit easier than they expected it to be," he says.