The Answers to Your Most Intimate Nipple Piercing Questions

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.

Across the board, piercers agreed that clients should choose safe, implant-grade jewellery for their piercings. According to Anna Beall, a body piercer at CowPök in Buffalo, NY, "If you have a heavier breast tissue, you definitely want to go for something that's a little bit thicker so that it kind of stabilises the piercing channel and it doesn't tear as much on the sides."

Tom Gottschalk, a piercer at Dorje Adornments in Rochester, NY, adds that barbells typically work better than hoops, because they help the piercing remain as straight as possible. "In order to make it straight with the hoop, the hoop would have to be gigantic, which is not most people's aesthetic," he says.

After the piercing itself is done, Mytych says, "We don't twist, turn, or rotate, we leave them alone, [and] we also send you home with saline aftercare spray." Gottschalk says this spray can be applied to piercings twice a day and then dried completely, but not with Q-tips, since their cotton fibres can get inside of the piercing and cause serious damage. He also urges clients to throw their loofahs away, saying, "Once you get your nipples pierced, the world is your enemy. Everything is going to try to snag on them." Beall adds that for successful healing, people should also avoid partner play and oral contact with their nipples for about six months.

The last and most important thing about nipple piercings is having them done in a space that feels clean and welcoming. Because this can be such an intimate experience, Gottschalk reminds people that, "It's not on the person getting pierced to make the vulnerable experience feel more comfortable, it's on the person who's doing the piercing," detailing how he uses colour, incense, and soothing sounds to calm his own clients.

Mytych echoes this advice and says it's all about finding a studio and staff that makes you feel safe and empowered. "If they're not serving you like you're a queen, then don't give them the time of day," she says. "We're here to adorn and help people step into their most beautiful self."