Do Nipple Piercings Hurt
Many people report that it is not as painful as they expected, but you will feel some pain. Nipples are a very sensitive area of the body. Putting a needle through them can be painful.
The good news is that the pain only lasts a few seconds when the needle is pierced into the skin. You may feel some discomfort and sensitivity for a few days after the piercing, but it should not be unbearable.
Nipple Piercings Healing
Nipple piercings can take up to 12 months to heal, or even longer. It will appear to have healed on the outside until the inside has fully healed, so you should have the piercer confirm that it has fully healed before stopping post-care and replacing the jewelry.
Health Risks
l Longer healing time
l Lactation and breastfeeding
l Abscesses
l Infection
l Torn skin
Safe Nipple Piercing
Make sure you have your nipple piercing done in a clean studio by a licensed professional. Do not pierce your own nipples or have a friend do so.
l The studio is clean.
l They do piercings and tattoos in different areas.
l The staff will ask if you are pregnant or breastfeeding and refuse to pierce you if you say yes.
l Nipple piercing equipment and rings are sterilized in a machine called an autoclave.
l Piercing is done with sterile disposable needles sealed in a package that is opened in front of you.
l They do not use a piercing gun. These cannot be properly sterilized.
l Staff wash their hands before and after the piercing.
l When they pierce you, they will put on a new pair of disposable latex gloves.
l They will give you detailed instructions on how to care for your nipple after piercing it.
l Your jewelry is sized to fit your nipple.
Nipple Piercing Aftercare
l No nipple play
l Wear tight shirts or cotton bras during healing
l Choose the right starter jewelry
l You’ll see some excretion. Don’t be too alarmed
l Don’t be alarmed if your nipple piercing is bleeding the first few days after piercing.
l Don’t pick at a nipple-piercing crust.
l About keloids on your nipple piercing. Keloids are something that’s often misdiagnosed in the piercing world. Even experienced piercers mistakenly call standard piercing bumps keloids. This is incorrect, and it can be dangerous information to spread. Keloids are actually a rare and serious condition that affects only around 10% of the population. They appear due to any skin injury, and they are large, misshapen bumps that can only be removed using surgery. If you have never had keloids before, and they don’t run in your family, then your nipple piercing bumps are not keloids.
A Nipple Piercing Infection
As long as you maintain hygiene and clean your nipple piercing daily with a saline solution, infection is unlikely to occur. People often mistake a standard piercing discharge for a nipple piercing infection. Nipples can show more discharge than other piercing types, so don't be alarmed if you see clear or white discharge coming from your piercing, even months after you've been pierced. This is completely normal.
Signs of a piercing infection include green or yellow discharge, bleeding and discomfort several months after being pierced, fever or feeling hot around the piercing site, and other more intense symptoms.
