Nipple piercings are an adventurous and interesting piece of body art for both males and females alike. Some people choose to have a piercing on the nipple because of its capacity to increase nipple sensitivity. It can also make smaller nipples and inverted nipples appear larger.
Of course, nipple piercings can be done a number of ways, including vertically, diagonally or as a project – but the most common is a single, horizontal piercing on each nipple.
Before deciding to get the piercing, it is important to know how the process works, the healing time, the scale of pain, the types of jewelry, and the aftercare tips.
Nipple Piercing Procedure
The nipple piercing procedure follows a certain process. Initially, you will be asked to show your identification ID to verify your age. You will also be advised to fill out some forms necessary before the procedure like contracts and consent forms. Then after that, you will be asked to choose your choice of body jewelry.
The piercer will prepare all the necessary tools for the piercing. He will start the procedure by marking the two sides of your nipple with ink to ensure they are carefully guided when doing the actual piercing. It is important to have a properly angled piercing.
After marking the correct points on your nipple, some piercing artists may apply lidocaine to the nipple area. Lidocaine can be in the form of injectables or cream and helps reduce the pain while the piercing process is done. Then, your piercer will sterilize your nipples to ensure there is a lesser chance of getting it infected.
As soon as everything is clean, the piercer will use a clamp to pull your skin in the area and use a cannula or needle to punch through the dotted marks on the nipple.
Once the needle has successfully made a hole through the nipple the piercer will attach your chosen jewelry to its tips. As soon as the jewelry is in place, your piercer will remove it from the needle and secure and lock it. They will then clean the area again with aftercare appropriate solutions. All of these processes will be repeated on the other side should you choose to have both nipples pierced.
Nipple Piercing Pain
The nipple piercing pain is very subjective. There are people who do not experience too much pain with it while some do. Every person handles pain differently. There are many factors that can minimize pain. Sometimes the endorphins a person has makes the piercing less painful. The lidocaine applied by the piercer also helps. Generally, the pain will be just a quick and momentary pain from the pinch. After that, you just have to properly take care of the piercing.
Nipple Piercing Cost and Prices
Like what we always say, the piercing cost will depend on the piercing shop, the expertise of the piercer, the reputation of both. Generally, its cost would range from £25-£40 in Europe and $30-$65 in the United States.
Nipple Piercing Jewelry Examples
Nipple Piercing Healing and Aftercare
No matter how great and careful your piercer in piercing your nipples, the rest of the process is still completely up to you. It is important to know how to take care of the piercing as it heals. Always remember that even though your piercing looks great already in one to two months, it is still not completely healed. It can take upward of 6-9 months for complete healing.
Nipple Aftercare Instructions
Outlined below the steps on how to take care of your new nipple piercing.
10 min 10 minutes
Wash your hands
You should wash your hands thoroughly before touching your piercing area.
Clean with Saline solution
Clean your piercing with saline solution at least two to three times a day.
Apply soap
Apply soap on your piercing area while showering. Do this two or three times daily.
Do not use cloth towels
Do not use cloth towels in drying your piercing. Instead, use disposable paper products.
Nipple Piercing Aftercare Products
Below our selection of best nipple piercing aftercare products that we researched and tested for a quick recovering of your new nipple piercing.
Recovery Piercing Aftercare Spray
It is very important to always keep your nipple piercings clean. Be sure to rinse them at least 3 to 6 times per day with Recovery Piercing Aftercare Spray. This sea salt-based piercing aftercare product is very effective in cleaning, rinsing, and refreshing your piercings. This natural saline spray is for both external and internal use.
H2Ocean Piercing Aftercare Spray
Your nipple piercing requires washing from time to time. We suggest that you should use H2Ocean’s Piercing Aftercare Spray since it can help in the healing process. You must not use alcohol, hand soap or hydrogen peroxide since it can dry up your piercing and delay the healing process.
Piercing Solution Sea Salt Tea Tree Aftercare
For cleaning your nipple piercing, use a saline solution such as Piercing Solution. Afterward, rinse your piercing with fresh water. Then dry it with a clean tissue. Using a saline solution can encourage healing. Moreover, if you do it frequently then it can make your nipple piercing heal faster.
Provon Antimicrobial Lotion Soap
Before touching your nipple piercing, be sure to wash your hands first with an antibacterial soap such as Provon. It is gentle on the hands and can effectively clean. This antimicrobial lotion soap chloroxylenol which can fight bacteria.
Nipple Piercing Aftercare Tips
Please ensure to follow the following aftercare tips below.
- Sterilize your nipples at least twice a day for the first month of the piercing.
- Always ensure that cleaning agents are completely removed from your nipples with the use of running water.
- Use a mild cleaning agent or anti-bacterial soap in cleaning the jewelry. You can gently rotate the jewelry to ensure all is cleaned.
- Every time you finish cleaning it make sure it is completely dried with a soft towel.
- Never use the following items: Epsom salt, table salt, betadine, tea tree oil, polys porin, Neosporin, Bactroban, Bactine, and any other forms of ointment to your piercing.
- Do not use sunblock, suntan lotion and baby oils in the pierced area.
- Avoid changing the piercing jewelry with any new or unseasoned jewel while it is still healing.
- Women must wear a sports bra or padded bra while men must wear thick cotton undershirts to protect the piercing.
- Avoid taking aspirins, alcohol, or too much caffeine on the first few weeks of the piercing. These things cause to thin the blood which makes it harder for the body to create blood clots in the area thus makes it harder to prevent bleeding.
What to do in case of a nipple piercing infection?
If the proper aftercare procedures are not followed, complications can arise. They BME suggest that frequent touching and fondling of the pierced area is one of the main cause of infection. The signs and symptoms are redness, hotness, yellow or green discharge, foul odor, swelling, fever, rash, hematoma, keloid scarring, and rejection.
If you see these hazards of nipple piercings, it is important to immediately contact your piercer or seek help from a physician. You may be prescribed over-the-counter medicine, soaking the area with warm sea salt water and applying a warm compress.
Getting your nipple pierced
Hello! My name is Emily and I obsessed with piercings (and tattoos) since I was a little girl of 6 years old. I was fortunate enough to make my passion my work after meeting my amazing husband Jeffrey who owned his own tattoo shop. I just recently finished my internships at some of America’s most famous piercing shops and a dream to start something together was born. After falling in love with each other (and each other’s piercings and tattoos) we decided to expand his tattoo shop and I got to manage my own piercing shop in the same space! I’ve never been so happy being able to share my love for piercings through my shop and this blog I started back in 2013. We love to share models and inspiration, so feel free to email me your suggestions, pictures or if you just want to say hi!