PIERCING

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PIERCING

You Pierced Your What?

Piercing has come a long way from the days of simply pushing an earring through your earlobe. Picture a body part—from the bridge of the nose to the shaft of the penis—and someone has probably stuck a piece of jewelry through it. In the 1994 hit film Pulp Fiction, Rosanna Arquette’s character takes body manipulation to the extreme, listing off her piercings as: “Five in each ear, one through the nipple of my left breast, two in my right nostril, one in my left eyebrow, one in my belly, one in my lip, one in my clit—and I wear a stud in my tongue…it’s a sex thing—it helps fellatio.” She adds, “It’s as if it turns every part of your body into the tip of a penis.”

Although some ringed folks will agree that there is a sexual aspect to putting unnatural holes in your body—particularly in the tongue, nipples and genitals—the reasons for getting pierced are as numerous as places you can stick an earring through. People are attracted to everything from the sense of counter-culture and rebellion in having jewelry in uncommom places to the ritual involved in the piercing experience itself.

Before asking someone to stick a needle anywhere on your body, though, it’s important to first weigh the risks and go through the safety checklists so you know exactly what you’ll be getting into when you stick that cute silver hoop through your bellybutton.

Before You Pierce: A Sensitive Situation

If, like Arquette’s character, you are dreaming of making your body parts feel more sexual, make sure not to jump the gun in finding someone to make that happen. “Anything in the more sensitive arousal zones can potentially increase the sensations that accompany sexual arousal,” says Dr. Janet Keating, MD, a physician with student health services at Duke University, of piercing in your erogenous zones. “Those thinking about getting pierced should be aware that there is also the potential to damage nerves, though, and you can actually end up losing sensation. Piercing is essentially a surgical procedure, and as with any surgical procedure, there are some risks associated with it.”

Choosing a shop carefully is vital to your safety. Make sure appropriate sterilization procedures and disposable instruments are used. A piercer without gloves is like a one-night stand without a condom—not remotely worth the risk. An unpracticed piercer could also potentially cause nerve damage or pierce a blood vessel—try imagining either of those genital scenarios without wincing. “If they know their anatomy,” says Keating, “there shouldn’t be too much to worry about, which is a very good reason to choose a place with a good reputation.”

Experience counts: check to see how long the parlor has been in business before dropping your shorts. Some areas even license and inspect piercing parlors. If yours does, make sure to avoid unlicensed piercing guns. “The bottom line is that you ask questions—and lots of them,” warns Keating.

The Procedure: No Pain, No Piercing

Pain and piercing seem to be natural partners. Don’t let anyone convince you there’s no discomfort involved in the process. “Imagine someone pinching that part of your body with a good amount of pressure for a few seconds and then squeezing as hard as they can for one second before letting go,” says Damien Hoffman, President of Tribalectic.com, an online community and one-stop-shop for piercing information, communication and products. “That’s the best way to describe the pain to someone who’s never had it done.” Of course, the degree of pain varies from person to person and depends greatly on the part of your body being punctured. As you might expect, an eyebrow or earlobe piercing is a walk in the park compared to any new holes you might put in your genitals.

Post Piercing: It Ain’t Over Yet

Once you’ve forked over the $50 to $100 to get something pierced, you and your body part are not yet in the clear. Once you get pierced, it’s crucial to take care of your piercing. “During the healing process you should avoid contact with body fluids,” Keating explains. The length of time it takes for a piercing to heal depends on what part of the body is getting the hole: while an earlobe heals in about 6 weeks, and the tongue in about 8 weeks, it may take 6 months for a nipple and up to a year for a belly button. While eight weeks may seem like a long time before, say, taking a tongue ring for an oral test ride, jumping the gun puts you at a much greater risk of infection, including HIV. Until a piercing is completely healed, it remains at risk for infection, pain, and bleeding.

No matter what you get pierced, the best thing you can do, says Keating, is be careful every step of the way. Make sure to get detailed instructions on how to care for and clean it, and then follow those instructions to the tee. Irritation, redness, swelling or pus are not good signs. If any of these things occur, get to a doctor immediately.

Even after they are healed, piercings can still cause some damage. According to experts, majority of post piercing complications are seen with tongue piercings. That sexy feeling you get from rolling the jewelry around in your mouth can quickly become embarrassing, painful or even dangerous. “There are some gum problems starting to show up in people with tongue rings, and piercing infections can lead to gum erosion,” says Keating. “Tooth chipping—usually during eating—is also very common. We’ve even had a number of cases where people inhaled jewelry that’s come loose.”

Another time to be sensitive about your piercings is during sex. When using a condom, take your genital piercing into account. “Oops, it ripped,” is not something anyone wants to hear after the deed is done. Condoms with larger reservoir tips can help accommodate piercings at the head of the penis. Random breakage checks are also highly recommended.

In the end, whether you want a body piercing to compliment your sex life or your self-image, it’s important to remember that there are no guarantees and no easy fixes. Don’t rush to get the procedure done and don’t rush to make it heal. Get good information about what you’re about to do and take care of your new accessory long after the pain stops. The last thing you’ll want is to pay a lot of money for a cool new piercing, only to have it turn into an ugly new scar.