Nobody is immune to pain, and when it comes to piercings, everyone feels some pain, more or less. We are all different, and body parts hurt differently during this, so let’s clarify this below.
Piercings are a great pleasure to anyone who loves body modification and decorations of the skin and body parts. There is no doubt that piercings play a big role when it comes to self-confidence and appearance, not to mention individuality as well. More often than not, piercings mark our uniqueness, but there is also a price to pay in this case.
And that is the pain itself, the pain of the piercing process. The good thing is that not each body part hurts the same, and the sensitivity differs on the whole body. Let’s find out what is the most and least painful piercing below.
Which are the Most Painful Piercings?
The most painful piercings are the ones on the intimate and hidden areas, such as genitals, nipples, and tongue. These body parts have a lot of nerve endings and manifest extreme sensitivity.
Which are the Least Painful Piercings?
The least painful piercings are the facial ones; eyebrows, around lips, nose, ears, then also the navel as well. These body parts will not manifest major pain during piercing, however, there will be major sensitivity or even minor pain.
How to prepare for the pain of a piercing?
There are no strict rules, but there are some basic ones as rules of thumb that we all need to follow.
The most important one is to never panic. You can, of course, anticipate some pain, and mentally prepare for it, but the good part is that this won’t be too scary and will be done in a matter of just seconds. Be consoled by this thought and entertain it all the time! The needle gets in, piercing sets, and the needle is out – that’s it, so simple!
When you are panicking or too scared, the body will try to cramp and go into ‘fight or flight’ mode, and additional stress will make anything feel weirder and unpleasant. After all, the piercing process is something you like, a welcomed pain – unlike going to the doctor for shots or IV let’s say, right?
Can I drink alcohol before the piercing to reduce pain preventively?
No! Alcohol before piercing (or tattoos) is never, ever a good idea! You only think this will relax you, but that is a fake primary thought, so do not trust it. The alcohol will severely change your bodily fluids, and this is of no help for the piercer, or yourself.
How does it happen? Well, alcohol will thin your blood, and in case there is bleeding (possibility during piercing), it would be risky and unpleasant for your body to release lots of blood in the salon! Many experts won’t even accept to go through with the appointment if they sense the client has been drinking.
What to do if the pain persists after the piercing?
First, you need to remember that pain is a normal, and even expected thing during anything that has to do with body modification. So, if you planned to get a piercing, pain is almost an obligatory part after the procedure. Depending on your organism and how fast it heals after physical traumas, you can at least expect a lot of tenderness and sensitivity, the least.
Usually, a week is an average time when extreme sensitivity or pain should start to disappear. If there is still lots of pain after a week or so, it is best to consult the piercer on the next steps and advice for aftercare.
Will an anesthetic work before the piercing to numb pain?
In most cases, local anesthetic does help, but not too much. You cannot expect the Lidocaine to perform miracles, because a needle will have to go inside the tissue anyway. What the lidocaine (local anesthetic) will do is numb the outer, first layer of the skin, where nerve endings are, and where we feel the sensations.
Read also: Best Numbing Sprays for Piercings
How to avoid more pain during the aftercare?
There are several ways to avoid increasing the pain during the aftercare of the piercing. The piercings that don’t hurt too extremely can be easily handled – you just pay good attention to the cleansing and creams (if any), and avoid picking at them with dirty hands. Otherwise, for the most painful piercings, not only do you need to pay attention to the cleanliness, but also you have to avoid sexual intercourse (for the genitals), and chewing on hard foods, smoking, drinking (for the tongue piercing).
Can the needle size or piercing size affect the pain during piercing?
Of course, these are normal things that could affect the pain factor, but any good professional will not let you choose the jewelry size yourself. If you come to the salon with a bought piercing that is too large, the piercer will recommend another one and not go through with your jewelry. As far as needles go, the piercing needles are the expertise of the piercer, they use standard ones for certain body parts, so trust the process and the expert with experience!
Is it true that when you have a cold or flu, the piercing process will be more painful?
It goes without saying, but yes! When you are sick, you should not even think about moving out of bed, let alone going to the piercing salon. First, the piercer will not even take you in – nobody likes to get sick themselves. Secondly, when sick, the body is too weak, everything feels intense and too sensitive, and the skin feels ‘burning’ and the organism is weak. Piercing is out of the question.
Conclusion
As you see, the piercing process has its merits and flaws. The merits are that you get a new body decoration to make you stand out, but the flaw is that there is some pain, even minor ones.
So, to remind ourselves, the most painful piercings are the hidden ones or intimate ones; tongue, genitals, nipples. And, the least painful piercings are the facial ones (around lips, eyebrows, cheeks, nose), the ears, and the navel.
Follow our advice to avoid more pain during and after the piercing, and all should be well if you take good care of aftercare. A healthy body with healthy habits can and should regenerate fast. Good luck!
