Every time I scroll on the ‘gram, it looks like yet another celeb has their nips peeking through their shirt. I don’t mean their areoli showing through a sheer top – I mean straight up raised nipple action. It looks like now more than ever celebs are rocking the trendiest piercing right now – the nipple ring.
So what’s the fascination with putting a bar through your nipple only for you and selected others to see? Couldn’t tell you. Honestly, I had no idea why people were doing it.
So I tested it out myself.
This summer as I was galavanting around Amsterdam, I stumbled upon a tattoo shop with my BFF and decided I was going to pierce my nipple. High as the sky and since prostitutes aren’t for me – I figured a hole in my body was the next best thing. When in *Rome*, right?
There’s a lot of mixed reviews, but two months later I can now reflect on the process, healing, and how much I fu*king love this thing.
1. I hope you have a decent tolerance for pain.
I’ve pierced my ears, my nose, my belly button and even the little piece of flesh under my tongue. And, I would argue that I thought my belly button hurt the most, but my nipple was a close second. The piercer you go to should be super skilled and make you feel comfortable beforehand – if they don’t I’d say go find another piercer. She or he is going to touch your nipples and feel them up in order to get them raised/hard and ready to go.
The sensation of having a needle go through your nipple is not one I would know how to explain otherwise except that it definitely pinches and burns for a hot second and I would be lying if I said I didn’t gasp or clench the bed under me. Putting the bar through after is a bit of pressure and definitely, makes you feel a bit uncomfortable. I mean these are your nipples. And those things are super sensitive. However, I will say that the pain is short lived and when it’s over it’s over.
2. I don’t recommend doing it in the summer.
I was walking around Amsterdam for the next two days sweating my ass off and because of that, my nipple was super sore and swelling from the heat and just rubbing against my clothing. I had to be super careful and clean it more than twice a day because I was terrified of it getting infected. You can’t go in the pool, and the ocean isn’t recommended but – it’s definitely a better alternative. You have to use an antibacterial soap and if you’re willing to go the extra step, I highly recommend using a salt water solution.
Like I said, If you are going to get it wet – I recommend the beach instead.
Don’t say I said to go to the beach because everyone’s different. BUT I went to Greece two days after piercing my nipple and was in the ocean all day, every day. I made sure to wear bathing suits without padding and not too tight so that when I’d lay in the sun my nipple could breathe and not sit in a tight, wet place (no pun intended). That’s just asking for bacterial buildup. Also since salt water is a natural remedy, I felt like it actually helped speed up the process of healing and keeping down the swelling.
3. Do not touch it with dirty fingers and it’s totally OK to see some blood.
I would wake up with a little crust and blood around the piercing here and there for a week or two, but after consulting with my piercer I learned that it’s totally normal. If you feel like you need to spin it around to get it clean go for it, but I wouldn’t touch it unless going to wash your hands first. Again – BACTERIA.
If you’re gonna have sex, do not, I repeat, DO NOT let your partner play with it – yet.
You’re going to be super sensitive and it’s pretty much an open wound right now and it can tear, or get easily hurt by teeth or sucking or pulling it’s just not the thing to do. Waiting for this thing to heal can be annoying, but if you move too quick – you risk getting infections and having to take it out all in all.