Both men and women get their nipples pierced. Some have their nipples pierced for pleasure, while others simple want to make a fashion statement. Body piercing is most popular among teenagers and young adults. According to the Mayo Clinic, licensing standards and regulation requirements vary from state to state and recommends checking with your local health department to learn the guidelines before picking a professional studio to do your piercing.
Process
Instruments piercers use include a hollow needle, forceps to perform the nipple piercing and the chosen body jewelry. The piercer cleans the area to prevent infection and uses a marker to mark where the jewelry will go. The piercer then uses the forceps to clamp onto the nipple to prevent the nipple from moving and insert the needle with the jewelry. The procedure takes about 5 to 10 minutes. Pain depends on nipple sensitivity and piercers recommend a deep breath in just before the piercing takes place and a deep breath out during the piercing.
Size of Body Jewelry
Pick the body jewelry of your choice for the piercing. Size plays an important role. Body jewelry is sized in gauges. YoungWomensHealth.org recommends piercings below the neck of at least a 14 gauge or higher. Smaller gauge numbers represents thicker jewelry.
Healing Time Frame
According to YoungWomensHealth.org, nipple piercings can take three to six months to completely heal. Do not remove the jewelry as this might cause the piercing to close. YoungWomensHealth.org recommends you take a multivitamin that contains zinc and vitamin C to speed up the healing process.
Aftercare
Good aftercare helps prevent infection. The Mayo Clinic suggests cleaning the piercing site with an antibacterial soap one to two times daily. If any crusting appears at the piercing site, carefully remove it with a cotton swab. Do not use alcohol or peroxide at the piercing site, as this could dry out the skin. Avoid ointments, as they can delay the healing process, since they do not allow the skin to breathe. Do not play with the piercing.
Risks
Risks associated with body piercings include bacterial infections, excessive bleeding, damage to nerves, keloids, and allergic reactions to certain types of jewelry.
Prevention/Solution
Make sure your piercer follows all health guidelines, such as hand washing, wearing gloves and using sterilized equipment prior to the actual piercing. Use hypoallergenic jewelry if possible as this will reduce the chances of your body rejecting or reacting to the new piercing. Follow through with aftercare to eliminate risk of infection. If the piercing site feels hot to the touch, it can indicate infection. If any swelling, redness or puss occurs contact a physician immediately.
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