The good, bad and infected: What FJ readers wish they’d known before getting a nipple piercing

“Don’t wear net tops.”

Piercings can be scary enough when you’re getting them on your ear, let alone somewhere as sensitive as your nipple. It does, after all, involve a needle going through your skin (ouch) before a long healing process.

It’s an exercise in trust, as you place the well-being of one of your most intimate body parts into the hands of a stranger. They need to know what they’re doing during the piercing itself and guide you safely and thoroughly through the aftercare process.

Interested to hear how others navigate the world? Head to our Life section.

Sure, you need to invest in some piercing spray and intermittently apply it to your nipples throughout the day, but how exactly do you avoid getting an infection? Or better yet, how do you avoid catching it on top and ripping it clean through?

Whether it’s a fashion accessory or you’re doing it to boost sexual pleasure, there are plenty of reasons someone might opt for a nipple piercing. But after settling on that reason, what else do you wish you’d known before booking it? Below, eight Fashion Journal readers weigh in.

Katie, 26 she/her

I have my left nipple pierced. I got it just before I turned 18 and had to beg the piercer to do it. I got one to start with because I was scared of the healing process and never got around to getting the right done but I love it. The pain was completely manageable and aftercare is easy as long as you keep it clean and spray it often. Also, don’t get it caught on a towel or lace or the side of the shower – you will die.

My advice is if you’re thinking about it, do it. You’ll feel sexier than anything (I did at least).

Melissa, 24, she/they

I got my nipple piercings done years ago, as soon as I turned 18. I had them done at my local piercing store and went by myself. I was so nervous and it was really painful but it was over quickly. They hurt, and I knew they would before getting them done, but they really hurt.

I made the mistake of going to a concert afterwards and I was wincing in pain after brushing up against people every few seconds. So if it wasn’t obvious, don’t go out after having them freshly pierced. And sleep on your back – knocking them in your sleep while they’re healing is the worst.

I also think you should be careful with what clothes you wear. I work in hospitality and I was once wearing a lace bralette under my work shirt. Somehow, during a shift, my piercing got caught in the lace and when I stretched to grab something off a shelf, it nearly ripped out the piercing. And during sex, I’ve had people bite or suck too hard and it’s been really painful. Most of the time it’s fine though, they look great and make me feel confident.

Soumya, 25, she/her

I have a nipple piercing. I wish I’d known that after ten years I’ll still wake up with crusties most days and sometimes I’ll even get a nice puss bubble come up. I’m sure there’s probably a way to fix it but fuck me I’ve had it for ten years now, so I’ll probably just keep ignoring the problem until it goes away. Also, my word of advice: don’t wear net tops.

Billie, 24, they/them

I got my nipples done one at a time a couple of months ago. It doesn’t hurt and the healing has been super easy! I wish I’d known that sooner because I would’ve gotten them done years ago if I wasn’t so scared of the pain and recovery. I love them and think they’re so hot.

Grace, 25, she/her

I got a nipple piercing in Greece with my friend. It was a hilarious experience with a few language hurdles and some awkwardness with an older man doing the piercing.

Before getting it, I hadn’t considered that getting a nipple piercing would genuinely change the look of your nipple. It became chronically larger than the other nipple and didn’t go hard in the same way. I quite liked the look of my little nipple before the piercing and I was sad when it was larger and… puffy. I took it out after six months. It wasn’t worth my nipple looking like that.

Sam, 24, she/her

I got my left nipple pierced when I was 21. I think Covid stunted my self-discovery journey a lot, so as soon as we were out of lockdown I booked myself in and got my piercing done the very same day. There wasn’t a lot of thought behind it.

You have to have your nipple clamped to pierce it and I found the actual clamping process hurt more than when the needle itself went through. The aftercare itself was pretty straightforward – I had to clean it twice a day for a couple of weeks, but if I’m honest, I wasn’t vigilant at all. I gave up after a week. It takes a while to get used to having a piece of metal in your nipple.

I wish someone told me about how much it would get caught on everything. I had multiple close calls when I thought I had completely ripped out and detached my piercing from my nipple. But all in all, I highly recommend getting one. They’re cool and make you feel hot.

Tyla, 25, she/her

I got it done right out of high school with two other friends and had it for around five years. We sought out a qualified piercing place, personally preferring a female piercer for the job. I remember the moment itself as being super painful, but it only lasted a couple of seconds. I was then beaming for the rest of the day despite the dull stinging sensation in my bra.

The initial healing was pretty smooth from memory. I had some swelling, bleeding and tenderness but that was to be expected in the first couple of months and it settled down after that for the most part. Unfortunately, I ended up removing it after a couple of years because it started getting irritated fairly frequently and easily, resulting in swelling, bleeding and pus which would mean a new cycle of salt spraying and avoiding swimming in the ocean every time the irritation occurred.

I loved my piercing which is why I delayed getting it removed for much longer than I should have considering my body had been rejecting it for a while. But over time, I could see more and more of the bar visible and less skin holding it. I had to tell my partner to be super gentle and careful with my piercing during sex to avoid irritating it, which kind of defeated the purpose. I miss it occasionally but my nipple definitely doesn’t, particularly since I’ve got a slightly indented scar to mark the spot. Of the original friends who got it done, I was the last to get mine removed, they both took theirs out after about a year.

Holly, 23, she/her

I got my nipples pierced around two and a half years ago at a professional piercing shop. One nipple piercing was slightly wonkier than the other and with hindsight, they were done far shallower than they should have been. The second one was way more painful than the first one. They hurt for the next few days and the healing was insane.

I had to take one of them out a couple of months ago. Despite having them done two and a half years ago, it still hadn’t healed. Aside from that, I loved having them pierced and the one I have left looks so slay under tops. I even stopped wearing bras.

For more on nipple piercing aftercare, try this.