What is a Nipple Piercing?
A nipple piercing is a puncture that occurs through the nipple’s skin. For your nipple piercing, as with all other types of body piercing, it is imperative that you visit a qualified body piercer, particularly if you have unique circumstances like flat or inverted nipples. Nipple piercings may not be suitable for your anatomy if you have these conditions. Before you have a botched or incorrectly place piercing, a qualified and experienced piercer will be able to recommend a solution or alternative body placement if a nipple piercing cannot be done for any reason.
Why Shouldn’t I Get a Nipple Piercing?
You should really consider getting a nipple piercing before doing so because of the lengthy healing process. You should think about your plans for the upcoming year and whether the piercing will have an impact on them.
Waiting to get your nipple pierced is advise if you are already pregnant or intend to become pregnant within the next 12 months. With healed nipple piercings, breastfeeding won’t be a problem. However, you shouldn’t breastfeed with nipple piercings that are still healing because the milk can get stuck in the piercing holes and lead to infection, in addition to the fact that you shouldn’t breastfeed if you have jewelry in your nipple.
Women should postpone getting their nipples pierced until they are between menstrual cycles. Even without the added discomfort of sensitive breasts, the piercing is painful.
Consider delaying your beach trip if you’re planning one for the upcoming year. You won’t be able to swim during the healing process, and you’ll need to avoid sandy areas to prevent sand from getting in the piercing. Your new nipple piercing won’t prevent you from going on vacation, but it might interfere with your plans.
With pierced nipples, is breastfeeding possible?
Generally speaking, yes. Nipple piercings are generally not detrimental to breastfeeding, according to experts, despite the limited research. However, they might make it more difficult for your baby to latch.
But there are some potential risks that you should be aware of. Nipple piercings can become infected, so nursing mothers who have them may be more susceptible to conditions like mastitis. In rare instances, nerve damage, scarring from piercings, infections, or surgery could reduce your milk supply.
Though less alarming, it’s still important to be aware that milk could leak through your piercing. You might want to be ready with a towel or cup to catch any dribbles if you notice it happening. Even old piercings may occasionally weep a small amount of discharge.
Healing of Nipple Piercings
The healing process for a nipple piercing may take up to 12 months or even longer. You should have a piercer confirm that it is fully healed before discontinuing aftercare procedures and switching out the jewelry because it will appear healed on the outside before it has fully healed on the inside.
Because nipple piercings take a long time to heal, people who get them frequently make the healing process longer by ceasing aftercare too soon. They switch their nipple piercing jewelry after concluding that their piercing has fully healed, which damages the skin that is still healing inside the piercing. At this point, issues like nipple piercing bumps start to appear. When the jewelry for a nipple piercing is change too quickly, trauma to the piercing site can result, which frequently results in piercing bumps. Avoid this by delaying changing your nipple piercing jewelry until a piercer has given the go-ahead.
Are nipple piercings painful?
The bad news is that it’s NOTHING like any other body modification if you’ve had piercings before. The nipples are extremely sensitive because they are densely covered in nerve endings. Think about the pleasant sensation when your significant other gently strokes your nipples (some lucky ladies can even orgasm this way). Now imagine that gentle touch being replace by a solid metallic jab. It’s an odd kind of pain that, if they choose to, some people might even enjoy, but for the majority of us, it won’t exactly be a walk in the park. The only plus is how quickly it comes to an end.
Depending on how sensitive your nipples are, the piercing may not hurt for some people. Although the pain you experience during the piercing only lasts a short while, many people experience pain for a few days after having it done. As with any other piercing, the piercing can be painful while it is healing if you catch it on something.
What is the duration of the pain?
It only hurts for a second or two after the nipple has been punctured. People who have had it done claim that it feels like a quick bite or pinch.
Beyond that, you can anticipate that for the first two to three days, your nipples will be fairly tender. How soft? Depending once more on how sensitive you are The discomfort is frequently like to sunburn or bruise. It is common to feel a throbbing pain on the first day.
The pain should gradually subside over a few days if you follow the right aftercare procedures and are cautious around it.
What signs are present?
Infected piercings are a completely different problem than irritated ones. Red, tender tissue is inflamed and may appear that way. The irritation might be reduce by simply leaving the area alone. Without medical intervention, this usually goes away in a few days.
If the irritation continues or you experience any of the following signs, the area is probably infected:
- There is heat from the piercing.
- When touched, the area is extremely painful or sensitive.
- discharge that is brown, yellow, or green
- the piercing site swelling
- rash
- body pains
- fever
What causes an infection?
The most frequent cause of infection is frequent touching of the piercing site. This raises your risk of infection by introducing bacteria to the soft tissue.
Tight clothing may easily catch on or irritate the piercing because of its location. Your piercing could become infected if you expose it to saliva or other bodily fluids.
How to treat an infected nipple piercing
Take immediate action if you spot any indications that your nipple piercing may be infected. This may aid in avoiding additional difficulties or discomfort.
Never try to drain an infection yourself; never pinch, poke, or cut the area. Serious complications may result from this. Here are some actions you can take to potentially reduce or eliminate an infection:
Clean up the area
Before cleaning and drying the area around your piercing, wash your hands. Use sensitive skin soaps instead of regular soaps because they won’t irritate the area as much. Prevent using:
alcohol and topical hydrogen peroxide
How to Prevent Infection from Nipple Piercing
The key to preventing the growth of an infected nipple piercing is proper maintenance. And by paying attention to the points below, you can see them: —
- Make sure the location is clean and conduct a background check on the procedure’s piercer.
- Avoid touching or prodding the pierced area frequently, especially if your hands aren’t clean, as this could spread bacteria and other harmful germs.
- Regularly clean your pierced nipples
Aftercare
Pierces are simple to obtain but can occasionally be very challenging to heal, according to Thompson. You must be dedicate to maintaining your nipple piercing long after you leave the salon chair if you want it to heal properly. “New piercings need to be clean with a saline solution at least twice a day. To prevent infection and speed up healing, soak the area in a lukewarm sea salt solution (roughly 14 teaspoons of non-iodized sea salt in eight ounces of distilled water) “declared Murphy-Rose. She advises placing the mixture in a small container and soaking the piercing for five to ten minutes.
By keeping the piercing free of bandages, avoiding frequent jewelry contact, and donning loose-fitting clothing, you can prevent causing excessive friction on the pierced area. “Avoid potential irritants like scented lotions and body washes. Till the piercing is fully heal, refrain from soaking in bathtubs, pools, or other bodies of water “declaring Murphy-Rose. Also, avoid touching the piercing excessively. Every time you accidentally snag the new piercing or pull it out, says Thompson, your healing progress slows down.
The conclusion
Nipple piercings can add a cool look, and with the right aftercare, it will heal properly and maintain its cool appearance.
If the jewelry comes out or if you’re uncertain about how well it’s healing, consult your piercer.
If you experience any infection-related symptoms, seek medical attention right away.