Piercing Pain
Many people want to know how the pain of different types of
piercings compare. The level of pain depends largely on the location
of the piercing. The most common piercing is still the fleshy part
of the lower ear lobe. This piercing is only momentarily painful,
and most people find it quite bearable. The pain is not very severe
because the piercing only goes through flesh. Piercings that go
through cartilage are more painful. Therefore, piercing the top part
of the ear, which is comprised of flesh and cartilage, is more
painful than piercing the fleshy, bottom part of the ear. The
tongue, which is a muscle, is also a painful part of the body to
have pierced. Some piercings are more painful because they are done
in sensitive areas. For example, nipple and genital piercings can be
very painful because those areas are very sensitive.
The pain of the actual piercing, no matter what kind of piercing it
is, is very brief. However, piercings may cause continuous
irritation if they are constantly rubbing against the skin.
Piercings done in sensitive areas can prove especially problematic.
Also, piercings that are likely to rub against or be pulled by
clothing, such as belly button piercings, can be painful to some
people. If a piercing catches on clothes and is ripped out, it will
be very painful and the hole will no longer be of any use. Studs and
less likely to catch on things than rings are; people who decide to
wear rings should be very careful not to allow their rings to catch
on anything.
Further pain will occur if the piercing becomes infected. Certain
piercings, such as tongue piercings, are harder to care for than
others and may be more prone to infection. In order to avoid
infection, people should make sure that they have their piercing
performed by a professional. Additionally, people need to follow all
care instructions, especially cleaning procedures.
All piercings are painful to some extent. Piercings performed on
fleshy areas like the lower ear lobe or the eye brow are not
considered too painful by most people. Piercing performed on
muscles, cartilage, or sensitive areas are more painful. Piercings
that become infected are even more painful, and the pain of
infection lasts much longer than the brief pain of the actual
piercing. Everybody's pain tolerance is different, and people who
know that they have a low pain tolerance might not want to get some
of the more painful piercings. In any case, the piercing should be
properly cared for to reduce the risk of complications.