For any female who has ever entertained the idea of getting their nipples pierced, just know it’s not as simple of a piercing as some make out to be. It is as normal as it’s ever been before to wear a bodysuit or a tight dress that shows off a little nipple piercing action. However, here are a few realities that I want to make known before anyone goes off and starts choosing what type of jewelry they’re going to get for their new piercing.
Note: I’m not a licensed physician so use at your own discretion
1. Crusties, crusties and more crusties.
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The body’s normal response to a new piercing is to “crust up” due to the fact that the body is trying to heal itself. Please do not freak out because you see some hard crusty substance building up on your barbells, it just means your body is trying to heal from your piercing. It is quite common for women to experience this small build up, yet the piercer at the tattoo shop will tell you not to scrape off the crust. It is up to your discretion at the end of the day.
2. Things get a little bumpy.
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As the barbells (which the type of jewelry you get pierced with) are inserted into your nipple, it is possible that it can pierce a milk duct (the duct in a woman’s breast where the milk comes out of during breast feeding). Piercing a milk duct may result in small boil like bump that appears on one or both sides of where the barbell is inserted. These bumps are very common and also very annoying, and you may find that only one breast is affected by them. They come and go naturally, so there’s no need to try to pop them because they can become painful and uncomfortable if irritated. If you want to attempt to treat these ugly bumps, you can always use 100% tea tree oil or organic apple cider vinegar “with the mother” in it.
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For the 100% tea tree oil method, take a small amount of the oil onto a cotton ball and dilute it with a little water (as the oil can irritate or dry out the skin if applied directly onto it). Let the cotton ball sit for about 15-20 minutes, and continue this method two to three times a day about a week or two, or until you see improvement. For the apple cider vinegar method, the same rules apply, letting the mixture sit on a cotton ball for about 15-20 minutes for two to three times a week.
3. So much jewelry to choose from.
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There are many different types of barbells someone can get for their nipple piercing. The one that is suggested is a curve barbell. The fact that it’s curved offers the decreased likelihood of something getting caught on your fresh piercing such as a shirt, bra, string from a towel or even your own hair. It takes nipple piercings much longer to heal than most piercings so the last thing you want to do is accidentally tear it out! If possible, before you get your nipples pierced, inquire the piercer if they offer curved surgical steel barbells.
4. Changing so soon?
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Do not be so quick to change your nipple jewelry just yet. The tissues and flesh inside of the nipple need to mold and heal around your piercing so give it some time. On average, it takes anywhere from 9 months to a year for these piercings to fully heal so by tampering with it too early can very well prolong the healing process and you may even develop a keloid.
Back in the day, society was very much so against women showing their breasts in public but this generation is pretty accepting of what women wish to do with their bodies because it’s our business. So if you choose to get your nipples pierced, it can either be your little secret or you can show them off, but just know that there are some cons that come with them!