Most Painful Piercings: Pain Levels to Consider Before the Procedure

Are you curious about what is the most painful body piercing around? If so, then you have come to the right place! Unlike before, body modification (body alteration), body piercings, and tattoos are now socially accepted. They are now even widely regarded as an art. And if you’re seriously considering body piercing to express yourself but want to get a good sense first of what to expect (piercing pain scale-wise), then today’s topic is specially made just for you!

In this article, I will provide you some of the common body piercing processes around and provide you a better understanding of the pain levels involved during and after the procedure. At the end of the topic, it should help you better prepare your mind and body before undergoing the process. So with that being said, let’s begin…

Top 10 Most Painful Piercings

I have listed below the most painful piercing list in order

1. Nipple

The nipple area is rich with nerve endings that make them extremely sensitive upon touch. With this being said—you can just imagine the pain you have to go through when you’re literally piercing a hole in your nipples or near the areolas. The piercing pain scale in the nipples is generally excruciatingly painful, especially for first-timers. However, pain levels may also vary from person to person. It depends on skin sensitivity, and the amount of pain may greatly reduce if they had undergone body alteration or piercing numerous times now.

Expect a jolting pain as soon as the needle pierced through the nipple’s surface. Unfortunately, there’s no way around it, and you may have to mentally prepare yourself if you’re decided to undergo nipple piercing. However, the discomfort should go away in just a few seconds or so after the process, according to the people who’ve done it.

2. Genitals

Genital piercing is among the most painful piercings around. You have to take note that the parts of the skin with the densest nerve endings are the most sensitive areas. Like the nipples, the genitals and surrounding skin regions are full of nerves that make it very painful when you attempt to pierce through its skin. To give you a better perspective—the penis has approximately 4,000 nerve roots that branch out to the pudendum nerve—it is the primary nerve of the perineum located between the genitalia and rectum. And then, imagine those 4,000 nerve endings sending pain signals to the brain simultaneously.

On the other hand, the clitoris contains thousands of nerve roots, and it is reported that genital piercing in females is more painful than its male counterpart. It may still induce a high level of discomfort compared to the other forms of piercings in this list, even if you have a high level of toleration.

3. Dermal Anchor

Dermal anchor piercing refers to body modification that goes through your skin but doesn’t come out to the other end. With this being said—a person becomes prone to complications and injury if the procedure wasn’t done correctly. It basically involves piercing an accessory from one end to another with a metal base. The two accessory pieces are joined together and allow the skin to recover onto the bases.

Unlike other piercing procedures mentioned in this list, dermal anchor piercing can be placed onto any skin region. And putting a piercing on a specific area on your skin may seem enticing to some, but you also have to bear in mind that the piercing pain chart in inserting them is as painful as removing the metal bases and jewelry. And this is the case because the removal procedure can inflict extreme pain and could lead to dermal injuries if the piercer isn’t careful.

4. Belly Button

Another common body piercing we see today is those that are pierced through the belly button. As the name suggests, it is a body alteration where a ring or accessory is placed in your belly. The procedure is generally safe and would only take about a few minutes to finish, but it can cause a lot of pain, especially for individuals who haven’t done it before. Also, the wounds inflicted from the body piercing may take longer to heal. Therefore, you can expect a throbbing discomfort in the pierced area that could last for days.

In addition, there are several ways you can do to make the procedure safer and aid in faster recovery. The very first thing you have to consider is to find a credible piercer. Also, be sure that you check their facilities as well—you have to be certain that the area is clean and properly organized. Would you trust a piercer who is hygienic and unorganized? Aside from looking into their facility, you also have to check the tools and other paraphernalia are sanitized as well if possible. Lastly, the accessory or jewelry must be high-grade stainless steel to potentially prevent infections and allergic reactions.

5. Tongue

The sense of taste triggers a lot of nerves while you are consuming your food or drinks. Again, the part of the body with the most nerve roots is extremely sensitive. The tongue has many nerves located in them. Therefore, tongue piercing is also regarded as among the most painful piercings you can experience. In addition, the organ is literally a huge muscle tissue, so piercing them may lead to great discomfort and soreness that could last for days. It would also make eating very painful.

Also, a potential problem may occur if the piercer wasn’t careful enough. Accidental hitting the client’s gums or a major artery in your tongue may occur if they weren’t careful as they perform the procedure. In addition, your oral organs may release high levels of saliva as a defense mechanism that may potentially choke you. Be sure to select a credible piercer in doing the procedure for you. This is the case because it was reported that there’s relatively low pain if the piercing was performed by.

6. Daith

Ear piercing is the most popular and commonly used body modification as far as I can remember. And it is rightfully so because it is generally the least painful piercings compared to other body alteration processes. However, you also have to bear in mind that there are parts of the ear that induces pain when pierced through. And one of them includes the daith area.

The daith is the straight-horizontal cartilage located on the outer surface of the ear. The pain related to daith piercing isn’t as intense compared to other body alteration procedures. However, it is high up the list because of the potential complications it could lead to. It could cause skin irritations within the skin area and aggravating discomfort. There may also be soreness and tenderness in the pierced area that may last for months.

7. Conch

Another popular form of ear piercing is conch piercing. Its positioning is unique, and you can throw in several ornamental designs you wish that suit your style or mood. The accessory or jewelry ranges from a bead pierced through the ear cartilage to a ring enveloping the ear lobes. Another great thing about them is that they are placed in the middle of the ear, making them very noticeable and stand out in the crowd.

As attractive as the prospect may be, you also have to consider the “conch piercing pain” involved during the procedure. Generally, it won’t be a problem for people who already have their ears pierced, but it may inflict unpleasant experiences on first-timers. The number of jewelry that’s going to be placed there may also depend on the client. It means that the more the accessory, the higher the potential complications, maybe if proper measures weren’t observed. So again, let me remind you to choose the facilities that will perform the procedures wisely.

8. Tragus

The tragus is the tiny bump cartilage in the outermost area of your ear. This type of body piercing emits an elegant aesthetic and complements other ear piercing very well. In addition, there’s also another form of tragus piercing which is referred to as the surface tragus.  However, its only difference is that the skin is punctures instead of the cartilage. The skin punctures are riskier than the popular form of tragus piercing because there is a higher chance that the body may reject the pierced jewelry.

The discomfort due to tragus piercing pain may vary depending on person to person. But in general, there’s not much pain involved. The report says that the feeling is similar to when someone pinches you on the ear. Also, the procedure will not take that long, and it may only last for a few seconds or so. However, this won’t be the case with the recovery process that may take between three to six full months. This may also depend on how well you manage your wounds. Worst case scenario is that it may lead to a longer recovery period if it wasn’t properly cared for.

9. Industrial

Industrial is an uncommon form of ear piercing. The procedure involves piercing through a single metal onto the upper earlobe—from end to end. And it is uncommon because you wouldn’t see them as a popular choice for many individuals. Industrial piercing may not seem as painful compared to the procedures relayed in today’s topic, but it surely looks very uncomfortable and inconvenient.

Although the pain level involved isn’t that high, it may still induce discomfort, especially in the first weeks after the procedure. You may observe tenderness and soreness in the pierced area, but it is perfectly normal. However, you may need to seek professional advice if the pain persists to the point that it becomes intolerable. Anyway, the recovery period for industrial piercing should take about two to three months, depending on the level of care.

10. Septum or Nose

When we hear the term nose piercing, I bet that Dennis Rodman and Madonna would probably the first persons that come to mind. Even at his age, the basketball hall of fame inductee still has his nose piercing as part of his fashion. Nose piercing has been around since ancient times, but it is still as popular nowadays. It is a form of piercing that is punctured between the cartilages of the nose.

The septum piercing pain involve induces the least level of discomfort when you compare them to the other piercings listed in this article. This may be the case—it is still extremely important to exercise due diligence in searching for the credible piercer that’ll perform the procedure. Unsafe and improper piercing may lead to conditions and injuries such as allergic reactions to the steel used, nerve damage, scarring, infection, bleeding, etc.

Final Thought on the Most Painful Piercings

If you’re new to body modification or have no experience with body piercing, then I suggest that it would be best that you begin with the ears. After that, you can progress to more extreme body alterations.

Also, you need to exercise high diligence during the recovery period. This is so because the healing process may take time in some procedures. Therefore, potential complications may occur if proper self-care wasn’t observed.

I hope my list of the most painful piercings has provided you sufficient information about the piercing process and helped you prepare before and after the procedure.

FAQ about the Most Painful Piercings

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about the piercing procedures—