Tattoos and piercings aren’t a new ‘fad’ brought along by the youth, they have been around for millennia. What the Boomers think of as a sign of ‘evil’ or that their kids have gone to the dogs, Millennials and Gen Z think as a symbol of resistance against the ancient patriarchal rules of those who came before us and a way to create our own personality different from our family or people around us. The old belief that only criminals and people with ‘loose’ characters sport tattoos or rings are still prevalent in the older generations, but has been totally revamped among the youth. In India, especially, you can see at least half the students in a college having either a tattoo or a piercing.
Piercings, especially in India, have been a traditional symbol linked to the multiple cultures and religions in the country. Many kids have their ears pierced almost immediately after they’re born. Nose rings are also popular, especially among married women, for whom it is a sign of fertility and prosperity. The popular belief that some kinds of piercings are on acupuncture points, and hence keep the person healthy, helped to popularise the trend.
In the Western world, many ancient civilizations had this trend. When colonization came along, ear piercings were notably popular than any other kind because of links of barbarians and ‘backward’ cultures, but it all changed in the mid-to-late 20th century. With the rise of the hippies, many of whom visited India to ‘find themselves spiritually’ and came back with nose and ear piercings, this style took the Occidental world by storm.
Tattoos and piercings are on many peoples’ bucket lists, but not many go further with their dream because of fear of pain and infections. The biggest mistake these people make is that they ask others for their opinions and how much pain they feel, not understanding that pain is a subjective feeling. Yet, there are some places where almost everyone feels a bit of pain, either a sharp prickling pain that lasts for seconds or a burning pain that stays for almost a week. There is also the fact that many people get at least a bit of infection at the beginning, while some might even get keloid scars, which needs to be healed by professionals.
Take a look at the following piercing types to find out the most painful places to get a body piercing:
Ears
The earlobes are the best place to get a piercing if you have not done that before. The fleshy nature of that part means that there is not much pain, hence the person feels only a sharp prick for a few seconds, which subsides in a few minutes. Thus, this is a popular choice in India for piercing babies, as it won’t pain much.
On the other hand, the upper parts of the ear are much more painful, as the needle passes through the thicker cartilage. The Daith piercing is one of the most painful ear points, but it is famous because it helps to lower migraines. Industrial piercings are those which enter and exit the ear from two parts, hence are also painful, yet they look wicked.
Eyebrows
The pain felt while getting this piercing idea is not very high, but due to the fact that many nerve endings are found here, you might feel a sharp prick for a few minutes. Take care not to get it trapped in your hair or clothes, because you’ll surely spend a few minutes untrapping it from the thing!
Nose
The nose is one of the most painful places to get a piercing on the body, as the needle enters the cartilage here too. The nose piercing is a very favoured jewellery for women, as traditionally it was worn after marriage as a sign of fertility and beauty.
Septum piercings are also pretty painful, but if your tattoo artist knows the part of the nose which is softer than the cartilage part, it would lessen your discomfort by many degrees.
Lips
The lips are, surprisingly, not highly ranked in the list of painful places to get a piercing. This is due to the fact that the lips are soft and fleshy, hence it would be easier for the needle to enter and exit the area.
If you are getting this piercing, keep in mind that it would be a major task while eating and talking, hence you should prepare for a few days off work before getting a lip piercing.
Tongue
When one thinks of this piercing, they would immediately think about the immense pain the person would undergo while getting it. In reality, these piercings don’t hurt much except a prickling discomfort when the needle enters and exits the part.
Even here, there might be a chance of getting an infection when you are eating or talking, so try to keep the area clean by using a saline solution to disinfect the piercing.
Dermal
These piercings generally are done by creating a hole under the skin to place a base, which would anchor the jewelry. Thus, these piercings have an entry, but there is no exit. People say that these piercings, horrific as they sound, don’t pain much. If you’re into this style, just forward with it and take some deep breaths to alleviate the pain!
Navel
Navel piercings are the second most popular piercings but aren't in the order of most painful places to get a piercing on your body. Such perforations don’t cause a lot of pain, but only if you’re not wearing tight shirts. Tight clothes will hamper the healing process, and thus cause infections. If you exercise, you’ll be suggested to not do any ab or stomach workouts, as they will put undue pressure on the wound.
As said earlier, the pain felt by everyone is subjective, hence not everyone will agree with the pain scale mentioned above. Use ice to lessen the pain of the wound. If you’re still in pain after a week or if you find a boil or swelling which doesn’t heal on its own after a few weeks, visit a doctor, for it might be a keloid scar which could cause a lot more pain compared to the amount you felt during the actual piercing.
These infections could be caused by unsanitary tools too, hence you should find a place that does these procedures while keeping the best sanitary and hygienic standards. If you’re wondering, “Where can I get a piercing near me at a studio which follows all the medically safe procedures so that I won’t get infected?” Worry not, for at Aliens Tattoos, we have world-class equipment and specially trained artists who perform piercings, hence if you come to us for a piercing, we will take all the precautions to guide you through this process before, during, and after the procedure.
Take a look at Part 1 of this article, in which we talk about the most painful places to get a tattoo. Be assured that ‘no pain, no gain’ is an important factor: without experiencing the pain you won’t get a beautiful piercing which you would flaunt for the rest of your life!