4 Things You Should Know Before Getting A Piercing

We’ve all wondered about getting an extra piercing perhaps on our ears or for the more daring, a nipple piercing.

But of course that is just about where it ends for most people except the the rest of us who can’t shake the idea away.

So you finally settle on the idea that yup, you’re getting a piercing, but what does this mean? What should you know?

Here are 4 things you should know before you have a needle pass through you.

1. Piercings are smelly

This is the one nobody is willing to talk about.

All piercings smell while healing, however this is easier to ignore when it’s not in your nose 24/7. Your body secretes a substance called sebum as part of its normal everyday work. Sebum is secreted by the sebaceous glands in the skin. Mix sebum with some dead skin cells and a little bit of bacteria, and you get some really smelly piercings.

2. It doesn’t hurt as much as you think it will

The most prominent question on anyone’s mind is “Do nose piercings hurt?” They do hurt, but the pain is not as bad as you imagine. Most people think it will be a sharp, searing pain, and it really isn’t.

Of course, everyone’s pain tolerance level is different and some piercings are more painful than others.

3. Nose and upper ear piercings have a few extra risks

All piercings have risks, but there are different concerns when cartilage is pierced, such as the nose or upper ear, because infections involving cartilage are more serious. It’s advised that you pay extra attention when you clean the area afterward.

4. The healing process is a little disgusting but important

Things that you should probably be aware of before taking the piercing plunge is that the healing process is usually long and differs for each piercing depending on where it is. Your piercing will scab up and go crusty, it’ll probably bleed on and off for a bit, and like I previously mentioned, it smells.

It’s super important to not be lazy when looking after your healing piercing and wash it twice a day. A common mistake people make is that they think just because a piercing isn’t sore anymore it’s healed.