If you visit a piercing shop and ask the staff if piercings hurt, they might say, “No, not really.” That may genuinely be how they feel, but it probably won’t make you feel any less nervous.
Realistically, the short answer is yes — getting pierced can hurt, and you probably already know that. But for most people, the pain is minor and passes very quickly. Don’t worry, it’s nothing you can’t handle.
So, if piercings can hurt, is there anything you can do to minimise the pain? We can give you some general guidance on the pain levels of different types of piercings, and the good news is that there are ways to make it less painful.
Everyone Experiences Pain Differently
Ask someone, “Does a nose piercing hurt?” and they might tell you, “Not at all.” Ask someone else who has just had the exact same piercing, and you could get a completely different answer. The reason is simple: everyone experiences pain differently, and people can only tell you how it felt for them.
Whether you ask a stranger, a friend or your sibling, their experience won’t necessarily be the same as yours. Even two people getting the same piercing, at the same studio, by the same piercer and using the same technique can experience very different levels of pain.
That’s why pain ratings are best used as a general guide rather than a definite answer. If you really want to know how much a piercing will hurt for you, there’s only one way to find out — get the piercing.
And if the pain is making you a bit nervous, have a chat with your piercer beforehand. They can talk you through the procedure, answer your questions and help you know what to expect.
So, How Much Do They Hurt?
For most people, getting a piercing feels like a quick pinch. How much it hurts depends on your pain tolerance and where you’re getting pierced. Piercings through softer tissue, such as the earlobes, are generally considered less painful.
Piercings through thicker or tougher cartilage, or more sensitive areas of the body such as the nipples, can be a little more painful and may feel more like a sharp sting. The good thing is, the actual piercing itself is over in seconds.
If you have a low pain tolerance, you can’t really change that, but you can choose a piercing that is generally considered less painful. This can also be a good idea for your first piercing, as you probably don’t know what your pain tolerance is like yet. An earlobe piercing is a good place to start.
Ear Piercings Pain Level (Level 1–5)
- Earlobe (Needle): Level 1
- Large-Gauge Earlobe (Needle): Level 2
- Helix (Cartilage): Level 2
- Forward Helix (Cartilage): Level 2
- Rook (Cartilage): Level 2.5
- Tragus (Cartilage): Level 2
- Anti-Tragus (Cartilage): Level 3
- Daith: Level 3.5
- Conch (Cartilage): Level 2
- Snug (Cartilage): Level 3
- Industrial (Cartilage): Level 3
General Piercing Pain Level Guide (Level 1–5)
Facial
-
Nostril (Needle): Level 2
-
Septum: Level 1.5
-
Bridge: Level 1.5
-
Eyebrow: Level 1
-
Side Eye: Level 1.5
-
Vertical Lip (Surface): Level 2.5
-
Third Eye (Surface): Level 1.5
-
Surface / Vertical Tragus: Level 1.5
-
Horizontal Lip (Surface): Level 2.5
- Facial Dermal (ASTM F136 Titanium Anchor): Level 1.5
Body
-
Navel: Level 1.5
-
Lower Navel: Level 1.5
-
Nipple: Level 4
-
Inverted Nipple: Level 4.5
-
Surface Piercing: Level 2
- Microdermal / Dermal Anchor: Level 1.5
Oral Piercing Pain Level Guide (Level 1–5)
Oral
-
Lip: Level 2
-
Tongue: Level 1
-
Tongue Web: Level 1.5
-
Smiley: Level 1
-
Frowney: Level 1
-
Cheek: Level 1
- Dahlia: Level 2
Please note: This is just a general guide. How much a piercing actually hurts will vary from person to person depending on their individual pain tolerance.
There are ways to minimise it. Here are a few tips to help make your piercing experience a little easier.
1. Go to a Professional Body Piercer
A professional body piercer knows how to make the experience easier for their customers and how to perform a piercing quickly and correctly.
Remember, getting a piercing isn’t just about the few seconds it takes to actually pierce you — the healing period is part of the experience as well. It’s not just a “hole”; it’s not that simple. If you’re attracted by a low price and get pierced by someone who isn’t properly trained to do it, you may end up with a much more painful experience. And we’re not just talking about the pain of the piercing itself, but a sore and troublesome healing period afterwards.
We’ve seen this happen before. A customer comes in with a recently pierced helix that has become very sore and badly swollen. Sometimes, the problem is simply that the helix was pierced with the wrong size of jewellery, as shown below.
A fresh cartilage piercing can swell quite a lot, and the swelling often peaks around the third day. If the jewellery is too short to allow for that swelling, it can start sinking into the skin and become very difficult to remove.
At that point, removing the jewellery, allowing the piercing to heal and then having it pierced again may be the best option. That whole experience can be much more painful than simply having it done correctly the first time.
An experienced piercer also knows how to make the actual piercing process easier. They can explain what’s going to happen, answer your concerns and get the piercing done reasonably quickly.
Most importantly, having a piercer you trust and feel confident with can make the whole process feel easier. You know what’s about to happen, you know it will be over in seconds, and you can look forward to the result.
If it’s your first time seeing a piercer, ask questions. They should be able to explain the process to you. And if they can’t answer one of your questions straight away, don’t worry — that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re not a good piercer.
No one knows everything. Rather than making something up and potentially misleading you, a good piercer should be honest about what they don’t know, be willing to look into it, and get back to you with an answer.
Going to a professional piercer can greatly reduce the chance of ending up with a troublesome piercing that causes ongoing pain.
2. Prepare Yourself Well Before Getting a New Piercing
Try to be in good shape when you’re planning to get a piercing, especially if you’re getting multiple piercings in one day.
Make sure you’re not sick, hungry or exhausted, stay hydrated, and wear comfortable clothes to your piercing appointment. No one wants to pass out in the middle of a piercing, fall off the chair and bump their head, or throw up on the floor once it’s done.
Being well prepared can reduce the chance of having an unpleasant experience during your piercing journey.
Nobody knows your body better than you do. Get a good night’s sleep and have an actual meal beforehand — not just a cup of coffee, an ice cream or a piece of chocolate. Don’t drink alcohol or take recreational drugs before getting pierced.
If you have a medical condition or you’re unsure whether it’s safe for you to get pierced, have a chat with your doctor first. It can be pretty disappointing to finally get that beautiful piercing, only to find out a week later that you have to remove it.
3. Distract Yourself
Distracting yourself can help take your mind off the piercing. If you stay completely focused on what the piercer is doing, you may become more aware of the pain and feel like time is passing very slowly. It’s a bit like the opposite of when you’re busy doing something and suddenly realise how quickly time has gone.
So, give yourself something else to focus on while you’re getting pierced. Imagine how good your new piercing is going to look, talk to someone, listen to music, hold someone’s hand (not the piercer’s), or squeeze something like a toy or your clothes — again, not the piercer’s arm or leg.
You can also bring someone you trust, such as a friend or family member, for support. You don’t need to bring a whole football team with you. They probably wouldn’t fit in the piercing room anyway. Piercing rooms normally only have enough space for a few people, and the piercer needs enough room to move around freely and stay focused on what they’re doing.
Choose your support person wisely. You probably don’t want to bring someone who faints at the sight of blood or needles, has a blood phobia, or is even more nervous than you are.
Having someone like that in the piercing room can make things more complicated. The piercer can’t look after another person while they’re in the middle of performing your piercing. If someone passes out, the piercer isn’t exactly in a position to catch them while holding a needle.
So, if you’d like to bring a support person, bring someone who can look after themselves and, more importantly, helps you feel better.
4. Breathe In and Out
We talked about distracting yourself and not focusing too much on the piercing process earlier. Another simple thing that can help is your breathing. Taking a deep breath in before the needle goes through, then slowly breathing out during the piercing, can make the whole process feel a lot easier.
Your piercer may ask you to take a deep breath in just before the piercing. As you breathe out, they may use that moment to perform the piercing. Focusing on your breathing gives you something else to think about instead of just waiting for the needle.
Taking a few slow, deep breaths before you go into the piercing room can also help you stay calm. Just breathe normally and comfortably — there’s no need to take huge breaths or force it.
For piercings such as navel or nipple piercings, try not to breathe too heavily or make exaggerated movements with your chest or stomach during the procedure. Too much movement around the piercing area can make things more difficult for your piercer. Listen to their instructions and let them guide you through it.
5. Choose the Right Jewellery
Does the jewellery you choose affect the pain level? The short answer is yes!
Having a new piercing done with the wrong piece of jewellery can make the whole experience more uncomfortable. Some jewellery may look great, but can be more complicated to insert and take longer to install.
Remember, the piercing isn’t finished the moment the needle goes through. The jewellery still needs to go in. Too much movement while inserting the jewellery can irritate the fresh piercing and potentially cause more tissue damage, especially if the jewellery isn’t suitable for a fresh piercing.
Some jewellery is designed more for healed piercings than fresh ones. In that case, it may be better to start with something that is easier and more suitable to install, then change to the jewellery you really want once the piercing has fully healed.
Generally, the smoother and more straightforward the whole process is, the easier it will feel. After all, most people would rather have their piercing finished in seconds than have someone struggling with the jewellery for several minutes.
If you’re not sure what to choose, ask your piercer during the consultation which jewellery will be easier and more suitable for a fresh piercing before making your final decision.
6. Placement
There are some piercing locations that are generally less painful, such as the earlobe or smiley. If you just want to add another piercing to your ear, you could go for a second or third earlobe piercing rather than a cartilage piercing.
Similarly, if you’d just like to add something new to your body, you could choose a dermal or navel piercing instead of a nipple piercing.
There are plenty of options, so if pain is one of your main concerns, choosing a generally less painful piercing location can make things a little easier.
7. Numbing Cream
Numbing cream can be another option to help reduce piercing pain. For some people, simply knowing the area has been numbed can also make the whole thing feel a little less stressful.
Although numbing cream can reduce pain for some people, we don’t generally recommend using it before a piercing. A piercing itself is usually over in seconds, while numbing cream can take much longer to work and may not completely numb the deeper tissue involved in some piercings.
Numbing cream can also temporarily change the condition or appearance of the skin, which isn’t always ideal when your piercer needs to examine, mark and accurately pierce the area. It is also a medication, and different products have different ingredients, instructions and precautions.
For most piercings, we prefer to keep things simple: prepare yourself well, stay relaxed, breathe, and let an experienced piercer get the piercing done quickly and smoothly. If you’re particularly concerned about pain and would still like to use numbing cream, talk to your piercer first rather than applying it before your appointment.