Do Erotic Piercings Increase Sensitivity and Lead to Better Orgasms?

As a body-mod enthusiast with nine piercings, I can't say enough good things about them. Certain ones that I have—including both nipples, as well as a vertical clitoral hood (VCH) piercing—are life-changing, providing extra stimulation and sensitivity in ways that sex toys, love them though I do, never quite could.

I'm not alone, either: Advocates of nipple and genital piercings say they can increase self-confidence and heighten sensations, leading to better orgasms.

While earlobe piercings are far and away the most popular hole people get punched in themselves, 13 percent of U.S. respondents to a 2017 Statista survey on body modification reported having nipple piercings, while 7 percent had genital piercings.

But how much of that is just good hype? While I've had great experiences with my collection of rings and barbells, that doesn't mean everyone will.

Here are some of the facts you should know before going under the needle.

Nipple piercings: The key to increased sensitivity?

Nipples have hundreds of nerve endings and can be extremely sensitive, and nipple play can activate the same nerve cortex as clitoral and genital stimulation among female participants, according to a 2011 study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.

A lot of men dig it, too: More than half of male participants in a 2012 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States revealed that nipple stimulation led to or enhanced their sexual arousal.

With or without piercings, nipple play is hot, but adding jewelry to this region can raise your sensitivity and arousal. "You're increasing the diameter of the nipple with the piercing," explained Corey R. Babb, a Missouri-based OB-GYN specializing in sexual health.

By increasing a nipple's diameter, you're potentially offering more contact area to play and explore sensations, which may "heighten an orgasmic response," Babb noted, especially for those who can orgasm through nipple stimulation.

But this might not be the case for everyone: Some Reddit users reported that after getting their nipple(s) pierced, sensitivity decreased over time.

As with any piercing, there are risks, including infection, bleeding, rejection (when your body sees the jewelry as a foreign object and tries to push it out) and scarring.

Babb said that rinsing and doing sea salt soaks up to twice daily can be a great way to keep those spots clean, and because nipple piercings can take six months to a year to fully heal, piercers recommend keeping the original jewelry in place.

While not everyone's nipple piercings result in orgasms, their appearance could be alluring all on their own. Regardless of your motivations for getting one, the surge of confidence that comes from knowing there's a little something extra hiding underneath a top, waiting to be discovered, could be a sexual rush and stimulation on its own.

Prince Albert piercings: Is the risk worth the potential pleasure?

Legend has it that Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, pierced the tip of his penis with a ring to make his trousers fit better and avoid a noticeable bulge.

There's also a theory that he had Peyronie's disease, which can cause serious curvature in the penis. He might have explored the piercing as an attempt to straighten his royal member.

Whether they're true or not, these stories stuck around, and that's why this unique genital piercing—where a ring or barbell goes through the urethra opening and out the other side, where the glans and shaft meet—is called  Prince Albert.

Because the penis has about 4,000 nerve endings, a Prince Albert could be a great way to make sex more pleasurable for everyone involved, as it rubs against penile tissue during masturbation, oral sex and anal or genital intercourse.

The added sensation of jewelry may help stimulate a partner's G-spot or prostate during penetration, too.

A Prince Albert takes about six to eight weeks to fully heal, and anyone with a penis can get one, including those who are uncircumcised. The jewelry will rub against the foreskin, though, which may cause discomfort.

There are other risks with this type of piercing. Babb noted that he's treated a "handful of patients" who experienced vaginal lacerations after being intimate with partners who were sporting a Prince Albert.

When patients come in to discuss unexpected vaginal bleeding, one of the first questions he asks is if they have a partner with a penile piercing, Babb shared.

During oral sex and penetration, the jewelry may also cause chafing or other forms of irritation for partners, especially during more vigorous types of sex. Plus, a 2010 study by the British Journal of Medical Practitioners found that this type of piercing may cause urinary flow changes.

VCH piercings: Can they increase your sexual stimulation?

A VCH piercing—the most common type of vulva piercing—doesn't puncture the clitoris, instead going through the hood that surrounds it. Although the World Health Organization technically classifies clitoral piercings as a form of genital mutilation, a 2005 study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology revealed a positive relationship between the VCH and desire and the frequency of intercourse and arousal. There were no dramatic differences in orgasmic functioning.

Because the barbell pierces through the hood vertically and the bottom bead ends up pressing against the clitoris, the piercing may also gently (or intensely, depending on sexual activity) massages against the clit, essentially functioning like a wearable sex toy.

"If something is providing additional stimulation to the clitoris, like with a [VCH piercing], I can definitely see that causing an increase in orgasmic sensation," Babb said.

Not all hoods are deep enough to accommodate a VCH, but a reputable piercer can quickly figure that out using a cotton swab, inserting it underneath the hood to see if there's enough room to fit the barbell comfortably. Because the tissue getting jabbed during a VCH is so paper-thin and the clitoris isn't actually punctured, it's not as painful an experience as you might think.

This type of piercing takes about four to six weeks to fully heal, making it one of the easiest piercings to manage in terms of aftercare. However, there are potential risks involved.

"I've seen a couple of cases where people have nerve damage to their clitoris," Babb said. He noted this isn't common, but said it can occur when an inexperienced piercer punctures part of the glans and not just the clitoral hood.

Another risk, according to Babb, is clitoral phimosis, which he describes as "scarring underneath the clitoral hood." Again, he said it's uncommon, but it can be the result of blunt trauma (like from a piercing) or chronic infection.

With arousal, Babb added, it becomes painful for these patients. "From a gynecology standpoint, the big thing is to make sure that if you're getting a genital piercing of any type, you keep the area clean."

Is an erotic piercing right for you?

Getting an erotic piercing is a matter of personal choice, and it might not change your arousal experience at all. But if you're curious whether you're one of the lucky ones who will enjoy enhanced pleasure, the only way to find out is to try one for yourself—just be dutiful when it comes to post-jab aftercare.