You Can Have Pain Free Body Piercing
Key Takeaways
- A body piercing is over in about a second, which is why most people find it far easier than they expected and much quicker than a tattoo.
- Bubblegum Ink uses an aerosol freeze spray on external piercings to numb the area for roughly thirty seconds, which covers the whole procedure.
- Pain varies mostly by location, with lobes and nostrils at the easy end and cartilage, navel and nipple piercings taking more.
- Bubblegum Ink does not recommend buying oral or topical anaesthetics from auction sites, as strength and authenticity cannot be verified.
- Bubblegum Ink is an appointment only studio in Sandbach, Cheshire. Ring 01270 385001 if nerves are the thing stopping you booking.
Almost everyone who walks in for a piercing asks the same thing before they sit down. We have been piercing here for over twenty years, so here is an honest answer rather than a sales pitch.
The Short Answer
Yes, it hurts, and then it is done. That is the bit people struggle to picture beforehand. A piercing is not like a tattoo where you sit for hours. The needle passes through in about a second and the sharp part is over before your brain has properly caught up with it.
What most people describe afterwards is a hard pinch and then a warm throbbing that settles within a few minutes. Eyes watering is normal, particularly with nostrils. Feeling a bit light headed straight after is also normal and usually means you have not eaten.
The build up is worse than the piercing. That is true for nearly everyone.
What We Use To Numb It
For external piercings we use a freeze spray in aerosol form. We moved to aerosol years ago after finding the liquid versions could run off the area and go where you did not want them. Aerosol is more precise and easier to control.
The technique matters more than the product. One fast, sharp application, just until a white frost starts to appear on the skin, and no more than that. Over applying does not make it better. Done properly it gives around thirty seconds of numbness, which is comfortably longer than the piercing takes.
It is worth knowing that not every studio numbs, and that is not a mark against them. Plenty of experienced piercers deliberately do not, because anything applied to the skin can shift the tissue slightly and the piercing itself is so quick. Both approaches are legitimate. Ours is that if it takes the edge off for a nervous client, it is worth doing.
Tongue And Lip Piercings
Oral piercings are handled differently to external ones, because you are dealing with membrane rather than skin and you cannot use a freeze spray in a mouth.
If you are having a tongue or lip piercing done, speak to us at the appointment about what we use and what your options are. What we would ask you not to do is order oral anaesthetics off eBay or similar sites. Lidocaine based products are pharmacy medicines here for a reason, and you have no way of verifying the strength, whether it is genuine, or how it has been stored. Putting an unknown anaesthetic in your own mouth before an appointment is not a risk worth taking, and if you have any history of reaction to local anaesthetics we need to know that anyway.
One thing worth expecting with tongue piercings. If anything is applied, it can make you dribble a bit for a few minutes. It wears off quickly and it is nothing to be embarrassed about. We have seen it a thousand times.
Which Piercings Hurt Most?
Everybody is different and pain is subjective, so treat this as a general guide from what clients tell us rather than a rule.
Easiest. Earlobes are the gentlest by a distance. Nostrils are quick, though your eyes will water whether you want them to or not. Navel piercings are usually less bad than people fear.
Middling. Eyebrow, septum and tongue tend to land in the middle. Septum surprises people because it looks like it should be awful and generally is not, provided the piercer finds the right spot.
Sharper. Ear cartilage takes more than lobes and takes longer to settle afterwards. Helix, tragus and industrial piercings sit here. Nipple piercings are brief but intense.
Toughest. Surface piercings and anything through dense tissue. Also, and this catches people out, any piercing done on someone who has come in exhausted and on an empty stomach.
Healing is a separate question from the piercing itself. Cartilage in particular can be sore on and off for weeks, and that is normal rather than a sign anything has gone wrong.
How To Make It Easier On Yourself
Eat something within a couple of hours beforehand. This is the single biggest one. Nearly every client who has gone pale on us has skipped breakfast.
Do not turn up hungover or on no sleep. Both make you jumpy and make everything feel sharper than it is.
Breathe out as it goes through. Holding your breath and tensing up makes it worse. We will talk you through the timing.
Bring someone with you if it helps. Plenty of people do and it makes no odds to us.
Tell us you are nervous. It genuinely helps us to know. We will slow down, explain what we are doing before we do it, and give you a minute if you need one.
Before You Book
Let us know at the appointment if you have any allergy to local anaesthetics, any skin condition around the area, or if you are on medication that affects bleeding or healing. It takes ten seconds and it changes how we approach it.
If you are booking for someone under eighteen, have a look at our body piercing age limits page first, as the rules vary by piercing type and by what identification and consent we need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a body piercing be completely pain free?
Not entirely, but it comes closer than most people expect. Freeze spray takes the edge off an external piercing and the procedure itself lasts about a second. Most clients tell us afterwards that the anticipation was the hard part.
Do you numb the area before piercing?
For external piercings, yes. Bubblegum Ink uses an aerosol freeze spray applied briefly just before the needle passes through, which numbs the area for around thirty seconds. Oral piercings are handled differently, so ask us at the appointment.
How long does the pain last after a piercing?
The sharp part is over in a second. A warm throbbing usually follows for a few minutes and then fades. Tenderness around the site for a few days is normal, and cartilage piercings in particular can be on and off sore for several weeks while they heal.
Which piercing hurts the least?
Earlobes, by a clear margin. They are soft tissue, there is no cartilage involved, and they heal quickly. It is why lobes are almost always the first piercing anybody has.
Which piercing hurts the most?
Surface piercings and anything passing through dense tissue tend to be the sharpest. Nipple piercings are brief but intense. Ear cartilage is not the worst on the day but takes the longest to stop being sore.
Should I buy numbing gel before my appointment?
No need. We use freeze spray on external piercings as part of the appointment. Bubblegum Ink does not recommend buying anaesthetic gels or sprays from auction and marketplace sites, as strength, authenticity and storage cannot be verified, and that goes double for anything intended for use in the mouth.
What if I faint or go dizzy?
It happens and it is nearly always low blood sugar rather than the piercing. Eat beforehand, tell us if you are prone to it, and we will have you lying down rather than sat up. Nobody is going to make a fuss.
I am really nervous. Is that a problem?
Not at all, and you are in the majority. Ring us before you book and we will talk you through exactly what happens. The studio is private and appointment only, so there is no queue of people watching.
Booking
Bubblegum Ink is in Sandbach, Cheshire, appointment only, with easy access from junctions 17 and 18 of the M6. Call 01270 385001, email info@bubblegumink.com, or use the contact page. If you want to ask about pain before committing to anything, that is a completely normal thing to ring up about.
If you are thinking about a tattoo as well, our page on reducing tattoo pain covers numbing creams and how to use them properly.
Written by Paul Cutler, founder of Bubblegum Ink ®. Bubblegum Ink has been tattooing and body piercing in Sandbach, Cheshire for over twenty years. Read more about Paul.
This page is general information, not medical advice. Speak to a pharmacist or GP if you are unsure whether any product is suitable for you.