Length of healing:

Healing takes about four months. Some people take much longer and other people take a little less. Note that -- as with all piercings -- it may seem visually healed before it is fully healed.

Basic Aftercare:

Wash your hands first! Wash the piercing and surrounding area with antibacterial soap. Gently soak away (don't pick) the crusties. Lather and rotate the soap through the piercing once you have all the crusties off. Let it soak for about a minute and then thouroughly rinse.

Some general advice:

• Don't let anyone else touch the piercing -- not with their hands, mouth, or anything!
• Wear clean clothing and change your bedsheets.
• If your bra is bothering you, try wearing an athletic bra. Alternately, you can cut out a hole for the nipples (or wear a nursing bra).

Rings or barbells in 14ga or larger -- never smaller (ie. 16ga). Barbells should be a little longer than the piercing to accomodate any swelling and to facilitate cleaning. Rings should be sized so that no more than 1/4 of the ring is inside the nipple (see diagram on the right) -- larger is acceptable also.

How much does it hurt?

Most people agree that it hurts a lot. However, it's only for a second. Some people seem to even like it...

How risky is female nipple piercing?

In rare cases an infection can travel into the breast and cause a deep infection. If this is not treated immediately it can result in removal of the breast. However, it should be noted that people also get serious infections from papercuts. Please take care of all your minor self-induced injuries, and monitor them carefully!

What about breast feeding?

Nipple piercing does not affect breast feeding unless something goes very wrong in your healing (extreme scarring, etc.). You may want to take out the rings though while you're doing it!