vagina piercing

Here's a recent consultation I performed for a couple who were considering a Vertical Clit Hood piercing, and then had jewelry issues after the woman was pierced:

Hi Elayne.

My wife had scheduled an appointment for a VCH piercing next week with a piercer in Florida. I am a registered nurse and feel comfortable driving there for this procedure after doing a good bit of research, however, after reading many blogs on your site i have started worrying about surface piercings and worse complications. Should i worry about these things? I hope you will be able to put my mind at ease.

Thanks

My response:

Hi. 

If you visit my referrals page: http://piercingbible.com/piercer-referrals you will find the few handfuls of piercers I refer to worldwide. You are wise to consider the skill of the piercer as a VCH piercing is one of the piercings most often botched by inexperienced or poorly trained piercers. 

He wrote back:

Thank you for the reply.  Also, is there any truth to gradual desensitization over time after the vch placement due to constant contact?

Thanks again.

My response:

Here's an excerpt from The Piercing Bible that adresses your question:

If you wish to become a more well-educated consumer, I suggest you get my book, The Piercing Bible--The Definitive Guide to Safe Body Piercing.

I received a message from a woman who was concerned about the jewelry in her vertical clit hood (VCH) piercing:

Hi I have a vch piercing I've had it for about 3 months I think . When I first got it done I went to a piercer that has done all my other piercings and I asked him what I could get for 20$ he said anything I want so I chose a genital piercing so I didn't do any research or anything. About 5 days later I was taking a shower and couldn't feel the bottom ball I figured it was normal but I was still a little worried so I looked it up n I read horrible stories n i got really scared I thought I was going to have to go to the e.r I called him the next day and told him what happened and he said to come in and he'll fix it so I did after I read the things on your website I figured I'd need a longer bar when I went in he said the ball got pulled through the wound and healed it inside he had to stick a taper through the hole and push the ball through after a half hr to an hr of pain he finally got it out he was goin to leave the original jewelry in but I said I wanted a longer bar so he put it in and it healed after a few weeks after it was healed the longer bar was getting in the way so I wanted the shorter one back in I went back to him and he switched it he told me to keep an eye on it just incase I was nervous that it would happen again and asked him if their was a middle length he could switch it to and he said there is no middle length it's been fine but I'm still nervous that it will happen again so I check it and its been really weird the top ball disappears and I don't know what I should do it doesn't hurt at all so I think it's healed  I don't know the lengths or gauge I don't want to take it out please help me as soon as you can.

Hi Ms. Angel,

Hope you are well. You did my triangle piercing last year in Philly and I'd like to remove it for a few hours. Do you think it would be a problem to put it back in? BTW, I love it! 

My reply:

Hi.

There's a chance if you remove it you won't be able to reinsert it. On some women, this can happen instantaneously with triangle piercings, because of the way I manipulate the clitoral shaft to rest in front of the jewelry. There's a possibility it could slip back and block the channel even if the piercing is well established. I've had some very distressed clients who found out the hard way that it just couldn't  be reinserted, even after the briefest removal.

Since you love it, maybe you can avoid taking it out? 

Or, at the very least, I'd strongly suggest you get an insertion taper before you do so. That can help you to reinsert it with less difficulty or trauma. You can get them here:

http://www.bodycircle.com 

I'd suggest the one for threaded jewelry in the 12 gauge (which is the most common size I use and should be what you're wearing unless we discussed some other size, or you have stretched up since I pierced you).

Information that will be very helpful to you is located in Chapter 17 of my book, The Piercing Bible. Here's a brief excerpt that should prove useful if you decide to do any jewelry changes (or try out brief removal):

Insertion Tapers for Jewelry Changes

I received a message from a woman who was worried about her new VCH piercing:

Hi Elayne, 

I have been searching the internet for two days now trying to decide what to do, so  I finally decided to ask for some advice. I just got my VCH piercing the other day, and everything went alright. But the next day it seemed I developed a yeast infection. I woke up the next morning and my lymph node near my groin area was HUGE and very sore. My piercing is a bit tender, but there is no redness or pus or any sign of infection.

Does this mean there is bacteria in my piercing? Should I take it out or would that make it worse? I have been going back and forth about just taking it out anyways, but I'm scared it might irritate it more. Will just simply cleaning it daily solve the problem, or should I contact a doctor? My anxiety is through the roof and I have been worried about it constantly. If you could give me any advice at all I would greatly appreciate it.

My response:

Is it possible that something else (sexual activity?) caused your symptoms? It isn't uncommon that people will give their unpierced parts a final sendoff before piercing and may engage in more sexual activity than normal. A piercing isn't apt to cause yeast infections (though overly strong soap can.)

Your swollen glands could indicate a problem. Though they may just be overreacting to the foreign object. I'm not a doctor and I can't even see you, so it is hard to help. 

However if the piercing is infected, then quality jewelry of an appropriate size and material should be left in place to allow for drainage. Though you descirbe the piercing as not being inflamed, so I really don't know what's warong, or that it is entirely related to the new piercing.

Do you have a fever? If so, then I would definitely suggest a visit to the doctor right away.

I received a message from yet another woman who got a surface piercing instead of the VCH she paid for:

Hi Elayne.

I got my VCH piercing done yesterday and upon further inspection of the piercing and seeing the pictures on your site, I have come to the realisation that it is indeed a surface piercing.

It is only a day old so I know I shouldn't change it but I want to know, once it has healed, should I change it or just leave it? From where it is placed, I could put the new bar in from the top and it should leave from the bottom.

Many thanks for your help. I live in the UK so I am not able to visit you as I'd like.

S.

My response:

Hi S.

Yes, it is just a surface piercing that doesn't go under your hood at all. You really should remove it IMMEDIATELY. You are in danger of the jewelry becoming embedded. And it is really NO WHERE CLOSE to where it should be placed.

Even if the jewelry that was inserted fit (or you changed for jewelry that does), such surface piercings tend to have healing issues such as migration, scarring, and/or rejection. Even when properly fitting jewelry is placed this way, getting it out sooner is better than later, as scar tissue is naturally formed if you allow it to remain.

I put an arrow on your photo to show where the jewelry should be coming out from UNDERNEATH your hood. If you need help to remove it, go right away. It will only get harder to take out the longer you leave it in place.

I recently performed an anatomy consultation for a couple to help them discover which genital piercing the woman would be best suited for:  

Hello Elayne! My wife, J, would like to get a VCH or other genital piercing. We have read your book and have paid for a consultation. We live in northern Michigan and are planning to go to southern Michigan this weekend for the piercing. Before we go, we'd like to get your input.  Thank you so much for offering this service!!!

Please let us know if you have any thoughts about her suitability for the vch or horizontal piercings. Thank you so much for your help!!!

My reply:

Hi J. 

In these images, it appears that she is a good candidate for a VCH piercing.

One concern I have about her getting an HCH or triangle relates to a visible vessel that could conceivably be in the pathway of a piercing. See the attached image I marked with an arrow to point out the area of my concern.

I received a message from a woman who had questions about exercise and sex after a VCH piercing:

Hi Elayne!!!

I want to get a VCH but I have some questions and after reading some parts of this page I think you can solve them. I would like to know how many days do I need to stop working out so my piercing doesn't suffer (I'm a Crossfitter) and also how many days should I wait before having sex.

Thanks a lot!!!

My response:

Hi M.,

First, you need to determine if you're anatomically suited for a VCH piercing. Try the q-tip test as shown and explained on this page of my website: http://piercingbible.com/q-tip-test

Do you have a trusted piercer or do you need a referral? Where are you located?

It all comes down to listening to your body, and being hygienic, of course. The following excerpts are from my book, The Piercing Bible--The Definitive Guide to Safe Body Piercing:

VCH Piercing: Physical Activity

Engaging in physical activities after getting a VCH piercing is fine, though a one- or two-week break from bicycling or horseback riding is surely advisable. With the exception of these activities, you will probably find that your new piercing doesn’t cause any discomfort while exercising; in fact, you may not even notice it. Then again, it may inspire you to work out. More than a few women have discovered that the stair-stepper or other gym equipment holds new interest for them after genital piercing!

• Physical Activity and Exercise

Generally, you can exercise during healing if you avoid extremes of motion and prevent impact to the pierced area. Still, your activities often need to be modified—at least for a while—if they cause problems with your piercing.

I received a message from a woman who was considering a VCH piercing:

Hi Elayne,

I am a 31 year old woman who was paralyzed from the waist down at the age of 18.  I recovered most of my feeling and function over the next six months, and can now feel my clitoris, gspot... although I do have some patchy feeling around my labia etc.  I have never really orgasmed, I've had little rushes, but nothing like people describe.  I was talking about this in a woman's circle I'm part of and one of the women said that I might look into a VCH.

Any thoughts?

My response:

Hi.

Thanks for you message. I'm assuming you read this part of my site? http://piercingbible.com/female-genital-piercings#VCH

I'm obviously very passionate about piercing--especially of the female genitals. That said, I wonder if you've ever tried a Hitachi wand or other high-powered vibrator for clitoral stimulation?

Many women find it works for them, even when nothing else does the job.

On the other hand, if you're anatomically suited to a VCH and it appeals to you, then you should go for it! If you have clitoral sensation, then there is a pretty good chance that you will find it adds to your stimulation. 

Obviously it is very important to find a qualified professional. Where are you located? Perhaps I can do the piercing for you?

I have done genital piercing for a woman who was paraplegic but who did not have localized sensation. She wanted it for herself, as a form of claiming her own body, and she was very happy with it.