I received a message from a concerned woman whose VCH piercing was bleeding:
Hi,
I just got a VCH piercing and I know bleeding is normal and so is swelling but this is my vagina and it's kinda scary to pierce it and not really expect it to swell and bleed, when I was told it shouldn't be that bad, that spotting was normal. But I'm not really spotting it's pretty consistant but it's not a lot. I can't really explain it. I've attached some pictures because like I said before it's kinda scary.Sorry the pictures arent the most attractive. But I don't feel like it looks right and I've been reading your responses, so I sent them.
I really hope this lady didn't screw up. I'd hate to have to take it out...
Thank you for your time.
Hi there,
It isn't the bleeding that concerns me. This excerpt is from my book, The Piercing Bible:
What to Expect
Immediately after being pierced, some bleeding, swelling, and tenderness or pain are standard consequences. Bleeding may continue—usually intermittently—for a few days. Localized bruising is normal, though not typical for most piercings. Heavy blood flow or bleeding that continues for longer than a few days may be cause for concern,and you should contact your piercer or a physician. The placements that routinely bleed freely are discussed in chapters 10–13.
If a piercing bleeds or swells substantially right after the piercing, an ice pack should be applied as soon as possible. Prepared piercers keep disposable instant cold packs ready for use. They can be wrapped in a clean dental bib or paper towel to maintain hygiene. Occasionally, a piercing will swell so much that your piercer needs to swap out your jewelry for a larger piece before you leave the studio. An adept technician will use an insertion taper to change it for you without causing pain or trauma to the area. Internally threaded jewelry is safer and easier to deal with in these situations.
Piercings that bleed under the surface can leave a colorful bruise. Arnica montana (a natural herb) may help to diminish the discoloration. Arnica is available in cream or gel form at health food stores. Apply it on the bruise, but do not put it directly into the wound.4
More of concern is how close to the piercing is located to edge of your hood, and how long the jewelry is. Extra length is not only unnecessary when the piercing is placed properly, it is also dangerous. The bar should fit like the jewelry shown on this page.
The piercing should be as close as possible to the apex (deepest natural part) of your hood. My guess is that it is much closer to the edge of your hood than that.
I'd need to see where the piercing comes through on the underside of your hood to evaluate it thoroughly. But if it is as shallow as I think, and you want to have a properly placed piercing, you will need to remove that and let it heal, then have it redone. Chances are the piercer you visited can't be trusted to do it properly if she didn't know where to put it in the first place. Sorry....
If you intend to keep it, you should definitely get a shorter bar put in. Wearing overly long jewelry can cause irritation and delay or interrupt healing due to excessive trauma. It can also cause migration and rejection along with excess scarring. Note that if the piercing is not 3/8" or further from the edge of your hood, there's a much higher risk of the complications I mentioned, in addition to the danger of accidentally splitting your hood!
For quality body jewelry, I highly suggest Body Circle Designs. They have fantastic quality, a great selection, and amazing customer service.
