Here's an email I received from a woman who was experiencing a problem because the jewelry that was placed in her VCH piercing was too short:
Hi there, I've contacted my piercer too, but I'm looking for some guidance and hoping you can help. I had my VCH pierced a week ago. It was initially healing very nicely with no issues. However, when I had it pierced, I was told that my hood was very long and he probably could have used a longer barbell (I have a straight barbell in now). This morning when I was cleaning it in the shower, I noticed that it was uncomfortable and found out that the bottom ball on the barbell has retreated into the piercing hole. I tried to manually push it back through but it is stuck and very uncomfortable. What should I do? Will my piercer be able to remove the jewelry and hopefully put a longer barbell in? I'm worried that it's healing around the ball and will be very difficult to remove. Thank you for any help you can give, Amanda
Amanda, Go see your piercer immediately! You MUST have a longer bar put in ASAP! If you allow jewelry that is too small to remain in place then it is likely to end up embedded. As the ball sinks in, your tissue grows around it, and soon you'll need the assistance of a doctor to remove the embedded jewelry by making an incision or two near it! Wearing ill-fitting jewelry is dangerous, especially when a piercing is so new. A curved bar gives you the advantage of some extra space without adding extra length--I usually start VCH piercings with them. This excerpt from The Piercing Bible explains proper VCH placement and jewelry:
Traditional placement for the VCH is at the apex (the deepest part) underneath the hood, along the midline. The piercing should be situated 3/8 to 1/2 inch up from the edge of the hood. The jewelry has the appearance of passing through the whole length of tissue from the piercing to the bottom of the hood. However, because of the tunnel shape, only a small amount of skin is pierced, and most of the jewelry simply rests under the hood against the clitoris. I can usually see through this thin flesh during the piercing. On the deepest of hoods, the piercing may be placed lower than the apex to moderate the jewelry size. If you have a deep hood but don’t care to add much sensation, you might want to have the piercing placed a few millimeters below the apex. Most frequently, I put a curved bar in a fresh VCH piercing. This style helps to minimize friction and prevent irritation during healing, especially if you are built with a hill. The curve allows the jewelry to rest a little closer to the clitoris and provides a small amount of extra room without added length. If you prefer a little less stimulation, you can use a straight barbell. If you are seeking maximum sensation or have a recessed clitoris, then a J-curve is a good option. The shaped post underneath your hood increases contact between the jewelry and your clitoris. If you have a deep valley, the ring and bar are both suitable styles for initial jewelry.
Let me know what happens. Elayne
