What are the Least Painful Piercings? Which Body Piercing Hurts the Least?
What are some of the least painful piercings?
Have you ever heard the old adage, “beauty is pain?” There’s certainly some truth to that, especially when it comes to body piercings.
As a body jewelry company, we’re well aware that part of being pierced and wearing piercing jewelry means having someone push a needle through your body. We’ve come to know and love that little bit of pain in a therapeutic way. But we know that needles (and pain in general) just aren’t a great fit for everyone!
Here’s some helpful info if you’re the kind of person who wants to test the waters before diving into some of the more advanced piercing types!
Pain is Personal
Although there is a general consensus about pain scale 1-10 in piercings, the true answer is that everyone’s experience of pain is completely different . For some, a piercing won’t hurt at all and will actually feel like a bit of a relief. Many people report the piercing tools (like a clamp) are actually more uncomfortable than the piercing itself. For others, a piercing might be one of the most painful pinches you have ever experienced.
The only way to know for sure is to experience it for yourself. You can rest easy knowing that, in almost all situations, the pain will last for only a few seconds.
Piercers use a special cannula needle that is specifically designed to pass through your body with minimal damage. This quick push, coupled with specialized and sterilized piercing equipment, can help to take away some of the trauma associated with getting pierced. Remember, a piercing is literally a puncture wound – wouldn’t you rather have a quick, professional poke from an experienced piercer?
Earlobes:
Pain level – Very Low
Widely accepted in just about every scenario, earlobe piercings are completely ingrained in society’s standards of beauty. Earrings come in all different shapes and sizes, and luckily, your lobes are one of the least painful places to pierce.
Since your ear lobes are fleshy and spongy, a piercer’s needle will pass through it with ease.
One exception to this rule is if you’ll be getting multiple ear piercings in a single session. As our body experiences pain stimuli, your brain is wired to tell you to get away from whatever is causing you that discomfort. In a scenario where you are getting a bunch of piercings at once, your ear piercing experience may start to hurt more and more with each individual piercing.
They come in at the lowest on the pain scale, perfect for piercing newbies and just fine for people who want the look of a piercing while still maintaining that “professional” vibe.
Note: Stretched ears are a completely different piercing experience that start with a typical ear piercing and gradually stretch the lobe using plugs or tapers. This is also a relatively painless process – for a healthy ear stretching experience, you should not feel any pain while sizing up!
For more on healthy ear stretching, check out this blog!
Navel
Pain Level: Low
Belly button piercings might seem intimidating. After all, your navel and the surrounding area is a pretty sensitive place for most people. The skin there seems so thick – wouldn’t that add a few numbers to the piercing pain scale?
Actually, most individuals report that a belly piercing is more of a pressure-based sensation as opposed to a harsh and painful prick. Belly button rings are incredibly popular and timeless – plus, they can be hidden at work/school by just about any outfit.
Like your lobes, your navel is very fleshy and spongy with great blood flow, making a bellybutton ring a perfect experience for piercing newbies.
Septum
Pain Level: Low
There are actually two different types of septum piercing, so this one comes with a slight caveat.
Most individuals are born with a small strip of skin that separates the lower nose cartilage from the cartilage in the middle of your nose. Grab the middle of your nose and feel an inch or so up – do you feel the separation? That’s called your “columella,” and it’s an amazing spot to get a piercing.
Assuming you have a columella, a septum piercing will almost assuredly be a quick and easy-going experience. You might feel a quick pinch, the sensation that you are going to sneeze, or experience some watering of the eyes. There’s no cartilage in your columella, so healing your septum piercing should be relatively simple.
If you do not have a columella (or you are pierced incorrectly), your septum piercing will be performed through the cartilage of your nose. This will be significantly more painful and will take much longer to heal.
Tell us all about your piercing experience in the comments below!
Which of your piercings was least painful for you? Do you think we missed a “least painful” piercing in this blog? You can even tell us about your MOST painful piercings (or check out our blog on Which Body Piercing Hurts the Most)!
We’d love to hear all about your piercing experiences at the piercing studio. Leave a comment below and let us know what you think!
I’ve become addicted to peircings, my least painful one was my navel I’ve gotten it done twice and haven’t felt a thing! My next would be my industrial. My cartilage was for sure the most painful because it was done with a gun, big shame I know.
Madison Blalock on August 11, 2021
Navel piercing is the lowest pain for the highest reward. Private and sensual, a piercing in this location allows for so many adornment options with zero professional repercussions. It’s easy. No reason NOT to do it.
Kim on August 03, 2021
Jennifer L Burns on August 03, 2021
In my experience, my eyebrow piercing was one of my least painful piercings. I mostly felt the clamp, and that didn’t hurt, but I never felt the needle at all.
Jen Cole on August 03, 2021
I got my nipples pierced in July 2020. The first one hurt a reasonable amount for piercing in a sensitive area. But the second one, done one the same day, was a lot more painful than the first. I was very surprised but I’m definitely happy with the result. 🤩