I went into a body piercing shop the other day and was totally amazed by the vagina piercings! There seemed to be a lot of different ones. Which ones are the best for sex?-Might Get Metal
Baltimore, M.D.
That’s a great question. I just need to start with saying that they aren’t actually “vagina piercings.” The vagina is an internal canal that would be really difficult to pierce. What you’re talking about are external structure piercings – usually the vulva – which are generally lumped together under the term “female genital piercings.” And yes, female genital piercings are pretty awesome aesthetically (hottt!!) and have been known to increase sensitivity, thus enhancing sexual genital stimulation. But instead of just getting to the sex part (the important part, I know), we first need to know what the different piercings are and where to find them. I already have your attention – just go with it.
The most common female genital piercings are clitoral hood piercings (both vertical and horizontal), inner labia piercings and outer labia piercings. There are a number of other genital piercings that women get, but they are usually pretty rare and can pose greater risks (don’t worry, all will be explained).
For those not in the know, here’s a quick rundown of a piercing procedure. After the piercer (and you always want to go to a professional in a shop) cleans and sterilizes the skin, most mark the spot to pierce with a one-time-use marker or pen. After that, depending on the location of the piercing, the piercer clamps the skin with forceps to hold it taut or position a receiving tube to stop the needle after it gets though the desired skin. Then, they take an extremely sharp hollow needle and push it through the skin at the previously marked spot. Next, they carefully push the needle all the way through and follow it with the jewelry selected for the piercing. Depending on the jewelry, the piercer finishes up by snapping a bead in place or screwing on a ball. And voila! You now have a shiny new piece of metal in your body!
Let’s start with a quick, female anatomy lesson. The main external parts that make up the female genitalia are the clitoris and the vulva, which includes the labia majora (outer labia), labia minora (inner labia), prepuce (clitoral hood) and the openings to the vaginal canal and urethra. The clitoral hood does exactly what it sounds like it would. It hoods, or covers, the clitoris, protecting it from the elements, and retracts during arousal to expose more clitoral surface area. Attached underneath the hood and clitoris on both sides are hairless, thin skin folds called the inner labia, which help protect the vagina opening. Then, in Russian nesting doll fashion, the outer labia cover over and enclose the rest of the vulva. These hair-baring, thick-skinned “lips” are attached to the mons pubis, or public mound. Ok, so now that you know where everything is, here’s where the metal bits go!
Clitoral Hood Piercings
One of the most popular genital piercings for women, the hood can be pierced either vertically or horizontally. Both ways usually only require a single hole for the jewelry to pass through. While sometimes called “clit piercings,” clitoral hood piercings do not actually go through the clitoris, only through the skin of the hood. Horizontal hoods are often pierced about a quarter of an inch back from the tip, while vertical hoods have one end of the barbell (or ring) coming from under the hood and one coming out further up the shaft of the hood. In most cases a receiving tube is placed over the clitoris during the piercing to stop the needle from accidentally piercing it.
The most common types of jewlery used in this peircings are captive bead rings (CBR), barbells and curved barbells. In horizontal hood piercings, the bead of the CBR is meant to rest on the clit. With vertical, the bottom ball of the barbell touches the clit (though a CBR or barbell can be wore in either). Both of these provide lots of clit stimulation – constant clit stimulation – which for some is a great thing and for others is way too much. As with anything, it varies from woman to woman, depending on factors such as clitoral sensitivity and specific anatomical differences. Decrease in clitoral sensitivity has been known to happen, as the jewelry continously stimulates the clit.
Hood piercings can definitely be incorperated into and enhance sex. Even just gentley tapping or moving the jewlery at all can feel amazing on the clit. Moving it around with your tongue, licking it and sucking it – basically anything you’d do to a clit anyway – all give an added bonus. Plus, during penetrative sex, the clit rubs against the jewelry and gets hands-free stimulation. Hands-free! Just remember that the piercing must be fully healed before having any sexual activity or playing with it at all. Especially oral sex. I’m sure I don’t have to go into details about all the bacteria in the mouth. Just trust me on this one.
Labia Piercings
Inner labia are usually a single hole piercings, most commonly worn with CBRs. Done either freehand or with forcepts to keep the skin taunt, the tissue of inner labia is so thin that it’s usually fairly quick and easy to pierce, and even easier to heal. From personal experience, one thing to know is that inner labia piercings stretch very easily, depending on the weight of the jewelery. Your holes will get bigger over time, just from gravity. Definitely not a reason to not get them pierced, but something to think about if you’re looking to get pierced.
Outer labia piercings are basically the opposite of inner labia piercings. Since outer labia pirecings go through great deal more tissue, they take a little longer to do and are more difficult to heal. Single piercing as well, the outer labia jewelry goes through the inside of the labia and comes out through the outside with the ring circling the edge of the labia, or the one ball of the barbell on the outside and one on the inside.
Unlike hood piercings, labia piercings don’t hit the clit. That doesn’t necessarily mean they can’t increase sexual pleasure – just not usually by clitoral stimulation. Labia jewlery can be tugged and sucked and played with in all kinds of ways that can make a gal all hot n’ bothered. They can also be incorporated into scenes/senarios where piercings on either side of the vaginal opening are “locked” or joined together temporarily by a thrird piece of jewelry. Definitely makes for fun use of your shiny metal parts!
A quick look at some of the less common (read: rare) female genital piercings:
Triangle – Pierced under the clitoral shaft at the place where the inner labia and hood meet. Supposedly very stimulating as it hits the clitoral shaft in places that manual stimulation cannot. Risky to pierce, as hitting the clitoral shaft is very painful and can cause nerve damage.
Princess Alberta – Piercing goes through the urethra and exits at the top of the vaginal canal. As with all transurethral piercings, there is an increased risk of bladder infections.
Isabella – Piercing starts in-between the clitoris and the urethra and goes through the clitoral shaft and out through the top of the hood. There is a risk of nerve damage with this piercing.
Clit – The actual clit can be pierced as well. Risk of nerve damage and desensitization.
Desensitization and nerve damage are fairly rare occurances, but they have been known to happen, so talk with your piercer before you pierce anything and get make sure to get all the info. Again I stress: Go to a real piercer! A clean shop with knowledgable piercers that are willing to explain everything to you. Even if it costs more money. When it comes to the health and functioning of your genitals, it’s definitely cheaper to pay.
Thanks for the question!
J.D. Bauchery
Find out more about another type of piercing with How To Get & Use Tongue Rings:
