While piercing enthusiasts suggest that a piercing doesn’t feel like anything more than a tickle, a newbie might describe their piercing experience as horrid. If you’ve conducted your fair share of research on piercings, you would know that piercing pain is subjective.

Certain people have a higher threshold of pain, while others don’t. Also, certain piercings can be a little more painful than others. However, it’s the thought of a thick needle going through the skin and coming out of the other end that makes people anxious.

The truth is that you can expect to experience a pinchy feeling, in addition to slight pain during the piercing process, depending on your pain threshold. So, if this is the only reason that’s stopping you from getting a piercing, you need not worry! Here are a few ways to help minimize your piercing pain.

1. Desensitize the Piercing Area

There are many numbing methods that you can use to keep your piercing from hurting. You can use cold therapy; use an icepack or a pack of ice cubes to numb the piercing area. However, leaving on ice for too long can restrict your blood flow and damage your skin. So, make sure to discuss this with your piercer beforehand.

Another method to minimize your piercing pain is with numbing cream. You need to be very careful when using this method as numbing creams contain certain chemicals that can irritate your skin. So, you need to ensure that the cream is completely removed prior to the piercing.

2. Meditateor Use Breathing Tactics

Meditation and breathing techniques are quite effective at reducing stress and helping with pain and anger management. Meditation can calm you down and make you feel more in control of a situation. Meditating before getting a piercing will make your body feel less stressed and tensed, which will help both, you and your piercing specialist, have a smooth piercing experience. You can also focus on your breathing by maintaining a certain rhythm or counting the seconds between your breaths to shift your focus from the piercing stress.

3. Distract Yourself

Every individual has their own set of tactics they employ to keep stress at bay and remain distracted during tense situations. So, why not use some of those tactics to manage your piercing pain and stress? Play games on your phone, listen to some calm music or watch some funny videos to prevent yourself from wandering off in your fear zone. You can also bring your friend along to the piercer to give you some moral support and alleviate your piercing anxiety.

4. Vet Your Piercer Properly

A good piercing specialist can help alleviate most, if not all, of your piercing-related pain and anxiety. An expert piercer is extremely skilled, which means they can make the piercing process bearable and smooth for you. Make sure to vet your potential piercer by checking their credentials and reputation. Half of your anxiety will fade away just knowing that you’re in good hands.

Just Bite The Bullet!

When it comes to piercing, don’t think too much! Sometimes, it’s the overthinking that keeps us in a place of fear and prevents us from getting piercings. So, if you really do want to get a new piercing, just take the plunge.