What to Know Before Getting Your Hood Pierced

You know that feeling you get when you wear your sexiest bra and panties that match perfectly? This is the set with velvet or lace trim, maybe some pearls or metal embellishments that make you hold your head up extra high as you walk past countless people who have no idea what’s hiding under your heavy sweater. Well, that’s basically the feeling you have when you get your “hood” pierced, which refers to a clitoral hood piercing on a vulva. Those who are brave enough to drop their panties and get this piercing typically agree there is something special about inserting a sparkling piece of metal through your private parts – it’s definitely a unique situation. If you’re curious about taking the plunge and getting your clitoral hood pierced, you might want to consider these five things first. 

Unlike an ear piercing, you definitely can’t get this hood piercing at your local Claire’s. Look into your local professional piercing studios to see if their site offers genital piercings, or call the studio to see what may be available. According to Healthline, most procedures range in cost around $50-$100. Though, this cost excludes tips for your piercing professional, additional jewelry, cleaning supplies, and beyond. Here are the main things you should know before heading to your nearby piercing studio.

1. There are several placement options.

With a typical piercing, you usually walk in knowing exactly where you want your piercing to go. With a genital piercing, it’s a bit different. There are many different options you’ll be able to choose from, some even with added ~benefits~. The most popular is the vertical clitoral hood (VCH) piercing, which involves a slightly curved bar being put directly through the skin covering the clitoris.

This placement heightens sexual pleasure since the jewelry will rub just the right spot with any sort of stimulation. The other options include piercing the horizontal clitoral hood (HCH), triangle, inner labia, outer labia, fourchette, Princess Diana, Christina, clitoral glans, and Princess Albertina piercings — your piercer can show you exactly where each of these piercings would go. Basically, you have tons of options for how you want to bejewel your lady parts. 

2. Not everyone can Get Their Hood pierced.

Being able to get any of the above-mentioned genital piercings is all dependent upon your individual physical anatomy. As awkward as it might sound, you’ll need a professional to examine you to determine whether you are a good candidate for any of the locations. Some 95% of people with vulvas actually aren’t suitable for a hood piercing. Sometimes it’s due to a lack of tissue or pliability in the required places, while other reasons are simply because your anatomy is different and might cause discomfort instead of pleasure, which is something you definitely want to avoid. This is nothing to be nervous about though, as long as you find a professional you trust to help you properly make the important decision regarding placement. 

3. Getting Your Hood Pierced is quick, but painful.

The actual piercing process tends to be one of the biggest factors that deters most people from getting any sort of piercing. If you walk into a piercing shop to get your genitalia pierced, you can expect to feel like you’re at an appointment with your gyno since your pants are off and your feet are up in stirrups. However, instead of having your usual doctor, you’ll have someone who’s most likely a stranger staring right between your legs while holding a giant needle. Yikes.

According to those who have followed through with piercing their hoods, a distinct sharp pain will definitely occur as they slip the needle through the tissue – ouch. However, the intense pain will subside as soon as they swap in the jewelry, leaving you feeling a bit sore and uncomfortable now that you have a piece of metal near your clit. 

4. The healing process is incredibly important.

Taking care of your new bejeweled lady parts is the most important part of this entire process. You’ll likely bleed for the first few days as your clothing rubs against the jewelry, but as long as you’re cleaning the area as your piercing professional suggests, you should be mostly healed in two to six weeks, and entirely healed a few months later. Since the piercing will be in such a sensitive area that you likely clean regularly, this part of the process shouldn’t be too hard! However, be extremely cautious of any irregular signs of infection. 

5. It will affect your sex life.

Regardless of which type of piercing you choose, it will affect your sex life — especially at the beginning. Most piercing professionals suggest not having sex until the piercing is healed and to ensure the area is kept completely clean throughout the process. To be on the safe side, you might want to wait until your piercing is healed before jumping into having sex. Once you do begin having sex again, many piercing professionals advise being cautious about certain positions that may cause constant rubbing on the piercing, as the area will still be a bit sensitive.

If you choose a piercing location that is known to increase clitoral stimulation (like the VCH), then your sex life will (hopefully) change for the better after healing is complete. Many people say the placement and pressure of the jewelry will cause a constant stimulation of the clitoris, which will definitely help with your orgasms. Some even say the jewelry acts as a nice big billboard to advertise exactly ~where~ your clitoris is, ensuring your partner will definitely be able to find it from now on. 

Piercing your genitals can sound pretty intimidating, but it might just be worth it. If you’re interested but still a bit hesitant, talk it over with a professional to see if you’re a suitable fit for the placement you’re looking for, and then go from there.

• clitoris
• hood
• piercing
• piercing care
• Vulva