Nape Piercing

Body piercing is no longer restricted to the ear and nose piercing, rather people in today's times are experimenting with different types of body piercings including navel piercing, facial piercings, collarbone piercing, etc. However, these types of body piercings are not accepted in professional and educational circles and hence, many people struggle to hide their piercings. Nevertheless, there is a piercing that has come up in the recent times, which one can show off as well as hide, when required. This unique piercing is called piercing of nape and can be done anywhere under the hairline. There are people who believe that these piercings are risky and can damage the nerve or the spinal cord. However, this is untrue as this is a surface piercing where the needle is inserted just underneath the surface of the skin and does not go anywhere near the nerves. Nevertheless, this piercing should be done by a piercer who is an expert in surface piercers because if these piercings are not done in the correct manner, it can lead to migration or may be rejection. So, if you are planning to get your nape pierced, here are some things that you ought to know.

Piercing Information

The first rule that you have to remember is that you should get it done only from a piercer who is an expert in surface piercings. When you go to a piercing studio, ask the piercer for a list of clients who have done this piercing. Contact them and ask about their experiences of getting the piercing done and also whether the piercing migrated. Once you have researched well about the piercer and the studio, you can decide on the place you want to get your nape pierced. The piercing price will not be the same in every city. There are a variety of things that will decide the price of the piercing including the location of the studio, the experience of the piercer and the type of jewelry you choose for the piercing.

Procedure
When you go to the piercing studio to get your nape pierced, the piercer will ask your for identity card. You will also have to sign some papers before the actual piercing. Once all the formalities are done, the piercer will take you to the piercing room and ask you to lay face down. Then, he will clean the nape of your neck with a disinfectant like an alcohol swab or an antiseptic. Once this is done, he will mark the area where you want the piercing to be done. He will ask you to squeeze your shoulders together and will clamp the skin that buckles in between the shoulder blade. When this is done, he will ask you to take a deep breath and then, insert the needle from one area and take it out from the other. After the needle is taken out, the piercer will immediately fasten a barbell into the pierced area. Though most people think that it would pain a lot when doing this type of piercing, people who have done it have said that the piercing pain is not very severe.

Piercing Jewelry
The jewelry that has to be used for surface piercing is different from the normal piercings. This is because if the correct type of jewelry is not used, the chances of risks like migration as well as rejection are very high. This jewelry that should be used should be a barbell that has the shape of a stapler. The material used for the jewelry should be a flexible one like teflon or tygon, though titanium jewelry would also do. The jewelry used during piercing should be a bigger one, preferably a 1.6 mm gauze. This is because during the healing period, the pierced area is likely to swell and a bigger jewelry would give space for it to heal properly. Once the piercing is completely healed, the piercer will change the jewelry into a smaller one.

Aftercare
This piercing takes at least 8 weeks to completely heal and during this time, it is important to follow the aftercare instructions given by the piercer very carefully. It can also be a little difficult for you to clean the piercing as you cannot see it properly. If you face a similar problem, you can ask your friend or a family member to do it for you. Just like all other type of piercings, the first step for speedy healing is cleaning the piercing and keeping it free from bacteria. Most body piercers will recommend to cleaning of piercing with sea salt soaks everyday. For this, take ¼ teaspoon of sea salt and mix it with 8 ounces of water. Dip cotton balls into this solution and soak the piercing in it for five minutes. This has to be repeated at least 2 times in a day till the piercing is fully healed. Apart from this, you also have to keep in mind certain precautionary steps to ensure that the piercing area is safe from infection. Make sure that your hair does not get entangled in the piercing. It is also important to avoid sleeping on your back during the healing process.

Though this piercing is quite stylish and unique, not getting it done by a professional artist can be a little dangerous. So, if you want to enjoy your piercing for a long time, make sure that you go to a surface piercing expert and follow the aftercare instructions that he gives religiously.