On the count of three, say "ouch!"

January 26, 2010 9:58 PM

Several questions about getting female delicate parts pierced, especially in San Francisco. NSFW, naturally.

I've decided to get a Princess Diana or VCH, depending on which of these a knowledgeable piercer recommends. Being rather fond of my clit hood, I'd like this to be done by someone who's done this successfully a bazillion times or so. Approximately.

(I get that it's one of the easier genital piercings, heals fast, etc. It's still close to a heck of a lot of nerve endings waiting to be damaged if done poorly. Humor the newbie.)

1. What are some ways to find a really excellent genital piercer? The circle of friends has already been consulted, and hasn't turned up even friends-of-friends who've had a piercing south of the belly button.
2. Anyone got a perfect candidate to suggest in San Francisco?
3. What is an appropriate tip for one's genital piercer? Seems like something above standard might be called for.

posted by nakedcodemonkey to Health & Fitness (5 answers total)

You could probably do it at home and not injure anything else (don't actually do this). The real issue with a clit hood piercing is getting it straight. You do want someone with a lot of experience. They should also be able to tell you if you just aren't built right for it, lots of people aren't.

The place to go for reviews and tips on this kind of thing is bmezine. (NSFW). Seriously - they know everything.
posted by crabintheocean at 10:08 PM on January 26, 2010 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Body Manipulations is awesome. All of our family's piercing work is done there (right down to my daughter's basic ear piercing, which they took an honest half hour to get just right) and we've always been happy with the people, process, and facility. They can and will consult with you before doing any work, and will give you a very good idea of what to expect during and after the procedure.

As far as tip goes, I've always left $20.
posted by majick at 5:21 AM on January 27, 2010

Crabintheocean beat me to the bmezine recommendation. I'd add that in addition to straightness and is-your-body-suitable, an ideal piercer will have a good eye for what gauge, type, and size of jewelry will suit you in terms of function and aesthetics.

And like majick, I've always used $20 for the tip.
posted by Forktine at 5:59 AM on January 27, 2010

I second Body M. The nice folks there have done almost all of my piercings (although I don't have the ones you're interested in). They are the gold standard for piercing in San Francisco and have pierced any body part you can think of piercing. They've also been helpful with answering questions, ordering jewelry, and making good suggestions about piercing.

I would also second a tip in the $20 range.
posted by gingerbeer at 3:14 PM on January 27, 2010

Linkage in case anyone else is wondering what a Princess Diana is. (NSFW, of course.)
posted by MikeHarris at 5:46 PM on January 28, 2010