Sorry, bumping this shit because I totes got this shit done. And I know before I got my piercings I really wanted a lot of information so I figured one more post couldn't hurt.
Everyone told me that one side would hurt less. Two friends got in to an argument about it (The first one hurts less because you aren't expecting it; the first one hurts more because you are expecting it, to ad nauseum). I found that both sides hurt equally. On the second side I felt the clamp a little less but in all it was the same.
As for pain levels, where 10 is the agony of a sinner burning in the lake of fire, I would say my nipples were each a 1.5 (For me, easy needle play is about a 1.2 and the harshest beating I've ever had I would perhaps rank a 4, and that was fairly hard. What I'm saying is that in the moment it stings, but in the greater scheme of things it's nothing).
Before I had them done I had an older woman friend tell a story of her piercing. She said she was screaming in pain and could only get one done, so I was very nervous. But honestly it did not hurt that much for me... it felt a lot like an ear piercing, just over a larger area and with more fiddling about afterwords.
The man who did them warned me it would have a burning sensation. I didn't understand what he meant, because when it happened it was just a piercing sensation, but afterwords they definitely burned. I took a Vicodin for the first day but I'm sure after this I'll just need some asprin and TLC.
DO NOT clean your shit with dial, cotton balls, twist the balls a lot, or just fuck with your piercings in general.
I was told to clean the piercings with antibacterial soap like Dial and a Q-tip to clean off the gunk beforehand.
From what I've read, most people have different opinions about how to deal with cleaning piercings, and this is valid, because every body is different and will respond differently to different things. (different). I've heard everything from LITHA (leave it the hell alone) to saltwater to dish soap. I would say, unless you're experienced and have something that works, go with what your piercer recommends. That way if there is a problem and you're asked how you took care of it, you can say that you followed their recommendations.
I will say though that I definitely do not recommend fucking with piercings in general. I was told to clean them twice a day and I doubt I will touch them any more than that for as long as possible.
Also, this is probably common sense, but clear your schedule for your piercing! I got my navel done at the same time and I didn't feel it
at all after it was done, so I could go shopping, chill with friends, whatever. But with the nipples, because they hurt, you will probably want the opportunity to sit down and relax for the rest of the day. Even going to Target after for soap to clean them with was a horrible experience.
(As for where to get it done, I just went down to a popular tattoo place downtown that a lot of people go to. I paid $25 for each piercing I got, so to do both nipples it would be $50 total. This place is often highly recommended so unless you go somewhere super chic it probably won't be more than that)
Tl;dr: If you really want the piercings, do it. Even if the pain is bad for you (and it wasn't for me), it only lasts for about 120 seconds if your piercer is working quickly. A few pain pills before or after will fix you right up.
but i love how it looks and I'm happy I did it. go for it, just take good care of it!!
