As piercing in general has become more mainstream, so has the piercing of people's naughty bits.
Today there are a myriad of ways you can pierce either your nipples or genitals in order to create a sexier aesthetic and increase the amount of sensation you receive in your most erogenous zones (and the sensations you give to others).
It used to be that erotic piercings were only popular with punks and the S&M community but Daryl Nicholson, a piercer at New Tribe Tattoo and Piercing in Toronto says that nowadays, the seemingly most unlikely people come to get their genitals and nipples pierced.
"Its all ages, all types, there is a really diverse group of people that want these piercings," he says.
Out of the Ordinary
When Alicia Green* first heard another woman discussing her clitoral hood piercing she was initially horrified at the idea. "She kept telling me how fabulous it was and I just couldn't believe it," says Green. "But my mind started wandering and I asked her a million questions; four months later my curiosity overpowered my fear of needles and I went to get it done."
Getting her clitoral hood pierced "Hurt like a son of a bitch for a few minutes" but healed in three weeks and has given Green tons of pleasure both physically and mentally. The majority of genital piercings do heal very quickly. A clitoral hood piercing can be completely healed in six weeks. This is thanks to the increased blood flow in one's nether regions. Most piercings anywhere on the body will heal within 2-3 months, though sometimes the process can take up to a year if there are factors such as ill health or other problems.
New Sensations
Knowing that she has a secret hidden in her undies is pretty thrilling for Green. "I am one of those people one would look at and never consider that I have hardware between my legs," she says.
Piercer Nicholson says that although plenty of 18-year-olds do come to get erotic piercings, it's often the types you'd never expect, such as the 40-year-old-men in business suits who come to get both nipples pierced or older women looking to add a little zing to their marriages.
Having her naughty piercing means that Green finds unexpected pleasure in the most mundane things, such as riding a bike or climbing stairs (especially if the bead on her clit ring is in the right place). "Not warning a partner prior to that first naked exploration can be pretty amusing," she says. "I love that look of shock when they find the X that marks the spot."