From Kendall Jenner to Rihanna, Nipple Piercings Are Officially a Trend
Kendall Jenner admitted that she has her nipples pierced. (Photo: Splash News)
From Kendall and Kylie Jenner to Bella Hadid and Rihanna, it seems like every member of the it-girl club has a nipple piercing. “I was going through a period in my life, having a rough time, being a rebel and was like, ‘let’s just do it’” Kendall recently told Page Six. While the trend appears to be driven by celebs, a rise in sheer fabrics seems to further increase this upswing in body jewelry.
If you’re considering hopping on the trend, Jenner claims the pain factor isn’t horrible. “[I was] so terrified, I’m laying on the bed like, ‘why am I doing this,’” she said. “Everyone hyped it up and I thought it would be really, really bad.” If you’re considering the trend for yourself, here’s an expert’s advice on everything you need to know.
The first step is choosing a great piercer. “If you get sketchy vibes from the beginning, go somewhere else!” piercer Cassi Lopez of New York Adorned told Yahoo Beauty. Lopez is a stickler about going to a trusted source for your piercings. Adorned clients include stars like Rosie Huntington Whitely, Emma Stone, and Zoë Kravitz. It doesn’t take much experience to get a piercing license, so a good first order of business is to ask somebody whose piercings you like where they go. Taking your shirt off adds extra anxiety, so it’s important to find someone that makes you feel comfortable.
Kylie Jenner has her nipples pierced but the 17-year-old deleted the photo from her Instagram account after receiving backlash from her followers. (Photo: Instagram)
Despite Jenner’s claims, nipple piercings may have a major ouch factor. “[Pain] varies from person to person, but it can be pretty painful,” says Lopez. “It’s such a sensitive area to begin with!” Apparently the pain is mostly in your head, though. “Stay relaxed,” Lopez advises. “The more stressed you make yourself, the harder it is for everyone involved. Slow deep breaths are all you need.”
Bella Hadid is among the young stars with nipple piercings, and wore a sheer dress revealing the body jewelry on the red carpet. (Photo: Instagram)
Lopez says care is easy and fairly minimal. You may hear something different from your friend, the internet, and the girl who pierced your ears at Claire’s, but Lopez says to keep it simple. “People still have this idea that using alcohol or peroxide is good for aftercare, but that’s not the case,” she says. “A simple saline solution or homemade salt water soak will do the trick.” Your body’s cleaning mechanisms are pretty solid — you just have to help it out along the way by cleaning twice a day. Lopez says the healing process is different for everybody and can take between six and twelve months. That sounds like a long time, but don’t worry, it won’t hurt that whole time.
Things to watch out for: Mostly your clothes. “Always be careful of bras with lace, as they can sometimes snag on the jewelry,” says Lopez. Snagging puts the piercings at risk of infection, which means that your body is trying to reject the foreign object you’ve put in it.
Rihanna is no stranger to sheer get-ups, and this braless street style look was the first to reveal her pierced nipples. (Photo: Splash News)
Lopez says you can take the piercing out temporarily if needed or desired — but unless you’ve had the piercing for years, it will be very difficult to put back in. If you’re over your piercing, she says taking the jewelry out for good isn’t a problem. Scarring is minimal since professionals are sure to pierce thinly. If breastfeeding is a concern, she says it doesn’t need to be — breast milk comes out of more than one area, and the piercing will not manipulate that. As long as the jewelry comes out before the baby gets near it, there won’t be any problems. The post-piercing nipple is normal, and if you let it close, re-piercing shouldn’t be an issue unless there is substantial scar tissue. Lopez’s expert advice may reassure or dissuade you, but one thing’s for sure: Kendall Jenner owns it.
Related:
Kendall Jenner’s Beauty Evolution: From Braces to Supermodel
