Dick Piercing, Everything You Need to Know about Piercing the Penis

Genital piercings for male anatomy—i.e. the notorious dick piercing—come in a wide variety of options. If you’re rockin’ male anatomy and are considering all your options—aside from the infamous Prince Albert piercing—look no further. Here’s the blog you need to learn about all your male genital piercing options.

TYPES OF MALE GENITAL PIERCINGS

Ah, the classic dick piercing. For some, a pierced penis is a happy penis. As we’ve said, you’ve got more dick-piercing options than you might’ve thought possible. So if you’re in the market for one, let’s find the penis piercing that’s right for you. Here’s the rundown:

PIERCINGS FOR THE HEAD OF THE PENIS

The head of your penis is known as the glans penis or glans for short. There are three glans piercing options that folks with circumcised male anatomy can get, and a fourth option for uncircumcised penises.

Dydoe Piercings

These bad boys go through the top ridge of your penis head (glans), running parallel to the penile shaft.

Once in place, a dydoe piercing looks something like this: a sleek straight barbell, its front ball perched on top of your penis head, while the back ball cozies up against your upper shaft. It’s a piercing that makes a bold statement for sure.

Dydoe piercings often come in pairs, spaced just right for that symmetrical look. But hey, if you’re feeling solo, there’s no rule against opting for just one. And for those with ample girth, why stop at a pair? You can go all out and deck your glans with several if the width of your penis head permits.

PROS of Dydoe Piercings:

• Dydoe piercings are one of the less painful male genital piercings to get.
• Their position makes them sexually stimulating for partners, particularly for partners with female anatomy!

CONS of Dydoe Piercings:

• Dydoe piercings are technically surface piercings. Consequently, they’re more prone to migration and rejection than piercings that go straight through the penis, like apadravya piercings. However, if your piercer places your dydoe piercing(s) as deeply as possible AND uses heavier-gauge jewelry, you won’t have to worry about migration/rejection as much.
• Short straight barbells are the only style of body jewelry that works well for dydoe piercings. So, if you like variety in your body jewelry, this may not be the dick piercing for you.
• Like almost all male genital piercings, dydoe piercings won’t enhance sexual pleasure for the wearer. However, dydoe piercings can be sexually stimulating in a psychological way, especially if your dydoe piercings are a turn-on for your partner and they enjoy the feeling of them during intercourse (see the pros section).
• Dydoe piercings take 2 to 3 months to heal and require MUCH care. During that time, you can’t have sex, masturbate, play with your jewelry, or come in contact with others’ bodily fluids.

Ampallang Piercings

Ampallang piercings are another bold choice that go straight through the penis head (glans) horizontally. The barbell balls sit on the left and right sides of the head of your penis after this piercing is placed.

PROS of Ampallang Piercings:

• This piercing can be sexually stimulating for partners, but only in certain sexual positions. If your partner has a vagina, sideways sexual positions could put one of the balls in contact with their G-spot. Additionally, wearing half-balls on your ampallang barbell can make sex more comfortable in any sexual position.

CONS of Ampallang Piercings:

• The ampallang piercing is one of the most painful male genital piercings to get. If you really want one, you may want to ask your piercer to apply a topical anesthetic like Derma Numb 20-30 minutes before piercing you to take the edge off the pain.
• Jewelry options are limited for these piercings. They’re typically done with a straight barbell with balls on the ends, but you could add half-balls in lieu of regular balls. You could also try wearing a D-ring in this piercing once it’s fully healed, but most folks stick to straight barbells.
• This can be an uncomfortable piercing for partners during sex—particularly with a person who has female anatomy. In missionary and doggy-style positions, the barbell balls can rub vaginal side walls in a potentially uncomfortable way and may cause tearing of delicate tissues.
• Ampallang piercings take longer to heal than most other male genital piercings. You’ll be out of commission sexually for 4 to 6 months (or more).

Apadravya Piercings

The opposite of the ampallang, apadravya piercings go straight through the head of your penis (glans) vertically. The ball of the barbell sits centered atop the glans and the opposing ball is centered beneath the glans.

PROS of Apadravya Piercings:

• Apadravya piercings can be very sexually stimulating for partners with female anatomy. That’s because the barbell balls can rub against a vaginal G-spot in common sexual positions like missionary and doggy style.

CONS of Apadravya Piercings:

• Like ampallang piercings, apadravya piercings are one of the most painful male genital piercings to get. Applying topical anesthetic applied before getting an apadravya piercing can help with the pain.
• Your jewelry options are limited. Straight barbells are the only good option for this piercing. You can choose between regular balls and half-balls.
• Ampallang piercings take longer to heal than most other male genital piercing. You’ll be out of commission sexually for 4 to 6 months (or more).

Kuno Piercings

Uncircumcised? This is the dick piercing for you. Kuno piercings are foreskin piercings, which is why this option is only available to folks with uncircumcised penises. They can be placed through any point of the top rim of the foreskin.

PROS of Kuno Piercings:

• When an uncircumcised penis is aroused, the kuno piercing ring sits just below the glans and may titillate partners during sex like the way a frenum piercing would.
• On average, most Kuno piercings heal in just 8 weeks. However, it can take as little as 6 weeks for some and as many as 12 weeks for others to fully heal.

CONS of Kuno Piercings:

• Foreskin piercings are surface piercings, so they’re more prone to migration and rejection than some other male genital piercings. Wearing a heavier-gauge ring and getting pierced at least 1/4″ or more below the edge of the rim of the foreskin will help you avoid these potential issues.
• Jewelry options for kuno piercings are typically limited to rings. However, you can choose from captive bead rings, segment rings, and seamless rings in various styles.

PENILE SHAFT PIERCINGS

There are seven types of penile shaft piercings to choose from. They fall into three groupings: frenum piercings, Prince Albert piercings, and dolphin piercings.

Frenum Piercings

Traditional frenum piercings typically run horizontally beneath the penile shaft. But if you’re feeling adventurous, why not opt for dorsal frenum piercings along the top of the shaft rather than the underside? It’s a bold choice that can add an extra edge.

Now, let’s talk placement. Some folks prefer a single dick piercing near their penis head for versatility. It allows them to wear straight barbells or D-rings. But if you’re craving more, why stop at one frenum piercing? Enter Jacob’s ladder, a series of frenum piercings stacked in a row (like a ladder). It gives you the same kind of personalization that a stacked earlobe does… except it’s on your penis. The Jacob’s ladder is always an option. It’s something you can build gradually over time as your penis piercings heal.

Another alternative frenum piercing option is the lorum piercing. It’s technically the rebel cousin of frenum piercings, residing at the base where the shaft meets the scrotum. It’s a unique twist that can even serve as the foundation for an alternative Jacob’s ladder underneath. And when it comes to body jewelry, circular barbells, and captive rings reign supreme for the lornum piercing.

PROS of Frenum Piercings:

• Frenum piercings can be very stimulating for partners with any genitals during sex. They give the penis a ribbed feeling that’s amplified by each frenum piercing you add to your collection.
• VERSATILITY! You have many placement options when you choose to get a frenum piercing. You can even pierce the sides of the shaft if you’re feeling extra daring. Plus, you’ve got more jewelry options with this type of piercing than with most other male genital piercings. You can wear circular barbells, captive rings (which include seamless rings, segment rings, D-rings, and traditional captive bead rings), straight barbells, or even bent barbells in your frenum piercings.
• Extra stimulation anyone? If you get a frenum piercing just below the head of your penis, you can wear a D-ring in it and loop the D-Ring over your dick head. When you do that, a D-ring acts somewhat like a cock ring, trapping blood in the head of the penis and keeping it engorged.

CONS of Frenum Piercings:

• Frenum piercings are surface piercings, so they’re more prone to migration and rejection than some other male genital piercings. You can minimize the chances of rejection by asking your piercer to place your frenum piercings as deeply below the skin as possible and wearing heavier-gauge jewelry.
• Although most partners find frenum piercings to be sexually stimulating, they aren’t for everyone. It’s not a bad idea to start with just one and make sure your partner likes the way it feels before stackin’ that Jacob’s Ladder.
• Traditional frenum piercings, dorsal frenum piercings, and Jacob’s ladders take anywhere from 4 to 6 months to heal, during which time you have to avoid all forms of sex (that means no masturbation, either, folks). Lorum piercings are the exception, taking just 2 to 3 months to heal.

Prince Albert Piercings

When it comes to daring genital piercings, Prince Albert reigns supreme—the one that immediately springs to mind for many. But here’s the scoop: despite how it may appear, this dick piercing doesn’t target the glans.

A traditional Prince Albert is a shaft piercing that snakes its way below the head of your penis, right along the underside. But be warned, this one’s not for the faint-hearted. During the piercing procedure, the needle has to puncture your urethra, requiring some serious precision and perhaps even a needle pusher for that extra leverage. Once the deed is done, your piercer typically threads a curved barbell through the urethra, emerging triumphantly from the tip of the glans (in layman’s terms… your penis hole). It’s a dick piercing that demands courage for sure.

Bent barbells are ideal starter jewelry for PA piercings because of the curved path of this piercing, but you can also wear a circular barbell, captive ring, or PA wand in your Prince Albert piercing. However, wait for your piercing to fully heal before you opt for any jewelry that isn’t a bent barbell. Some people prefer to get Reverse Prince Albert piercings, where the urethra is punctured from the top of the penile shaft instead of the underside. This position can be more sexually stimulating for partners who have female anatomy during sex.

PROs of Prince Albert Piercings:

• Both PA piercings and reverse PA piercings can be very sexually stimulating for partners during sex. However, standard PA piercings are more stimulating during doggy-style sex while reverse PA piercings are more stimulating in missionary for partners with female anatomy.
• There are several jewelry options for PA piercings. You can wear a bent barbell, a circular barbell, captive ring, or a Prince Albert wand in your PA or reverse PA piercing.
• PA piercings heal more quickly than many other male genital piercings, usually in just 4–6 weeks.

CONS of Prince Albert Piercings:

• Partners tend to either love or hate this classic dick piercing. If your partner can’t stand having sex when you’re wearing PA jewelry, you can try wearing a condom to ease them into it. You can also try other jewelry to see what is most comfortable for your partner… OR you can remove your jewelry altogether during sex.
• WARNING: piercing your urethra can be extremely painful, but it’s a momentary, fleeting pain. Ask your piercing to apply a topical anesthetic before your PA procedure.
• Peeing can be a challenge. Some people have to pee sitting down for a while after getting pierced until they learn to better manage their flow.

Dolphin Piercings

The dolphin piercing is only possible if you already have a well-healed PA piercing. Dolphin piercings are done on the underside of the penile shaft and connect to a PA piercing hole. So if you already have a Prince Albert piercing and you’re looking for more zest… buckle up! For a dolphin piercing, your piercer will puncture your urethra in a second spot that’s roughly 5/8″ below your PA piercing hole. They will then thread a bent barbell up into the new hole, through your urethra, and out through your PA piercing hole.

If wearing a bent barbell in your dolphin piercing is uncomfortable during the healing process, you can ask your piercer to replace it with a longer bent barbell that stretches far enough to exit through your urethral opening instead of your PA hole. A longer bent barbell will have a gentler curve and puts less pressure on your piercing.

PROS of Dolphin Piercings:

• Dolphin piercings can be very sexually stimulating for partners during sex.
• Partners who dislike PA piercings usually find dolphin piercings to be a more enjoyable alternative. Getting one gives you a way to keep your PA piercing hole while keeping your current partner satisfied sexually. There are even PA wands with two posts that you can wear in dolphin piercings (like the one shown to the right) that your partner may enjoy more than your original PA jewelry.
• Dolphin piercings heal relatively quickly, usually in just 4 to 8 weeks. The reason it can take a little longer for a dolphin piercing to heal than a PA piercing is that the tissue further down the penile shaft tends to be a bit thicker than it is where a traditional PA piercing is placed. Sometimes they’ll heal in the same amount of time, though.

CONS of Dolphin Piercings:

• You can only get a dolphin piercing if you already have a traditional, well-healed PA piercing.
• They may take longer to heal than PA piercings, but usually not by more than 2 extra weeks.
• With a dolphin piercing, you’re limited to wearing a bent barbell. Other styles of jewelry don’t typically work well in these piercings.

SCROTAL PIERCINGS

This one’s for the balls. Scrotal piercings, also known as hafada piercings, are surface piercings for the scrotum. You can get one or several, or even a row to create a scrotal ladder. As with pubic piercings, scrotal piercings don’t give much physical sexual value. But they can be sexually stimulating in a psychological way.

PROS of Hafada Piercings:

• Hafada piercings can be placed anywhere on the scrotum, and you can get as few or as many as you want.
• You can wear captive rings, circular barbells, micro straight barbells, or bent barbells in scrotum piercings. Depending on where you get a scrotal piercing, bent barbells may be the ideal jewelry to wear, since they’ll hug the curves of your scrotum.
• Many report that scrotal piercings are often less painful than dick piercings.

PROS of Hafada Piercings:

• You can have hafada piercings anywhere on the scrotum, and you can get as few or as many as you want.
• You can wear captive rings, circular barbells, micro straight barbells, or bent barbells in scrotum piercings. Depending on where you get a scrotal piercing, bent barbells may be the ideal jewelry to wear, since they’ll hug the curves of your scrotum.
• Many report that scrotal piercings are often less painful than dick piercings.

CONS of Hafada Piercings:

• Hafada piercings are surface piercings so they can be more prone to migration or rejection. If your piercer pierces you as deeply as possible and avoids fine-gauge jewelry, it’ll reduce your chances of migration/rejection.
• Scrotal piercings have no physical sexual benefits for the wearer or sexual partners. HOWEVER, they can be sexually stimulating in a psychological way.
• These piercings take an average of 2–3 months to heal, but if you’re careful, you don’t necessarily need to abstain from all sexual activity.

REMEMBER TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR DICK PIERCING

It goes without saying, this is a highly sensitive part of your body. You’ll want to practice rigid, strict, and thoughtful aftercare. You’ll also want to listen to your professional piercer’s instructions after your new penis piercing to make sure it heals properly. If you feel any abnormal discomfort, talk to your piercer or your primary care physician.

When you take care of your penis or scrotal piercing, you’ll find they can be sexually stimulating, aesthetically pleasing, and all-around fun! While they’re not for the faint of heart, dick piercings certainly have their pros. Check out everything you need to know about piercings for female genitals here.