Genital piercings (namely dick piercings and clit piercings) have become radically popular in recent years. Prince Albert Piercings (AKA PA piercings) happen to top the list of most popular dick piercings. This piercing is popular for aesthetic and sexual reasons alike—but how do you know it’s the right piercing for you?
If you’re considering getting a Prince Albert piercing, or if you’re just curious about them, this blog’s for you. We’re covering everything you need to know about the Prince Albert piercing and how it works.
WHAT IS A PRINCE ALBERT PIERCING?
The Prince Albert Piercing is a penis piercing that isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s traditionally placed through the underside of the shaft, towards the head of the penis. If you get one, your piercer will pass a piercing needle through your urethra, followed by the PA piercing jewelry. The jewelry then protrudes through the head of your penis (via the urethral opening).
Traditional Prince Albert piercings are likely to stimulate female genitalia during sex. They’re especially effective at doing this during doggy-style intercourse. That position puts the bottom ball of the PA jewelry in contact with a female G-spot.
WHAT IS A REVERSE PRINCE ALBERT PIERCING?
If you’re thinking outside the box and don’t want the traditional PA piercing, you might consider a reverse PA. Reverse PA piercings go through the top of the shaft instead of the underside. However, the jewelry still protrudes through the head of your penis. Reverse PA piercings can in fact be more pleasurable to female genitalia during intercourse. This is because, especially in the missionary position, the top ball of a reverse PA makes direct contact with a female G-spot.
WHAT JEWELRY DO YOU WEAR IN A PRINCE ALBERT PIERCING?
Both traditional PA piercings and reverse PA piercings accept the same kinds of jewelry: circular barbells, bent barbells, and captive bead rings are ideal as starter jewelry. Their curved shapes perfectly suit these piercings’ entrance and exit points.
However, you can also wear a Prince Albert Wand in your PA piercing. But bear in mind, this is a more advanced style of penis piercing jewelry. It’s usually best suited to wear in healed PA piercings. This is because PA wands are more invasive than captive rings, bent barbells, and circular barbells. They’re not ideal for everyday wear because they can pinch the skin in uncomfortable ways when you’re active… especially when Mr. Happy is soft. Prince Albert Wands are therefore ideal for wearing during bedroom play.
A CLOSER LOOK AT PA WANDS
A PA Wand is a hollow tube with a threaded ball at the end. The tubes goes into your urethra and the threaded ball can be removed so you can pee. A PA wand sometimes has a “leg.” This “leg” is placed perpendicularly through the opening of the piercing on the underside of your shaft. It threads onto the hollow tube in your urethra. The “leg” gives it the look of a police nightstick, so people sometimes call it that.
However, there are other variations of PA wands as well. Some of them have two posts protruding from the bottom of the wand for folks who have two piercing holes on the underside of their shafts. Some PA wands also have one or more rings that encompass the shaft. Check out our selection of Prince Albert Wands so you can see all the available styles.
NOTE: Sometimes you might have to practice sounding before inserting a PA Wand. Sounding is when you insert a sounding wand through your urethral opening. It’s often a sexual practice, but it’s also effective for prepping your penis for a PA Wand. Sounding wands are effective dilators that can stretch the urethra to accommodate a wand more comfortably.
WHAT IS THE PA PIERCING PROCESS?
First thing’s first: as always, go to a professional piercing you can trust… ESPECIALLY for a sensitive piercing like this one. Now for the specifics.
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to maintain an erection while having this done. Just relax as best you can, and let your piercer get to work. If you’re concerned about pain, you can ask your piercer to apply a topical anesthetic at least 15-20 minutes before piercing you. After applying said anesthetic, your piercer will clean the piercing site with an antiseptic skin cleanser, mark the area to be pierced, ensure you’re happy with the placement, and begin the piercing process.
ARE PA PIERCINGS PAINFUL?
So, we know you’re wondering. The most painful moment of the Prince Albert piercing process is when the needle punctures your urethra. You may experience a moment of intense, eye-watering pain when this happens. As we said, this piercing isn’t for the faint of heart. However, for most, the intensity and acuteness of this pain passes quickly.
After your piercer inserts the jewelry, you might continue to experience a dull, throbbing discomfort for a while. To address residual pain and discomfort, take a non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory like Ibuprofen (if you can tolerate it). Also, as always, listen to your professional piercer’s care instructions and ask any questions you have.
Your piercer will most likely encourage you to wear a captive ring, bent barbell, or circular barbell as your starter jewelry. These basic body jewelry pieces will make it easier for you to pee. Urination can get messy when you wear a PA Wand (some folks with male genitals have to practice sitting down to pee just to get used to managing the stream).
WHEN CAN YOU CHANGE PA JEWELRY?
Again, talk to your piercer. However, generally speaking, you should keep your starter jewelry in for at least the first six weeks… and preferably for the first six months. Your starter jewelry is always extra long to accommodate any swelling you may experience. Once that swelling goes down, you may be tempted to switch your jewelry right away. However, it can take many months for the fistula (piercing hole) to thicken and become reinforced enough to make a jewelry change tolerable.
Need your jewelry changed sooner because it’s too tight or irritating your skin? Have your piercer change your PA piercing jewelry for you. We always recommend getting titanium body jewelry to start with. Learn why in our blog about titanium body jewelry here.
Prince Albert Piercing Aftercare
As with any piercing, it’s critical to maintain proper piercing aftercare. It’s even more important when you’re dealing with a highly sensitive area like your genitals. So, follow your piercer’s aftercare instructions thoroughly. Here are two popular aftercare methods for Prince Albert piercings:
- Soak with Piercing Aftercare Spray: Fill a small glass with store-bought piercing aftercare spray/saline wash. Submerge your penis in the solution for 5 minutes. Do this twice a day (ideally once in the morning and once at night). Alternatively, you can saturate cotton balls with piercing aftercare spray and apply them to your piercing one at a time. Even if you choose to do the cotton ball method, make sure you’re applying solution for 5 minutes.
OR
- Soak with Homemade Sea Salt Solution: To make your own sea salt solution, you’ll need a cup of sterile water. You can either buy store-bought sterile water or boil tap water for five minutes. You’ll also need a ¼ teaspoon of sea salt. We highly recommend Sea Salt from the Dead Sea, one of the most popular sellers by Recovery. Aquarium salt from a pet store will also suffice.
To prepare the solution, stir the salt into the sterile water until it’s dissolved. Then, add 2–3 drops of Tea Tree Oil to the mixture. DO NOT apply Tea Tree Toil directly to your piercing. Once your solution is prepared, apply it in one of the two ways detailed in #1.
Other Aspects of PA Piercing Aftercare
Keeping your new PA piercing clean should be top priority during the first 4–6 weeks after piercing. But keeping it clean isn’t the only way to help your piercing heal well. Here are other ways you can help your PA piercing recover optimally:
- Get plenty of rest and sleep
- Eat nutritiously
- Minimize alcohol and nicotine intake (or don’t consume either; nicotine is especially harmful because it has a somewhat paralyzing effect on your body’s ability to heal)
- Avoid sexual contact for AS LONG AS POSSIBLE, particularly during the first 4–6 weeks. Yes, this includes oral sex, sorry folks.
SEXUAL ACTIVITY WITH A PA PIERCING
At last, the time finally comes. It’s been six weeks to six months (depending on your body’s healing time) and your Prince Albert piercing is fully healed! (Confirm this with your piercer before making this determination, please).
Now it’s time to take your PA piercing for a test drive in the bedroom. Here are some pointers to ensure safe sexual activity with your new PA piercing:
- Wear a condom to minimize jewelry movement and block contact with your partner’s bodily fluids.
- Take it SLOW: a PA piercing isn’t just an adjustment for you, but for your partner as well.
- Clean your PA piercing with saline wash DIRECTLY after engaging in sexual activity. The solution will soothe your piercing and flush away any bodily fluids left behind.
Another pointer? Talk to your partner about your PA piercing before engaging in sexual activity. Make sure they’re comfortable with whatever activity you plan to do. People either love or hate how sex feels with a PA piercing in the mix, so it’s important to be transparent with your partner.
CAN YOU STRETCH A PRINCE ALBERT PIERCING?
Yes. You can. But again… it’s not for the faint of heart.
Many folks like to start with 8g–10g Prince Albert jewelry and then stretch up later. Usually, the main appeal of stretching a PA piercing is maximizing sexual pleasure. If you want to stretch your PA piercing, wait until it’s fully healed (preferably AT LEAST 3 months, even though some PA piercings heal up in as soon as 6 weeks).
Each time you stretch up a size, you’ll need to wait even long before going up another size. The general rule of thumb is waiting a minimum of one-and-a-half times as long as it took for your PA piercing to heal initially before sizing up again. That means you’ll need to wait at least 6–9 weeks between stretches. Doing so allows the fistula (piercing hole) to reinforce. It also gives your body time to heal any minor tears caused by your first stretch.
ADDITIONAL STRETCHING TIPS
- Never go up more than a single size at a time. Slow and steady wins the race. You can use a piercing taper to increase one size at a time. Alternatively, you may even choose to use stretching tape. Stretching methods vary and no one knows better than your piercer how you should approach your stretching practice. So be sure to ask them!
- Using a piercing taper? Use a single drop of water-based lubricant on your taper for easy insertion and removal.
- Use emu oil regularly in the weeks leading up to a stretch. Emu oil enhances your skin’s elasticity, making it more pliable and easier to insert jewelry. Massage emu oil into the skin around your piercing a couple times a day for a week before a stretch.
Learn More About Prince Albert Piercings
We offer additional resources so you can learn more about Prince Albert piercings in detail. Check ’em out:
- PRINCE ALBERT PIERCING HISTORY: Our History of Body Piercings article contains a section explaining the origin of PA piercings.
- THE BASICS OF GENITAL PIERCINGS: Check out our detailed blogs on Piercings for Male Genitals and Piercings for Female Genitals. You’ll see every possible genital piercing and learn about the piercing process for each.
- PRINCE ALBERT JEWELRY: Check out our body jewelry section for high-quality PA piercing jewelry, including bent barbells, circular barbells, and captive rings.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Prince Albert piercing is a bold choice for folks rocking male genitals. It can be aesthetically pleasing, sexually exciting, and a creative addition to your piercing collection. With the right education, piercer, and aftercare, a PA piercing could be a great choice for you and your lifestyle.
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