The worst piercings to get infected are often cartilage piercings (like tragus, helix) due to slow healing and poor blood flow, belly button piercings (flesh folds trap bacteria), and tongue piercings, where infection can severely impact speech, swallowing, and even lead to systemic issues like sepsis, as the mouth is full of bacteria and infections can spread quickly. Nipple piercings also carry a higher risk, and any piercing can become dangerous if bacteria enter the bloodstream.
Most Painful Piercings from Mild to Wild
The "3-2 piercing rule" is a popular guideline for creating a balanced ear piercing arrangement, suggesting three piercings on the lobe and two on the upper cartilage for a harmonious, curated look, or applying a 2:3 ratio of piercings to space for overall balance, often pairing small studs with statement pieces for a chic, "undone" style that avoids overcrowding and emphasizes personal anatomy.
Of all the body sites commonly pierced, the navel is the most likely to become infected because of its shape. Infections can often be treated with good skin hygiene and antibiotic medications.
An infected piercing can be serious. The area around your piercing may be painful, swollen, red, and hot. You may see red streaks or pus at the piercing site. You may have a fever or swollen or tender lymph nodes.
Call your doctor right away if you notice any of the following signs and symptoms of an infection:
A piercing is rejecting when your body pushes the jewelry out, signaled by signs like the jewelry moving from its original spot, the tissue thinning and becoming see-through, the hole getting bigger, prolonged redness/irritation, or the jewelry hanging differently. Key indicators are the skin between the entrance and exit holes shrinking, the jewelry becoming more visible under the skin, and the skin looking shiny, dry, or flaky, meaning your body perceives the jewelry as a foreign object.
Intimate piercings: Intimate piercings, such as genital or nipple piercings, can be prone to infection and may take longer to heal. It's important to consult with a professional and follow proper aftercare instructions.
The "rarest" piercing is subjective and often debated, but top contenders include the Rhino Piercing (vertical through the tip of the nose), Uvula Piercing (through the soft palate), and the Mad Max (two surface piercings connected by custom jewelry), requiring significant skill and custom work, making them extremely uncommon. Other very rare ones involve complex surface piercings or specific anatomical placements like the Achilles Heel.
Safest Piercings
The skin above the belly button is generally thin enough to safely pierce as long as the piercing doesn't go too deeply into the belly button.
A nose piercing typically ranks around a 4-7 out of 10 on the pain scale, varying by person and location; nostril piercings are often a quick, sharp pinch (around 4-6/10), while septum piercings can feel intense but brief (around 6-7/10), especially if the cartilage is thick, though it's generally considered manageable and quick to heal.
The "earring rule" for guys typically refers to social norms or personal preferences regarding which ear to pierce. Traditionally, in some Western cultures, piercing the left ear was thought to signify heterosexuality, while the right ear was associated with homosexuality.
One of our most frequently asked questions is “how many piercings can I get during one appointment?” The more important question is “how many piercings can you safely HEAL at one time?” and the answer is variable. Our guidelines recommend that you are healing no more than 3-4 piercings at one time.
The 10 Best Piercings You Can Have
If you've been asking yourself “why won't my cartilage piercing heal?” you're not alone. Cartilage piercings take longer to heal than lobes (usually 6–12 months), and if you're experiencing bumps, irritation, or delayed healing, it often comes down to a few common mistakes. The good news? Most are fixable.
Tragus piercing
A tragus is a piercing in which one will pierce the cartilage just beside the opening of your ear. A tragus is not the same as an anti-tragus. With an anti-tragus, we are going to pierce the cartilage just beyond your earlobe. This one especially hurts if you don't have much room.
A "Cinderella piercing" isn't a standard piercing name, but it likely refers to a Christina piercing, a decorative genital piercing at the top of the vulva where the labia meet the mons pubis, or potentially a second earlobe piercing, used to create an "earring stack" with a first piercing, popular in cultures like India. In both contexts, the "Cinderella" idea implies something special, like a fairytale addition or a youthful rite of passage for the ear.
The "3-2 piercing rule" is a popular guideline for creating a balanced ear piercing arrangement, suggesting three piercings on the lobe and two on the upper cartilage for a harmonious, curated look, or applying a 2:3 ratio of piercings to space for overall balance, often pairing small studs with statement pieces for a chic, "undone" style that avoids overcrowding and emphasizes personal anatomy.
If you're unsure about the piercing or worry that you might regret it, you may want to wait. Don't let other people pressure you into getting a piercing. And don't get a piercing if you've been drinking alcohol or using drugs. If you're confident you want to get a piercing, talk to friends who have a similar piercing.
Surface piercings are the most likely type of piercing to reject because they are placed just underneath the skin so can easily be pushed out by the body.
As your stomach grows, you may find you need to wear slightly longer or larger jewelry to accommodate the new tissue. In some rare cases, this change can cause migration and even rejection to occur, although this is not very common.
If your piercing has rejected, it's important to let the area heal completely before attempting a new piercing. Depending on the severity, this could take several months. Attempting to re-pierce too soon can lead to complications and increase the chance of another rejection.
Infections commonly complicate cardiac transplantation, and the clinical presentation of post-transplantation infection is usually readily distinguishable from that of rejection. Infection of the allograft may mimic rejection, however, and endomyocardial biopsies are required to distinguish these two entities.