Most of us know the feeling – you want more piercings, and you want them all RIGHT NOW! It seems like a reasonable idea to get all of them at once, right? Well, it’s actually not a good idea and today we’re going to discuss exactly why that is, what can happen, and how many piercings is too many at once.
For starters, most reputable piercers will not perform more than three to four piercings in a single session. For one thing, the possibility of infection increases with each piercing you get done in a sitting. The human body also doesn’t heal all piercings at the same rate. Piercings located in an area the body considers more vital to survival are going to heal more quickly than a piercing done at the same time, in a location the body considers less necessary for survival. And the more piercings your body needs to heal, the slower the entire process is. So, this means that if you get your tongue and navel pierced at the same time, the navel will not only heal more slowly than the tongue (which is standard), both piercings will take longer to heal than they normally would.
So, what if you want multiple piercings done in a single setting, all on the same part of the body? This is where you really need to consider the immediate healing period. For example, say you want a triple forward helix piercing and you want to do all three at once. That is not going to work. What do piercings do right after they’re pierced? They SWELL. The forward helix is, on most ears, a rather tiny piece of real estate. The swelling will cause the jewelry to push against each other, almost certainly setting you up for some gnarly irritation bumps. Also, this particular piercing can be challenging to clean behind. With three pieces of jewelry in piercings that all require cleaning, and which are most likely oozing and swollen, it would be nearly impossible to fully clean behind the jewelry. This would lead to some serious buildup of gunk, that would look (and possibly smell) unpleasant. (Please note: triple forward helix piercings are awesome. Just maybe get the outer two done if you must get multiple piercings at once and then go back for the center when the other two heal. You’ll have a much better experience and are far less likely to run into trouble that way.)
Also remember that along with swelling, the immediate post-piercing period comes with its own discomfort. The more parts of your anatomy that are in this period, the more discomfort you are going to experience. And also, as you get each piercing, the more your pain receptors are going to be firing. This means that it is possible that each consecutive piercing is going to be more painful than normal. A piercing that may only rate 3 on your personal pain scale may turn into a 6 if it’s the fourth piercing you’ve gotten in the last hour. (Pain tolerance varies wildly from person to person, but generally most people prefer a minimum of discomfort when getting pierced, so it is important to keep this in mind when getting multiples.)
It can be frustrating to have to wait between piercings for your body to heal, but it is in your best interest to do so. A healthy body will take a piercing better than one that is still trying to heal multiple injuries (which is what a piercing essentially is). If a piercer offers to do more than four piercings at one session, they may not be a reputable piercer. Your piercer should be as concerned about the outcome of your piercings as you are because their reputation is on the line with every hole they put in someone. Try to be patient, and keep in mind that it’s in your own best interest. That way you can keep on getting pierced for years to come and have happy, healthy piercings to show off. Happy piercing!
