At A Glance
Author	Annab
Contact	Annab@bme.anon
IAM	Annab
When	Two years ago
Location	Portland, OR

I submitted an experience a long time ago about a fresh labia piercing. It can be found on my IAM page, as my ability to link correctly seems to have taken a nosedive. It's been a few years since then, and I've decided that I owe it to you folks out there who're contemplating outer labia work to tell you how my genitalia has held up after all this time.

To be honest, I had a hellish healing period for the first two. I was very good to them, I abstained from sex for two angry, libidinous and frustrated months. I tried chamomile, salt soaks, the mildest treatments I could; nothing worked. I do believe now that it was because of my chubby little thighs and my jewelry choices. Anyone without the 'model gap' is bound to have some rubbing. Eventually, my piercings thinned out to a degree that was really worrisome: I wanted to be able to be rough on these things eventually!

my saving grace came in the form of a piercer at Straight To The Point in Troutdale, Oregon. She suggested (and I was an idiot for not thinking of it before) that I switch out to curved barbells in spite of not being healed fully, as the two piercings I had were likely to not stay if I didn't do something anyway.
You know what? Changing them out HURT. Shocking, I know, but it actually frightened me, considering how painless the initial piercings had been. I only later found out that the jewelry had been mislabeled, and that we were shoving 8ga barbells into pissed-off 10ga unhealed holes. Ooops.
In spite of that, after switching to snugger curved barbells as opposed to rings, my piercings healed very quickly. They stopped migrating, they settled down, and they retained enough depth to allow me the fun with them that I always wanted.

I've had two outer labia piercings for a few years now, and they are above all else my favorite piercings. My hood piercing lost the additional sensitivity that it's known for after a while, but these outer labia piercings actually made me gain a huge amount of sensitivity that has not lessened in the slightest. My outer labia being tugged on or played with via the rings is almost an orgasmic experience in of itself now; I regard this as nothing short of miraculous considering how hard orgasmic completion has come (Pun intended. Lame.) for me in the past.

That happy ending mentioned, I also have to talk about my several failed attempts at a third labia piercing. I will warn you that slightly gross talk is ahead. These guys are very finicky. On some people (like yours truly) the slightest thing can make them go awry and never heal. My first attempt at a third piercing was ended (my friends laugh and tell me it was from a righteous God punishing me for having fun, har.) because I had very rough and messy intercourse with it only two weeks old. It might have stood the irritation, but I got a raging kidney infection afterwards that ended any hope of keeping the piercing. Peeing straight blood on a fresh bit of metal is not a good idea.
My second attempt went well until it was nearly healed enough for normal treatment by my standards; I had absolutely no migration and no redness, and I was thrilled. The stupid thing was lost when a bead came off, and I lost the jewelry in the shower. I heard a "clink" and it was down the drain. I tried desperately to get some jewelry back into the piercing, but it closed up faster than a clam with vaginismus.

I have a third, third attempt going now. I am being only moderately good with it, but it seems to be behaving better than I should have hoped for. I am doing my soaks but not avoiding sex, wearing underwear that breathes but have a ring in the piercing; so we shall see what comes of it this time. I've learned a couple of things from my failed attempts, however, that I hope aspiring labia-piercees will take from this story.
First, If you have thighs that touch, curved barbells seem to work MUCH better than rings for healing, as long as there is ample room for any swelling you may have. If you DO use rings, be prepared for lots of twisting and catching, a la "boys needing to adjust themselves". Slightly supportive underwear that keeps the ring tucked up but not pressed too hard can help with this.
Second, if you're going to have sex, wait as long as you possibly can, but not so long that you end up going at it like a rabid werewolf with no thoughts as to the consequences your piercing might face. Keep it out of the way, use positions that won't knock it, or tell your partner to find something ELSE to tug on for a while. Also, safe sex is good, okay? Even if disease is not a specter hanging over you, horrible evil bacteria should be.
Third and finally: I learned this the hard way. TIGHTEN YOUR BALLS REGULARLY. I have always wanted to be able to say that, heh. Don't lose a piercing out of forgetfulness or apathy. The movement of your body and clothing will loosen the balls on your jewelry. Check it often. I have made a habit out of checking each piece of jewelry quickly every time I go to the bathroom.

I will also take a moment to explain what method of aftercare eventually worked best for me. Sea salt soaks (1/8 teaspoon of salt to a cup of water, 1/4 teaspoon was too much for my naughty bits) at least twice a day. Doctor Bronner plain castille baby mild soap in the shower, but only on the outside of the outer labia. No soap in the crotch, no turning the rings or barbells. Use the same soap all over your body. Strange perfumes, dyes, or chemicals found in body washes and normal soaps can be rinsed right into your piercing, and can aggravate the hell out of it if you are sensitive.
Safe sex, of course, but don't use condoms with weird spermicides or flavored lubes or whatever else you darn kids are doing these days. Plain water-based lube or none at all. Spermicide, saliva, and cheap lubes can hurt your piercing nearly as bad as body fluids can in some cases.

My labia piercings have been a never ending rollercoaster of fun and aggravation. I pay much more attention to my genitalia now, and the immense pleasure and aesthetic satisfaction of these piercings has been worth every headache that they've given me. Healing them may or may not be hard for you, but I guarantee that you will smile with pride the first time you realize that they've made it through unscathed.