The Student Room Group

Piercings and numbing?

Ok, planning on having my lip pierced on saturday and have a question about numbing...

I went on one parlour's website who said they didn't bother numbing as a)freezing can leave permanent redness around the piercing from frostbite or something b)local anaesthetic would be injected with a needle...which is what would happen anyway :p: /they're not qualified

I've decided to have it done at another place in my hometown (for ease of eating afterwards hah) and have asked if I can opt of out numbing (because they offer it) and have just had the reply "???? Of course you can, but why would you ?????? Would you have a tooth pulled without a local? But it's your choice." like the guy thinks I'm actually insane :p:

So basically what I want is advice/ personal experiences. How did you get it done - and how did that work out? Would you advise me to have it numbed or not? I heard that it's really just a pinch...I remember having my ears done when I was little, and have given blood a few times - is it anything like those? Because that I can handle! I'm just worried about this guy's reaction ahaha, he makes it seem like it's going to hurt like a bitch and that I'm nuts for even thinking about doing it sober XD

Advice appreciated even if you've had a piercing that's not lip, I need all the help I can get!
(edited 13 years ago)

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Reply 1
Going to lurk in this thread, I'm probably going to get my lip done in the next few weeks and the only people I have to ask about the pain are those with tons of piercings or tattoos... obviously they all just say it doesn't really hurt, but they're used to it!

*lurks*
I'm training to be a body piercer and we use topical anaesthetics ("freeze spray").

I always opt out when I have a piercing because I don't see the need for it. I'd rather have the full experience.

It's more of a 'placebo' tbh. It's entirely up to you though.
(edited 13 years ago)
i have 8 piercings in my ears, 3 of which are cartilage, which were all fine, a bit painy without numbing but it wasn't unbearable and didn't last long :s-smilie: i haven't had anything else done, though thinking about it, a lip piercing is not through something like the ear where it's not really very important tissue...and it's quite a thick area :s-smilie: personally i have a really low pain tolerance so would go with the local if i had the choice! not really much of an inconvenience and it wears off after like 2 hours so wouldnt be annoyingly numb for too long :s-smilie:

but yeah i suppose it's up to you! hadn't heard about people ever having stuff numbed before, but is suppose I hadn't really thought about it!

ps. (go reading uni!! :wink:)
Reply 4
I've never been offered an anaesthetic and I'd never take one. Half the point is the feeling of being pierced for me.
Reply 5
Piercers aren't allowed to inject anything, as you need to be medically qualified for that. Generally freeze spray is thought of as bad, as it freezes and can thus cause burns. EMLA cream and similar take about an hour or so to actually work and all that fuss seems unnecessary.

There are some people who think that you need to "earn" a piercing (or tattoo) by feeling the pain. But I don't get that because it's not really a bad pain. And I have 19 current piercings and a rib tattoo.
Reply 6
I had the top of my ear pierced without so much as an alcohol wipe. It hurt.
Reply 7
I'm sure they'll use a clamp.

But maybe you should find a different place =/ In any case, make sure that they sterilize the clamp.


I had my lip done with just a clamp, yes it's sore for a while but you'd expect that. As with my tragus. I had two cartilage piercings done at the same time and they were fine, no clamp.

I would never go for numbing, and I've never been to a place that offers it.
I have two lip piercings, one was numbed, one wasn't.

Apparently using freeze spray can prolong healing time, and if your piercer goes a bit over board it can cause a minor cold burn (afaik nothing as severe as proper frostbite though)

I never noticed any difference in the healing of my piercings or any adverse effects from having one of them numbed. It's up to you. If you don't want it, then don't have it. A piercing is in no way comparable to having a tooth pulled out though, that's such a stupid example :no:
you don't need numbing spray for a piercing. you'll be fine!
Ugh. Piercings don't hurt. If you're not able to take it why get one in the first place?

This is coming from someone who sat for about 15 seconds having her ear stabbed at for one of them because the needle didn't want to go through. Even that wasn't really painful because your body has its own coping mechanisms for these things.
(edited 13 years ago)
Reply 11
Thanks for all your help, guys! I wasn't really thinking of having it numbed in the first place, I was just worried by his OTT response (he did actually use all those ???? haha)

Original post by aliluvschoc
I'm sure they'll use a clamp.

But maybe you should find a different place =/ In any case, make sure that they sterilize the clamp.


I had my lip done with just a clamp, yes it's sore for a while but you'd expect that. As with my tragus. I had two cartilage piercings done at the same time and they were fine, no clamp.

I would never go for numbing, and I've never been to a place that offers it.


Clamp? I've been doing my homework but I've not heard anything about clamps....

Why do you think I should go somewhere else?
I've already asked about the equip, apparently everything is one-use and they use an autoclave for anything else (their example here was scissors)
I hate the stuff.. Had my tragus sprayed which gave me a really bad headache, and had my nose sprayed which felt like I'd dunked my face in a bucket of ice water..not a good look.

Personally I'd rather just take the piercing, it never hurts that much anyway and if it does, it's only momentary...
Well I'm rubbish with pain, I could hardly stand having my lobes done and that didn't even hurt!! But, bizarrely, I don't mind the needles for local anasthetic- because yeah they might sting for a second or two but it soon kicks in and kicks the pain's ass. Plus, I'd want to look forward to having a piercing, and I know I wouldn't if I didn't think I was getting it numbed.
Reply 14
Don't bother to be fair- once the numbing stuff wears off it's going to still hurt anyway...

Plus people always expect the pain to be worse than it is. You psych yourself up that it's going to be some massively agonising experience and then you get it done and go 'Oh. That wasn't too bad...'
Original post by Mm_Minty
Thanks for all your help, guys! I wasn't really thinking of having it numbed in the first place, I was just worried by his OTT response (he did actually use all those ???? haha)



Clamp? I've been doing my homework but I've not heard anything about clamps....

Why do you think I should go somewhere else?
I've already asked about the equip, apparently everything is one-use and they use an autoclave for anything else (their example here was scissors)
Yeah, they will clamp your lip. That's standard practice really.
I never had it numbed either. It is done so quickly it only stings for a little bit. I had a few piercings, my tongue, my hips, ears in various places but lip was slightly painful. Only a bit as the pain goes away within a few seconds.

My advise is to go to a good piercer who has been doing it for a few years. Tattoo places are usually good as they have lots of experience. I don't trust the ones that beauticians do, they simply haven't got a clue.
I think the reply from the second piercer was silly, and it kinda shows what kind of service they provide.
Go to a good place and get it done :smile:
Reply 17
Original post by parasitic
I never had it numbed either. It is done so quickly it only stings for a little bit. I had a few piercings, my tongue, my hips, ears in various places but lip was slightly painful. Only a bit as the pain goes away within a few seconds.

My advise is to go to a good piercer who has been doing it for a few years. Tattoo places are usually good as they have lots of experience. I don't trust the ones that beauticians do, they simply haven't got a clue.
I think the reply from the second piercer was silly, and it kinda shows what kind of service they provide.
Go to a good place and get it done :smile:


Ahhh, stop making me doubt my choice of piercers! :mad: :rofl:
Everything seemed pretty good/legit until this eejit replied! Maybe he's not in charge of piercings...
Original post by Mm_Minty
Ahhh, stop making me doubt my choice of piercers! :mad: :rofl:
Everything seemed pretty good/legit until this eejit replied! Maybe he's not in charge of piercings...
If you PM me the website that you emailed, I can tell you whether or not I'd recommend it, based on my own piercing knowledge/experience...
i have never been numbed for a piercing, i have about 14. they all hurt, but thats part of getting a piercing, surely?

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