Like it or not, pain is an inevitable part of all piercings. Fortunately your imagination is often worse than reality. Our motto is "expect the worst and you will be pleasantly surprised". While certain piercings tend to be more challenging than others, pain is a very individual experience. If you are nervous about the pain, or want to pierce a particularly sensitive area, you may want to use an over-the-counter numbing agent.

What We Recommend

Products like Emla are generally effective for reducing the pain and discomfort. It is available in a tube of cream or in individual patches, applied by peeling off the back and adhering it the area you wish to numb. You can use either method but we recommend using the cream as it can can be reapplied multiple times leading up to your piercing appointment.

When to apply it

To achieve optimal results, Emla needs to be on the desired area for at least 1 to 1.5 hours and left to soak into the skin, rather than being rubbed in. Emla results are less effective if applied for under 1 hour and begins to loses effectiveness after 2 hours. We recommend making a booking so you can time your application properly, ensuring the area will be numb when you need it.

Where To Get It

As Emla is an over-the-counter pharmaceutical product we are unable to sell or apply it for you. Emla or similar products (such as “Numb It”) are available at most pharmacies. While we can provide you with the rudimentary information on these products (such as how and when to apply them), we do recommend you read the instructions provided and consult with your pharmacist if you have any specific concerns or questions regarding the use of these types of products.

Examples of How to Use Numbing Cream

Ears: put a big blob on front and back of lobe, reapply every 20-30 mins

Surface Piercings: put a big blob on the area and cover (covers should be provided to you when you purchase the numbing cream, if not make sure you ask before you leave the chemist) reapply every 20-30 mins.

Vertical Clitoral Hood (VCH): put a big blob under the hood and on top and cover (covers should be provided to you when you purchase the numbing cream. If not make sure you ask before you leave the chemist). Reapply every 20-30 mins.

Prince Albert (PA): put a big blob down your urethra and the base of the head (where the frennum is located) and put a condom over the area to keep cream in place. Reapply every 20-30 mins.

We hope this guide helps you understand a little more about numbing options. If you are nervous about pain these products are an option, they just require a little forward planning.