Meet The Badass Piercing That Will Shake Up Your Sex Life
For anyone who is sick of having their inner thigh rubbed during sex, a vertical clitoral hood (VCH) piercing might just be the answer.
The barbell jewellery used literally acts as a ‘You Are Here’ arrow on a map, or an ‘X marks the spot’ for your vulva. VCH piercings not only look cool, but are also discreet, and can add extra pleasure or sensation as the lower bulb of the jewellery sits directly on the clitoris.
They’ve been anecdotally noted to help people with anorgasmia (inability to orgasm), hyposensation (lack of sensation), or clitoral atrophy (where the clitoris shrinks) become more in tune with their body, and can sometimes even help people orgasm for the first time in their life.
“They’re a super fun piercing to have,” said Cox. “Most people that I’ve pierced say it’s one of their favourite piercings — they really love it. There’s just something so personal about it, and I think it’s really good for self-esteem,” professional piercer Eden Cox at Sydney piercing shop Stone Heart told Punkee.
There’s a lot of stigma and intrigue around VCH piercings — and a lot of misconceptions — but the edgy choice might add spark to your solo and partnered sex life.
What Is A VCH Piercing?
VCH piercings are a type of 18+ genital piercing done with a needle and adorned with a curved barbell jewellery piece.
As the name implies, VCH piercings run vertically through the clitoral hood. The clitoris itself is not pierced through, but the thin skin fold that sits above and protects it instead.
Horizontal clitoral hood (HCH) piercings also exist within the wide suite of vulva piercings — however VCH piercings are known for their ability to ramp up clitoral sensitivity, and their faster healing time.
While clitoral piercings — separate from VCH — do exist as well, they can risk damage or permanent desensitisation, as the sex organ contains thousands of nerves. Choose a piercer who confidently knows what they’re doing, so no mishaps happen when the needle goes through during a VCH appointment.
Why Do People Get Them?
It’s important to note that physically, VCH piercings can work wonders for some people, but others say it has had the opposite effect and can feel too intense or make them feel no difference. Some have great success with manual masturbation once pierced, but had to readjust their approach to oral sex and toy use.
Everyone is individual and will respond differently to their VCH piercing, so it’s also worth remembering that the sensation might feel different (i.e. more pleasurable, or less so) once the piercing is fully healed, and the bar is shortened during a follow-up appointment.
“I would say they’re pretty popular because they’re one of those piercings that unless you want someone to know you’ve got it, it’s one of those ones that you can have for yourself,” said Cox.
“It’s something to make you feel a bit sexier, a little bit spicy, or just something that you only show the people you want to show,” she said. “I’ll get a lot of couples coming in together to spice up their life in the bedroom.”
The way a VCH piercing sits on top of the clitoris can feel incredible when pressure is applied with hands or toys, and some people simply like the personalisation, explained Cox.
“Society is definitely a lot more comfortable talking about sex…”
“We pierce them with implant grade titanium,” she said. “You can go just a classic barbell — which is just plain top and bottom — but you can also do opals and gemstones [at the top of the jewellery].”
Cox said in the 10 years she’s been in the industry, she’s seen a massive uptake in VCH piercings — from one maybe every couple of months a decade ago, to at least one a week these days.
“Society is definitely a lot more comfortable talking about sex, and piercings in general are a lot more accepted nowadays,” said Cox. “I would say that social media probably plays a big role in it as well; now we’re seeing more peers uploading pictures of them, writing blogs about them, seeing a video of one.”
What Can You Expect On The Day?
First and foremost, whether you can get a VCH piercing or not comes down to your unique and individual vulva. You have to have the right anatomy for one, and a good piercer will be real with you if that isn’t the case, explained Cox.
“I pop a little Q-tip underneath the hood itself to make sure that it’s got enough tissue depth to do it,” she said. If it’s a yes, your piercer will measure you up, and help you pick out the perfect jewellery.
However, if you’re not anatomically viable for a VCH, a HCH piercing might be a possible alternative, as it can still give stimulation even if the placement of the jewellery is different and doesn’t sit as flush against the clitoris — plus, you can get ball ring jewellery with a HCH.
The anatomy check can sometimes be a separate appointment to the piercing day, and offers an opportunity to ask any questions or before getting the piercing done. In the next appointment, or in the next stage, your jeweller will sterilise their materials and clean the room before doing the piercing itself, and going through aftercare together with you.
When Can You Have Sex Again?
Stone Heart say sex can resume 1-2 weeks after getting pierced, if protection is worn. While your sexual partner might be keen to get their rocks off with you with the shiny new piercing, and you might want to take the VCH for a test run — it’s really important to follow the rules.
“It’s an open wound, so you don’t want to have someone else’s body fluids or lubricant in there while it’s trying to heal,” said Cox. “You also don’t want pressure on it straight away, which would be painful and not good for healing.”
It’s also a good idea to ease back into things when the time is right. Positions like doggy style won’t apply direct stress onto the new piercing, and having a nice shower beforehand will make sure all parties are squeaky clean too, she said. Better to be safe than sorry, folks! Same goes for swimming.
When Will The Piercing Fully Heal?
The piercing itself can take three-to-six weeks to fully heal. Depending on how long the piercing has been in for, if you take the VCH jewellery out — for a surgery, exercise, or sheer preference — there’s a chance it won’t immediately close up.
“Sometimes the hole will just shrink (instead of close completely),” said Cox. “So we can just taper it back open with a little tool that gently stretches it back to the original size.”
“If you’ve had it done for a while, a lot of the time you can just taper it open. But if you’ve only had it for a brief period of time and then you took it out, you’ll probably need to get it re-pierced.”
A Checklist To Go In With
There are definitely green and red flags when going for a consultation and the piercing itself. Here is what Cox said you should look out for:
- Your piercer should be checking ID as it’s strictly an 18+ procedure. Also make sure they have consent forms for you to sign.
- Your safety and comfort should always be paramount. Be conscious of the vibe in the room — if you’re feeling uncomfortable, pressured, or sexualised for getting a VCH piercing, go somewhere else.
- Ask what jewellery is going to be used. If it’s externally threaded (where the rod screws into the ball, instead of the ball into the rod) — get out of there! It indicates the jewellery is cheaply made with low grade materials.
- Ask your piercer how they sterilise their jewellery, and make sure everything is single use only.
- Have a chat to your piercer about their piercing history: how long they’ve been piercing for, and where they got trained. Cox said if they get offended, it’s a sign to leave, because a good piercer will be happy to share these details with you.
- Make sure to go over aftercare once the piercing is done. Most piercers will give you their best contact details on a business card in case you have questions once you leave. If they’re telling you to clean the VCH piercing with alcohol or tea tree oil, that’s poor advice too.