A woman wrote to me:

I got this yesterday. It doesn't look like the other piercings.

My reply:

I'm afraid you have been given a very shallow hood surface piercing. You really should try to get your money back and you should take the jewelry out. It is definitely NOT safe to have such a small amount of skin pierced, especially with such a long bar. Even if you try to heal it, you're likely to find your body treats it as a splinter and ejects it. I would NOT trust the same piercer to redo it. Its abundantly clear that tea or she had absolutely no idea what to do or where to place a VCH piercing.

This page of my site clearly explains how the jewelry  should go underneath your hood:
http://piercingbible.com/q-tip-test

Where are you located? Perhaps I can suggest a competent professional in your area?
I marked your photo with what I call the "Inverted-V" of the hood. The jewelry should be coming out from underneath there….

The photo below shows proper placement for the VCH piercing and jewelry that fits well.

I received a message and some photos from a woman who got pierced twice, and neither was properly placed....

Hi, I'm writing to ask you a couple of questions....I have just recently got a VCH piercing... now when I went in the first time to get my piercing done she seemed kind of unprofessional at a couple of points, but it never made me to too nervous, I was terrified of getting the piercing, and she put the needle through and I knew at that point deep down that the piercing was in the wrong spot, it did not feel right at all, but like an idiot, I didn't say anything and I went home and my boyfriend had looked at it and he said that it wasn't in my hood at all, it never even came close to my clitoris.

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I received a message form a woman who was experiencing a problem:

I've had my VCH piercing for over a year now. I love it and I never want to remove it. But recently I went to the Doctor for URETHRITIS and of course they recommended that I remove and or use plastic jewlery. Should the balls on the end of my jewlery be plastic or would it be much safer to get an entire plastic piece.

My reply:

Admittedly, I'm not a doctor, but I know medical professionals often have a tendency to blame health conditions on piercings whether that makes sense or not.

One concern with having your doctor focused on your piercing as the cause of the problem means that the real reason may not get addressed.

A VCH is not located very near to the urethral opening. The image shows an improperly placed VCH piercing marked with an arrow where the jewelry should be resting, and the line marked at the bottom shows the location of the urethra. As you can see, the jewelry is quite far away from the urethra!

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I received yet another email from a woman who felt her "triangle piercing" wasn't properly placed. She was right:

I received a triangle piercing three days ago. I'm feeling a lot of discomfort. can you please take a look at my piercing. I just want to make sure it was done correctly.

Nope--sorry, it is not even close. It looks to be about an inch south of where it should be. The triangle should be right beneath the clitoral shaft, which goes back and up from your clitoral glans. We can clearly see the head of your clitoral glans peeking out from underneath the "inverted V" of your hood. The piercing would need to be quite near to there... So you have the piercing equivalent of about a mile off from where it should have been placed. There is no likelihood of you receiving the type of stimulation that a properly placed triangle piercing can provide (from the back of the clitoris).

Fortunately, it is unlikely that you will suffer any damage to vital structures from the piercing being so low. It is more of a missed opportunity for enhancement, plus the pain or discomfort and also the expense of going through a piercing that isn't what you wanted, and isn't located where it is supposed to be.

I also marked your images with the approximate location of a triangle.

Her reply:

The piercer's name was Perry. He works at Gold Coast studio in Monterey, CA. I initially went in for a VCH , but was told that I was suited for it. I'm more upset that he suggested the triangle knowing he didn't have experience performing the procedure.

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I got a message from a woman with an inner labia piercing:

I just recently pierced my labia minora and I have been cleansing it with saline solution three times a day. It burns like crazy when I go to the bathroom though. I don't know if that can infect it or what I need to do to prevent infection. Please help. Thanks.

Photo of a woman with a VCH (Vertical Clitoral Hood)
and inner labia (labia minora) piercings

This is an excerpt from my book, The Piercing Bible--The Definitive Guide to Safe Body Piercing, and I think it could help you:

Genital Piercing: Urinating

Bodily fluids are apt to get on certain genital piercings, which is not a problem—if they are your own. Urine is one of man’s first antiseptics and, if you are healthy, your own liquid waste will not harm your piercing. The regular passage of urine over the jewelry helps to minimize crusting, too. Urine can sting during the first few days of healing, so drink lots of water. This dilutes the urine and lowers the acidity, which minimizes discomfort. Cranberry juice or large quantities of orange juice or vitamin C will make your urine acidic,1 which may cause excess discomfort. Additionally, you can pour a clean cup of water—warm or cool, as you prefer—over the area as you urinate. This rinses off the urine so it doesn’t linger uncomfortably, and the water feels soothing.


Piercing care information is here: http://piercingbible.com/piercing-care

I received a photo from a woman who was concerned that her VCH piercing wasn't properly placed (after viewing this website). She was correct:

I told her:
Unfortunately, you're going to need to abandon your piercing. It is simply placed too close to the edge of your hood for safety (even if you were to change out the super long bar for a shorter one). There is a high risk of migration and rejection (which can result in a split hood!). Also, the jewelry is nowhere near your clitoris. So even if you wated to keep it, you would not be expected to experience any enhaced sensation from it.

I think you should talk to the owner of the studio and try to get your money back.

Who did the piercing for you? Where are you located? Perhaps I can suggest a qualified professional in your area.

I received a message from a woman who went in to get her hood pierced, and came out with her clitoral glans pierced!

Hi I had my vch done 4 days ago with a standard curved barbell but I'm really not sure about the placement, it moves about loads too. Do I just need a smaller bar? Or take it out all together?

My reply:

That's not a VCH--it is a CLITORAL GLANS piercing. And you should take that long bar out immediately!

If you like the way it feels and decide to keep it, you should get a bar that is half the length of the current one. The one you're wearing is dangerously long and you could end up with a split clitoris if you accidentally caught it.

Please refer to this page to clarify the difference between a VCH and a clitoris piercing.

Would you like me to post the name and studio of the offending piercer so other women don't go to him for genital piercings? If you did not request a clitoris piercing than you have been seriously wronged! If your clitoris were any smaller, it could have really damaged your sexual pleasure.

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I got this great feedback from a woman who saw my website and made use of one of my piercer referrals:

Elayne! I LOVE this website! After months & months of reading about different genital piercings, no other place has given me such detailed information. From what I have been reading, you know EVERYTHING about genital piercings & I wanted to wait until you came to Detroit to get a piercing but In July I just couldn't wait any longer and went to see a piercer. I live in Shelby Township, MI & I was so excited to see that you referred Tiffany Diamond from Lady Luck located in Waterford, MI.

I went to see Tiffany just to ask about the triangle piercing and maybe gain a little more knowledge, & ended up getting the piercing that same day! Tiffany was very professional and made me feel extremely comfortable. I definately would recommend her to somebody interested in getting a genital piercing. The piercing did not hurt as bad as I thought it would..... The anticipation building up was worse than the actual piercing itself lol Thank you so much!

I received a message from a woman who got a VCH piercing but didn't seem to get much information from her piercer (even though she had visited this site).

I did my research on your page and keep reading over again for months before I decided to get one. I finally had it done two days ago and it was just a pinch, no pain afterward... I have the questions. I had a surgical ring (straight) down there.
Will I be able to feel the stimluation after it heals? At this moment,I feel nothing. Hope it is not too shallow...
Will J- curve help more intense? Name the rings that will do that?
Or I will feel it when it comes to aroused?
Is it still too soon to have oral sex after a couple of days?
Is it safe to purchase the 16' or 14' stainless jewelries at any store (such as Claire's) that has different rings and balls?
Thank you for your time and I appreciate your help!
T.

My reply:
Hi T.,
I  need to see a few clear close up photos to answer most of your questions. I can't say whether a different size or style of jewelry will help or not without evaluating your build and the placement of the piercing. If it is not properly placed or the jewelry doesn't fit well those will certainly affect whether you will receive any stimulation from it. This page shows and explains what I need to see to evaluate your piercing properly.

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I received a message from an apprentice piercer who was concerned about the placement of a Vertical Clit Hood piercing he recently performed:

I'm an apprenticing piercer and my fiancee agreed to come in for a supervised VCH piercing with my instructor. I'm pretty positive that we ended up with a surface piercing rather than a genuine, and correct VCH. I explained my concerns to my instructor and she assured me that it was done correctly, but I'm pretty certain this is incorrect. 

We did the q-tip test ahead of time and utilized a NRT for the procedure, so I'm a little uncertain as to how we ended up where we are. Secondarily, the jewelry the piercer selected is far too short (easily remedied). The piercee is very uncomfortable and sore. 

I'm inclined to have her remove the jewelry and begin healing, but wanted a second opinion before doing so.

Thank you.

My Reply:

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I received a message from a woman who was concerned about her new Vertical Clit Hood piercing, which was still bleeding several days later:

Hi! I got my VCH piercing done and a day later got my period (great right) i take midol and aleve for menstrual cramps. My piercing is fine, the only thing im worried about is that its still bleeding slightly 4 days later. Im not sure if its bc of the medicine or if i should be worried or not. What should i do?! Please help! Thank you (:

Here's a recent consultation I performed for a woman whose Vertical Clit Hood piercing was developing scar tissue:

Dear Elayne,

I've had a VCH piercing for just over 9 weeks now and seem to be having some problems with it. This is my second attempt at a VCH because the first time I had it done, it was improperly placed too shallow (even though the piercer used a NRT) and it was only a 16g externally threaded curved barbell. I took that one out after two weeks, gave it a month to heal, then drove a little farther to a much more reputable piercing studio. Before settling on this particular studio, I purchased and read your book, educating myself as much as possible so I didn't get another botched job. The second piercing was so much better! I felt really comfortable with the piercer's knowledge and she did everything "by the book". This time, I was pierced with a 12g, 5/8" straight SS barbell internally threaded (anatometal brand). I asked her why she piercers with a straight barbell rather than curved and she said in her experience women tend to enjoy the straight barbell more (herself included). After scrutinizing the piercing from every angle when I got home, I was very happy with the placement and started the healing process.

I healed the piercing by doing sea salt soaks (1/4 tsp non-iodized sea salt to 1 cup of filtered water) twice a day for the first four weeks, then continued once a day until the piercing was no longer tender (about 6 weeks after being pierced). I will admit there was a 4 day period where I didn't do any soaks 2 weeks after getting pierced due to being away from home. 

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I received a message from a piercee who had concerns about her new Vertical Clit Hood piercing:

Hi Elayne.

I did my research and went ahead and got what I thought is a VCH piercing. Hardly hurt! Didn't bleed that much either! The lady I saw was lovely, appeared experienced, knowledgeable and professional in terms of procedure, after-care and placement. She used a needle receiving tube.

However I was comparing it to pictures on your blog and I think I am now one of those eight out of ten women with a surface piercing. =( My hood is quite shallow which I guess is why the area pierced (front view) looks quite small... (And my jewelry seems a bit long!) But... when I had a look underneath the exit pt for the piercing is not quite at the bottom of the hood! Can you enlighten? Am i being picky or do i need to take it out and try take two?? 

Because of the length of the jewelry, the bottom ball does rest on my clitoris, but I'm worried about the piercing growing out (migrating). I had this done two days ago so I haven't been able to test it out yet! 

Thank you so much! Please tour Australia at some point! =)

My reply:

You definitely have a VCH surface piercing--it is NOT properly placed. The jewelry does not come out from under your hood where a VCH piercing should be located. And, it is in a small amount of tissue (between the entry and exit holes), and very likely to migrate and reject and scar. Sorry….

My suggestion is that you try to get your money back and abandon the piercing. 

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I received a message from a woman who was considering a VCH piercing but had questions about wearing jewelry during childbirth:

Hi Elayne.

For the bridal shower of my wedding one of my best friends raised money for me to get my VCH done. I had been thinking about it for awhile. I have had one child and do not get the same sensation now as I did before having my child during sex. Well its almost a year after my wedding and still no piercing. I am one of those that needs extensive research before committing to anything. Anyways my question relates to childbirth. I want to know if I would have to take out my piercing for childbirth, and if I do have to would it close up? Would I have to get it pierced again? I want to have more children. And I really want to know before I commit to this piercing if having more children will mean getting this piercing more than once. Any feedback will be appreciated, as I have not found anything helpful from Google. Thank you in advance.

My response:

Hi.

Thanks for your message. This is from my book, The Piercing Bible--The Definitive Guide to Safe Body Piercing:

Genital Jewelry

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Here's a recent consultation I performed for a couple who were considering a Vertical Clit Hood piercing, and then had jewelry issues after the woman was pierced:

Hi Elayne.

My wife had scheduled an appointment for a VCH piercing next week with a piercer in Tallahassee Fl. I am a registered nurse and feel comfortable driving there for this procedure after doing a good bit of research, however, after reading many blogs on your site i have started worrying about surface piercings and worse complications. Should i worry about these things? I hope you will be able to put my mind at ease.

Thanks

My response:

Hi. 

If you visit my referrals page: http://piercingbible.com/piercer-referrals you will find the few handfuls of piercers I refer to worldwide. You are wise to consider the skill of the piercer as a VCH piercing is one of the piercings most often botched by inexperienced or poorly trained piercers. 

He wrote back:

Thank you for the reply.  Also, is there any truth to gradual desensitization over time after the vch placement due to constant contact?

Thanks again.

My response:

Here's an excerpt from The Piercing Bible that adresses your question:

If you wish to become a more well-educated consumer, I suggest you get my book, The Piercing Bible--The Definitive Guide to Safe Body Piercing.

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This message is from a woman who has an improperly placed (surface) VCH piercing on top of a previously rejected site:

Hello again Elayne, here is an image of my botched VCH piercing AGAIN.

I emailed you a while ago referring the misplacement and worry about migration. I've had this worry since I emailed you the second time around and I've been watching my piercing like a hawk and cleaning it regularly! 

Like last time it's still quite tender and sore and itchy like its still healing. I don't know whether the skin is too thin and it's pushing it out or that's normal or the light or what! I'm so worried because my last one grew out and has left two pieces of scarring and I really don't want this to do it again but I love my piercing and want to keep it :( 

I've got a horrible feeling your going to tell me to take it out so is there any chance you could recommend any good pierces for this as I cannot afford another botched job as I would most definitely want to get this done again! I live in the south west of England.

Please help me!

My reply:

I'm sorry, but it is likely that you will, in fact, have to remove the jewelry. It is a surface piercing and those often are unsuccessful. If it hasn't been settling in well since you last contacted me, then that is a bad sign for the future… Also the more scar tissue you generate through attempting to heal it, the harder it could be to get a properly placed one in the future. I do suggest you remove it especially if you have hopes of trying again with a better piercer.

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I received a message from a woman who was considering a VCH piercing:

Hi Elayne,

I am a 31 year old woman who was paralyzed from the waist down at the age of 18.  I recovered most of my feeling and function over the next six months, and can now feel my clitoris, gspot... although I do have some patchy feeling around my labia etc.  I have never really orgasmed, I've had little rushes, but nothing like people describe.  I was talking about this in a woman's circle I'm part of and one of the women said that I might look into a VCH.

Any thoughts?

My response:

Hi.

Thanks for you message. I'm assuming you read this part of my site? http://piercingbible.com/female-genital-piercings#VCH

I'm obviously very passionate about piercing--especially of the female genitals. That said, I wonder if you've ever tried a Hitachi wand or other high-powered vibrator for clitoral stimulation?

Many women find it works for them, even when nothing else does the job.

On the other hand, if you're anatomically suited to a VCH and it appeals to you, then you should go for it! If you have clitoral sensation, then there is a pretty good chance that you will find it adds to your stimulation. 

Obviously it is very important to find a qualified professional. Where are you located? Perhaps I can do the piercing for you?

I have done genital piercing for a woman who was paraplegic but who did not have localized sensation. She wanted it for herself, as a form of claiming her own body, and she was very happy with it.

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I received a message from a woman who had questions about exercise and sex after a VCH piercing:

Hi Elayne!!!

I want to get a VCH but I have some questions and after reading some parts of this page I think you can solve them. I would like to know how many days do I need to stop working out so my piercing doesn't suffer (I'm a Crossfitter) and also how many days should I wait before having sex.

Thanks a lot!!!

My response:

Hi M.,

First, you need to determine if you're anatomically suited for a VCH piercing. Try the q-tip test as shown and explained on this page of my website: http://piercingbible.com/q-tip-test

Do you have a trusted piercer or do you need a referral? Where are you located?

It all comes down to listening to your body, and being hygienic, of course. The following excerpts are from my book, The Piercing Bible--The Definitive Guide to Safe Body Piercing:

VCH Piercing: Physical Activity

Engaging in physical activities after getting a VCH piercing is fine, though a one- or two-week break from bicycling or horseback riding is surely advisable. With the exception of these activities, you will probably find that your new piercing doesn’t cause any discomfort while exercising; in fact, you may not even notice it. Then again, it may inspire you to work out. More than a few women have discovered that the stair-stepper or other gym equipment holds new interest for them after genital piercing!

• Physical Activity and Exercise

Generally, you can exercise during healing if you avoid extremes of motion and prevent impact to the pierced area. Still, your activities often need to be modified—at least for a while—if they cause problems with your piercing.

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I recently performed an anatomy consultation for a couple to help them discover which genital piercing the woman would be best suited for:  

Hello Elayne! My wife, J, would like to get a VCH or other genital piercing. We have read your book and have paid for a consultation. We live in northern Michigan and are planning to go to southern Michigan this weekend for the piercing. Before we go, we'd like to get your input.  Thank you so much for offering this service!!!

Please let us know if you have any thoughts about her suitability for the vch or horizontal piercings. Thank you so much for your help!!!

My reply:

Hi J. 

In these images, it appears that she is a good candidate for a VCH piercing.

One concern I have about her getting an HCH or triangle relates to a visible vessel that could conceivably be in the pathway of a piercing. See the attached image I marked with an arrow to point out the area of my concern.

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I received a message from yet another woman who got a surface piercing instead of the VCH she paid for:

Hi Elayne.

I got my VCH piercing done yesterday and upon further inspection of the piercing and seeing the pictures on your site, I have come to the realisation that it is indeed a surface piercing.

It is only a day old so I know I shouldn't change it but I want to know, once it has healed, should I change it or just leave it? From where it is placed, I could put the new bar in from the top and it should leave from the bottom.

Many thanks for your help. I live in the UK so I am not able to visit you as I'd like.

S.

My response:

Hi S.

Yes, it is just a surface piercing that doesn't go under your hood at all. You really should remove it IMMEDIATELY. You are in danger of the jewelry becoming embedded. And it is really NO WHERE CLOSE to where it should be placed.

Even if the jewelry that was inserted fit (or you changed for jewelry that does), such surface piercings tend to have healing issues such as migration, scarring, and/or rejection. Even when properly fitting jewelry is placed this way, getting it out sooner is better than later, as scar tissue is naturally formed if you allow it to remain.

I put an arrow on your photo to show where the jewelry should be coming out from UNDERNEATH your hood. If you need help to remove it, go right away. It will only get harder to take out the longer you leave it in place.