5 Least Painful Piercings (and 7 Extremely Painful Spots)

This is the first piercing for most people, and it’s the least painful. The standard lobe piercing goes through soft tissue with few nerve endings, making it feel like a sharp pinch.

Healing time is short too—typically six to eight weeks. Just avoid piercing guns, which can cause more trauma than needles.

The helix piercing goes through the upper ear cartilage. It’s more painful than the lobe but still manageable. Because cartilage offers more resistance, there’s more pressure during the actual piercing.

Healing can take three to six months, and like all cartilage ear piercings, it requires careful aftercare to prevent infection.

Nostril piercings are popular and land on the lower end of the pain scale. The needle passes through skin and a bit of cartilage, causing a quick sting and possibly watery eyes.

Pain level is low to moderate, and healing time is usually four to six months.

This piercing targets a thick fold of cartilage just inside the ear canal. Despite the location, many report less pain than expected.

The daith piercing may cause a sharp pinch and pressure but nothing too severe. Healing can take up to nine months.

Navel piercings (belly button piercings) go through a fleshy area, making them one of the least painful body piercings. People describe it as a quick sting followed by mild soreness. Healing takes around 6 months, and using a curved barbell instead of a hoop can reduce pressure on the piercing during that time.

This one is at the front of the ear, right above the tragus. Like other cartilage piercings, it’s more painful than lobe piercings. Still, it’s less intense than the industrial or rook piercing.

You’ll feel more pressure than sharp pain, and healing may take up to six months.

The tragus is a small, thick flap of cartilage over the ear canal. It has fewer nerve endings than other ear cartilage spots, so the pain is moderate.

A good piercer with special training can make it feel like little more than a snap. Healing usually lasts three to six months.

Lip piercings vary depending on location. In general, they hurt less than cartilage piercings because they pass through soft skin. They might feel sore afterward, and healing can take six to eight weeks. Proper cleaning is key to prevent infection.

These piercings go through thicker cartilage in the middle of the ear. The pain level is higher than lobe piercings but lower than industrial ones.

The inner conch piercing tends to feel more painful, likely because piercing so close to the ear canal creates extra pressure and a "crunching" sensation. Healing takes six to 12 months.

The rook is a cartilage piercing above the daith. It’s often cited as one of the more painful ear piercings because it passes through a thick fold. You’ll feel a sharp pinch followed by soreness.

It’s not ideal for people with low pain tolerance.

This involves two holes connected by a single bar through upper ear cartilage. It ranks among the most painful piercings due to multiple piercings and thick cartilage. Healing is long—six months to a year—and requires extra care.

Genital piercings vary widely in pain level. They involve sensitive areas with many nerve endings. These are among the most painful piercings and demand expert piercers. Healing time and care requirements are also more intense than other piercings.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.