So you want to show off your shapely neck with a hint of ornamental decoration. If you are thinking of Nape Piercing, read on to know how to get it done safely and carry it off without a hitch. Get complete Nape Piercing information before you take the plunge.

What is Nape Piercing?

Picture 1 – Nape Piercing Picture
Source – myspacecdn

Nape Piercing is a part of popular mainstream culture these days. It involves piercing or making a perforation on the nape or back of neck. The surface of the skin is pierced in such cases and an anchor or jewellery is inserted through the perforation. Once the tissue heals, the skin holds the anchor firmly to it.

Nape Piercing is also informally known as ‘Neck Piercing’.

Nape Piercing Experience

Nape Piercing is best carried out in a professional piercing studio. Such studios have experienced people who possess good knowledge and expertise of making safe neck perforations. People looking for services of such studios generally have to make an appointment to avoid waiting.

Most studios request their clients to sign some papers to express their consent about making a body piercing. If you turn up, you may also have to show your identity proof. These are necessary formalities that you should complete before getting professional services.

You may have to lay face downwards to let your piercer carry out Nape Piercing on back of neck in a better way.

The back of the neck will then be cleaned. If you have excessive hair on your nape, it may be shaved off. The piercer will use an antiseptic lotion or an alcohol-based disinfectant to clean your nape.

You should make it clear where you want to make a piercing. The piercer will mark the exact spot, probably with a surgical pen. A clamp may also be used to hold the skin tightly in place and help carry out the piercing.

The perforation is then carried out with a sterilized, hollow surgical needle which is pushed into a spot on the skin and taken out of the other. A piece of jewellery is hanged onto the hole. Do not expect the jewellery to be a part of the piercer’s Nape Piercing kit. It is you who will have to supply the jewellery.

Nape Piercing ends with another cleaning session. The area is cleaned again to remove all traces of blood. Immediate cleaning also prevents bacterial infection.

Nape Piercing Aftercare

After perforation is carried out, you need to take proper care of the area. Salt water soak is usually recommended for cleaning recently pierced regions. You should preferably ask the piercer for useful Nape Piercing advice about proper cleaning and caring of the perforated spot.

Mix 1 tsp of salt with a glass of water. Dip small cotton balls into this solution and use it to soak your wound. Throw the cotton ball away and use another fresh one. Do this for 5 minutes and then allow the area to be dried by air. You should ideally carry out salt soaks daily for two times until the region heals properly.

Picture 2 – Nape Piercing
Source – zhippo

You should never touch the unhealed region with unclean hands. Dirt and germ can give rise to infections in the area and result in redness, swelling and pus-filled abscesses.

If you have long hair, tie them in a bun until the area heals completely. If your hair strands get stuck to the jewellery, the entire anchor may come off and the perforated region can suffer a bleeding.

You should also avoid sleeping on your back during the period of healing. Pressure on the nape can result in Nape Piercing rejection.

Nape Piercing Rejection

If you take the services of an inexperienced piercer or try nape piercing at home without sufficient expertise, it may lead to rejection. In such cases, the body pushes out the jewellery through the skin surface. The anchor comes off leaving a scar behind. Nape Piercing scarring is very common.

People who undergo Nape Piercing face rejection commonly, especially if they use bigger pieces of jewellery. In Nape Piercing rejection rate is much higher than in other cases of perforation. Nape Piercing rejection symptoms commonly include high fever, nausea, muscle pain and chills. In some cases of Nape Piercing headaches may also arise.

Nape Piercing Migration

Nape Piercing Migration refers to the migration or movement of a perforation in the nape from its original position. It is one of the negative Nape Piercing effects, much like Rejection.

How Long Does A Nape Piercing Last?

Wondering how long does a nape piercing take to heal? Nape Piercing healing time is usually about 2 months. This, of course, depends on the aftercare. In Nape Piercing care is needed properly. Unless aftercare instructions are properly followed, quicker recovery is not possible.

Nape Piercing Dangers

Unless proper care is taken, Nape Piercing can be dangerous. Some of the major Nape Piercing risks involve :

Infection

Using an unsterilized Nape Piercing needle for piercing can be a major cause of infection. A bacterial infection in a just perforated neck region can give rise to redness and swelling. After a session of Nape Piercing bumps and redness are common and persist for at least 3-4 days or more. But they last longer in infectious cases. In acute conditions, pus-filled abscesses may also appear. Nape Piercing sores needs immediate treatment, preferably by a professional healthcare provider.

Infection is not only a case of Nape Piercing gone wrong. It may also occur despite good aftercare. In many people, the body may not adjust to skin piercing.

Irritation

In some people, the use of a hard soap brand while bathing can cause irritation in the recently pierced region. It is advisable to use a mild soap brand in such cases. Irritation is one of the major negative Nape Piercing effects.

Trauma

It is advisable to take proper care while you clean the pierced region. Gently press a cotton ball to the perforation during Nape Piercing cleaning. If any traces of cotton ball get entangled to the jewellery, it may cause you much pain and give rise to Nape Piercing swelling and skin trauma in future.

Nape Piercing Pain

Any perforation of the skin can cause pain. However, people who have undergone Nape Piercing say that it hurts less than cases that involve perforation in other body areas like eyebrows, under the eyes, nose, ear, nipples or fingers. That said, Nape Piercing pain actually depends on your threshold for pain. If you are very sensitive to pain, it is recommended that you skip this altogether.

Nape Piercing Jewelry

In Nape Piercing jewellery is different from the ones used in normal piercings. These are mainly barbells that look like staplers. The materials used in such ornaments are Teflon, tygon or titanium. Normally a bigger piece of jewellery is used, ideally one with a gauge of 1.6 mm. This is because during healing period of Nape Piercing neck skin suffers an inflammation and only a bigger Nape Piercing barbell can allow the skin to swell.

If needed, a piercer can change the Nape Piercing bars into smaller ones once the perforation heals completely.

Nape Piercing Pictures

Want to get an idea about the appearance of a recently perforated neck region? Check these Nape Piercing images and find out how a pierced nape looks.

Picture 3 – Nape Piercing Photo
Source – myspacecdn

Picture 4 – Nape Piercing Image
Source – hubimg

Is Nape Piercing wrong? It is not. Then again, you must understand that there are certain risks that any kind of skin piercing involves. So it is better that you consider all the pros and cons carefully before going for the process. Getting a Nape Piercing from a professional studio and following proper aftercare instructions can help you have a safe perforation and enjoy the process without any health complications.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nape_piercing

http://www.ehow.com/how_2125404_nape-piercing.html

http://www.justpiercings.com/piercings/neck-piercings/

http://bodypiercing.ygoy.com/2011/01/24/nape-piercing-aftercare/