Dear Wanting a Prince in Shining Armor,

It's great that you're using your head and asking questions before going through with your plans for your privates! The term "Prince Albert" refers specifically to a penis piercing in which a ring is inserted through the bottom of the glans (the tip, or "head," of the penis) and out the urethra.

Although the procedure may sound like a royal pain, professionals claim that the pain is minimal and temporary, and many say that the pain from piercing an ear is worse. After the soreness or tenderness goes away, the piercing increases sensitivity in the area and enhances sexual pleasure for the wearer — and not just for people who get pleasure from pain. The jewelry can also help to further stimulate a partner's genitals and enhance his or her orgasms.

Even if, to you, a pierced ear feels or sounds like nothing compared to a pierced penis, the bright side is that piercings in the penis tend to heal faster than those in other areas. The average recovery time for pierced genitalia is four to six weeks, while a belly button can take up to a year to fully heal from a piercing.

The road to recovery will be much smoother if you make sure you're pierced by a licensed professional who uses proper and thorough sanitation techniques. It's also a good idea to keep up a high level of hygiene at home. Your piercer should provide you with a list of after-piercing guidelines to follow. You can also check out Boyfriend pierced his penis in the Alice archives for tips on cleaning your tip.

Alice

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