Can I Get Multiple Piercings at Once? October 7, 2019 – Posted in: Informative, Piercing Advice – Tags: , , , ,

Multiple piercings at once highlights: 

  • You can get multiple piercings at once, but you have to be able to properly care for them.
  • Even though there’s really no limit, many piercers recommend no more than four piercings at one time.
  • You can also stagger your piercing sessions weeks apart to make the process easier.

 

Multiple cartilage and ear piercings are THE piercing look of the 2020s. When cultivating your piercing look, you might not want to wait for each piercing to heal before you get the next one on the list, especially when cartilage can take over half a year to heal.

However, healing multiple piercings at once is more difficult than healing one at a time. You need to be able to show the same care and attention to every piercing in order to avoid complications.

Here’s everything you need to know about getting pierced multiple times at once.

Is it possible to get more than one piercing in one sitting?

The short answer is yes, you can get more than one piercing in a single sitting.

The number of piercings that you can get in one sitting will depend upon your individual ability to handle the process as well as what your piercer is willing to do. Most piercers do not recommend getting more than four piercings in one sitting. Even then, depending on the piercing placement, they might suggest that you stagger your piercing appointments.

The shark bite piercing, for example, requires four piercings—two on one side below the bottom lip and two on the other. If you were to get all four piercings at once, your bottom lip would likely see considerable swelling, and it will be difficult for day-to-day activities, like eating. Instead, you should consider getting one side done, then when the swelling has gone down in a week or two, you can do the other side. 

Things to consider

Most piercings don’t land further than halfway on the pain scale. They can be uncomfortable, but you won’t be in an inordinate amount of pain. Therefore, getting pierced more than once in one sitting shouldn’t be more difficult than getting multiple inoculations at once. Just take your time, communicate with your piercer, and don’t be afraid to ask for a break if needed.

If you do get multiple piercings, be sure to choose a reputable piercer that you trust. As long as you communicate how you’re feeling, they’ll be able to guide you through the process and recommend when it’s time to stop piercing.

Keep in mind that you will experience more discomfort during the healing period than you would with one piercing. More holes in your body mean more pain, so be prepared for an uncomfortable couple of weeks post-piercing. If you’re one who has a low pain tolerance, consider limiting yourself to one piercing at a time.

How many piercings can I get?

While you should get no more than four piercings at once (less if you want easier aftercare), the only limit to how many piercings you can get overall is your anatomy.

You should place at least 1/8 inch (3mm) between each piercing. This leaves a lot of piercable space, especially in the ears. You should keep this spacing in mind if you have multiple piercings planned. You don’t want to discover that previous piercings preclude you from getting the cartilage look that you want. 

If you do desire multiple piercings, schedule a consultation with your piercer to discuss your final desired look. They will be able to map your future piercings and create a piercing plan.

Person with multiple facial piercings

Photo by Alena Darmel

Multiple piercing aftercare

While the aftercare process for multiple piercings will be the same—clean 2 – 3 times daily with a piercing aftercare saline solution—it will be more difficult. This is simply due to the fact that you will have to care for more than one piercing. If your piercings are located next to each other, once one gets inflamed, it could pass this along to the other piercings.

As for cartilage piercings, getting both ears pierced at the same time can come with difficulties. You cannot lay on your piercing as it heals, and if both ears are healing, it means that you must sleep on your back for the entire healing period. This can last up to nine months or more. If you prefer to sleep on your side, then get only one ear pierced at a time.

Make sure that you pay equal attention to all of your healing piercings, and do not stop aftercare until each individual piercing has been confirmed as healed by your piercer. This includes all aspects of aftercare.

Be honest with yourself. If you know that you are responsible when it comes to aftercare, then healing more than one piercing won’t be a problem. If you’ve had difficulty healing piercings in the past, then you should probably stick to one piercing at a time.

 

Getting more than one piercing at the same time depends on the location of the piercings in relation to each other and your body’s ability to heal. It’s important to seek out knowledgeable, experienced piercers, and discuss your desires and possible risks of doing multiple piercings. Find a piercer you trust, come up with a piercing plan, and you shouldn’t have a problem receiving multiple piercings.

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