About 13 months ago I got a nape piercing. After constant fighting with it, my body won and I decided to take it out. With overworking myself and always being run down, the piercing was getting infected every few days. It got really bad the past two weeks as you can see:
So, tonight I unscrewed a ball and pulled it out from under my skin. This is what the bar looks like:
I guess I should really just stick to tattoos. At least they don’t get infected.
Im getting that piercing done soon and i was just wondering how often should i clean it?
Hi lexxie & xrockscitybabex
As you may have read i had my nape done nearly 6 months ago and i had mine done with a clamp and it is doing fine different people will tell you different things but it will all depend on how you look after it and how your body takes to it some people can take piercings but then have a surface one and it will reject, i had my navel done for 8yrs then removed whilst i was pregnant then had it done again and went through hell with it my body just didn’t want it but no probs with my nape.
You can get it done with flat/balls but your skin can grow over them in a matter of hours (believe me i have seen it) so balls are best i had mine changed about 16 weeks after to AB crystal from plain titainium you will have to go back to your piercer anyway for a trim down on your bar if you have PTFE.
As for cleaning 10 mins twice a day – half pint hot boiled water to a quarter teaspoon seasalt let the water cool down a bit and soak 2 cotton balls in it and lay face down and place them on each end of your piercing after 5 mins do the same again with new cotton balls and then wipe off any crust that has gone soft (much easier).
As for taking antibiotics before a piercing why they won’t do anything cos you dont have an infection and taking them won’t prevent one if your piercing gets a bit icky carry on with the salt water soaks cos that will draw out any crap thats in there a bad infection will need treatment but in the form of antibiotic lotion not pills.
If you have a really good piercer they will know how to do a nape i recommend Coldsteel in Camden London.
As for haircuts just cover it over with 2 small dressings when your at home just rinse to get rid excess hair and remove the dressings.
Hope i have been a bit helpful….. now go get that nape done!!!!!
Hi i have just had a nape pericing done, i have a rainbow titanium 45mm bar in my neck and it looks cool. i had it done free hand no clamps, a lot less chance in it being off to one side or wonky but it hurts more. i have been using salt water to clean it like chilli1011 but i use tea tree oil to seal from infection, this hurts like hell but is the best way. i have to do this two times a day. its healing well to say i had it done on 05/01/2007. if you get one done clean it well with salt water. (I usualy mix 2 table spoons of sea salt to 3 table spoons of hot boiled water)
Oh and i recomend geting a tragus piercing first, reason being a lot of people have piercing migration problems, thats were the piercing will actualy grow out of the skin. This leaves a long scar if you have a nape piercing that migrates 🙁 .i think its 1 out of every 4 people have this problem but dont hold me to that and it mainly hapens with eyebrow/navel/tragus and nape piercings.
Oh i forgot to say the average price of getting a nape piercing is usualy same as a industrial piercing 22.00 uk my tragus cost more 24.00 uk the next step for me is to get 2 flesh tunnels in my right ear 🙂
Thankyou very much! 😀
Hi again,
Migration is common with surface piercings but i have never heard of it in a tragus but you will notice it if it is migrating so can take it out before a lot of piercings start to migrate then settle in a place they like so it may go wonky but it does depend on the person my next piercing will be either a diath or a rook i can’t decide.
careful with the salt to water ratio on your nape chrisx cos salt can really irritate so if it starts to itch or go red go for the same mix i use that is quite a common one a lot of piecers recommend and i’m not so sure on the tea tree oil either it may do you more harm that good cos of it being oil and very strong but if it works for you all well and goodxx.
My nape cost £35.
hey there its jeremy again i left a reply on june 25 06 about a month after i got it done and it is still doing great. thanks a lot to my girlfriend that helps me clean it every time i need it done. now i saw a new one that i want to try but it is risky then the nape for infection, i want to peirce under my colar bone. it looks so wild i need to try it i think it would go well with the tattoo work i have. i will let u know how it turns out k sooo ill be back soon
Hi, I got my nape done the 1st time about 4 years ago and no probloems at all with it. Soon after that one I added two more (smaller in sizes) and it ended up looking pretty good. I got a bit more experimental (stupid maybe 🙂 ) and added two more going vertical rather than horizantal. It looked like two sets of a no.5 on a dice but they didnt settle at all. So now after all that my 3 current piercings in my nape look like they are coming to an end 🙁 I think Ive got an infection in on one of the bars, its like a sore that hasnt healed. Any ideas what it is or how it can be treated?….By the way I had them all done in bodyschock in Dublin too…great place for piercings,considering mine were only meant to last 6 months 🙂
I had my nape pierced about 8 months ago. It was done free hand with a surface bar. It hurt quite a bit, but it wasn’t unbearable. At first I cleaned it once a day with anti bacterial soap. As it began to heal, I just let my body take care of itself and gave it no special attention. It gets a little crusty as part of the healing process, but I pick the crusties off. I have never had any problems with it, no infection at all. It hasn’t started migrating either. I wear a band aid over it (the big ones) when I go for a haircut or color my hair. I have the flat beads because they don’t catch on stuff as easily as the round beads do. I give it no special care and have had absolutely no problems. I think I was meant to be pierced. 🙂
Hi again,
Darirl if you think you have an infection go to the doctor and he will give you an antibiotic solution to put on it an infection will show as redness around the area it will be hot to touch and very sore and there will be yellow green pus coming from it if it is just sore then go for the 1/4 teaspoon pure seasalt mixed with 1/2 pint of boiled water let it cool a bit then soak the piercing for 10 minutes twice a day this will draw out any crap thats in there you should do this for about a week and see how it goes and don’t pick the crusties off soak them and they will come away easily picking them will just introduce infection in.
Hope this was some help Xx
Hi again im thinking of geting a second nape piercing my first one has heald well. I have to tell you about a new material out called PTFE its a type of plastic that can be use for piercings and its bendy unlike normal metal bars. it feels much beter in my nape to. i also just got a new lobe piercing, a big gaged one so when it heales i can strech it out to make a tunnel 🙂 i think im going to have 2 in one ear. i dont like the massive ones so im going with 2 small.
Hope you look into the PTFE stuff and decide to get some.
Yeah mine is PTFE it is really flexible and does actually bend with the movement of your neck and also after you have it done and it is all weepy it will still move back and forth to enable you to clean stuff off of it cos it doesn’t stick.
A lot of piercers advise PTFE in surface piercings.
hey i really want to get my nape peirced. but after reading all of this i dont want it to migrate or reject.. i have my navel done and that was great, it never got infected or anything. if someone could just tell me all the right things aobut the nape peircing id be soo happy. i live in the us so does anyone know how much it goes for here? im also getting my industrial done soon, im pretty excited about it all. and i really like flesh tunnels so maybe that will come too :] im not sure how to check this after i exit so if anyone could be kind enough id really apretiate sending answers , messaging me at my myspace page.
http://www.myspace.com/ledapedahandsome
thanks soo much :] byee
It depends on a few things as to whether the piercing will grow out, but once its done you really need to baby the piercing. The wrong shaped bar can also cause the piercing to grow out as it will push itself out. Make sure you clean it religeosly and don’t play with it at all… Mine has not become infected, and I even know of one person with multiple nape piercings that have not grown out in 3 years… But its not a piercing to rush into. Make sure you get the right jewelry, the right shape jewelry, a piercer that knows what he’s doing and that you keep it very clean. I cannot stress enough how much you really need to baby this piercing to minimize it growing out. Even once a piercing is healed, wherever it is, keeping it clean is very important.
I totally agree with you Taylor a nape piercing is something that has definately got to be looked after no matter what you have to do the sea salt water soaks every day without fail.
Saying that though they are easy to look after as with any piercing just keep it clean and don’t fiddle with it , Napes can get irritated easily because of hair products getting in there and even getting dressed and undressed all it takes is for you to catch your top on it and it can become sore and weepy but as long as you soak it twice a day every day it will settle down again.
I have had mine for about 7 months now and never had a days trouble with it although it does get a bit sore if i have a cold or something but does settle down again very quickly.
Another thing to take to assist with healing are Zinc Tablets bought from all health food shops and most chemists — they do help.
im turning 17 in 2 weeks. me and my mom are getting our napes pierced. im so exited. when i got my industrial/ scaffold on both my ears everyone kept staring at it. wait until they see my neck. i will love the reactions.
Hi I was going to take mine out a few months ago coz it got infected..again…but thankfully i saw it through! kept it in and everything is just fine, love it, it feels lovely when i’m putting my hair up! love to brush off metal…do i sound like salad fingers with his rusty spoons?!! have it now 20months..staple bar with round balls
Hello!
I have had my nape pierced for about 7 months now and I love it to death. From what I see though, the surface bar you got is not the correct shape. Shape is everything when it comes to surface piercings…
mine now looks like the photo at the top 🙁
been to doc’s, halfway through a week’s antibiotic session..any advice? if i take it out how long to heal and then get another one? or reckon best to wait for a period of time..if so how long before deciding whether to admit defeat..cheers 🙂
Steve,
Keep with the antibiotics is it pills or lotion ?
and keep soaking it 10 mins twice a day 1/4 teaspoon seasalt to 1/2 pint boiling water that will draw out any fluid trapped in there…… and hopefully it will pull through fingers crossed its not rejecting try not to touch it apart from the soaking.
If it starts to reject take it out otherwise it will tear through your skin and leave a nasty scar if you have to take it out i would leave it about 8-12 months before you attempt to have it done again but check with your piercer.
Hope its been helpful & good luck 🙂
Im getting mine done either tomorrow or monday…
Im really excited but im scared it will get like that and that i’ll catch it alot..
does it ever get to a point where its stops hurting altogether like i have my lip, madonna and all my ears done but none of them hurt any more. I you know what i mean 🙂
Thanks for the reply chilli..have been doing the seasalt thing regularly – antibiotics are pills..
..>dumb question alert
hmmm didn’t show all my message..
..oh well – I was going to say that how will I know it’s rejecting?
It isn’t growing out if that’s what rejecting means?
Tess I never caught my piercing on anything, don’t really wear clothes with collars though..not many vicars with nape piercings then I guess..
..enjoy anyway 😉
I got my nape pierced about two weeks ago. it still looks kind of gnarly, like red and irritated, and it occassionally hurts if it gets snagged on clothing, but i think it is healing well. I have a large gauge 80 degree surface bar with balls, not flats or spikes. it sticks out from my neck more than i think it should, though, which i’m afraid will keep it from fully healing. in another week or two I’m planning on changing the jewelry, either to another metal surface bar with a shorter sticky-outy bit or one of those flexible type pieces with metal balls. thanks to all the commenters for good tips on cleaning and maintenance.
Hi guys,
I have a nape piercing which I have now had for about 2 or 3 months. It has been absolutely fine from about week 3 onwards. It doesn’t hurt, even when I catch it, and it hasn’t been infected. Not even once.
I do still clean it with antibacterial once or twice a week, because it is a surface piercing, and they are known for being a pain.
Seriously, if you look after it, you shouldn’t have any problems. Although I would recommend against it if you have hair which comes anywhere hear you nape, hair is notoriously bad for irritating piercings!
Oh, and there seems to be some discussions as to the appropriate jewellery, mine is a 45 degree surface bar.
The reason it failed was because the jewellery is wrong. The curves should be 90 degrees and tight, not sorta curved the way yours is. =)
ive had mine done for about 3 months now and it is completley fine, i love it. my bar is gold. the reason your body may be rejection is because you need titanium metal. i also have my tounge and nose. bout to get my anti tragus reaaally soon.. i have my lobes done twice and hald way and up the top.. im way cool hahahuefwdjkcx BYE
p.s im constintly wearing my hair down cept the ocasional time.. it never ever gets caught in it.
i love my nape piercing!! my boyfriend and i got it done at the same time and he went first and watching some one get it done definitly makes u wanna faint!! it didnt hurt at all– and ive had a few piercings before and its also the most convienent piercing while it heals bc even if u sleep on it depending on how u lay it doesnt bother u at all… after the first month u dont even realize its there most of the time– the only thing i dont like is that it was supposed to be lower on my neck but my skin was too thick so sometimes i get babyhair caught in it and u can the the bar sometimes– but my boyfriends is perfect, u dont see the bar at all– so i would recommend it– but if u wanna reduce the chances of it rejecting make sure u take proper care of it!!
–GENTLY apply IVORY every shower. make sure that when u clean it that u only push side to side and dont pull and apply the soap 2-3 times and make sure its rinsed out well
–if theres any crust then take a cotton swab with peroxide and GENTLY clean the crust off and then GENTLY wipe with a cloth damp with water
— DONT PLAY WITH IT!!!! the first piercing i got, right after, my piercer poked my shoulder repeatly and asked if i would get annoyed with it, i said yea and he said “so would your piercing!!”– so even tho u would like to check it out, DONT!!
–during the healing period, dont do anything that would apply too much pressure to the piercing. try not to wear tight collars/necklaces or sleep on it TOO much. also, if u use a poof sponge in the shower, BE CAREFUL because the loops can get caught on the piercing and pull on it.
yea but everything else will be explained by ur piercer so just make sure that everything is clean and blah blah blah and hopefully it should last for a decent time, but all piercings eventually grow out– but if for some chance u take really good car of it and it still rejects, well, that sucks….
i think its an odd peircing to get done but oh well do you have any other peircings??? i want my toungue done and i was wandering if u knew of it hurts???? cn u email me as i wont be on this website again my adress is o0o_cheeki_cori_o0o@hotmail.co.uk
hi again its been a while since i posted on here. my nape piercing has completly healed now and feels and looks good 🙂 . i decied to try piercing my self but i seem to have forgot about any pain numbing stuff lol. i have done my ankle its risky but if done right looks good. at the moment i have a normal 14g piercing belly button bar in it just waiting for it to heal now 🙂 still thinking of getting a second nape peircing done but im not looking forward to having to clean it every day and stuff it was a pain i got my flesh tunnel its a 8mm hole now dont know if im going any biger than hat because i fancy a 6mm next to it. oh and hi again chilli1011 if you still come on here 🙂
i think it looks great i got mine done about 6 weeks ago and i love it!!!! Sarah xx
I was wondering if it’s possible that the flat disks come with diamonds on it… because i know it is much better to get flat disks then balls… but i find them too boring…
i have a few piercings and none of them have rejected, or got infected (except for my nose, because i cannot live without wearing make-up). Will my hair infect a nape piercing?
I am so sorry to hear about your napes I have had mine for some time now I know they Migrate fast but They are addictting I have two check it out
go to myspace
e-mail search and it’s Rocky12388@yahoo.com
-Rocky
i love my nape piercing(s) i have a ladder of them and want to get a couple more, an anti eye brow, an eye brow, my lip done, and im getting my collarbones done soon…
but yeah whoever did your piercing put the wrong bar in, no wonder your body was fighting you… im sorry sweets
the reason it got rejected is because you didnt pic the right kind of jewlary…… oyu need to research this stuff before you get it done!!!!
p3ac3
just to let everyone know 90% of surface piercings get rejected by the body except for eyebrows
trust me im a pro
nick
Hey just a thought after reading your blog, maybe its the jewelry not you as such, as i cant have any jewelry that has nickel in it, and its used in the mix on most bars and rings as it cheap maybe next time you want a piercing get titanium bars/rings worked for me in ear, nipples and after places worth looking in to mate.
Uceil.
Ey, I’m just researching getting my nape done. I think I’m getting it done in two days. I was just wondering if you’ve heard of Metal Morphesis, in Dublin, I got my nose pierced there. I live in Australia though. Also, is it easy to move your head and neck after you’ve just gotten it done? Did it catch on lots of things and make it hard to sleep?
Thanks =]
We do them all the time … http://www.pierceartist.co.uk/gallery.htm
We do them all the time … http://www.pierceartist.co.uk/gallery.htm
We do them all the time … http://www.pierceartist.co.uk/gallery.htm
MESSAGE TO STEVE that was left on april 2nd no it was not a dumb question alert as no not all antibiotics are pills i have had an antibiotic lotion that you dab on a piercing it was called Stiemycine 20mg solution thats why i asked because lotions are much better than pills because they get to the problem quicker (google it) .
Any way mine is fully healed now have small glitter balls on it now they are plastic and look great.
hey, i’m 16 and from Australia…its a shame urs had to come out…i’ve had mine in for nearly 2 months and besides when i scratched it in the first few weeks its now healed and im changing the balls soon…i got my tragus pierced today too…why do you have a metal bar in it? mines bendy plastic stuff…maybe your body didn’t like the metal bar through it…iduno…and for everyone out there…it only hurt a tiny bit…like getting a normal needle at the doctors…it looks cool and yea it will grow out eventually but i’d say get it done if your really thinking about it…
xox
The jewerly doesn’t look like the best for your neck. Mine looks sort of like a staple, so the prongs on it are longer. Maybe it was migrating out for a good portion of the time you had it in. They show migration from the ends inward.
cheers!
Lara
Awww man! that suck!
I had to take my surface bar out as well!
Totlay sucks! Was great while it lasted right enough!
Mines was just in and no more….the skin got so thin it was unbelievable!
Owell..all i have no is a radgin scar! =[
Lauren
i feel your pain,i got my left wrist surface piercing and it gets infected every 2 weeks or so,i really dont want to take it out but i may have to,im still waiting for the 6 month surface piercing healing rule. i have my fingers crossed it will work out
awww sorry to hear that, i’m thinking of getting mine done soon, i have a long history of pirecings and none of them ahve rejected at all (tounge, 3 on lip, industrial, earlobe, nose, and a bunch of other ones) between the ages of 11 and 14 (i’m 14 now) so i’m hoping it wont reject now.