A Nefertiti piercing runs vertically from the clitoral hood and emerges from the mons pubis — the fleshy mound above that covers your pubic bone.
It’s like having a Christina piercing and vertical clit hood (VCH) piercing all in one — as in one very long, continuous bar that runs through a lot of tissue.
They’re sometimes said to be a safer alternative to the rare and potentially dangerous Isabella piercing, but most reputable piercers won’t do the Nefertiti either because it carries a lot of the same risks.
A Nefertiti pierces through a very long length of tissue. Because of its placement, the piercing is exposed to a lot of friction and movement, making it very slow to heal and prone to injury.
Most piercers don’t consider it worth the risk, including Elayne Angel, who shares a pretty horrific experience related to this piercing on her website Piercing Bible.
Risks associated with the piercing include:
- severe pain
- hemorrhaging
- loss of clitoral sensation
- delayed healing
- tearing and injury
- migration and rejection
- scarring
Most piercers don’t consider it worth the risk, especially with safer alternatives, which we’ll get to next.
If you’re after the look and feel of a Nefertiti piercing, you have a few options that’ll give you the same effect but without the high risk of potentially life-altering complications.
Christina
A Christina piercing will give you a similar look to a Nefertiti piercing without taking up as much delicate and risky real estate.
It inserts through the cleft of Venus just above the clit hood and emerges from the mons pubis.
Aesthetically, the Christina is the most similar to a Nefertiti, but it’s a surface piercing and doesn’t provide any clit stimulation.
VCH
Did someone say “clit stimulation”?
A VCH piercing will give you the direct clit contact you’d get from a Nefertiti without risking damage to the actual clit.
It pierces vertically through the skin of the clitoral hood so that most of the barbell is sandwiched between the hood and the actual clit.
The piercing itself is way less intense, but you still get the sexual benefits.
VCH/Christina combo
Yup, you can combine these two piercings to get a look that’s pretty much identical to the Nefertiti. The only real difference is that they’re two separate piercings instead of one long one.
While it may sound like more work or pain to get two separate piercings, it’s actually a lot less work for the piercer and less painful and risky for the person getting pierced.
Each of these only pierces a small amount of tissue, while the Nefertiti creates one very long channel.
A VCH/Christina combo will give you the same look and all the pleasurable clit feels, without damaging as much tissue and a much lower risk of complications.
Most reputable piercers advise against getting these, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some who are willing to do them.
If you already have a Nefertiti and are concerned about it, don’t remove the jewelry yourself.
Jewelry for any piercing should always be left in until you’re fully healed. This one in particular should be taken out by a skilled and experienced piercer.
Even if your piercing is established and you’re happy with it, it’s important to know what signs to look out for that could indicate a complication.
See a reputable piercer or a healthcare provider right away if you notice:
- Bleeding. Some light bleeding for the first few days after any piercing is normal. Bleeding that persists beyond that or is excessive is not. If you experience severe bleeding, get immediate medical care.
- Pain. Tenderness isn’t unusual after a piercing, but if it’s gets worse, is severe, or you develop new pain after you’ve healed, it could indicate an injury or infection. Look for pain when touching the area or pelvic pain when moving around.
- Numbness. Any decrease in clitoral sensitivity should be brought up to a healthcare provider, including tingling, numbness, or a total loss of sensation. This could be a sign of nerve damage or vascular damage that’s affected the blood supply to the clit.
- Discharge. All piercings have a bit of discharge and crusting in the first days. Discharge that’s thick, yellow or green, or pus-like, or that has a foul smell points to an infection.
- Pain during sex. Pelvic pain when you move around or pain during sex can point to injury or an infection, even if there are no visible signs of a problem.
- Hot skin. Skin that’s inflamed and hot to the touch is indicative of a skin infection. You might also notice severe redness and pain around the site that may be accompanied by fever and chills, body aches, and other flu-like symptoms.
- Migration or rejection. Improper placement, poor aftercare, and the long healing period increase the chances of migration and rejection. If this happens, you’ll notice your jewelry becoming more visible because of piercing getting bigger around it or the jewelry moving closer to the surface of your skin.
- Embedding. Jewelry that’s too small can become embedded as your tissue grows over it.
Nefertiti piercings are rarely done because of the risks involved. Fortunately, other genital piercings can give you the same aesthetic and effects without the risk.
To find a skilled piercer in your area, check out the Association of Professional Piercers (APP).
Adrienne Santos-Longhurst is a Canada-based freelance writer and author who has written extensively on all things health and lifestyle for more than a decade. When she’s not holed-up in her writing shed researching an article or off interviewing health professionals, she can be found frolicking around her beach town with husband and dogs in tow or splashing about the lake trying to master the stand-up paddle board.