Prince Albert piercings can increase nerve stimulation during sex or masturbation, but they may also increase your and your partner’s risk of infection or injury. Good planning and aftercare are essential.
The Prince Albert (PA) piercing is one of the most common penis piercings. It’s done by inserting a barbell or other jewelry through the hole where pee comes (urethra) and out of the underside behind the head (glans).
A Reverse PA is done by inserting a barbell or other piece of jewelry into the urethra and out of the top of the glans. The exit hole is on top of the head instead of underneath.
A Deep Shaft Reverse PA is done by inserting a barbell or other piece of jewelry into the urethra and out of the top of the shaft. The exit hole is much farther down, far away from the head.
You can usually wear any of the following styles:
- Circular barbell: horseshoe-shape with removable beads on both ends
- Captive bead ring: circular ring with a bead where the ends meet
- Straight barbell: rod-shape with removable beads on both ends
- Bent barbell: similar to a straight barbell, but with a slight curve from end to end
Your piercer will likely suggest jewelry made out of:
- Surgical titanium: less likely to cause allergic reactions or irritation in sensitive skin
- Biocompatible polymers (plastics): strong, sturdy, and flexible, and good for first-time piercings
- Niobium: hypoallergenic material and more resilient to wear and tear than other metals
- Gold: stick with 14-karat yellow or white gold to avoid infections during healing; don’t use gold-plated jewelry, which can cause infections and allergic reactions
- Platinum: the strongest and sturdiest option, but much more costly and difficult to obtain
You don’t need to be erect to get this piercing.
Your piercer will:
- Put on clean gloves, then wash and sterilize the area to be pierced.
- Use a marker to label the areas where the needle will go in and out of your skin.
- Insert the needle through the entry opening and out of the exit opening. They’ll likely ask you to take a deep breath and exhale as the needle penetrates your skin.
- Gently grip the skin with forceps to keep the skin steady while they put in the jewelry.
- Rinse, sterilize, and bandage the pierced area.
Your penis is dense with nerves and delicate tissue, so a PA may be more painful than a piercing elsewhere on the body.
Inserting a bigger, more complex piece of jewelry like a PA wand can increase the potential for discomfort.
A PA piercing can cost anywhere from $50 to $150 at a less expensive studio to several hundred bucks at a high-end shop with expensive jewelry.
Here’s a typical cost breakdown:
- Service: as low as $40 or well into the $100s due to the complexity and delicacy of this piercing
- Jewelry: as low as $15 for basic steel or titanium or well into the $100s for platinum, diamond, or gold
- Piercer tip: at least 20% or more for high quality service
Jewelry along the glans or shaft can move around and graze penile tissue when you masturbate or have partner sex.
This movement can stimulate more nerves and make you feel more pleasure during sexual activity. It can also stimulate more of your partner’s nerves during penetrative vaginal or anal sex.
You can swap your day-to-day jewelry for a prince’s wand, a type of “play” jewelry used for urethral sounding. It isn’t ideal for new piercings, but you can work up to it.
Like other piercings, PA piercings are susceptible to infection, migration (displacement), and rejection.
Genital piercings, in particular, have been linked to an increased risk of bloodborne sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
PA jewelry can cause your condom or barrier method to break, exposing you to your partner’s fluids and vice versa. This increases the risk of STI transmission and unintended pregnancy.
PA jewelry can rub, chafe, or injure sensitive areas on your partner’s genitals, anus, or mouth during sex.
In some cases, jewelry can become hooked to your partner’s genital, anal, or facial jewelry. This can be painful or difficult to undo without medical help.
A PA piercing heals relatively fast—about 4 weeks with proper care.
To keep your PA piercing clean:
- Use warm water and soap to wash your hands before you touch the area.
- Soak the pierced area in a saline solution twice daily.
- Gently wash away any crust that appears on the area.
- Use a clean paper towel to pat the area dry.
- Cover the area with a bandage. Change the bandage at least once daily.
To reduce the risk of irritation, infection, or injury:
- Always wash your hands before you touch the area.
- Shield your penis from water during showers, and avoid immersing yourself in a bath or a pool.
- Do not cleanse the pierced area with anything other than mild soap and water or saline.
- Leave the jewelry as-is until the piercing is fully healed.
- Wait until the initial pain and swelling subsides before you masturbate or have oral, anal, or vaginal sex. Use a condom or other barrier method during partner sex.
You may need to relearn how to pee to avoid spraying urine through new urethra openings. Try directing the hole downward or covering the hole.
Light pain and swelling are typical for any piercing. But some symptoms are more serious.
It’s important to make an appointment with a healthcare professional if you experience symptoms of infection. This includes:
- skin that’s hot to the touch
- discoloration beyond the pierced area
- white, yellow, or green discharge from the urethra or exit hole
- persistent pain or discomfort
- severe swelling
- foul odor
Consult with your piercer if you experience symptoms of rejection. This includes:
- dangling or sagging jewelry
- thinning or flaking skin between the jewelry’s entry and exit points
- complete jewelry dislodgment
Non-traditional piercings can push jewelry out as skin and tissues grow back. How long this takes differs for everyone — your overall health, penile tissues, and aftercare make a big difference.
Your piercing could last anywhere from a few months to several years.
Don’t change or remove your jewelry until the piercing has fully healed. Bacteria can get trapped under the skin and cause an infection.
If you’re unsure if the piercing has healed, ask your piercer to look at it. You can also request that they change or remove the jewelry for you.
If your piercer gives you the go-ahead to change the jewelry yourself, you should:
- Wash your hands with warm water and soap.
- Rinse the area with a saline solution.
- Carefully unscrew or remove any beads from the jewelry you’re wearing.
- Slowly take the jewelry out of the hole.
- Carefully unscrew or remove any beads from your replacement jewelry.
- Slowly and carefully push the replacement jewelry through the hole.
- Replace the beads you took off the jewelry.
- Secure the jewelry so that it doesn’t move around or fall out.
- Rinse the area with saline solution and gently pat dry.
If your piercing has successfully healed and you no longer want to wear PA jewelry, simply remove it. The exit hole will begin to close over time.
Do your research to ensure that your piercing is done at a shop with good reviews and a reputation for safety. An experienced piercer can also give tips on placement, discuss the risks, and teach about aftercare.
You may find that your body or skin type isn’t compatible with a PA piercing, and that’s OK. Your piercer may be able to suggest a different type that’s more comfortable and that you may like even better.