Piercing Pain Chart: How Bad Does Each Piercing Hurt?

Piercings are an awesome way to express yourself, there are tons of different piercing locations and countless different types of jewelry, giving you limitless ways to customize your appearance from day to day. However there is one thing about piercings that doesn’t seem so awesome, and some say it may even be a bit scary… the pain!

That is why we put together a comprehensive piercing pain chart. We designed this chart based on feedback from thousands of piercing clients and the opinions of experts in the industry, including master piercers, tattoo artists, and more.

The pain a person feels, or how bad a piercing hurts will vary from person to person based on their individual pain tolerance. That being said, this piercing pain chart should at least give you a good idea of what to expect when choosing a piercing location. 

Not only will we have a pain chart, but we will also break down each piercing individually to give you a better understanding how bad each piercing is going to be. Each piercing will be listed under its corresponding body part; Ears, Face, or Torso, and are listed from least to most painful. This should make finding your next piercing as easy as possible.

The scale we are using for the piercing pain chart is 1-5, 1 being the least painful, and 5 being the most.

Ear Piercings Pain Chart

Ear piercings are some of the most common piercings. However, recently there has been a surge in popularity of different ear piercing locations, the conch, the tragus, etc. Thankfully most piercings on the ear are not too painful, ranging from mild to moderate on the piercing pain scale. Below is a more detailed pain guide to each ear piercing based on location.

Earlobe Piercing Pain: 1

Lobes are the most common piercing, and thankfully the least painful. This is the perfect piercing to get you warmed up for something that may be a bit more painful

Helix Piercing Pain: 2

As we move on to the cartilage the pain of the piercing increases. But don’t worry, it is still very manageable, and most people shouldn’t be too bothered.

Forward Helix Piercing Pain: 2

The forward helix is going to be on the low end of the pain scale, and should be a piercing that you shouldn’t have to worry too much about getting when it comes to pain.

Flat Piercing Pain: 2

The flat is also not a super painful piercing and should be well tolerated by most. So, no need to get too scared about getting a flat Piercing.

Conch Piercing Pain: 2

The conch piercing is a 2 in pain. That pain level should be fine for even the most timid people planning to get a piercing.

Tragus Piercing Pain: 2.5

Our last ear piercing in the 2s is the Tragus with a pain rating of 2.5. Sure it’s a high 2, but again most people should be able to handle a tragus piercing without any problems at all.

Surface Tragus Piercing Pain: 3

The surface tragus piercing gets us into the 3s for piercing pain. But, don't let the scare you, a 3 piercing pain should be manageable fro most people. And, just think how cool it will look for just a moment of pain.

Rook Piercing Pain: 3

The rook isn’t the most painful piercing you can get, but it is also not the least. It definitely hurts enough to take notice, although the pain is quick. 

Daith Piercing Pain: 3

The daith is also right above average when it comes to piercing pain. It’s enough to make you tense up a bit, but it’s all over quickly and the beauty is definitely worth it.

Industrial Piercing Pain: 3.5

The most painful of the ear piercings is the industrial, which is also one of the most popular. It’s a high 3 on the pain scale, but that doesn’t mean you should skip it, it is actually a moderate pain level and we see tons of people get them everyday with no trouble at all.

Face Piercings Pain Chart

Face piercings may look intimidating as far as pain goes, because we all naturally want to protect our faces. Luckily, face piercings are not all the painful, and just like ear piercings, range from mild to only moderate pain levels. Below is a list of face piercings from least to most painful with details on each individual piercing.

Nostril Piercing Pain: 1

Another super popular piercing, the nostril, is not very painful at all. Sure, it’s probably going to make your eyes water, but that won’t be from pain, it’s just a natural reaction from poking your nose.

Labret Piercing Pain: 1

A labret piercing is also not painful, very on par with an earlobe piercing as far as pain goes. If you are interested in a labret piercing there is no need to worry, almost anyone can handle the quick pain.

Smiley Piercing Pain: 2

The smiley piercing is a low 2, it’s definitely an easy piercing, but you will feel a poke. Another more popular piercing that has a pain level that is very toroable .

Septum Piercing Pain: 2

The septum piercing is also a 2 for pain, putting it firmly on the low side of the pain scale, making it a great choice for those with lower pain tolerances.

Vertical Labret Piercing Pain: 2.5

The vertical labret is a high 2 on the piercing pain scale, putting it right in the middle of the road when it comes to piercing pain. This means you’ll definitely feel it, but most people don’t have much to worry about.

Eyebrow Piercing Pain: 2.5

The eyebrow is also a high 2. In terms of hot sauce it’s medium, not too spicy, but enough to wake you up. Should be no problem for most people.

Anti-Eyebrow Piercing Pain: 3

The anti-eyebrow piercing is a bit more painful than a traditional eyebrow piercing with a pain level of 3. It's not going to be the worse pain you will feel, but you'll almost definitely feel something.

Medusa Piercing Pain: 3

The Medusa piercing is closer to the high side of piercing pain, it’s for sure not unbearable or anything. But, it is a piercing that you will feel a bit of pain with while being pierced.

Tongue Piercing Pain: 3

The tongue seems like it would be very painful. We have all bitten our tongues before, and that never feels good. Thankfully if you have bitten your tongue you have a good gauge of how painful a tongue piercing is.

Torso Piercings Pain Chart

Our final piercing pain section is torso piercing. As a whole torso piercings are on the painful side when compared with ear and face piercings, ranging from moderate to high in the pain scale. It’s important to remember though that you shouldn’t let pain decide what piercings you get, and the pain, even if severe, only lasts a few moments. 

Belly Button Piercing Pain: 2.5

Belly button or navel piercings may seem intimidating, but they are right in the middle on the piercing pain scale. This makes them an enticing torso piercing, because of the relatively low pain level when compared to other torso piercings.

Nipple Piercing Pain: 4

Nipple piercings are going to hurt, but just like other piercings the pain is very fast, so you will be okay. Also, the first nipple usually seems worse, so once you’re halfway though the battle it just gets easier.

Genital Piercing Pain: 5

There are many different genital piercing locations for men and women, and obviously the specific piercing locations are going to vary in pain, but in general genital piercing for men and women are quite painful. Only the most brave and dedicated people should consider genital piercings, not only because of the pain level , but also because of long delicate healing time.

What If I Couldn't Find An Exact Piercing On The Chart?

We hope this piercing pain chart answers your questions about how bad your piercing will hurt. If the exact piercing you were looking for happens to not be on this chart, we may have it listed under another name, in which case just look at the pain chart for the closest location you are interested in getting pierced to get a good idea about the pain level.

If you would like to learn more about all the different piercing locations make sure to check out our Visual Guide To All Piercings Locations, where we have actual photos of each piercing with names and details. And to check out all of our great piercing articles, click here.

See you soon!