Prince Albert piercings are something you’ve probably heard of even if you’ve never seen one. Being a straight guy, it’s less likely you’ll look at other men’s dicks unless you’re in the locker room or watching porn. So it’s not surprising if you’re wondering what is a Prince Albert piercing?
For a lot of men, the idea of getting your penis pierced is enough to make you wince. Putting any kind of needle near your dick probably doesn’t appeal. After all, why would it? It’s a sensitive part of the body which you want to protect.
Penis piercings though are a thing and it’s not just for men who are into BDSM or alternative fashion who get it done. The first time I met a guy who had a Prince Albert piercing, I was a bit surprised to see a hole through the tip of his dick.
It’s not really the thing you expect to see when a well dressed, polite guy takes down his jeans. But there it was, and I couldn’t help but ask, why pierce your penis?
Why men get a Prince Albert piercing?
So when I asked, “why?” I was told that it feels good. Coming from a guy who’s into kink, likes tattoos and piercings in general, it wasn’t a big surprise. Having your penis pierced is a fetish in itself. It pushes the limits around body piercings and modification in a more extreme way.
By having a curved barbell piercing through the tip of your dick, it creates more sensations. Now the reviews on this are mixed. Some men say that it enhances pleasure for both partners. Some women agree with this but there are also reports of it causing discomfort when it hits the cervix.
The chap I spoke to said it generally felt good for his wife but that her gynaecologist had told her she had internal bruising on her cervix which appeared to come from something hard and metallic being thrust inside her. 2 plus 2 did equal 4 although she was too shy to admit the reason behind it to her ob-gyn. Needless to say, they stopped having sex with the PA in place!
Despite it having mixed reviews in the bedroom, it’s a popular piercing in the kink scene. Largely because it challenges the pain/pleasure aspect in the bedroom. It’s alternative and when men have other body piercings, it’s a natural process to think, ‘Hey let’s get my peni pierced, why not?’ The PA pushes the boat out but there are other equally alternative male genital piercings available.
The History of Penis Piercings
Now the main myth behind a Prince Albert piercing is the idea that Prince Albert (Queen Victoria’s husband/prince consort) had one in order to control his penis in tight trousers and to be able to whip it out when urinating without touching it. This is fairly fictitious and it’s more accurate to say that the Prince Albert piercing became popular due to Jim Ward in the 1970s.
Jim Ward (born June 28, 1941) is a well known American body piercer dubbed “the granddaddy of the modern body piercing movement.” As a member of the gay S&M New York Motorbike Club, he began to experiment with body piercings as he studied jewellery making. Later on, he joined the Rocky Mountaineer Motorcycle Club and experimented further with genital piercing. From 1973, he lived in the gay village of West Hollywood, LA. Here he met Doug Malloy and began to develop basic techniques for piercing.
In particular, Jim Ward is credited with bringing Prince Albert piercings into wider popularity. It’s the most well known of male genital piercings and arguably is more intense than others. The PA has a healing time from 4 weeks to 6 months and risks infections, bleeding, swelling and inflammation. Like any piercing really but more so due to the hygiene issues around urination and sex.
How does the Prince Albert work?
Depending on whether a man is circumcised or natural, the piercing is either centred or slightly off centre of the frenulum. This avoids damaging the nerve bundle in this part of the penis. It goes into the shaft and curves up through the urethra and out of the tip.
You can either wear a curved barbell piercing (similar to what women wear in their navels) or have a circular captive bead ring. There are other options too including a Prince’s wand or segment ring but the barbell or captive bead rings tend to be the most popular.
Some men choose to attach a chain to their PA piercing which can be used to move their penis around. It can be connected to other piercings or linked into chastity devices such as a cock cage. While men who wear a Prince’s Wand (penis plug) may use it as a way of securing the sound in place.
You can still pee while you wear a Prince Albert piercing although it may dribble more than without. Due to the piercing affecting the urethra itself, some men find it easier to pee sitting down instead. As it splashes them less although with practice, this apparently can be overcome.
Pros and Cons of genital piercing?
When it comes to having a genital piercing, there are different factors to consider. It’s obviously your choice to make at the end of the day. It’s your body and most piercings can be removed if you change your mind without adverse effect. Although you may have some scarring/scar tissue afterwards which doesn’t go away. It all depends on how long you wear the piercing for.
With any piercing, there’s always a risk of infection, some swelling or inflammation. But if you follow recommended piercing aftercare and practice good hygiene, it reduces the risks.
Genital piercings can be slightly harder to keep clean though due to their proximity to pee and pussy! During the healing period, it can help to avoid sexual contact which irritates the piercing. Plus you should use condoms while letting it heal fully to avoid getting bacteria into the piercing.
There’s actually 3 different versions of a Prince Albert piercing. The standard Prince Albert which goes through your urethra and out underneath your glans. The Reverse Prince Albert which goes out of the top of the shaft, behind the glans instead of beneath. As well as the Deep Shaft Reverse Prince Albert which comes out of your shaft much lower down.
Aftercare
Having a Prince Albert piercing or genital piercing in general can increase your risk of catching an STI. This is due to having increased exposure to blood borne STIs such as HIV and syphilis. While your piercing is healing, it’s extra important to practice safe sex due to having an open wound exposed to vaginal fluids/saliva.
During sex itself, it’s recommended that you remove the piercing. This helps avoid the risk of hurting your partner during penetration and is better for oral. In anal sex, it’s even more important you take it out as the rectum is more delicate than the vagina and can tear more easily.
Ultimately, it’s down to you to evaluate the pro’s and con’s of piercing your penis. If you do want to get it done, chatting to other guys with it can help and finding a reputable piercer with good reviews is essential. Any equipment should be sterile, in a clean piercing studio where you can discuss the piercing in detail.
Just try not to set off any body scanners in airports, eh? For more information check out this article on healthline.com which gives you even more details.