VCH Piercing: Quick Tips To Read Up On

The vertical hood piercing is the least painful, most stimulating, and quickest healing female genital piercing.

What is VCH hood piercing? 

The vertical hood piercing is the least painful, most stimulating, and quickest healing female genital piercing there is, but it depends on if you have the correct anatomy for it. You’ll need to have an examination done by your piercer to determine whether you are best suited for a vertical or horizontal clit hood piercing. Following their recommendation will give you the best results.

The vertical hood piercing is inserted into the hood tissue just above the clitoris. The jewelry rests naturally on the clitoris on the vagina. As it runs parallel with the natural contour of the woman’s shape, it yields to the natural movements with little or no twisting or binding.

Once the body has become accustomed to the piercing, you may find that it does not feel as stimulating as it once did. Taking the jewelry out for a while and then reinserting it, changing jewelry, or increasing gauge size can help to regain the “new” feeling.

What is a VCH?

VCH stands for vertical clitoral hood. It’s a type of clitoral piercing which generally fall into these categories:  


VCH: The vertical clitoral hood piercing wins in major popularity. It pierces vertically through the hood’s top and comes out the bottom; this results in the piercing jewelry being in constant contact with the clitoris.

HCH: The horizontal clitoral hood piercing goes — as the name implies — horizontally through the base of the hood, so that the jewelry rests over the top of the clitoris.

Glans: A glans piercing is the only type that pierces the actual clitoris, generally through the clitoral head if it’s a vertical piercing, or its midpoint if it’s horizontal.

Triangle: The triangle piercing goes horizontally through the base of the hood and underneath the shaft of the clitoris, according to one of the early performers of the procedure, Elayne Angel, author of Piercing Bible.

Princess Diana: Princess Diana piercings, are usually performed in pairs and may be an addition to a VCH. They’re essentially VCH piercings but done off to the sides. If you have a VCH, you might flank it with PDs, for example.

Christina: The Christina, isn’t actually a clitoral glans or hood piercing,  but it’s often brought up as an alternative. One insertion point goes through the very front of the vulva, called the cleft of Venus. The piercing then extends through a small portion of the mons pubis, where it emerges.

Piercings that penetrate the clitoris are much riskier than hood piercings. A professional piercer must examine the potential client to first see if it’s even anatomically suited for a clitoral piercing. Ofcourse you know how sensitive the clitoris is, and it is painful because the piercing jewelry goes through many nerves. These are the same nerves that are responsible for sexual sensation and pleasure. So there’s a bit more at stake than with hood piercings but while complications are rare, consider their possibility.

What gauge are VCH piercings?

The standard jewelry for vertical hood piercing is 10, 12, or 14 gauge curved barbell or captive bead ring.

How long does it take for a VCH to heal?

On average, a vch piercing takes 4 to 8 weeks to heal. 

How do I know when my VCH piercing is healed?

You are probably wondering if your VCH piercing is healed because you’re interested in experimenting with it sexually. In most cases you can engage in sexual activity such as sex or masturbation when you feel ready. However, maintaining hygiene and avoiding trauma are vital; all sexual activities should be gentle during the healing period. Use physical barriers such as condoms, dental dams, and waterproof bandages, etc. to avoid contact with your partners’ body fluids such as saliva and semen which can increase the risk of infection.

What are the benefits of a hood piercing?

Although many clitorus piercings are purely for decorative purposes, others have a more utilitarian purpose: sexual pleasure. When considering a gential piercing, many think past the pain and infection risk in getting one as it is weighed against the possible reward in terms of sexual satisfaction. Which is why many women pierce for the benefit of pleasure in the clitoris and the labia. 

Many women opt for VCH piercings over others because they tend to be more sexually stimulating than say, a HCH piercing. If you want a VCH piercing, it’s important that a professional piercer must test to see if your clitoral hood is deep enough to support it without damaging your clitoris. If it’s not, then the piercer will instead recommend something like a HCH piercing instead. 

Will a vch piercing stimulate the clitoris during sex? It depends – on the actual piercing and on your anatomy. If you get the best piercing (vertical or horizontal) for your particular anatomy and the piercing was done properly to encourage clitoral stimulation, then it should enhance pleasure during sex.

A 2005 study stated that vertical clitoral hood piercings don’t have much impact on orgasm and pleasure. But it seems to increase sexual desire and frequency of arousal. 

It isn’t clear whether these findings apply to other clitoral piercings, such as the horizontal clitoral hood and clitoral glans piercings.

If and how a clitoral hood piercing affects your sex life comes down to you. Personal preference, size and shape of the piercing, and level of sensitivity vary from person to person.

Can I take a bath after a VCH piercing?

This aftercare guide is for when you get pierced on the Clitoral Hood, Inner and Outer Labia, Fourchette, Christina and Triangle. It is meant to be done twice each day, preferably after washing or bathing.

Soak your piercing for a few minutes by submerging the area of skin containing the piercing in a clean container, such as a bowl. The bowl must contain a warm water solution (1/4 level teaspoon of preferably sea salt to a shot glass of warm water). Alternatively, you can also wet a clean towel or gauze in the solution and apply as a warm compress. 

By doing so, you will soften any discharge and allow you to clean the entry and exit points of the piercing with a cotton bud or gauze. Once the discharge is removed or atleast softened then your new jewellery can be gently moved so as to work a little warm water through the piercing. Dry the piercing only with a fresh disposable paper towel or a kitchen roll. Never use a family or general hand/bath towel. 

VCH piercing aftercare to follow: 

  1. Never ever touch your piercing with dirty hands. Always wash hands immediately before touching or cleaning your piercing every time.
  2. The best place to practice after care for your piercing is in the shower. Allow clean water to run over the piercing and get it wet before you begin to wash it. The water will help to soften and wash away some of the dry, crusted discharge from around and on the jewelry. Remove the remaining stuff before washing with a really wet cotton ball.
  3. During the first week or two, take showers instead of baths. Sitting in a bathtub can introduce bacteria or harsh soaps to your genital area, causing irritation or infection.
  4. A soap type product is not necessary for most as you don’t want to kill the healthy bacteria that live in the genital region. 
  5. Instead, a simple sea salt or saline solution wash twice a day (and after sex or masturbation) is sufficient unless you start having a problem. 
  6. To cleanse the area more thoroughly, use a mild liquid antimicrobial soap (like Provon or Satin, or something similar – ask your piercer about availability) and clean the piercing by applying a drop of soap to piercing. Then thoroughly rinse by applying clean water.
  7. Always pat and never rub the piercing dry with a clean, dry paper towel or similar paper product. Do NOT use washcloth or family towels, as these are breeding grounds for bacteria.
  8. It’s important to thoroughly cleanse your vch piercing once a day for the duration of the estimated healing time for your particular piercing. 
  9. Never use any ointments, creams, or astringents on your new piercing.
  10. Never allow your piercing to come in contact with any bodily fluids for the first few weeks while it is healing. This includes saliva as well as semen. So, you can engage in sex, but a condom or dental guard must be used for any and all sexual contact, or you are at risk for infection. The same goes for masturbation and/or the use of sex toys.
  11. Always ensure that everything that touches your piercing is clean. This includes clothing and bedding as well as your hands. If you experience itching or severe discomfort, you may be having a reaction to your laundry detergent. Switch to something without all the stain-removing and bleaching agents.
  12.  Always remember, this is an initial healing period. Your vch piercing will not be completely healed until many weeks after the initial healing time is over.

A vch piercing is one of the easiest piercings to heal when it comes to genital piercings. Plus, it has massive benefits for your sex life. Take care of it, and enjoy your new piercing!

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