Easily the most popular vulva piercings we perform at Rogue are those that pass through the hood. In this blog we will break down the differences between the Vertical and Horizontal placement as well as how to look after the piercings and what to expect in terms of jewellery and healing times.
Huge thank you to Jenny at Holier Than Thou for providing beautifully edited images of intimate piercings that we can share online!
Anatomy
Did you know that the anatomy of the clitoris wasn’t fully anatomically described until 2005. Yep, you read that right. 2005! Thanks to Professor Helen O’Connell, Australia’s leading female urologist, we finally have a medical map of the clitoris. Luckily, we’ve had 2,000 years to study it’s penile counterpart as this has been described, documented and detailed since 35BC.
Vertical Clitoral Hood
The VCH passes vertically (as the name suggests) through the hood tissue. These piercings are performed with a curved barbell so that one ball sits at the apex of the hood tissue and the other ball sits just below/on top of the clitoris glans.
In order to check if your anatomy is viable for this piercing, during your Intimate Consultation, we will use a sterile single-use cotton bud and some water-based lubricant to gently lift the tissue of the hood and check the depth. Usually, if most of the cotton tip can be covered then we can perform the piercing.
The ‘standard’ placement for a VCH is nice and central, following the natural folds of the tissue. At Rogue, we pierce from a minimum of 14g (1.6mm) to ensure stability. Depending on the desired result of our client, we can pierce up to 8g (3.2mm) if the anatomy allows for it. Due to the nature of the tissue, these piercings can be stretched up fairly easily. The tissue of the hood is fairly elastic which means over time, the piercing channel can stretch itself slightly fairly naturally so being pierced at a smaller gauge and stretching up later is not a problem at all.
Some clients prefer have larger attachments (threaded balls or cabochons) and a thicker bar to give some weight to the piercing.
Although it is standard practice to pierce central to the clitoral shaft so that the curved bar sits on top of the glans, some people prefer to have the piercing placed by the side of the glans instead and generally performed in pairs. These piercings are commonly referred to as Dukes/Dianas and are a popular alternative if there is not space on top of the glans. When the glans are aroused and filled with blood, the two bars will create light pressure on either side of the glans which can be desirable for some clients.
The use of hormones can increase the original size of the clitoral glans which means that the hood may feel tight over the area, in this case, Dukes/Dianas are a great alternative as they sit comfortable by the sides.
Horizontal Clitoral Hood
Performed using a Ball Closure Ring, the HCH is ideally placed so that the ball of the ring sits central to the glans and has contact with the clitoris. The hood tissue needs to be prominent enough that it can be lifted in order for the piercing to be performed and also substantial enough to support the ring. We generally perform these piercings at 14g (1.6mm) and 12g (2mm), using BCRs although some clients may wish to wear a circular barbell once healed.
HCH piercings do not pass through the clitoral gland. Aesthetically they can look similar to the Triangle piercing, this passes behind the clitoris and is a very advanced piercing that we do not currently offer at Rogue but we can highly recommend our wonderful friends at Holier Than Thou in Manchester if you are interested in Triangle piercings,
Although uncommon, some people do have the anatomy for multiple HCH piercings. In fact, we had the pleasure of completing a triple HCH project and interviewing our amazing client about it! You can read all about that here.
Consultation
As always, we require a consultation to take place at least 24 hours prior to any intimate piercings. At this consultation we will discuss all options available, provide you will a mountain of information regarding the history, process and after care of your piercing before performing a check of your anatomy to assess the tissue and discuss placements and desired results.
For more information on intimate piercings and the consultation process, please visit our other blog pages.
https://roguepiercing.co.uk/2023/04/07/intimate-consultation-what-to-expect/
https://roguepiercing.co.uk/2021/06/11/female-intimate-piercings/
You can book your consultation any time here: https://roguepiercing.co.uk/book-now/
Please be sure to bring valid, government issued, photographic ID such as a passport, driving license or citizenship card. You will need this at your consultation and your piercing appointment.
Healing Times
As we said previously, the tissue of the hood is fairly thin, elasticated and has good blood flow – meaning that you should be in for a nice, easy heal! After every intimate piercing, we request that clients come back for a check up after 2 – 4 weeks. At this appointment we will check up on the piercing and perform any downsizes as needed. A full heal for most Hood piercings is around 10 – 12 weeks and you should feel nice and settled after 4 – 6 weeks.
We ask all clients to refrain from any sexual activity, including masturbation for the first 4 weeks following your piercing. This is to reduce the spread of bacteria and unnecessary stress on the piercing channel while it gets through that initial healing period.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to book your consultation online with one of our Piercers!
