Tag: prince albert

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Secrets of the Prince Albert Piercing

Welcome back to another blog from Rogue! This week we are revisiting one of our most popular blogs of all time, our Mythbusters post about the Prince Albert piercing.

When it comes to intimate piercings, Prince Albert piercings are probably the most common, and most popular option. For example, we performed over 40 of them in 2023! Placed on the underside of the head of the penis and exiting through the urethra, the Prince Albert or PA is notorious in the piercing and body modification industry for having super quick healing times and purportedly desirable results. The Prince Albert was popularised in modern piercing in the early 70’s by Jim Ward, the most influential body piercer of the modern age . But where did it get its infamous name?

Why the Prince Albert?

It all goes back to the 70s and 80s, and the group of friends that Jim Ward collected. Doug Malloy, a friend of Ward’s, was one of the most famous. You know elevator music? That entire genre is the brainchild of Doug Malloy. And what did Mr Malloy invest his money in? The burgeoning body piercing industry. To help popularise piercings in the days before viral social media, it is said that Malloy created a scandalous pamphlet in which he wrote tales of the piercings they performed. One of these stories was about the origins of the ever-popular Prince Albert piercing. To look further into this, we must ask – who was Prince Albert, anyway?

Who knows, maybe there WAS a ring hidden under those very sensible trousers! What a sex icon.

Albert, Prince Consort to Queen Victoria, was born in 1819 and was married to Queen Vic on the 10th of February, 1840. Together they had 9 children and he tirelessly supported the Queen throughout her reign. Initially reluctant towards the role of Prince Consort and the lack of power he held (remind you of anyone?), Albert became known for supporting public causes such as educational reform and the abolishment of slavery! One of the rumours that Malloy wrote in his pamphlets was that Prince Albert invented the legendary PA piercing. It was said that Prince Albert was incredibly well endowed, but it was uncouth in that day and age to display that publicly. So in order to hide his large penis in his tight trousers, he chose to have a ring installed so that he could tie his member down to one of his legs.

There are many stories about how the PA got its name, from the theory that Prince Albert himself had Peronei’s disease (a kink of the penis) and used the piercing to straighten his it out, to the general public tying down their penises to hide their erection from the Queen’s daughters. Legend also has it that Prince Albert used the piercing to pull back the foreskin to keep his member sweet-smelling so as to not offend the Queen. How considerate of him! 

The Prince Albert is clearly a historical piercing awash with myth and hearsay. It is difficult for anyone to nail down how exactly the piercing got its name, however the most likely theory is that Victorian haberdashers called it the “dressing ring” and used it to firmly secure male genitalia to the more comfortable leg in a method not unlike tucking for Drag Queens. It was very popular in those days for men to wear extremely tight trousers and the piercing helped minimize visible endowment. 

Either way, we now know that the Victorians were anything but shy – Many Victorians had tattoos and indeed piercings! It was quite common for young Victorian women to get their ears pierced, until it fell out of fashion at the turn of the 20th Century when it became seen as ‘barbaric…’ So although it is probably a myth, all the best myths carry a hint of truth behind them.

An English gentleman with Queen Victoria tattooed across his chest.

It is most certainly an interesting piercing that has been the subject of a lot of speculation throughout the years. But whatever the reason is, it is a timeless piercing that many people enjoy across the globe, and is just one of many intimate piercings that are available!

If you have any interest in getting an intimate piercing, you can find a whole host of modern-day information across our website – Click on any of the buttons below to take you to the places you want to go!

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Aftercare 101 – Prince Albert + Reverse Prince Albert

Prince Albert piercings and variations thereof are one of the most common intimate piercings we offer – We often do 2-3 a week! Although we go through aftercare advice multiple times beforehand, we know it can be quite a nervewracking time and so it’s always handy to have a written aftercare advice to refer back to. The aftercare leaflets we provide are pretty bare-bones, as each intimate piercing can have very different care requirements!

What To Expect After Your Prince Albert Piercing

Bleeding – You may expect bleeding from the piercing for 3-5 days afterwards. This is totally normal! The most important thing is to keep calm. It will stop on its own. We recommend purchasing a pack of fragrance free sanitary towels to wear to protect your underwear. Please ensure that you are changing them regularly – At least once every 6 hours!

Urination – We recommend over-hydrating for the first few weeks. This means drinking plenty of water! As urine is slightly acidic, it can be a little bit stingy to go to the bathroom for the first couple of days. Staying super hydrated dilutes your urine and makes urinating much more comfortable. It also helps keep the inside of your piercing nice and clean!

Adrenaline – Having a rush of adrenaline is part and parcel of having any piercing, but this rush can be a little bit more intense with intimate work. We always recommend leaving your schedule free for the day of your piercing, so that you can take your time and take any rest you might need. You may feel a little tired or drained afterwards – Make sure to bring a carby, sugary snack and a sugary drink to sip on after your piercing.

Neilmed Sterile Saline Solution

Cleaning

You need to clean your new Prince Albert piercing 2-3 times a day for the first 2 weeks. We recommend a warm saline soak twice a day – morning and evening, and an optional quick clean at midday with Neilmed saline spray.

To clean your piercings, we recommend a STERILE SALINE SOLUTION. Normally, we would recommend Neilmed specifically, however due to the nature of the piercing and the method of cleaning we advise it wouldn’t be the most effective option. For this piercing, we recommend a salt water soak using 4.5g of non-iodised sea salt to 500ml of boiling water. This will give you a 0.9% saline concentration. We recommend a warm soak to clean your piercing, due to the fact that part of the piercing is internal inside the urethra, and a warm soak is the best way to soften any crusties on the inside.

To clean your piercing, first wash your hands. Fill a clean cup with enough saline solution to cover your piercing. We recommend warming it in the microwave until it is warm – about bath temperature. Be careful that the saline is not too hot! It should not be uncomfortable!

Once the soak is prepared, soak your piercing in the warm saline for 3-5 minutes. This gives the saline time to soak in, soak up the urethra, and soften any crusting.

Once your soak is complete, you need to wipe away any crusties on the outside of the piercing and the jewellery with some clean paper towel. To flush the inside of your piercing, we recommend urinating immediately after soaking.

At midday, you may want to give the piercing a quick clean if there are any uncomfortable crusties forming on the jewellery. This won’t clean the inside of the piercing, but can help relieve any discomfort. Simply spray a small amount of Neilmed onto the piercing and the jewellery, wait for it to soften any crusties (30-60 seconds), and then gently wipe away any buildup and dab the piercing dry.

Keeping the Piercing Dry

We recommend avoiding soaking and submerging the piercing in still or stagnant water for 4 weeks after getting pierced. This means no swimming, bathing in bathtubs, or other water-based activities.

It is highly recommended you shower as normal – Clean running water is a great way to rinse away any buildup in a very gentle way. The only thing to keep in mind is that you want to avoid any harsh or strongly scented shower gels – These can cause irritation.

When you are finished in the shower, it is best practice to dry the piercing site with paper towel. Avoid the area with your bath towel – Snagging the jewellery on a fresh piercing is not fun!

Did you know that a single litre of pool or sea water can contain up to 1 million bacterial cells?

Leave It Alone!

This rule is the cover-all that prevents undue damage to your new piercing.

Clothing, Lifestyle and Bad Habits

  1. Do not touch, fiddle with, or twist the jewellery.
  2. Do not pick at, itch or scratch the piercing!
  3. Wear loose, comfortable underwear and outer clothing. You may want to change your underwear twice a day for the first week to maintain extra cleanliness.
  4. Do not touch your piercing with dirty hands!

Sex and Masturbation

In order to heal well and last a lifetime, it is vital to avoid mistreating your new PA/RPA in its first few weeks of life. Even if the piercing feels good and comfortable, it is not fully healed yet! Having sex or masturbating can cause serious damage to the piercing.

Do not have sex or masturbate for at least 4 weeks after getting pierced.

After four weeks, you may feel comfortable and ready to have sex. Please, take it slow. Wear a condom to prevent sharing body fluids, and listen to your body. If it hurts or is uncomfortable in any way – Stop!

And most importantly… COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR PARTNER(S). What might feel good for you might not feel good for them, and vice versa. Be a considerate partner.

It’s super important to practice safe sex using a barrier. Sexual fluids (even if you have been with your partner for many years!) can cause irritation.

Healing Times

Checkup – 2 Weeks

We recommend booking a checkup 2 weeks after your Prince Albert piercing. At this stage, any swelling you have will have come down and you may need a smaller or larger diameter ring. We need your feedback on where the jewellery is touching the urethra. If the jewellery is rubbing the top edge of the urethra, you need a smaller diameter ring. If the jewellery is rubbing the underside of the urethra, you may need a larger diameter ring.

Fully Healed – 8-12 weeks

After 8-12 weeks, you can expect your piercing to be fully healed. This is obviously just an estimate, as many things can impact your unique healing journey.

Ready to Stretch – 6 months

Many people aim to stretch their Prince Albert /RPA to a much thicker size. We can pierce (your anatomy allowing) up to 5mm thick. If you wish to stretch your PA, you must wait at least 6 months before doing so. This allows any scar tissue inside the piercing to heal, soften, and become more elastic. You may even notice that after 6 months, your piercing has naturally stretched and the next size up can simply slot in without any problems at all!

Keep In Contact

Keeping in touch with your studio is so important! We are open 7 days a week and always have an intimate piercing specialist available on the team. If you have any issues with your piercing, any problems or anything isn’t looking quite how you expected, then you are always welcome to contact us or book in for a checkup.

No matter how far along your healing journey you are, we are always there to support you. That’s what makes Rogue such a great studio!

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Male Intimate Piercings

Intimate piercings might be one of the most fascinating parts of the piercing industry. They are part of our history, culture and the reason that the modern piercing industry looks the way it does. 

During this post I will be using the term ‘male’ to discuss AMAB, or assigned male at birth anatomy. These are piercings of the penis and surrounding anatomy. This also includes trans folks who have had gender affirming surgery (“bottom surgery”) and now have a penis! If you have undergone HRT, but not had gender affirming surgery, we recommend coming in for a consultation so we can discuss your anatomy and see which piercings can work for you.

Male intimate piercings have tribal roots. They are often used as a rite of passage from boyhood to adulthood. In the modern day, male intimate piercings are more of a subcultural endeavour. The modern piercing industry was founded by 6 gay men, who came together due to a love of intimate piercings. We would not be the industry we are today without these piercers! One of those 6 men was Mr Sebastian. You are welcome to read more on this fascinating man, and I’m sure we will write more about him in the future. Aiden has these piercers in his lineage, and is incredibly proud of that.

Here at Rogue, our head piercer Aiden is an intimate piercings specialist. He has over 11 years of piercing experience, and has performed a huge number of intimate piercings in both the UK and abroad during his life as a travelling piercer. If you choose to come to us for your intimate piercing, know you are in safe hands.

Sadly, intimate piercings are dying out in the UK due to a lack of passing the knowledge on to our apprentices. We want any adult who wants an intimate piercing to be able to come to us and have a safe piercing that is performed by an experienced expert. This is why we are proud that our apprentices wants to follow in Aiden’s footsteps and learn to pierce intimates as well as all the more standard piercings! This means that if you are pierced by us, you have the option to let our junior piercers assist in the piercing procedure to aid her training. 

Male Anatomy

It’s important to know the internal anatomy for any shaft piercings, such as Prince Alberts, Deep Shaft piercings or Reverse Prince Alberts.

It’s important to take into account the internal anatomy of the penis when discussing male intimates, and how different piercings will feel and heal. There are minimum gauges that each piercing must be pierced at to avoid issues- This is often quite large. For Prince Alberts and other similar piercings, we pierce at a minimum of 10g, but will recommend larger depending on anatomy and lifestyle.

Hafada and Lorum

These are truly the easiest intimate piercings. They are piercings on the scrotum! There are pierced with BCR rings. The scrotum is the easiest part of the male anatomy to pierce and heal. The scrotum is soft, stretchy and does not contain any major blood vessels, so the piercing itself and the healing process is very simple. These are a good piercing to start with if you want to explore the world of intimate piercing!

Prince Albert and the Reverse Prince Albert.

These piercings work with some of the bar or ring sitting inside the urethra, which you can see sits low in the underside of the penis. The most important part of any male intimate piercing is to be aware of the blood vessels that run through the shaft and to be confident that you aren’t hitting any of them when piercing. The main blood vessels are the Deep Dorsal Vein and the Pudendal Artery. These are major blood vessels! This is why a piercer must be incredibly experienced and confident in their ability before performing these types of piercing.

Any piercings that pass through the lower part are less complex and are good beginner intimates. A Prince Albert is quite a good beginner male intimate as it passes out of the bottom of the penis, and so you can see doesn’t actually pass through as much tissue! The Reverse Prince Albert, however, passes through the top of the penis and passes through quite a bit of tissue, including the corporal tissue. This makes the RPA a much more advanced piercing – You really need to put your trust into an expert!

If you want to read more about the Prince Albert and it’s surrounding mythos, then click here.

Ampallangs and Apadravyas

Ampallangs and Apadravyas are piercings that pass through the head of the penis. Ampallang piercings cross the head horizontally, whereas Apadravya piercings cross vertically. These, along with most male shaft piercings, have the intended purpose of increasing pleasure during sex. This is often the reason for getting these piercings alongside the aesthetic effect. However, we cannot guarantee any improvement to sexual experiences- We pierce for aesthetics only.

Consultations

We require a consultation before any intimate piercing so we can check your anatomy and fully discuss the procedure, aftercare and the full experience. Once you have had your consultation and are happy to proceed, you are more than welcome to book for your appointment!

There are so many options when it comes to male intimate piercings, and that means that there is a piercing for every person and every lifestyle. If you know you want an intimate piercing, but aren’t sure which one, you are more than welcome to book a piercing consultation with Aiden where we can discuss what will work for you. We would love to pierce more intimate curations, where we pierce a project of many piercings over time.

Intimate Piercing Aftercare

Aftercare for these piercings varies greatly, depending on location. If they are more surface-level piercings such as lorum, hafada, frenum or pubic piercings, we recommend a standard aftercare approach of twice-daily cleaning with sterile saline solution. If the piercing passes through the shaft such as with a PA, RPA, or Deep shaft piercing, then we recommend saline soaks. The reason we recommend soaks with these piercings is because they pass through a significant amount of internal tissue and cleaning the outside only doesn’t quite cut it! You can’t clean the inside very much, so a good soak allows the saline to reach the inside and reduce your discomfort during the healing period.

Intimate piercings are quite straightforward to heal. The tissue is soft and has an excellent blood-flow, which means they heal very fast! You are looking at three months for a complete heal, inside and out. We ask you pop back for a checkup after 2 weeks as we may need to alter the jewellery once your swelling diminishes. After this downsize, you are set and do not need to do anything if you don’t want to!

Stretching

Male intimate piercings can be stretched to larger gauges, and this is quite a common practice. Commonly stretched piercings include the Prince Albert, Reverse Prince Albert, and trans-scrotal piercings – Although any piercing can be stretched!

We recommend waiting at least 6 months after piercing before stretching, just to make sure that the piercing is fully healed and settled. Stretching can be done at home, but we recommend letting us stretch these piercings for you if you are at all unsure! Stretching involves using a lubricated tapered insertion tool to gently introduce the new jewellery. This allows your body to more easily accept the new jewellery!

So there you have it. A good overview of penis piercings! We understand that this is a huge topic to tackle and we can’t do it justice in a single post, but we hope we have enlightened you to a bit of the topic. If you would like to have an intimate piercing, get in touch via email or instagram and we can begin the process for you!

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Myth Busters: The Prince Albert

Prince Albert apparently wasn’t compensating for anything when he had the Royal Albert Hall named after him

Welcome back to another blog in the Myth Busters series! It is here that we will be looking at common piercing myths. This week features the history of the Prince Albert piercing and where it got its name.

When it comes to intimate piercings, the Prince Albert, or the PA, may be the first male piercing you think of. Placed on the underside of the head of the penis and through the urethra, generally with a ring, it is notorious in the modification industry for having quick healing times and desirable results. The Prince Albert was popularised in modern piercing in the early 70’s by Jim Ward, an influential body piercer based in Los Angeles (he also features in our blog post here https://roguepiercing.co.uk/2020/06/05/myth-busters-which-side-is-the-gay-side/). But where did it get its infamous name? Doug Malloy, a friend of Ward’s, is said to have created a pamphlet in which he wrote stories of the piercings they performed, but many say they were just urban legends. To look further into this, we must ask – who was Prince Albert, anyway?

Maybe Robert Plant could have done with following Victorian fashion trends in the 70’s

Albert, Prince Consort, was born in 1819 and was married to Queen Victoria of the UK. Together they had 9 children and he supported the Queen throughout her reign. Initially reluctant towards the role of Prince Consort and the lack of power he had, Albert became known for supporting public causes such as educational reform and abolishing slavery! One of the rumours that Malloy wrote in his pamphlets was that Prince Albert invented the legendary piercing to hide his large penis in his tight trousers. If only they thought of this in the 70’s! 

There are many stories about how it got its name, from the theory that Prince Albert himself had Peyronie’s disease and used the piercing to straighten his penis, to the general public tying down their penises to hide their erection from the Queen’s daughters. Legend also has it that Prince Albert used the piercing to pull back the foreskin to keep his member sweet-smelling so as to not offend the Queen. How considerate! 

The Prince Albert is clearly a historical piercing. It is difficult for anyone to say how exactly the piercing got its name, however the most likely theory is that Victorian haberdashers called it the “dressing ring” and used it to firmly secure male genitalia to the more comfortable leg. It was very popular in those days for men to wear extremely tight trousers and the piercing helped minimize visible endowment. 

A banana with a PA

It is most certainly an interesting piercing that has been the subject of a lot of speculation throughout the years. But whatever the reason is, it is a timeless piercing that many people enjoy across the globe, and is just one of many intimate piercings that are available! Please check back again for another blog in the Myth Busters series. If you have any interest in getting an intimate piercing, please give us a call or a message to talk about your options.