Below is my exchange with a woman who ended up getting a Horizontal Clitoral Hood (HCH) Piercing:

Elayne,

I want to thank you for your prompt response.  I went to a different piercer and she informed me I was too "petite" for a VCH. Ironically, that was the first time I had ever heard that word used to describe anything on me. In hindsight, I should have sent a picture in. Part of the point of getting it was for the sexual pleasure. As I was feeling heartbroken, she tells me she can do a HCH. I had done little research on it, but went ahead and did it without really thinking about it. It would at least look pretty. I picked out my jewelry, she sterilized it and pierced me.

I felt a shot of pain go all the way up to my navel! Is this normal? I know there is a nerve cluster there, but I have not found any articles that talk about it. I know everyone is different, but how long does it take the swelling to go down? I know it takes about six to eight weeks to fully heal.  There is a lot more information on VCHs than HCHs. I am ordering your book this week and wondering if this piercing is covered in more detail? (I know I should have ordered the book BEFORE I did this). Can you have a HCH with a Triangle? I can send you a before, right after and two weeks after photos if you need.

Sadly, I saw after I got it done that you where going to be in NOLA this summer. I used to live near there and my parents still do. I would have gladly of waited to have you do it.

I do want to say something about getting it done. I went with my friend who wanted to get her VCH done, but hadn't because she thought she had to abstain from sex for two months. After I educated her, we decided to do it together. After everything was said and done, we went to my favorite coffee shop. After sitting down on the patio with our non-alcoholic drinks, there was a silence between us. Not an awkward silence, but a proud and accomplished one. At that moment, I felt liberated!  A.

My reply:

Hi A. Congratulations on your liberation!

Sorry to hear you didn't get all of the information before proceeding. I would loved to have pierced you. Feel free to send photos, and I'll evaluate your anatomy and the placement of your piercing, as best I can from this distance. Had you tried the q-tip test on yourself (as pictured on my website:  http://piercingbible.com/female-genital-piercings#VCH )?

Yes, there's more information in my book about the HCH piercing than there is on my website. Was your piercer careful to isolate the hood tissue and lift it before piercing you? If not, there's a chance she may have nicked or pierced your clitoral nerve bundle. If you try to GENTLY lift the hood tissue near your piercing, does it appear to be free-moving, or snug to your body (and perhaps through the nerve bundle)?

Elayne

She wrote back:

The piercer did try to lift the tissue prior to piercing. As she was lifting with the forceps I was feeling shots of discomfort going from that area to my navel. The piercing is somewhat snug to my body.

The jewelry feels heavy, like a bull ring, but that could be because I am not used to having jewelry there. It is a 12g 3/8 circular barbell. I asked her about the size and she told me that this is what she had to use because of my tissue.  She wanted to do a captive ring but I opted for what I got.  She did sterilize it in an autoclave and had me write my name on a piece of sterilization tape so I would know it was sterilized by the color.  She washed her hands and carefully put on gloves.  The room was clean and private.  The only problem I had was the table was too short so my head was hanging off, but I am a tall gal.

As for cleaning, I am doing a saltwater mixture (sea salt and a gallon of distilled water).  I saturate a sterile gauze pad and place it on my piercing once to twice a day depending on my activity.  I have trimmed but not shaved that area so I do not get any unwanted chemicals there. I also put the saltwater mix into a small spray bottle so I can spray it when I use the restroom. I refrain from touching unless it is to clean it with sterile gauze. I do, however, need to “tuck-it” into myself to avoid discomfort when I am getting up from the toilet or out of bed.

I have participated in intercourse, but we have been very careful not to put pressure on it and use condoms.

Please let me know if you need any additional information.

I responded:

Well, I'd keep an eye on it--the piercing is in a minimum of tissue (you're built rather vertically and sparely for the HCH piercing). If you see it migrating closer to the surface, I'd suggest you take it out to avoid having it reject completely. It might just settle and heal fine. If it feels to heavy, you can take out the center bead/gem until you're healed. That might help. It might also allow you to tuck the jewelry against your body, which could be more comfortable for healing. That's how I do the Triangle piercing (see photo, left).

Home-made saline solution should always be rinsed off--don't spray and leave it on.

Let me know if you have any questions I didn't answer. I hope you heall well and enjoy.