I have barbells running horizontally through my nipples and I can't seem to find nipple clamps that work for me. I have large breasts, and clamping behind the piercings doesn't really work; I can't get the clamps tight enough and they slip off. Also, I'm concerned that the clamps are pushing my piercings forward and I'm afraid they would start to grow outward, as piercings sometimes do. I suppose for that reason I'm tentative to try and hang a chain from my piercings. This is frustrating for me, because I really want to be able to wear clamps. Any suggestions?
This seems like it would be a common problem, since people who are interested in getting their nipples pierced are likely to want to experiment with other forms of nipple play like using clamps. There are two separate issues here, the first being whether the use of clamps will harm a piercing, and the second being finding a type of clamp that will stay on pierced nipples.
I spoke to Harry at Cutthroat Tattoo on Brady Street about the effect of using clamps on pierced nipples. According to Harry, as long as the piercings have had a few months to heal properly, using clamps should not raise the risk of the piercing being rejected or "growing outward," as you state. "She can clamp ’em, bite ’em, burn ’em, whatever she wants there should be no problem," he says. "Nipple piercings have a lower rate of rejection than other piercings." He stated that he has never had a client come in complaining of piercing rejection due to using nipple clamps.
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Harry agreed with you that you should not hang a chain directly from your piercings. For less slippage when using nipple clamps, he suggested using a nipple shield, a piece of jewelry that surrounds the nipple and is anchored in place by the barbell that runs through the nipple. Placing the clamp behind the nipple shield can help hold it in place.
You may also want to look for clamps that surround the nipple, rather than ones that pinch it horizontally, as the most common types of clamps do. Press clamps can be used vertically or horizontally and enclose the nipple on three sides, so a barbell could help hold them in place, depending on positioning. They can be easily adjusted from a light to a very strong pinch. Magnetic nipple pinchers completely encircle the nipple and can be used with the magnetic bars in any position. Depending on the metal used for your piercing, your barbells could actually help them stay on. Magnetic pinchers are available in different intensities, but cannot be individually adjusted.
If readers with pierced nipples have any suggestions about clamps that have worked for them, please comment on this article and share your experiences, or e-mail me privately, and I'll print your suggestions in a future column.
Want Laura to answer your questions in SEXpress? Send them to laura@shepex.com. Not all questions received will be answered in the column, and Laura cannot provide personal answers to questions that do not appear here. Questions sent to this address may be reproduced in this column, both in print and online, and may be edited for clarity and content.
Laura Anne Stuart has a master’s degree in public health and has worked as a sexuality educator for more than a decade. She owns the Tool Shed, an erotic boutique on Milwaukee’s East Side.