Prince Albert piercing



The Prince Albert piercing (PA) is one of the common forms of male genital piercing. The PA pierces the penis from the outside of the frenulum and into the urethra. There is also the "reverse Prince Albert piercing" which enters through the urethra and exits through a hole pierced in the top of the glans.

A nerve bundle runs along the centre of the frenulum. While some piercers may choose to avoid the bundle, others do not. The piercing may be centred if the bearer is circumcised. Otherwise, the piercing will be done to the side because the skin in the area needs to be able to reposition itself dynamically.

The PA heals more quickly than many other piercings, as the area is highly vascular, and the tissue being pierced is relatively elastic. Some believe that the frequent bathing of the piercing with urine, which is usually sterile, contributes to the healing process. Infections of Prince Albert piercings are relatively rare. Initial healing typically takes from two to four weeks, with full healing taking as much as 6 weeks or more.

Some men find that the dribble caused by the PA when urinating necessitates sitting down to urinate. This is not caused by the hole made during piercing, but rather by urine travelling along the surface of the jewellery. At other times, if a ring is worn that is too narrow (this can happen if the wearer down-sizes from a lower gauge jewellery to a higher), or if no ring is worn at all, an additional stream of urine may come from the hole in the frenulum. This effect may be exaggerated by different sizes and styles of jewellery. This is usually a problem only when using urinals. It can often be mitigated by either twisting the penis so that the hole is above the flow from gravity, or by holding the finger or captive bead against the hole, effectively sealing it off.

A common misconception is that the PA is a painful piercing because of the high concentration of nerves in the area. However, nerves are specialized in their function, so the high concentration of nerve cells does not correlate to increased sensitivity to pain. Anecdotal reports from people with PAs suggest that it is not particularly painful, although psychological state, adrenaline, and one's pain threshold may affect this judgment.

Most PA wearers report no negative effect on sexual function, and many say it enhances sexual pleasure for both partners, with women reporting the feeling to be mitigated but improved. PA rings can cause pain to the female in cases where the penis is long enough to impact the cervix, however where smooth rings are used this is less of a problem. PA rings rarely interfere with safe condom use. 

As with many piercings, there is small risk of the jewellery becoming caught on clothing, etc. and being pulled or torn out, but this usually only a concern with small gauge rings (> 8ga).

Jewelry


Prince Albert piercings typically are pierced at either 10 or 8 GA. In either case, they are often stretched to 8 or 6 GA soon after. The stretching prevents bleeding during the initial healing stages by exerting pressure on the fissure. Outside of this initial stage, they are rarely seen below a 10 gauge (2.6 mm). PAs are sometimes stretched to a 0 or 00 gauge, or about 11/32 inch (8 to 9 mm) diameter. Stretching to sizes of 6 to 2 GA is probably most common.

Very large gauge or heavy jewelry can cause thinning of the tissue between the urethral opening and the healed fistula creating an accidental meatotomy. Conversely, extremely thin jewelry can cause the same tearing in what is commonly referred to as the "cheese cutter effect", either during sudden torsion or over a long period of wearing, especially if the thin jewelry has anything heavy attached to it. In some cases this can be corrected surgically. While most wearers find that PAs are comfortable to wear and rarely remove them, even during sex, some individuals might find that extremely large or heavy jewelry is uncomfortable to wear for long periods or interferes with the sexual functioning of the penis.

Jewelry usually worn in a PA includes the circular barbell, curved barbell, captive bead, segment ring and the Prince's Wand. Short curved barbells are usually about 3/8" or so length, so one ball sits on the lower side of the penis and the other ball sits at the urethral opening. This type of jewelry prevents discomfort that can come from larger jewelry moving around during daily wear.

The Prince's Wand is a particularly unusual piece of jewelry. It consists of a hollow tube with a threaded cap at the end. The tube is inserted into the urethra, and a stem is inserted through the PA piercing and into another threaded hole on the side of the tube. The general shape is similar to a policeman's truncheon. The side stem holds the tube in place. The threaded cap, often just a ball, can be removed so the wearer can urinate through the hollow tube without having to remove the jewelry.

History and culture
The Prince Albert piercing may have been practiced in European culture for some time, and while there are many tentative theories as to its origin, the true origin of this piercing is unknown. Many of the theories regarding this piercing's history suggest that the piercing was used to secure the penis in some manner, rather than having a sexual or cultural purpose. In the 19th century it was commonly referred to as a dressing ring, and the question 'Which side is sir dressed on?" used by tailors and hospital staff amongst others refers to the arrangement of the anatomy in this area; the ring was used to hold the penis at one side of the pantaloons' top.

These Prince Albert's piercings are often claimed to be named after Queen Victoria's consort Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. It is alleged that he wore a ring attached to his penis which was then strapped to his thigh, in order to maintain the smooth line of the tight trousers that were in fashion at the time. It is very difficult to ascertain the validity of this story. No contemporary account of him adopting the practice has come to light, and many suspect that it was a myth invented by Doug Malloy who helped popularise body piercing in the United States, and who also created much of the false history commonly attached to many body piercings. It has also been theorized that the name actually refers to Queen Victoria's grandson Prince Albert Victor. This second theory probably stems from attempts to link Prince Albert Victor with the Jack the Ripper murders.

Like many other male genital piercings, it has a history of practice in gay culture in the twentieth century and became known outside that culture at the same time that body piercing began to emerge in popular culture in the late 1970s. The relatively easy procedure, rapid healing and claims of additional sexual stimulation (both to the wearer and his partner in sexual intercourse) attributed to this piercing have come to make the Prince Albert the most common male genital piercing.