A triangle piercing is one of several forms of

genital piercing Genital piercing is a form of body piercing that involves piercing a part of the genitalia, thus creating a suitable place for wearing different types of jewellery. Nevertheless, the term may also be used ''pars pro toto'' to indicate all body pie ...

applied to the

vulva The vulva (plural: vulvas or vulvae; derived from Latin for wrapper or covering) consists of the external sex organ, female sex organs. The vulva includes the mons pubis (or mons veneris), labia majora, labia minora, clitoris, bulb of vestibu ...

. It is a horizontal piercing that passes from side to side, beneath the base of the

clitoral hood In the female human body, the clitoral hood (also called preputium clitoridis and clitoral prepuce) is a fold of skin that surrounds and protects the clitoral glans, glans of the clitoris; it also covers the external shaft of the clitoris, develop ...

tissue where it meets the inner

labia The labia are part of the female genitalia; they are the major externally visible portions of the vulva. In humans, there are two pairs of labia: the ''labia majora'' (or the outer labia) are larger and thicker, while the ''labia minora'' are fol ...

and under the

clitoris The clitoris ( or ) is a female sex organ present in mammals, ostriches and a limited number of other animals. In humans, the visible portion – the glans – is at the front junction of the labia minora (inner lips), above the ope ...

. The name is derived from the tissue where the labia meets the clitoral hood, which looks like a triangle when pinched. The piercing can increase sexual sensation during direct clitoral stimulation as well as during vaginal or anal penetration. It can stimulate the clitoris from behind, the only genital piercing to do so, although it does not pass through the clitoris or the clitoral shaft. The usual jewellery worn with the piercing is a

barbell A barbell is a piece of exercise equipment used in weight training, bodybuilding, weightlifting, powerlifting and strongman, consisting of a long bar, usually with weights attached at each end. Barbells range in length from to above , althou ...

. There are reports of the piercing alleviating

anorgasmia Anorgasmia is a type of sexual dysfunction in which a person cannot achieve orgasm despite adequate stimulation. Anorgasmia is far more common in females (4.6 percent) than in males and is especially rare in younger men. The problem is greater in ...

in some individuals. It is one of the more complicated and expensive genital piercings. The average healing time is 12 to 18 weeks and the triangle piercing is more likely to experience subsequent bleeding than other types of vulva piercings. There are a number of anatomical requirements with regards to the vulva. For instance, the clitoral hood has to protrude outwards from the body for sufficient distance. Most vulvas are not suited to the piercing. Its complexity results from the fact that the piercer has to use mainly tactile rather than visual cues for its placement. It is in a location where mistakes could result in the piercing being misplaced or lead to pain and damage to the vulva. Some people find it to be one of the more painful genital piercings because it passes through so much tissue and so many nerves.

History

According to

PFIQ ''PFIQ'' (''Piercing Fans International Quarterly'') was a magazine published by Jim Ward from 1977 to 1997. It was the first publication about body piercing. Ward pioneered the field of body piercing and operated The Gauntlet, which was the firs ...

magazine, the first triangle piercing was performed by Lou Duff of the Gauntlet body piercing studio in the early 1990s. It was subsequently developed by

Elayne Angel Elayne Angel (born Elayne Steinberg, August 6, 1960) is an American professional body piercer. Early life and education Angel attended Canoga Park High School and Chatsworth High School. In 1982, she earned an associate degree in Sign Language ...

References

External links

Body Modification E-Zine
(archived copy) Female genital piercings {{bodypiercing-stub fr:Piercing du triangle