Now that you’ve made the decision to go for a popular Prince Albert piercing, or maybe the delicate Guiche, you may wonder what to look for in underwear for pierced male genitals. Is it better to use loose underwear? Or how about fitted underwear? What about mesh fabrics? Do you have to use the same type of underwear throughout the entire healing process? Is there any style of underwear that’s better for Ampallang or Apadravya piercings?
Types of male genital piercings
A) Prince Albert B) Apadravya C) Guiche D) Hafada
Our answers should shed some light on your attitudes towards choosing different styles of underwear after getting a male genital piercing. As any professional piercer will tell you, the style of underwear to use must take several factors into consideration. Among these you should consider the exact physical location of the piercing, the expected amount of bleeding from the piercing location, the sensitivity and swelling of the pierced area, the possibility of trauma or impact while healing, and even your work or lifestyle.
Let’s not forget what is probably the most important thing. While the actual piercing process may take a few seconds up to a couple of minutes, the healing process takes much longer and varies widely. Not only because of your natural body healing process and the type of piercing that you get, but also because of your diet and overall health during the following months. That said, it is no surprise that for the next four weeks to six months, you will be needing lots of fresh, clean underwear!
General Underwear Tips
We have found that some customers opt for one type of underwear for the first four weeks of the recovery period, then they switch to more fitted or anatomically supportive underwear. When choosing pants, our general advice is that you select a comfortable, loose pair of pants. Shorts are especially recommended. In the case of underwear, wearing breathable, supportive undergarments is the best choice. The more air circulation that gets to your fresh piercing, the better. Pouch or ergonomic underwear offer greater support and fit than traditional underwear.
Traditional vs ergonomic pouch
(A) Traditional vs (B, C) Ergonomic pouches
1. For the first few weeks, choose dark colored underwear
Since a piercing is an open wound, bleeding is to be expected for the first days or longer–sometimes spotting for up to a few weeks. During the first month of the healing process, and especially the first week, you should opt for dark colored underwear as well as dark pants to avoid staining your garments.
2. Opt for breathable fabrics
The main benefit that comes from wearing mesh fabric underwear is that it leaves more than enough room for breathing. Besides not keeping sweat or generating humidity, the fabric also helps during the recovery process by letting more air flow.
3. If you can, prefer antimicrobial fabrics
With recent advancements in yarn technology, another characteristic you should consider is antimicrobial fabric. Long before the concept of microbes, ancient civilizations understood the antimicrobial characteristics of copper. Ergowear’s Incopper fabric is sprayed with copper particles, generating a protective zone that eliminates bacteria, fungus and viruses, thus reducing your chances for infection.
Incopper fabric
Ergowear’s InCopper yarn technology
4. Aim for boxers, briefs, or bikinis in general
Unless you are certain your underwear offers the most ergonomically correct and beneficial style (considering less riding up, no pressure areas in leg openings, and no stitch along the middle of the back part), forget thongs or strings for a while. Pouch bikinis, boxers and briefs are much looser and will catch your jewelry a lot less.
5. Forget about lace
No matter which style of underwear you choose, stay away from lace or open fishnet fabrics! These may cause your piercing to catch and pull.
6. Get a seamless pouch
The weight of the jewelry also plays a part, the design of some models of pouch underwear may actually help you with the extra weight, especially with heavy jewelry pieces, like are sometimes worn in the PA, Ampallang or Apadravya. One important fact may be the avoidance of any types of seams inside the pouch to reduce injuries from friction. Ergowear’s FEEL line would be the recommended line.
7. Nose-shaped underwear is excellent for Hafada or Guiche
Underwear that comes with cup or nose-shaped pouch or bulge is especially useful for some type of piercings, namely hafada/scrotum or guiche piercings. Make sure you get a “loose” fit to have plenty of room in the pouch. Inquire about actual pouch size before ordering if in doubt.
8. Compression shorts are perfect!
Some people find that compression shorts are a great underwear alternative. They may help alleviate pain and in fact, with one of these you can forget about jockstraps for sports practice. Compression shorts with pouch designs provide the needed support.
9. Switch between loose and fitted underwear
After a month or so, depending on the healing times of your piercing, some people find loose underwear to be more comfortable. Whereas others prefer fitted undergarments. According to some, fitted underwear helps keep everything snug and in place, holding unwanted movements.
10. Protection from accidents with pouch underwear
Knocks or hits can cause some pain, especially when sitting, crossing your legs or even tucking your shirt in. Ergonomically designed underwear makes sure your genitals stay in a slightly front and upward facing position, in order to avoid accidental hits or crushing with your testicles or legs.
In summary, the underwear style that is best suited for pierced male genitals mainly depends on your lifestyle, type of piercing, and health implications. The main points to consider are the following:
-Breathability for faster healing. Look for mesh fabrics (finer than traditional fishnet, which can catch your jewelry).
-No seams inside pouch, ideal for PA and other penis piercings.
-For piercings under the testicles, look for roomy pouch with no seam on the scrotum.
-Antimicrobial fabrics. Although not tested by the FDA, InCopper technology offers an extra layer of protection for your pierced genitals.
-Use dark colored underwear the first few weeks, for concealing blood stains.
-Ergonomic styles in thin, soft fabrics, offer excellent support and comfort for the recovery period.
Note that no matter what type of underwear you select, there will be times that you will require adjusting your anatomy. Don’t ever be ashamed of adjusting yourself. But make sure your hands are clean first! This is just an indication that you have some working equipment.
Story by Isaul Carballar of “The Piercing Bible”