Frenum piercing

Infobox Piercing
name = Frenulum piercing
nicknames =


image_size = 250px
location = Underside of penile shaft
jewelry = Barbell, captive bead ring
healing time = 2 to 5 weeksA frenulum piercing is a type of body piercing located on the underside of the shaft of the penis. A series of parallel frenulum piercings is known as a frenum ladder. A frenum ladder may be extended to include lorum piercings, hafada piercings and guiche piercings.

Placement

Frenulum piercings are almost always pierced perpendicular to the shaft of the penis. They may be pierced through the frenulum that connects the head of the penis to the shaft, or anywhere further down the shaft of the penis. Less commonly, frenulum piercings may be pierced along the top or even the sides of the shaft of the penis.

Healing

Frenulum piercings generally require from two to five weeks to fully heal. Depending on the placement it may be a surface piercing, but due to both the vascular, fast healing nature of the penis, and loose nature of the skin in that area, frenum piercings rarely reject if pierced properly, although they may migrate.

Stretching of the piercing is generally recommended at least one month after the piercing has fully healed.

Jewelry

Both barbells and rings can be worn in frenum piercings, both as initial jewellery and on an ongoing basis. Sometimes, when rings are worn, the diameter of the ring is specifically chosen so that the ring can be worn encircling the penis. A wide variety of chastity devices make use of frenum piercings to secure themselves to the penis, as part of fetish or BDSM activities.

History and culture

The earliest literary reference to frenum piercings occurs in "Die künstlichen Verunstaltungen des Körpers bei den Batta. Zeitschrift für Ethnologie" (16:217-225, 1884), which states: "Amongst the Timorese of Indonesia, the Frenulum beneath the glans penis is pierced with brass rings...the function of the ring is to enhance stimulation during sex." Anecdotal piercing lore associates this piercing (along with many other male genital piercings) with various chastity devices that have been used throughout history, although there is little hard data to back up this claim.

In contemporary society, frenum piercings were primarily found amongst the members of gay BDSM subcultures, until body piercing became re-introduced to mainstream society in the late 1970's and early 1980's.

Frenum piercings are often intended to provide sexual pleasure to both the bearer and the person he is having sexual intercourse with. They may also be used to attach chastity devices to the bearer, denying them sexual pleasure.

ee also

* Body piercing
* Genital modification