The Prince Albert piercing takes anywhere between 2 to 4 months to heal. It is done under the penis, in the centre of the V shape formed by the glans. The piercing should be located at one side in case of a frenulum being present. In order to reduce stress at the area, the piercing is done on the side opposite to the direction in which the penis of the wearer leans. A needle receiving tube is generally used to perform this piercing. The piercing is done from outside and pushed in such a way that when the tube is removed, the tip of the needle is outside the urethra. Other methods of piercing have also been developed. A Prince Albert piercing would be successful if no circumcision has taken place. A curved barbell should be used when the foreskin is not loose and a ring cannot be fitted. The piercing might migrate or be rejected due to stress by the foreskin on the ring. The edge of the foreskin can be cut off if it is not possible to retract it fully. If the foreskin cannot be retracted and there is pain with sexual intercourse or with erection, such a procedure becomes medically necessary. A physician should be called upon to perform this procedure. Captive bead rings having a gauge of 10 and a diameter of 5/8 to 3/4 are suitable for use initially. The diameter of the ring should be greater than the distance between the piercing and the urethral opening by 1/8 inch. Curved barbells having a gauge of 10 and a length of 1/2 to 3/4 inches are considered suitable. The length should be roughly equal to or 1/16 inches longer than the gap between the urethral opening and the piercing. The ball at the end of the urethra should be large so as to not slip into the urethra. The piercing generally does not leak when the wearer urinates unless the piercing has been stretched beyond the ring’s thickness. Urine might drip from the jewelry. The ring should be held to the side and the penis should be turned by 90 to 180 degrees in order to prevent dripping. The Prince Albert piercing may stretch one or two gauges initially with recurrent sexual intercourse or heavy jewelry. The urethral lining might weaken on account of jewelry that is too thin or too heavy. The piercing made at the top of the glans is called the ‘Reverse Prince Albert Piercing’. It is generally done at a distance of about 3/8 to 1/2 inches from the top of the urethral opening. When a single jewel is used in two different Prince Albert piercings, it is called ‘Dolphin’. This piece of jewelry is usually a curved barbell or a U-shaped barbell. This piercing might take a longer time to heal as compared to a normal Prince Albert piercing because the second piercing is done deep into the shaft. There might also be urethral irritation or swelling.
