Dear Alley is our weekly advice column for pierced, inked, and amazing individuals (and everyone else too!) who might need a nudge in the right direction. Relationships, mods, or whatever, Alley's got you covered :).

Do you have a question for Alley, submit it to DearAlley@bodycandy.com for your chance to get featured!

Disclaimer: Body Candy is only here to give you fun and helpful advice and information when it comes to getting pierced. Always consult a professional piercer to make sure a new piercing is right for you!

Dear Alley:

I’ve booked an appointment to get my ashley piercing and I’m curious to how it will feel to kiss my boyfriend with this modification. I’m nervous because I really enjoy kissing and I know I need to completely abstain for the first few weeks of healing. Do you have any personal experience with this?

- Anxious

Alley: Hey Anxious!

For those of you who aren't familiar - an "ashley" piercing goes through the middle of your lower lip and out through the inside of your mouth. It's also occasionally called an "inverse vertical labret."

I've never had an ashley, but I did have teeny tiny snake bites for a bit! Since they were so small, I found that they never really got in the way - it was actually harder to get used to eating... and that was tough because I love snacks.

While I can't relate on the actual sensation of kissing with an ashley mod - I do have some important advice. With any healing lip piercing, its very important to keep them clean, so no lipstick! Don't fuss or mess with it at all - this includes smooching, which could introduce bacteria. I think even two to four weeks is a pretty conservative time estimate to abstain from kissing... This piercing will probably start healing up around two to three months and be good to go after about six.

In terms of the actual sensation, you're probably going to feel like there's something in the way, at least at first... An ashley piercing probably won't add any pleasant sensation to a kiss. Just be careful not to get too vigorous, or you might rough up your gums :).

Love,
- Alley

Dear Alley:

I have a helix cartilage piercing but I really want to get a industrial piercing as well. Is it still possible to get one even though I have my helix pierced? I don’t want to take out my helix piercing cause it took so long to heal.

- Katherine

Alley: Hi Katherine!

I hear you - cartilage piercings take some serious commitment to heal up. This one is going to come down to your personal anatomy. The way I see it, you have a few options:

Option 1: depending on where your helix is located (either a lower front helix or around the upper rim of your ear), you might still be able to get an industrial piercing. This will also depend on the anatomy of your ear.

Option 2: If your helix piercing is located in an appropriate spot, you might be able to use the healed helix piercing as one of two holes for your new industrial.

Option 3: Get your industrial done on the opposite ear... Win/win!

Most importantly, only a professional piercer should identify which of these options are going to work best for you and your ear. Head into a shop and have a piercer give you a consult so you wind up with a piercing that's going to heal up as quickly as possible and work best for you!

Love,
- Alley

Hello Alley:

I’ve had my industrial for 3 years now and it gets sore when I sleep on it and sometimes it’s itchy. I even tried changing jewelry and it still gets sore when I lay on it. The industrial looks healed and there’s no signs of an infection. I don’t want to take it off, but I’m not sure what to do.

- Kimberly

Alley: Hi Kimberly!

I know you're rocking an industrial, but I think this is good advice for any mod.

When you sleep on your jewelry, you're putting pressure on your ear (or whatever body part) in a way that it's not used to... In your situation, when you rest your head on the pillow, the industrial bar is creating a foreign pressure and tension across your ear that it wouldn't experience in its "naked" form.

Lots of industrial-wearers experience this kind of discomfort at night. You might also have this same issue during the day when you wear a hat. You might just be one of those people whose ear is a little sensitive. You could try one of those donut-shaped travel pillows to try to avoid this issue, or you could try to get used to sleeping on your back or the opposite side.

For most people, the itchiness or soreness that results from sleeping on a piercing will subside pretty quickly in the morning. I don't think you necessarily HAVE to remove your industrial, but if it's painful enough to make you want to remove your jewelry permanently, it might be time to try a different mod... You could always rock double helixes!

PS - as always, if you think your piercing is abnormally sore/painful or you think you are showing signs of an infection, go see your doctor and have a consult with your professional piercer.

Love,