Niche Opinion: Coasters to NOT Ride with Healing Piercings

The healing process for piercings can be messy. Imagine riding a roller coaster with shoulder restraints and hitting the healing wound - ouch!

The Incredible Hulk Coaster

Originally published December 7th, 2022

In mid-September of this year, I decided to make a spontaneous, college student decision and add more piercings to my ears. This time, I wanted one that would stick out, so I got an industrial piercing. 

The piercing was adorable! However, the healing process for piercings are not as adorable, especially if you're someone who HAS to touch things you aren't supposed to touch. Only one of the holes for the industrial survived; the other hole is closing. Despite the failure of the piercing being my fault, I do attribute some blame to my partner in crime: roller coasters.

Roller coasters that have shoulder restraints are not the best to ride after getting a piercing. As fun as they are, the forces of the ride or the shakiness of the coaster train can cause you to hit the restraint with your ear. The pain that occurs when it happens...let's say it's equivalent to reliving the piercing experience but with prolonged stabbing pains.

Because of my experience with healing piercings and roller coasters making the process worst, I've made a personal list of coasters to avoid if your ears are sensitive.

Experience from my industrial piercing:

Incredible Hulk Coaster - Universal Orlando

This ride is amazing and has one of the best inversions on a coaster after the main launch. However, midway through the ride, the inversions cause the restraints to shake, and if caught unaware your poor piercing will be smashed into the side. I was too busy thinking about my pain to enjoy the music at the final break run.

Tigris - Busch Gardens Tampa

In my opinion, the ride is not the most entertaining after its initial launches. This opinion is supported when the inversion after the third launch causes my head to swing to the side and strike my industrial piercing. I went off of this ride running to the bathroom to see the damage: blood from one of the holes. Gross!

Kumba - Busch Gardens Tampa

I love this B&M floorless! I marathoned this ride the last time I rode it. However, I had to shift my body weight to one side during the corkscrew section. Only one time did I bump my ear on the restraint, but my preparedness allowed me to avoid further injury.

Kumba

Experience from my tragus and daith piercing over summer 2022:

Kingda Ka - Six Flags New Jersey

Since Top Thrill Dragster (as we know it) is closed, I had to soothe my strata needs by marathoning Kingda Ka. The ride was amazing after the first few rides, but when I rode it a third and fourth time, the shakiness during the launch and the drop caused me to bump my tragus piercing into the side. It didn't hurt too bad, but I had to think about it for the rest of the rides.

Storm Runner - Hershey Park

An amazing launch coaster! I love how forceful the launch is. I did not love the inversion that swung my head to the side and hit my tragus. What an unpleasant feeling to follow one of the best feelings in the world.

Experience from cartilage piercing over summer 2019:

Raptor - Cedar Point

My first cartilage piercing! I was not prepared for one of my favorite parts of the ride, the helix, to cause me such pain that day. From what I remember, the ride was close to causing me to not want another piercing...yet, I did not let it stop me from piercing my body even more.

Piercings and roller coasters are such a niche topic; I felt I had to share my experience. Most of these rides are amazing if you do not have to worry about a healing piercing wound. However, I would be cautious of any over-the-shoulder restraint coaster if you have sensitive ears. These coasters are the ones I remember causing me the most pain.

Raptor (front) and Valraven (back)