Piercing guide › Ear piercings
25 ear piercings, each with its own page: where it sits, how much it hurts, how long healing takes, which jewellery suits it and when I advise against it.
| Piercing | Pain | Healing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Earlobe | 2/10 | 6–12 weeks |
| 2 | Upper Lobe | 3/10 | 7–11 weeks |
| Stacked Lobe | Pain and healing as for the earlobe | ||
| 3 | Transverse Lobe | 4/10 | 5–9 months |
| Piercing | Pain | Healing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Helix | 5/10 | 4–8 months |
| 5 | Forward Helix | 5/10 | 5–8 months |
| Double Helix | Pain and healing as for the helix, per hole | ||
| Hidden Helix | 5/10 | 3–8 months | |
| 6 | Auricle | 5/10 | 3–8 months |
| 7 | Snug | 7/10 | 6–12 months |
| 8 | Flat | 5/10 | 5–9 months |
| Piercing | Pain | Healing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Tragus | 4/10 | 4–8 months |
| Vertical Tragus | 6/10 | 6–9 months | |
| 10 | Anti-Tragus | 6/10 | 6–9 months |
| 11 | Rook | 6/10 | 6–10 months |
| Faux Rook | 6/10 | 3–8 months | |
| 12 | Daith | 6/10 | 6–9 months |
| 13 | Inner conch | 6/10 | 5–9 months |
| 14 | Outer conch | 6/10 | 5–9 months |
| Piercing | Pain | Healing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Industrial | 7/10 | 6–12 months |
| Custom Industrial | Pain and healing as for the industrial | ||
| Orbital | Pain and healing depending on the spot | ||
| Cat Bite | Pain and healing as for the helix, per hole | ||
| Snake bites (ear) | Pain and healing depending on the spot | ||
| Constellation | Pain and healing depending on the spot | ||
Pain and healing time are guide values, averaged from information given by piercing and tattoo studios. Where the figures come from. “n/a” means: too few studios give a figure.
The earlobe is soft tissue with a good blood supply, including its upper part. It heals in a few weeks. Everything above the earlobe is cartilage. Cartilage has hardly any blood supply, so healing there takes months, even if the area looks calm from the outside earlier.
In cartilage I work exclusively with a needle. A gun pushes a blunt stud through the tissue and damages the cartilage more than necessary.
An inflammation of the cartilage can permanently deform the ear. That's why every cartilage piercing comes with proper aftercare and the knowledge of when to see a doctor. You get both from me in writing.
To put risks in cartilage into context:
Not sure yet which piercing suits you? We'll sort that out before the appointment.
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