What is cartilage piercing?
Cartilage is a connective tissue that is thicker than the skin but weaker than the bone. The piercing of the ear cartilage goes right through the “harder” tissue (cartilage) in the ear and then out of the back.
Types Of Cartilage Piercings
Cartilage piercings have different names depending on the cartilage region being pierced. Read below to find out where each piercing is located and what kind of jewelry you should wear with each of these piercings.
Outer Conch and Inner Conch
Conch piercings pass through the center of the ear shell, which is also the thickest area in the ear. The part of your ear that looks like a seashell is known as a conch. At the bottom portion of the middle of the ear is the outer conch. The inner conch piercing passes into the upper-middle shell of the ear, which is a little closer to the ear canal, over the outer conch.
The conch piercings are worn with jewelry that has a straight post like a barbell, flat back barbell, or push-pin posts. Circular barbells and captive rings are often painful for long-term wear in conch piercing.
Tragus
A tragus piercing passes right in front of the ear canal, known as the tragus, across the middle of the thin cartilage flap. This piercing is not advisable for an initial cartilage piercing because it can be a little hard to do when the tragus is small or dense. The proximity to the ear canal is also a concern.
The initial piercing is typically done at 16G with a straight barbell, flat back barbell, or a threadless post. You can transform the jewelry into a prison ring, hoop, circular barbell, or curved barbell, after healing.
Antitragus
Piercings of the Antitragus run through the cartilage liner or ridge between your tragus and the ear lobe. For this piercing to work, the antitragus must be very prominent. Antitragus is usually pierced by a 16G with a curved or flat barbel to leave space for swelling. You may transform into a captive ring or circular barbell until the piercing is cured.
Helix
The helix piercing is the official name for the upper ear piercing and one of the most common cartilage piercings we know and love! Depending on your ear and the jewelry you choose to wear, helix piercings are usually pierced with a captive ring, circular barbell, or straight barbell at a small gauge, anywhere from 18 G to 14 G, one of the most common cartilage piercings.
Forward Helix
The forward helix piercing is on the same cartilage ridge as the helix piercing, but it is located right above the tragus. Most individuals opt for 2 or 3 vertically oriented ear piercings, and this is considered a double or triple forward helix.
For curing forward helix piercings, straight barbells, flatback barbells, and threadless/push pin posts are used. To accentuate the ear, there are several choices for end pieces, but you should wait until the piercing is healed to turn to a captive ring, circular barbell, or seamless ring. Forward helix piercings are much more difficult than traditional helix piercings because to sit well, they need to be lined up to your anatomy.
Industrial
Usually, the industrial piercing consists of two piercing parts, an external helix piercing, and a forward helix piercing attached to an extended straight barbell. The industrial piercing was first developed as edgier piercing cartilage in the 1990s since it was not as fragile as other cartilage piercings would look. For this reason, it is normally pierced to 14G. Typically, an existing cartilage piercing cannot be taken to become an industrial piercing, so all piercing has to be properly matched. Industrial piercings were once restricted to the barbel of stainless steel, but now there are customized barbels specifically designed for industrial with decorative highlights or curves to the bar and more decorative ends.
Orbital
The orbital piercing is technically two piercings, with a captive ring or a seamless ring linking the two together. It looks like the jewelry covers the ear, so the orbital piercing is named. The helix, the inner conch, and the rook can be turned into the orbital piercing.
Rook
The rook piercing is a vertical piercing in the cartilage fold above the tragus, also called the anti-helix, which lies in the conch. Initially, rook piercings are drilled with a 16 G curved barbell. After recovery, the barbell may be turned into a captive ring, but this is great for curved barbells as it is visible from the front of the ear with both ends.
Snug
The snug piercing is a horizontal piercing by the cartilage fold over the antitragus which leads to the conch to the end of the ear. Snug piercings are normally drilled with a curved 16 G barbell. The curved barbell is the best way to pierce this, as the ends of the barbell rest smoothly against the ear.
Daith
The Daith piercing passes right above the ear canal through the smallest cartilage fold on the ear. The piercing is behind and over the tragus, which floats somewhat before the conch. It is pierced at a 16 G with a ring or a seamless ring. Daith piercing is one of the few cartilage piercings that encourage a captive ring or other ring jewelry. Some rings are shaped like hearts, stars, new moons, etc.
Do’s and Don’ts of Cartilage Piercing
Go to a professional piercing shop
The risk of infection and complications in the new piercing as they recover will minimize if you go to a reputable piercing shop for your cartilage piercing. A piercing shop uses sterilized equipment and has quality jewelry so that the piercings are well healed. Avoid going out to places that use piercing guns because they can’t be sterilized and the cartilage may be harmed by the impact of the penetrating.
The healing time is more than an earlobe piercing
Cartilage piercings can take longer to heal than other piercings: from four months up to 1 year depending on the location of the piercing. Cartilage piercings heal outside in, so they might appear healed before they actually are.
Avoid public bodies of water, sleeping on it and touching it as much as possible
While the piercing of cartilage is healing: do not go to the pool or jacuzzi, to the beach or the lake, or take your baths and immerse your ears. Try to avoid sleeping on the piercing. Be vigilant about the hair and the clothes, do not snag the piercings.
Watch out for infection
Be sure to keep an eye on redness, severe swelling, sharp pain, or bleeding. These are possible symptoms of infection, and you may want to deal with them instantly to avoid harming your ear cartilage.
Don’t take the jewelry out if it does get infected
Piercings of cartilage are distinct from piercings of soft tissue. Do not remove the jewelry if the cartilage is infected. If you remove the jewelry, it will trap your ear for the infection and cause harm to your cartilage. Maintain the jewelry to drain and treat the infection.
Aftercare
Cartilage piercings can take a while to heal depending on what type of piercing it is, they can be from months to one year anywhere. It’s more about cartilage than mere skin piercing. The jewelry should be kept inside during the healing phase if it’s taken out the piercing might close. It is necessary to cleanse the piercing twice a day while it is healing. A saltwater soaking is a perfect way to do this.
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