For many, an ear piercing is the gateway to other piercings. The ear piercing also happens to be one of the most common forms of body modification in the United States. While some many not take it as far, there are those who have actually pioneered new styles of ear piercings. Today, there are 10 common types of ear piercings.
Ear Lobe Piercings
The most common form of ear piercing is the lobe piercing. The lobe is the bottom-most tissue on the ear. Generally, these piercings heal within 4 to 6 weeks and are considered to be the least painful of all ear piercings.
Helix Piercings
The helix piercing is the second most common type of ear piercing. It is located on the upper cartilage of the ear. This type of piercing can be done with either a stud, a hoop or a cuff style of piercing. The healing time for this piercing is lengthy at 6 to 8 months and any early removal can lead to premature closure of the piercing.
Industrial Ear Piercings
The industrial ear piercing is quickly growing in popularity. It features a bar that goes through two holes in the upper cartilage of the ear. Unfortunately, this piercing takes an extremely long time to heal: up to twelve months. Any removal, poking or prodding can lead to serious infections.
Conch Piercings
There are two types of conch piercings for the ear: the inner and outer conch. The inner conch piercing is located toward the center of the ear cartilage and uses a hoop piercing sized to fit the ear. The outer conch piercing sits farther out on the ear, on the same center cartilage. These piercings heal within 8 to 10 weeks.
Daith Piercings
The daith (pronounced day-th,) piercing is located on the cartilage on the innermost part of the ear, closest to the head by the ear canal. The word daith is a variation of the hebrew word, daath, which translates to ‘knowledge.’ These piercings take approximately 6 to 8 weeks to fully heal and jewelry can be switched out at this time.
Tragus Piercings
The tragus piercing is located on the cartilage flap directly in front of ear canal. There is also a piercing known as the anti-tragus piercing which is located on the flap of cartilage above the ear lobe, but below the tragus piercing. These piercings are similar in care and can both be extremely painful. Most tragus and anti-tragus piercings heal within eighteen weeks.
Rook Piercings
Rook piercings are known to be troublesome piercings and their position can vary from ear to ear due to high migration rates. They also have a frequently high rejection rate and most piercers will not pierce someone who does not have enough space for the piercing. These piercings are located on the area of the ear known as the anti-helix and are often referred to as anti-helix piercings. Their rate of healing varies by individual as well as spacing of the piercing.
Dermal Punches
The dermal punch is generally more popular with men than with women. This piercing actually punches out a piece of the ear from the piercing. They can be located on either the lobe or the cartilage in the flat area of the ear. They can be stretched to fit larger gauge piercings, but cartilage is more difficult to ‘stretch’ than a lobe dermal punch. Healing time varies based on the location of the piercing itself.
Proper care of any piercing is extremely important to prevent infection and migration as well as premature closure. Piercings are a great way to show off a person’s individuality.
 |
