Cartilage Piercing 101: Everything You Need to Know for a Perfectly Pierced Ear

Can’t stop crushing over those iconic Cartilage piercings of your favorite fashion-savvy celebrities? Or obsessing over the trend of curated ears a bit too much lately? Well, whatever brings you here, we can all mutually agree that as much as we love the classic lobe piercing, it is always a good idea to go beyond the ordinary and give Cartilage piercing a go.

However, we also understand how on one hand, figuring out ‘the one’ for yourself among the many options in a Cartilage Piercing can get a little overwhelming; on the other, anticipation of the PAIN involved in actually going through the whole process and not knowing exactly what needs to be done to keep the potential risks at bay might be holding you back. But worry not, there is nothing a good guide can’t fix. And lucky for you, we have broken down everything you need to know about a Cartilage piercing to take you a step closer in getting (and maintaining) the perfect one under our guide. So without further ado, let’s head forward:

What is Cartilage Piercing?

In the simplest terms, Cartilage Piercing is a type of ear piercing that is located above the ear lobe. In fact, just like the name suggests, it perforates a hole in the part of your ear that is made up of Cartilage (i.e., your outer ear). Unlike an ear lobe, Cartilage is a thicker, firmer, and tougher tissue.

Needless to say, this piercing has steadily become the most fashion-forward choice that provides you a world of options to achieve that unique ear stack you’ve been dreaming of. Let’s delve a little deeper into the Cartilage Piercing types:

Elevate Your Style: Explore Chic and Unique Cartilage Earrings

Types Of Cartilage Piercing

1. Helix Piercing

   Hands down the most popular out of the lot, a Helix Piercing is positioned at the upper cartilage area of the ear. While (in this category) you’re most likely to come across the standard piercing that is located on the upper and outer rim of the ear, forward, backward, double, and triple piercings have also rose to popularity lately. If you have your eyes upon the kind of ear stack that starts from lobe and goes all the way to the outer upper cartilage of your ear, a Helix piercing is the perfect way forward! For the choice of Helix jewelry, you can either go for a stud or make a statement in hoops (though Helix Hoops are the fashion favorites here).

   Price: Can’t wait to get it done but wondering how much it will cost? Though the final Helix Cartilage piercing price comes down to the experience, skill, and location of the piercer, it will more or less cost you between $30 to $75 on an average.

   Pain: If you compare the pain you can expect to endure in a helix piercing to other piercings, you’ll certainly find it to be on the lower end of the spectrum. On the scale of 1 to 10, we’d rate it as 4-5.

2. Rook Piercing

   A Rook Piercing is located at the ridge or cartilage fold at the upper part of your inner ear (also referred to as Anti-Helix). It can be best described as the most different, unique, and equally stunning choice of ear piercing (meant for the ones who like to stand out). Though initially your piercer will do it with a straight barbell, you can eventually put your favorite pair of curved barbell or cartilage hoops (or any earring style that you’ve been fancying) on and you’ll be ready to make a statement.

   Price: Since this piercing is quite tricky to perform and calls for great skill on the part of the piercer, it costs slightly more than usual- around $35 or $50 on an average.

   Pain: You might have guessed it considering that Rook Piercing is on the fold of your cartilage (which is anything but a soft tissue) that it is a little more painful than any other piercing type. But don’t worry, the pain isn’t something that will get you screaming. On the pain scale, we’d rate it between 5-6 out of 10.

3. Tragus Piercing

   Anything but ordinary, a Tragus Piercing is positioned at the side of your face or more precisely- at the cartilage that covers your ear canal. If you’re not a traditionalist at heart and like to experiment with your looks, consider this as ‘the one.’ It not only frames your face beautifully but also adds some visual interest to it. While the final choice of jewelry boils down to your sense of style, small studs and barbells or tiny hoops (if you’re looking to go for a chic look) are most preferred.

   Price: Tragus is one of the most typical piercings to perform since it requires the piercer to get the angle, spot, and depth accurate (which is your cue to invest in a good piercing studio). In terms of price, you can expect to pay anywhere between $40 to $60.

   Pain: Tragus piercings aren’t considered that painful. We’d rate them between 4-5/10 on the pain scale.

4. Daith Piercing

   The edgiest piercing out there, a Daith Piercing sits at the inner cartilage of the ear or more precisely, at the inner (and smallest) fold of the cartilage (above the ear canal). Whether you stack it up with multiple piercings or let it stand out all alone, it makes for a unique and cool statement. Wearing Hoops is hand downs the best way to flaunt this piercing. It’s even recommended to slip on simple hoops as soon as you get the piercing and while it is undergoing the healing process (which is not the case with any other piercing). As an added advantage, owing to its unique positioning (that technically aligns with the acupuncture points), some even suggest that it has helped them in healing migraine.

   Price: You can expect to pay anywhere between the range of $35 to $60 to get it done from a respectable jeweler.

   Pain: The pain that comes along in a Daith Piercing (though worth it) is more than that commonly endured in other ear piercings but on the bright side, it’s nothing intolerable. We’d rate it between 5-6 out of 10 on the scale.

5. Conch Piercing

   First things first, a Conch Piercing can be broken down into types- inner conch and outer conch, and the exact positioning is dictated by which one you go for. For starters, both are pierced through the middle part of the ear cartilage (also the thickest) that looks close to a conch shell (hence the name). If we speak categorically, an Inner Conch Piercing sits at the Inner (and lower) part of this shell which is the closest to the ear canal. An Outer Conch Piercing, on the other hand, is perforated through the upper part of this shell that is closely placed to a Standard Helix Piercing. If you’re looking to make a perfect ear stack statement, Stud Earrings are best suited for an Inner Conch Piercing and hoops for an Outer Conch one.

   Price: The Conch Cartilage Piercing Price can be anywhere between $35 to $100.

   Pain: Though the exact measure of pain that you’re likely to endure ultimately boils down to your level of tolerance, we’d rate it around 6 out of 10.

Healing Process Of Cartilage Piercing

If a Cartilage Piercing is somewhat new for you, don’t be surprised if you find the healing process to be a little more than the usual piercings. That is absolutely normal since unlike the classic lobe, Cartilage isn’t a soft tissue. It heals from the skin inwards. The average Cartilage Piercing Healing Time can be anywhere between 4 to 9 months (however in some cases, it can take as long as a year to completely heal). Besides that, though the exact time frame of healing largely varies from person to person, the kind of aftercare practices you subject your piercing to go a long way in making the process quick, risk-free, and comfortable. When you reach a point where you can finally see all the initial redness, discharge, swelling, soreness, or flakiness gone for good, take it to mean that your Cartilage piercing has finally healed.

Aftercare Process of Cartilage Piercings

Having shed some light upon how important a good aftercare is, we have assembled some tips and tricks that you need to swear by to do it right:

• No matter how compelled to habit you are, keep your hands as far away from your piercing as you can. Touching it frequently only exposes it to bacteria which in turn, makes it prone to infections. If you find the need to do so, make it a point to sanitize your hands before touching.

• Don’t let those long locks of your hair snag on your piercing and cause any irritation. Consider tying your hair up to do away with that risk entirely.

• Avoid stepping into ponds, lakes, swimming pools, etc., to prevent the bacteria from entering the piercing.

• No matter how bad you’ve been waiting to slip on your new pair of cartilage earrings, don’t make the rookie mistake of wearing it before your piercing is entirely healed.

• Last but definitely not the least, keeping infections and potential risks at bay starts with cleaning your Cartilage piercing religiously (twice a day preferably). Here is everything you need to know about it:

How to Clean Cartilage Piercings?

• First things first, sanitize your hands before you move any forward.

• Clean the piercing, preferably by soaking it in a ready made sterile saline solution for a good 2-5 minutes. That way you can do away with any impurities or crust from the pierced part. Since being a little extra cautious never hurts, consider consulting a professional before you give any cleaning solution a go.

• To eliminate any loosened build up once and for all, gently wipe your piercing with a clean cloth that’s been dipped in a cleaning solution.

• Finally, pat it dry with a soft paper towel. Don’t make the mistake of using a clean cloth since it can catch on your jewelry.

Final Verdict

We know as much as you have been crushing over Cartilage Piercings, the lack of all the knowledge required to actually go ahead with getting and maintaining one has been giving you a hard time. But no worries! We have you covered with pretty much everything that you need to know about a Cartilage piercing right from its exact meaning and types to the aftercare and cleaning procedure. We hope you had a lot to take away from this blog. Having said that, we bid a warm adieu. Stay tuned for more of such interesting and informative blogs.