In my experience, beauty really is pain. As a self-proclaimed piercing connoisseur, I can say that not all of them happened with a swift pinch and a gorgeous new addition to my earscape; there was a lengthy process in between!
Over the past six years, I’ve collected everything from a daith to a double helix. In total, I have 18 piercings: eight on my left ear, nine on my right, and a nose piercing (that one actually kicked off my streak). I have to thank my parents — despite my dad asking me with a flicker of hope if I’ve run out of room every time I show him a new one — for giving me the anatomy to get one of almost every piercing.
Since it’s my life’s mission to curate my earring stack to perfection, I thought it would be fun to list my top five piercings I’ve gotten and whether I think others should get one, based on the healing process and the overall vibe they add to the ear.
To preface, I’m in no way an expert; these are just my personal experiences. Having proper anatomy is crucial to a successful piercing, so make sure to go to a reputable, licensed piercer for professional advice and a safe experience.
Now that that’s out of the way, here are my rankings:
- Daith
-
Ah, the daith piercing. I have a complicated history with this one.
My daith was my fourth piercing, and was done with a captive bead ring. That’s where my first issue emerged. A week in, the bead fell out, and I had to get a larger — and uglier — one put in. The worst part? I found the original in my room, but I was already stuck with the replacement.
While healing, you can’t use in-ear headphones, and I was an avid AirPods user. I eventually found that wired headphones were smaller and would fit if you placed them upside down, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
Another element of this piercing is that it was very crunchy (weird, but the most accurate description), and I felt mostly pressure instead of pain. The closer a cartilage piercing is to your ear canal, the more audible it sounds when going through your ear. I personally didn’t mind it, but I realize it can gross some people out.
All in all, the daith is a fun piercing and decorates a lot of space in the inner part of the ear. But if you can’t give up the in-ear headphones or handle the sound of going through the thick cartilage, I wouldn’t recommend it until you’ve done a few other piercings.
- Helix
-
Now, the helix isn’t ranked this low because I dislike it. On the contrary, I think it’s a cute placement. However, it’s often the first cartilage piercing people get, and it’s notorious for being difficult to heal.
I got my original helix piercing in May of 2021. It was doing okay … until I got my first piercing bump. I had no idea what a piercing bump was and, of course, went down the WebMD rabbit hole. Turns out it was due to irritation, and it would go away if I stopped messing with it.
I also think luck plays a key role in healing. Some people have fantastic experiences: their piercings heal in six months with no issues. Others have persistent bumps, swelling, and pain, delaying healing for a year or more. I was the second case.
My end goal was to put in a hoop, which I tried to do in March of 2022, but my ear swelled so extensively that I had to put in the original bar I was pierced with because the downsized version wasn’t long enough. I attempted the hoop on and off, and by the time I actually reached my goal, it was 2023, and I’d had the piercing for almost two years.
Healing was definitely on the longer side, but I do love my helixes. I recommend them, but only if you’re ready for the issues the healing process could bring up.
- Rook or Faux Rook
-
The rook and faux rook. I had moments of contention with these placements, too, but I think the aesthetic value they add to my ear outweighs our tumultuous beginnings.
My rook took about four years to fully settle. It was technically healed, but still got sore or irritated every once in a while. Rooks are pierced with a curved barbell, but interestingly enough, my irritation didn’t resolve until I put a hoop in it.
The faux rook was by far the crunchiest, and the extended time it took to get through the ear meant the pain started while still in the chair. I didn’t have too many issues with this placement besides my usual irritation bumps, but those were expected. The only thing I remember was that it was summer, and wearing sunglasses meant the arms of the frames were sitting directly on my healing piercing.
Now that they’re both healed, I love the pieces that I can wear in them. On the hoop in my rook, I have a gem charm, and in my faux rook, I have a gorgeous triple marquise piece from Studs.
If you have the anatomy for a rook, I totally recommend it as it’s pretty quick and not too noisy. Just be sure to take the utmost care of it! If you don’t have the rook anatomy, I absolutely recommend a faux rook in its place. But like the daith, only choose it if you can handle the sound and don’t wear glasses.
- Tragus
-
I’m honestly surprised that this piercing is my second overall. My tragus is my most recent piercing, as I got it at the end of this past January, but it’s quickly become one of my favorites. There was barely any swelling, and whatever swelling there was went down after the first week. By week three, there was no pain, and I was able to quickly downsize the bar.
At this point, piercings are nothing new. The tragus was noisy, but it’s not as thick as other cartilage piercings, so it was over quickly. You also can’t wear in-ear headphones — like, at all. The initial bar is too long and blocks the ear canal. I found that even after downsizing, headphones still hurt.
But if you can give up in-ear headphones and have the proper anatomy, a tragus really completes the ear if you’re trying to decorate every inch!
- Conch
-
Finally, my all-time favorite is the conch, because it can do so much to elevate the ear with one piercing. Plus, I’ve had very few issues.
This placement isn’t as prone to accidental hits, but, like the other piercings, you should be careful with your hair. The main problem I had with my conch, which isn’t as relevant anymore, was that I got mine done during the COVID-19 pandemic, so wearing a mask on and off at school exacerbated its soreness.
Both the pain and the crunch of the piercing were near zero, and the pieces you can wear are so versatile; you can also make them as hidden or as showy as you want. My personal favorite thing to wear in my conch is a hoop because it increases its visibility by circling the middle of the ear. I’ve had mine for about four years and love it just as much!
Anna Thetard / Her Campus
I hope this list was helpful! I love using my ears to express myself. And if you’re just getting into piercings, however that manifests for you, they will be stunning!
What’s the next addition to your earscape?
Want to keep up with HCBU? Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, check out our Pinterest board, watch us on TikTok, and read our latest Tweets!