My deep dive into ear piercings all started with an urge to start my ear stack with a helix piercing. The worst one to start with, since according to everyone I know who got that piercing, it never heals, or it gets infected, and they had to remove it. But I was determined to get one.
This triggered my Instagram algorithm into overdrive. Suddenly, my feed was overflowing with dozens of posts about different kinds of ear stacks, if I have the ear shape to pull off certain looks, and in the middle of all that, an edit about the “bugadi”, a traditional Indian jewel worn at the helix, popped up.
After that, my feed flipped from curated ears and ear stacks that are currently trending to ancient ear adornments, cultural symbols and historic “ear stacks” long before the term even existed. From South Asia’s layered piercings to East Africa’s stretched lobes, ear piercings have always carried meaning beyond beauty.
Region by region trends
South Asia
Curated stacks are nothing new in South Asia; they existed through layered lobes and cartilage piercings and heavy, ornate jewelry. But it wasn’t about style, it was about identity and tradition.
Piercings represented spiritual initiation and protection against negative forces. Both boys and girls are still traditionally pierced at a very young age. Ear piercings were nearly universal and embedded deeply in cultural heritage.
East Africa
Ear modification is still a very powerful cultural marker rather than a trend. Think stretched lobes with gorgeous wood, bone or stone pieces. It represents beauty, maturity, readiness for marriage or status, depending on the tribe.
While both men and women wear them, different tribes have different customs, often pierced at adolescence. An example of this would be the Mursi and Maasai groups, who have gender specific traditions.
Ancient Egypt
Ear piercing was deeply tied to beauty, status and spirituality. Gold was the metal of choice—it symbolized the gods, so naturally the rich and royal wore it everywhere, including their ears.
Most people stuck to a single lobe piercing with simpler materials. But nobles sometimes wore heavier or multiple earrings that hinted at early “curated ear” aesthetics. Piercing typically occurred in childhood, especially in wealthier families.
Indigenous Peoples of the Americas
Many tribes used piercings to mark bravery, adulthood or personal transformation, and some incorporated multiple lobe piercings or cartilage adornments with bone or shell. In Mesoamerican civilizations, ear flares made of jade or obsidian were worn by nobles as symbols of power. Piercing often took place during puberty and was more common among warriors, leaders and spiritual figures.
The Mediterranean
Earrings were closely associated with femininity and social class in the Mediterranean. Women often wore gold hoops, gemstone drops and intricate designs, most commonly in single lobe piercings. While double piercings existed, stacked looks were not typical.
In Rome, earrings on men sometimes indicated low status or foreign origin. Piercings were often done in early childhood in affluent families.
Ear piercings have carried layers of meaning throughout history. The age and context of getting pierced—whether as a baby in a cultural ritual or as a teenager at Claire’s—reflects the intersection of tradition, identity and societal norms that have carried on for centuries.
Today, the act of piercing is largely a matter of self-expression. Following trends, curating multiple piercings or experimenting with ear stacks can coexist with reclaiming and honoring cultural traditions. Modern ear adornment is not just about aesthetics; it is a way to connect with heritage, assert individuality and celebrate creativity.
In the end, whether rooted in history or in contemporary style, ear piercings remain a vibrant form of self-expression across the globe.