I know a thing or two about piercings; from the age of 15 on, I have gotten at least one piercing every year on my ears. I love all of my piercings and always get asked about them, so I decided to make a personal guide about my piercing journey!
Standard Lobe: Age 9
I got my regular first hole piercing when I was about 9 years old. I was definitely scared for the pain, but it wasn’t so bad. As a kid, I definitely went through some infections; my earrings were ripped out once or twice by puppies and goal netting, but they are permanent members of my body now. I do not keep a piercing in this hole super often, but I have plenty of earrings I can switch around with, depending on the occasion.
Helix: Age 15
It took many months to convince my parents of this one, but around my 15th birthday I was finally able to get a helix piercing on my right ear. It was definitely painful, as the cartilage has less blood flow than your lobe. I would estimate it took about 6 months for my ear to feel no pain at all. Since then, it is easily one of my favorite piercings I have ever gotten and would highly recommend it!
Upper Lobe: Age16
The next year, I got my second holes pierced for my birthday. These piercings were much trickier than my first holes: even though they were relatively painless to get, they seemed to get infected more easily. It took many different earrings to figure out which ones worked for my ears, but once I did, I’ve been quite pleased. I permanently keep neutral earrings in these holes, so I always have something to pair my first holes with!
Auricle: Age 17
(I am not sure if that is the correct name for that piercing, so here is a picture of it!)
I decided that I wanted to have the same number of piercings on both ears, so on my 17th birthday I decided to get an auricle piercing on my left ear. This piercing was easily the piercing that caused me the least amount of pain and problems, and now that I have changed it from a stud to a hoop, it also perfectly fits my style.
Auricle and Helix: Age 18
These piercings were the only two that ended in tragedy for me. Some of my friends convinced me to have my ears symmetrical in relation to piercings, so on my 18th birthday I got my right auricle and left helix pierced at the same time. After I got them pierced, I still wasn’t sure if I got them done because I really wanted them, or if I was influenced by the people around me. Either way, they did not stay for long. 6 months after my birthday, I was feeling acute pain on both ears and I could not figure out why…they should have both healed by now. I examined them both closely and realized that the backs of the earrings had created two giant bubbles on the backs of my ears that were inflamed and extremely red and painful. I chose to take both earrings out and let the holes close in order to let my ears heal. Although I was sad initially, it turned out to be for the better.
Inner Conch: Age 18
I had wanted my inner conch pierced for many years now, so I was extremely excited when I finally had the opportunity to get it done. Unfortunately, I wanted to get an industrial piercing as well, but my ear shape would cause my cartilage to waste away if I went through with it. I got the conch piercing on my right ear, and this was the first piercing I got done with a needle and at a tattoo shop. It was much more painful, because of how thick the cartilage is in that part of your ear, but it was much more sterile, and I felt more confident with the person piercing my ear. I highly HIGHLY recommend getting your piercings done with a needle, as it is much more sterile! I eventually swapped the stud for a hoop, with help from a professional, and I fall more and more in love with this piercing every day.
Rook: Age 18, almost 19
I had recently been obsessing over this piercing, so when I went back home over winter break, I decided I had to get this done! 3 days before my 19th birthday, I got my rook pierced. This was the first piercing I had done that bled, and it was a bit painful, but the healing has been quite easy. I have had it for about a month and a half now and love the way it looks! This piercing above all the other ones accumulates the most ear wax (gross, I know) so cleaning regularly is a must.
Every time I get another piercing done, I always tell myself I have finished my piercing adventures…we’ll see how long that lasts! My final pieces of advice for people looking to get more piercings on their ears:
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Do your research before getting them done- know how long healing will last, how painful it will be, and any common complications people have with them.
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Make sure you are getting your piercings done by a professional, steer clear of Claire’s and other cheaper stores that pierce ears.
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Use 100% saline solution to clean your piercings, such as this:
Happy piercing!