Your Ultimate Ear Piercing Cheatsheet Guide

Looking to get another piercing but don’t know where to start? We’ve got you covered. Here’s your ultimate cheatsheet guide to ear piercings — everything you need to know to get your ear party started.

✨ Cartilage piercings tend to have a higher pain level than lobe piercings.

✨ Pain levels are subjective and dependent on individual pain tolerance.

✨ Healing times can vary greatly from person to person.

TRAGUS PIERCING

The tragus is the little flap of cartilage on the side of your face that covers your ear canal.

🤕 Pain Level: 6/10, average pain for cartilage piercings

Healing Time: 3 - 6 months; 1 year to fully heal

Want to learn more? Read our full Guide to Tragus Piercings.

Rook Piercing

Our Arc Chain Ear Cuff, Whisper Open Hoop, Double Eternity Ear Cuff, Deco Crystal Stud, and North Star Flat Back Earring

The rook is the “perforation of the anti-helix” aka the cartilage ridge between your outer and inner ear above your tragus.

🤕 Pain Level: 6/10, sharp pain should ache for 30 minutes

Healing Time: 6 - 18 months

Want to learn more? Read our full Guide to Rook Piercings.

Conch Piercing

The conch is the inner part of your ear, and there are two main regions of this middle cartilage: the inner and outer conch.

🤕 Pain Level: 6/10, average pain for cartilage piercings

Healing Time: 6 - 12 months

Want to learn more? Read our full Guide to Conch Piercings.

Helix Piercing

A helix piercing is any piercing in the upper cartilage of the ear.

🤕 Pain Level: 5/10, Less pain than other cartilage piercings because of lack of nerve endings

Healing Time: Within 6 months

Want to learn more? Read our full Guide to Helix Piercings.

Daith Piercing

A daith piercing is on the smallest fold of cartilage in your ear right where the outer ridge of your ear meets your inner ear above the ear canal.

🤕 Pain Level: 6/10, can take up to 10 seconds to pierce because of precision

Healing Time: 4 - 12 months

Want to learn more? Read our full Guide to Daith Piercings.

Forward Helix Piercing

The forward helix is the small outer rim of cartilage at the top front of the ear.

🤕 Pain Level: 6/10, average pain for cartilage piercings

Healing Time: 3 - 6 months

Want to learn more? Read our full Guide to Forward Helix Piercings.

Auricle Piercing

The auricle is the small space on your ear between your helix (outer fold) and earlobe.

🤕 Pain Level: 3/10, because of thinness of auricle cartilage in comparison to others

Healing Time: 3 - 9 months

Our full Guide to Auricle Piercings is coming soon!

Anti-Tragus Piercing

The anti-tragus is the relatively small vertical lip of cartilage above the earlobe and across from the tragus.

🤕 Pain Level: 6/10, average pain for cartilage piercings

Healing Time: 2 - 4 months; 1 year to fully heal

Our full Guide to Anti-Tragus Piercings is coming soon!

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