Ultimate Ear Piercing Guide: Types & Aftercare

Ear Piercing Guide

Finding the Perfect Style: A Guide to Ear Piercings and Jewellery Choices

Ear Adornment

Whether you're considering your very first piercing or looking to expand your curated ear collection, this guide is tailored for everyone. Beginners will find helpful tips to navigate the process confidently, while long-time wearers can discover new trends, advanced care routines, and inspiration for their next addition.

Ear piercings offer endless possibilities for self-expression, ranging from classic earlobe piercings to bold cartilage styles. Popular options include helix and flat helix for a trendy edge, tragus for a unique touch, and conch for a sleek, central look.

From selecting the perfect piercing to maintaining healthy, stylish ears, we've got you covered every step of the way!

Jewellery Choices

At Monster Piercing we have a huge selection of ear piercing jewellery, from Segment Clickers to Flat-Back Studs in many materials and sizes. Dainty diamonds or Daring Industrials, we are sure you'll find what you need & more in our ear collection. And if you're opting for a more eccentric look with Plugs & Tunnels, we have those too.

PRO TIP: Look for interchangeable charms or decorative elements to personalise your look and experiment with different styles, such as hoops or dangling designs.

Choosing the right jewellery is essential for both aesthetic appeal and comfort during the healing process and beyond. The choice of jewellery and combinations you choose to wear can make an array of difference to your ear look, and remember, you don't always have to wear expensive or big pieces to create a great look. Even the daintiest, subtle additions can bring up your ear game to a chic, neat setup.

Know your Piercings

LOBE

STANDARD LOBE: The most common and standard ear piercing and are often the first choice for those new to body jewellery due to their simplicity and quick healing process. Their popularity spans across cultures, ages, and genders, making them a universal style statement.

UPPER LOBE: These piercings sit slightly above the standard lobe and add a touch of flare and style to the basic lobe piercing. These are also a perfect start if you want to go for the stacked piercing look without the length healing process of those of cartilage piercings.

SECOND LOBE: Another addition the stacking trend that can add more glamour and are perfect for mix-matching multiple dainty studs along with different hoops.

ORBITAL LOBE: This is 2 piercings horizontal from each other on the lobe with a hoop connecting them.

TRANSVERSE LOBE: Less common lobe piercings that are pierced through the lobe horizontally, a more unique and eye catching style if you're looking to switch up the traditional lobe area piercing.

CARTILAGE

Becoming more popular in trend due to their versatility and endless possibilities for decorative styles, cartilage piercings have an array of different piercings available for individuals to choose from. From sleek helix & conch hoops to eccentric rook and daith piercings, cartilage piercings allow for single, stacked or intricate combinations. Cartilage piercings are higher on the pain scale (Moderate-High) compared to the standard lobe as the cartilage itself is very thin and rigid, taking anywhere from 3-12 months to heal.

HELIX: A helix piercing is performed on the cartilage area of the ear's upper rim, including classic helix, flat helix and forward helix piercings. A simple hoop or multiple complementary flat-back studs pierced in the helix area can step up your ear game by a mile.

CONCH: Another piercing that can help tie up your ear look together with a snug fit hoop or single stud. Due to the central location of this piercing, conch jewellery can help bring together the standard lobe and upper cartilage helix pieces and create a seamless ear stacking vision. Due to the position, this piercing takes 6-12 months to heal.

SNUG: Similar to the Conch piercing, but also known as an anti-helix piercing due to it's position, is a dainty piercing that can accentuate your current piercings in a chic & intricate way.

DAITH: A chic and exquisite piercing to add to your ear stack, passing through the innermost cartilage fold of the ear. ts location allows for the use of various jewellery types, including hoops, clickers, and curved barbells, which can be customised with intricate designs, gemstones, or minimalist finishes. Many also believe that due to the Daith's location, the piercing itself can help alleviate headaches.

ROOK: The rook piercing stands out due to its unconventional location, making it an excellent choice for those looking for something different from standard ear piercings. Decorated with a single hoop or a curved barbell, this piercing gives a dainty yet chic look which makes it a great addition to your ear piercing journey.

TRAGUS & ANTI-TRAGUS: and anti-tragus piercings are both located on the small cartilage 'flap' of the ear. These piercings can be adorned with subtle, dainty jewellery just to give that extra touch of allure to the overall ear look.

INDUSTRIAL: This piercing goes through the helix at 2 points on opposite ends of the ear, adorned across with a long industrial barbell. Individuals can opt for this style when they're looking for a distinct design that stands out. Industrials piercings take longer to heal (6-12 months) due to their cartilage placement and can be anywhere from Moderate - High level pain during the piercing process.

STANDARD SIZES & AFTERCARE

LOBE

STANDARD SIZES: 20G (0.8mm) or 18G (1.0mm) with 6-8mm standard Length post and 8-10mm hoop diameter. Opt for longer sizes when initially piercing to allow room for healing.

DOWNSIZE: Try downsizing to shorter length post that allows flat-back studs to sit flush against your skin creating a sleek fit. Hoops can be anywhere from 6-12mm diameter depending on the look you opt for, although lobe piercings are more known for appeal towards bigger diameter hoops & huggies.

HEALING TIME: Usually around 6-8 weeks for full healing.

CARTILAGE

STANDARD SIZES: 16G (1.2mm) or 18G (1.0mm) are common sizes for cartilage piercings which require slightly thicker bars than lobe piercings due to the rigidness of the cartilage tissue. Bar posts can start with 8-10mm when freshly pierced to allow room for swelling.

DOWNSIZE: Try downsizing to shorter 6-8mm length studs that allows the flat-back base to sit flush against your skin creating a sleek fit. Hoops can be anywhere from 6-12mm diameter depending on the piercing you are choosing, i.e. helix piercings are usually adorned with smaller 6-8mm hoops to give a dainty, subtle look, whereas daith piercings require larger 10-12mm hoops due the size of the cartilage area.

HEALING TIME: Usually around 6-12 months for full healing.

INDUSTRIAL

STANDARD SIZES: A thicker 14G (1.6mm) bar is used commonly and 32-40mm bar length depending on the individual's ear size and desired look.

HEALING TIME: Usually around 6-12 months for full healing.

AFTERCARE

Make sure to clean your piercing twice daily with Saline solution dipped in cotton pad to remove any buildup or crust. Refrain from twisting or fiddling with your jewellery to allow for an efficient healing process. Avoid using harsh chemicals, skincare or makeup on the area and keep the piercing dry. Do not change your jewellery before the piercing has healed to prevent any irritation or further delay to the healing process.

Ultimate Ear Piercing Guide: Types & Aftercare

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