Piercing FAQs: Placement, Pricing, Pain & More (2024)

FAQs

What is the most painful piercing on the ear? ›

The snug piercing is known to be the most painful ear piercing for the majority of people to receive. On the pain scale, it ranks at around a 9/10 compared to other piercings. However, keep in mind that even the most painful piercings will likely hurt less than getting a paper cut.

The placement of your piercing holes can affect your self-esteem and confidence for the rest of your life. It may sound silly, but it's true. If your holes are uneven or low every time you look in the mirror it's a cosmetic reminder that can be frustrating.

Cartilage piercings take longer to heal than earlobe piercings. The average healing time is 8 months, but it can take up to 12 months for some people. The healing process is slow because cartilage doesn't have a good blood supply. This means that it's harder for the body to fight off infection and promote healing.

Generally, infection is the most common side effect of a piercing, and it all depends on where you get it done. The ear, which is relatively exposed, is a low risk area, while genital piercings are the most high-risk area. It can also depend on what kind of piercing -- a post, ring or loop -- you get in a given area.

The most attractive spot for a piercing is the belly button. The least attractive is a tie between the nose and the nether regions.

The daith piercing is an increasingly popular option to treat migraines, anxiety, and some other symptoms. On social media, people may come across images of this unique piercing on the inner ear, alongside promises that it will ease anxiety and improve quality of life.

Instead of piercing through the lobe front to back like a standard lobe piercing, the transverse lobe piercing goes through the skin horizontally using a barbell. This kind of piercing doesn't involve cartilage so in general more pain-free than other kinds of piercings.

For the most part, earlobe piercings don't pose any special risks. The Center for Young Women's Health says earlobe piercings also typically take less time to heal than piercings on other parts of your ear or body.

Along with the nostrils and belly button, the earlobes are the safest and most common body part to be pierced. The flesh of the earlobe heals well when the area is cleaned regularly and the piercing is done at the proper angle.

What is the rule for ear piercing? ›

Leave the earrings in your ears for six weeks or more, even at night. Always wash your hands before touching newly pierced ears. Gently wash your piercings with a mild, fragrance-free soap and water at least once a day.

Oral piercings tend to have a lower infection rate but when present are treatable with amoxicillin/clavulanate.

Oral piercings, or piercings that have constant contact with your saliva, tend to heal a lot easier than most other piercings, due to the healing properties of our own saliva. Tongue piercings have the fastest healing duration of all piercings at only two weeks before you can downsize the bar.

Rhino and Nasallang Piercings

These are definitely up there with the rarest and most unusual piercings! We must note that these piercings are rare for a reason. They are not something we would generally offer to the general public, simply because they are quite extreme and carry a certain amount of risk.

Answer: Conch ear-piercing is considered to be one of the most attractive of all piercings.

“The most dangerous piercings are the ones that involve cartilage, like higher ear piercings,” says Tracy Burton, a pediatric nurse practitioner in Ontario. “These piercings are associated with poor healing because of the limited blood supply to the area.

Surface piercings have the highest rejection rate. Surface piercings such as microdermals as well as eyebrow piercings and navel piercings reject the most because they are closest to the surface of the skin.

The most popular piercings for men include nipple piercings, eyebrow piercings, ear cartilage piercings, tongue piercings, nose piercings, lip piercings, and genital piercings, in that order.

Similar to the monroe, the medusa piercing is also considered a feminine piercing. Medusa piercings are aligned in the middle of the upper lip directly under the nose.

The types of piercings guys tend to favor most are helix piercings, industrial piercings, earlobe piercings, eyebrow piercings, septum piercings, tongue piercings, labret and other lip piercings, nipple piercings, and male genital piercings.

How long until you can sleep on a piercing? ›

The general rule of thumb is to avoid sleeping in earrings, with one exception: when you get a new piercing. You'll need to keep these small studs in for 6 weeks or longer, or until your piercer gives you the OK.

In general, tattoos tend to hurt more than piercings because the needles used for tattoos are larger and go deeper into the skin than the needles used for piercings.

Shen Men Piercing

This piercing is known as 'the divine gate'. This point which is located as a specific point near the top-centre cartilage of the ear is known to calm anxiety, boost immunity, relieve migraines, centre the body, and reduce depression.

Located where the helix is usually pierced is a point called the allergy point, which if stimulated, or pierced, is said to relieve symptoms of allergies such as congestion or a sore throat. Depending where on the helix the piercing is placed, it can also possibly aid with insomnia.

A daith piercing is located in the innermost fold of your ear. Some people believe that this piercing can help ease anxiety-related migraines and other symptoms.

Needle Piercing is Less Painful

When you get pierced with a piercing gun the studs used to pierce your ear are fairly blunt, which makes them more difficult to pierce your skin. Gun piercings on ear cartilage can even shatter the cartilage with the force of a blunt stud.

The two main types of ear piercings are through your earlobes and through the cartilage of your ear. Your earlobes are fleshy and fatty, with strong blood flow. They heal quickly, reducing the risk of an infected earlobe piercing. Your upper ear is cartilage, a thick, stiff tissue with less blood flow.

“Piercings that go through ear cartilage are much more likely to become infected and are more difficult to treat than infections through the ear lobe or the soft tissue just above the lobe,” Dr. Kaplan says.

What age is best to pierce ears? ›

The ideal age for ear piercing varies depending on cultural and individual preferences. Some families pierce their newborn's ears as a cultural tradition. Others prefer to wait until their child expresses an interest in ear piercing, which usually occurs around the age of 7-10 years.

Getting your ears pierced at Claire's is safe, sterile and easy. Our highly trained specialists provide a touch-free piercing experience that uses single-use sterile cartridges and requires no needles. Our equipment is sanitized before and after every customer.

For your safety, all piercings are subject to age restrictions. Minors under the age of 18 (in the US) will need a parent or legal guardians present to sign the Claire's Piercing Registration Form. Age of consent may differ by country, region, or type of piercing.

How much does it cost to get my ears pierced? Ear Piercing is free with the purchase of an Ear Piercing Kit.

A double ear piercing will run you anywhere from $50-$100, as single piercings generally range between $25-$50. The cost of a piercing depends on several factors, including the shop's location, your piercer's experience level, and where on the ear you're hoping to get pierced.

Tattoos and body piercings provide an opening in the skin that may allow germs to enter your body and cause infections. These infections could cause sepsis. It is for this reason that anyone who receives a tattoo or piercing must take special care to reduce the risk of contracting an infection.

Don't touch a new piercing or twist the jewelry unless you're cleaning it. Keep clothing away from the piercing, too. Excessive rubbing or friction can irritate your skin and delay healing. Keep the jewelry in place.

By comparison, a non-surface piercing such as an earlobe, ear cartilage, lip or tongue do not reject as they pierce all the way through from one side to the other.

Helix Piercing

Once someone has one (or more!) ear lobe piercings, their next stop is often the helix piercing. It's an incredibly versatile piercing that can show off a variety of unique jewelry options.

An angel bite piercing is a double piercing with each one sitting symmetrically just above your upper lip on either side of your philtrum —the grooved space between your nose and lips.

What is the oldest known piercing? ›

Some of the oldest known evidence of piercings comes from stone artwork in Nimrud, Iraq which shows a man who is believed to have a pierced ear. Additionally, one of the oldest known mummified humans—over 5,000 years old—was discovered to have an ear piercing.

A Monroe piercing is a lip piercing placed off-center, above the upper lip on the left-hand side and is meant to resemble Marilyn Monroe's beauty spot, although Monroe's beauty spot was on her cheek, not her lip. The Madonna piercing is similar but worn on the right-hand side.

Estimated Piercing Healing Times

“The same goes for facial piercings, with some exceptions,” he says, “Septum piercings are the quickest to heal at around eight to ten weeks. Most lip piercings heal in around three months, and nostrils (cartilage) take roughly six months.”

Pain Scale: 5 on a scale of 1-10. The pain scale is 100% subjective and based on clients' feedback. Nostril piercings are said to be a bit more painful than lip or ear lobe piercings, but not as painful as septum piercings. Aftercare: Keep the area clean to avoid infection.

Surface piercings have the highest rejection rate. Surface piercings such as microdermals as well as eyebrow piercings and navel piercings reject the most because they are closest to the surface of the skin.

The daith piercing is an increasingly popular option to treat migraines, anxiety, and some other symptoms. On social media, people may come across images of this unique piercing on the inner ear, alongside promises that it will ease anxiety and improve quality of life.

Surface piercings may be prone to rejection just because it is easier for the body to push the jewelry out of a small amount of skin. Non-surface piercings include the earlobe, ear cartilage, lip, or tongue. These types of piercings go all the way through the body tissue — in one side and out the other.

Typically, ear lobe piercings take around 4-6 months, while upper or inner ear piercings take between 6-12+ months to fully heal. You'll know your ear is healed once any discharge, swelling, redness, flaking, or soreness stops.

Rhino piercings take about 6 to 9 months to heal. The tissue higher on your nose is thicker, so it takes longer than the other types of nose piercings for the tissue to fully heal.

Sterilize the Area to Be Pierced

You can use ice cube to numb the area, however, it can tighten the skin, which can make piercing difficult.

How can I increase my pain tolerance for piercings? ›

Consider using a numbing agent before getting an ear piercing. It is common to use ice on the ears for 15-30 minutes before getting your piercing. Icing the ears can potentially numb the pain receptors in the area and confuse the brain as to where the pain is coming from.

In traditional Chinese medicine, the left side was believed to be the female side, and right the masculine side. Some people use this as a reason to choose their facial piercings on the left side for females or right side for males. However, in modern culture, there really isn't a male or female side.