The 9 Piercings That Heal the Fastest (and How to Care for Them) (2024)

• Lisa Bubbers is the co-founder and chief brand officer of Studs, an ear piercing studio with locations around the US.
• Perry Doig is a professional piercer at Fiat Lux in San Francisco and a member of the Association of Professional Piercers.
• Mona Kim is a professional piercer and ear specialist at Atelier Eva in Brooklyn, New York.
• Joshua Zeichner, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and associate professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

Septum

The septum piercing (a.k.a. a piercing through the soft tissue in between your nostrils) is one of the fastest-healing and lowest-irritation piercing zones. Unlike the nostril, the septum is exposed to fewer bacteria and is known to be a quick healer. Doig recommends giving this area eight to ten weeks to heal.

Earlobe

Your earlobes are perhaps the most common spot for a piercing thanks to their quick healing time and the virtually painless experience. “Piercings that go through soft tissue tend to heal quickly and without complications,” says board-certified dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD. “Piercings that are placed in areas where there is friction or sweating also are more likely to become infected.” Given the lobe’s location, this aids the process.

Professional piercer and Atelier Eva ear specialist Mona Kim categorizes earlobe healing time as six to eight weeks, though depending on where you get it done, it can take longer. “When seeking an earlobe piercing, be sure to steer clear from the mall and visit a professional piercer instead,” Kim says, “If the earlobe becomes traumatized from incorrect techniques, it will take longer to heal.” For a more advanced look without the prolonged healing time, Bubbers suggests trying a stacked lobe.

Eyebrow

Despite its bold location, the eyebrow piercing is relatively quick to heal. “With the eyebrows, there is less skin involved, as it is a surface piercing,” Kim says. “These piercings usually take two to three months to heal.” The thinner tissue is a double-edged sword: If fiddled with too much, the piercing can move, and in some cases, the skin can even reject the piercing. Make sure to regularly disinfect the area, especially during the healing process.

Tongue

Surprisingly enough, the tongue is one of the quicker places for piercings to heal. “The tongue is made up of two muscles and wrapped in mucus membranes,” Kim explains. “When a tongue piercing heals correctly, the body treats the wound like a scar.” Additionally, the mucus membranes in your tongue and cheeks are different from typical skin cells because they have a more simple structure that gives them easier access to the blood supply.

Believe it or not, the oral bacteria present in the mouth help with reducing inflammation of the wound, Kim tells us. As a result, the healing time is predicted to be two to four months when cared for correctly.

Conch

Like the earlobe, the conch tends to heal quickly, but it's not quite as painless. Pain is different for everyone, but the conch piercing goes through the center of the ear, which is much thicker tissue than the lobe. Doig labels the healing time as around six months, but it can take a little longer depending on your behaviors.

To keep the healing of your conch piercing on track, Doig recommends avoiding earbuds, mask ear loops, and in some cases, glasses. “During healing, we want to limit certain behaviors;however, once the piercing is fully healed, none of these should pose any risk,” he says, “As for maintenance, light irrigation with sterile saline a few times a day mitigates any discharge from the piercing site.”

Nostril

The nostril piercing takes longer to heal than the septum, but it still made the list. The nose is covered in soft cartilage, and this piercing can be placed just about anywhere. Our pros agree the healing time takes roughly six months on average, but that time can be easily disrupted as the area can get infected or irritated if you touch it too much.

Daith

The daith falls into the “advanced cartilage” category. Located on the ear's inner cartilage, a piercing in this area pinches a little more than the lobe. Most piercings above the lobe have similar healing times, and this one is no exception. Plan on at least six months (or up to nine, depending on the person) for this area to heal.

Forward Helix

Located right above your tragus, the forward helix is a trendy spot for a stud or a small hoop. The cartilage in this area is a little bit thicker than other parts of your ear, so expect a little more pain post-piercing. Like the other piercings on this list, you can expect this one to heal in about six to nine months, but it could be longer depending on sensitivity and how well you take care of it.

Flat Helix

This spot is colloquially known as piercing your cartilage. However, since your ear (and your body quite frankly) is full of cartilage, “the flat” is the way to differentiate. A flat helix piercing typically describes the large section of relatively flat cartilage located between your outer and forward helixes, and this space can really allow you to get creative—if you're ready to deal with the healing time.

Even though the cartilage here is a little thinner than the nose, some report that this area is even more sensitive than the nostril or the forward helix. The experience is different for everyone, but if you're worried about pain, try bringing a stress ball to your appointment to squeeze when necessary. Like other piercings above the lobe, you can expect six to nine months of healing time for this one.