Ear piercings have become a very popular these days - from flashy jewelery to really serious lobe art - piercing one's ear has become the latest trend ( specially in the western world ) to define one's style and outlook. Simple earrings or really groovy ones, it sure catches one's eyes.
However, being well-aware of ear-piercings types, definitions, and precautions is of prime importance for someone who wants to go through it.
The term “ear piercing” usually refers to an earlobe piercing, whereas piercings in the upper part of the external ear are often referred to as “cartilage piercings.”
Let's check out the types of ear/cartilage-piercings :-
1. Ear Lobe Piercings :
- The most common form of ear piercing is the lobe piercing.
- The lobe is the bottom-most tissue on the ear.it is the soft fleshy part of the lower ear and consists of skin-covered connective fatty tissue.
- If piercing the lobe, try to make sure the piercing is central in the lobe itself. Rings, barbells or labrets can be worn, though barbells and labrets do not need to be much longer than 8mm; the rings are often around 10mm or 12mm in diameter.
- The dimensions of the earlobe will effect the gauge used, but it is common to find that anything up to a 3.2mm gauge is used. Some piercers have pierced initial piercings with a larger gauge, using a dermal punch technique. This can guarantee that the initial hole will never close, which can be a serious commitment for many people.
- Aftercare tips
- Ear lobe piercings heal well with general care. Cleaning them regularly with Saline solution and drying the area afterwards is often sufficient to let them heal naturally.
- Generally, these piercings heal within 4 to 6 weeks and are considered to be the least painful of all ear piercings
2. Pinna, Helix or Cartilage Ear Piercing :
- The helix piercing is the second most common type of ear piercing.
- It is located on the upper cartilage of the ear. This type of piercing can be done with either a stud, a hoop or a cuff style of piercing.
- The healing time for this piercing is lengthy at 6 to 8 months and any early removal can lead to premature closure of the piercing.
- Aftercare tips
- Ear cartilage piercings generally take longer to heal than lobe piercings.
- This is often due to a combination of things, such as the location of the piercing in the cartilage, the type of jewellery used and the tension that jewellery creates to the structure of the cartilage.
- Using biocompatible plastics (like PTFE), cleaning cartilage regularly, and increasing your intake of minerals will certainly benefit your piercing; however a piercing will almost always be doomed to failure if improper jewellery and poor planning are used and left unmonitored.
3. Industrial Ear Piercings :
- The industrial ear piercing is quickly growing in popularity.
- It features a bar that goes through two holes in the upper cartilage of the ear.The industrial piercing is two or more separate rim (or cartilage) piercings that are joined by one barbell.
- Unfortunately, this piercing takes an extremely long time to heal: up to twelve months.
- Any removal, poking or prodding can lead to serious infections.
Aftercare tips
- Do not touch your piercing unless you are cleaning it. Unwashed hands carry bacteria and your piercing is a point where these bacteria can penetrate below your skin and cause an infection.
- While healing, at least for the first 2 - 3 weeks, your piercing will need to be cleaned once daily - while showering is ideal. You will need to use an antibacterial soap.
4. Conch Piercings :
- The Conch is the large area of cartilage that makes up the back of the ear.
Though large diameter Ball Closure Rings have been successfully used, this piercing heals quicker when a labret or barbell is used.
- There are two types of conch piercings for the ear: the inner and outer conch.
- The inner conch piercing is located toward the center of the ear cartilage and uses a hoop piercing sized to fit the ear.
- The outer conch piercing sits farther out on the ear, on the same center cartilage.
- These piercings heal within 8 to 10 weeks.
Aftercare tips
- Swelling of an outer conch piercing is rather normal for the first few days, even a couple weeks, because of the area of the area that is pierced.
- Conch piercings or any kind of cartilage piercing, takes a while longer than a normal earlobe piercing to completely heal (few months to even a year!).
- If you have sensitive skin, or if you just want to safe, you are best off trying the saline solution for cleaning your piercing - it is natural, in comparison to the antiseptic solution offered by most piercers/jewelers.
VIDEO : WHAT TO EXPECT DURING EAR-PIERCINGS
5. Daith Piercings :
- The Daith (Crux of Helix) is the fold of cartilage that sits beneath the rook and is closest to the ear canal.
- Again, there must be enough cartilage to comfortably hold the chosen jewellery. Micro jewellery (1mm to 1.2mm gauge) often rests well in most Diath piercings because the Diath can be quite shallow, and again the diameter of the ball closure ring can be as little as a couple of millimetres larger than the thickness of the pierced cartilage.
- These piercings take approximately 6 to 8 weeks to fully heal and jewelry can be switched out at this time.
Aftercare tips
- It is best to clean your piercing 2-3 times a day with a solution of sea salt and warm water. You can either buy a product called H2Ocean, or mix the solution yourself. It is better to make your own solution so you can control the amount of salt and also warming the solution will help it get down deep into the piercing to remove any residue.
- Since the daith is so internal, it is more prone to the dirt and germs associated with the ear, therefore making it even more important to keep clean. So generally, a Q-tip is more efficient than a cotton ball or wash cloth. Drench the Q-tip in the solution and gently remove any residue from the piercing area and the ring.
- Also, for an even deeper clean, it is safe to pour a drop of antibacterial soap in the palm of your hand and clean the piercing with the lather. Make sure to rinse all the soap off your ear.
6. Tragus Piercings :
- The tragus piercing is located on the cartilage flap directly in front of ear canal.
- There is also a piercing known as the anti-tragus piercing which is located on the flap of cartilage above the ear lobe, but below the tragus piercing.
- The tragus can vary in size and thickness from person to person and so it can take micro jewellery or 1.6 gauge standard jewellery, although the Ball Closure Rings and labrets, or barbells can still be quite short at 6mm to 8mm.
- These piercings are similar in care and can both be extremely painful. Most tragus and anti-tragus piercings heal within eighteen weeks.
Aftercare tips
- Soak a clean cotton ball in a disinfecting solution and wash the skin around the jewelry; front and back. Ask the professional piercing guy/girl to recommend you the disinfecting solution. Or else, you can use saline solution instead.
- Make sure you soak the entire area near the jewelry, so that the solution gets a chance to enter the hole. Rotate the jewelry, as gently as you can, so that the solution goes in. Also, this practice will keep your cartilage from binding to the piercing as it heals over time.
- Any crusty build up should not be scraped with your fingers. You might just infect or injure the area furthermore.
7. Rook Piercings :
- Rook piercings are known to be troublesome piercings and their position can vary from ear to ear due to high migration rates.
- They also have a frequently high rejection rate and most piercers will not pierce someone who does not have enough space for the piercing.
- These piercings are located on the area of the ear known as the anti-helix and are often referred to as anti-helix piercings. The Rook is the highest fold of cartilage, beneath the Helix.
- The rook piercing healing time can be anywhere between 2 months to 12 months i.e. it is different for different people.
- During this period, it is important to clean the piercing everyday in the shower. Soaking the piercing in saline solution, at least twice a day is a crucial part of rook piercing aftercare.
- Also, make sure to tie your hair up during the healing period as the hair may get tangled up with the piercing, increasing the chances of infection.
- If you experience redness, discharge, swelling and pain during the healing process, do not waste any time to consult your piercer or a health practitioner as these are the signs of rook piercing infection.
0 comments:
Post a Comment