I have 20 ear piercings, and this might be one of my most frequently asked questions. Each piercing tells a story, and together they represent my journey from insecurity to confidence. Let me share the order I got them, rate the pain levels, and explain the healing process for each one.
From Bullying to Confidence: Why I Got 20 Ear Piercings
How Protruding Ears Became My Canvas
As you may or may not know, I got severely bullied growing up. One of the main factors was my ears.
Since I have protruding ears that are quite large, I got called the meanest names. People called me Dumbo, Gollum, Doby. They used to blow air on me to see if I would fly away. There was a lot of bullying beyond just my ears, but people always went back to that if nothing else worked.
I myself never had a problem with my ears. I never knew they were different or weird or abnormal or ugly, whatever people tried to make me believe. Going back into public school and being confronted with that every day was very hard for me. It made me question things and made me consider undergoing surgery to pin them back.
Choosing Piercings Over Surgery
I was very close to getting ear surgery multiple times. But I am immensely thankful that I didn’t do it because it wasn’t for me. It was to please other people.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m 100% for changing something you don’t like about yourself if you have the opportunity to. But do it for yourself, not for other people. Not because other people call you names and make you feel like you’re less beautiful or less worthy.
I’m 21 years old now. My years leading up to graduation were probably the hardest, most challenging, and mentally draining years of my life. I graduated and I prevailed. I didn’t listen to others. I listened to myself and realized I love my ears. They make me unique. They make me stand out. That’s a beautiful thing.
Instead of seeing myself like the names people called me, I choose to see myself as an elf, as a fairy, as something beautiful. I used to wear my hair in front of my ears every single day.
I would never do a hairstyle that shows my ears, which sucked because I had long hair. I could have done so much with it. But people made me so insecure and shattered my confidence.
Now I love wearing my hair up. I love doing ponytails. I love showing my ears. Getting ear piercings has been a huge step in increasing my confidence. Instead of hiding my ears, I can embrace them and use them as a canvas. This is basically a form of expression and a form of art for me.
My First Piercings: Lobe Piercings (Ages 6-19)
The first piercings I ever got were my lobe piercings. I got my firsts when I was about six years old. The pain is honestly like a one out of ten. It goes by super quick. The healing process is easy.
Then I got my second lobe on the right ear when I was about 14 years old. Same thing, it’s easy. Probably done in 30 seconds. They just go in with a piercing gun and you’re done. Pain is about a one out of ten.
However, the healing process baffled me. My ear kept swelling up and this ball formed. I don’t know why, honestly. It’s a lobe piercing so it shouldn’t be that weird and complicated. I remember that being so annoying.
DIY Ear Piercings at Home During Quarantine
Next up, I got all my other lobe piercings: my second on my left ear, my third on my left ear, my fourth on my left ear (which did not want to cooperate and go in), and the third on my right ear as well. I actually pierced those myself at home during quarantine in 2020 when I was 19 years old.
They took quite a while to pierce. I took a needle, ice cubes, and disinfectant spray (very important). I numbed down the area with ice cubes. Very slowly I took the needle and just tried to get in there. Make sure you have good quality earrings that you’re going to put in there: real silver, gold, or stainless steel.
I would rate the pain honestly a two or three out of ten. It wasn’t that painful. The healing process was great, probably because I did it myself.
Stepping into Cartilage: Helix Piercings (2020)
I don’t know why I always decided to go to the piercer and be like “I want 15 at once,” but I did. I got two helix piercings on my right ear. These were my first cartilage piercings, so obviously they were going to hurt more.
Does Helix Piercing Hurt?
How bad does a helix piercing hurt? Honestly, it wasn’t as painful as I thought it was going to be. It was literally done in two minutes. I would give it a four out of ten. It was easy and quick. However, it is a different experience than the earlobes because you hear it. You hear the crunchy action.
Helix Piercing Healing Challenges
Also, crunchy action with the healing process. I think we need to have this discussion and talk about the fact that helix piercings never truly heal, at least mine don’t. I would say they look quite fine right now, but my helixes want attention sometimes. They act up.
I take out all my piercings when I go to sleep and put them back in the next day, or maybe in two weeks. Who knows how I’m feeling. But my helixes are just not cooperating. This is my helix piercing, and then I take them out and they’re like “Sorry, we’re closed actually.”
Mind you, my helixes are two years old. They shouldn’t feel like this. I love them dearly. I don’t want to complain about them. Sometimes they like to get a little thick and juicy. Getting them pierced: three out of ten. Healing process: a lot. But I love them though.
Tragus Piercing with Airpods: Yes, It Works
My Favorite Piercings: Tragus, Forward Helix, and Flat (2020)
Next, I got my tragus piercing. Truly one of my favorites. I absolutely adore this little guy on my left ear.
To answer the question I know you have: yes, you can put in airpods. It does not hurt. It’s this long bar, so you can basically just push it through and adjust it to your liking.
I remember it not being bad. I just remember the layers of skin that I heard as the needle went through. Sorry to be graphic, but you’re reading a piercing article. Pain: don’t worry about it. Airpods: don’t worry about it. The sound it makes: worry about it.
It takes a little longer to get through. You basically hear three or four layers of skin. Healing process: literally no problem. Zero out of ten. That one was one and done. No problems whatsoever.
At the same time, I got my flat piercing. Honestly, even though it’s a cartilage piercing, it was way easier than the helix. The healing process was fine too. I’d rate the pain like a four out of ten. Since it was a stud and not a hoop, it was way easier during healing.
Does Forward Helix Piercing Hurt?
I also got the forward helix at the same time. Right off the bat, forward helix: not that fun. Pain: six out of ten, maybe seven out of ten. It wasn’t my worst piercing (that is yet to come).
Healing process: quite stubborn, quite a pain to deal with. They kept feeling like they were on fire. It is still hard to sleep with them because these are piercings I don’t really take out. They still, every time I feel them, I just feel pressure. But they look cool.
The Most Painful: Daith and Conch Piercings (2021)
Those were all the piercings I got in 2020 when I was 19 years old in Germany. I planned the conch and daith for a long time, back in 2020. When I was in Los Angeles and found a great piercer, I thought it was time to add some more.
I got my daith, this little guy right here, and I got the conch. I believe those three to be my favorite piercings out of all of them.
Daith Piercing: My Most Painful Experience
I remember going into the piercer that day and telling him I want to get a conch. He asked if I had any other ideas. The little guy (the small lobe piercing) was actually his idea. I love it. It’s a nice filler. It’s very essential to that ear. To rate the pain, I would give it a one out of ten. It’s a lobe piercing. It was done pretty quick. Healing was totally fine.
For the conch, I initially got a stud in because you’re not supposed to put in a ring until six weeks after. It looked weird for a while. I didn’t really like the stud. But when I finally changed it, I was completely in love with it. Now I think it looks super cool.
Conch Piercing Healing and Switching to a Hoop
Pain on the conch piercing: I would give it the same rating as the helix, maybe a four or five out of ten. I don’t remember having any complications. This was in 2021. It has healed amazingly. I can take it out and put it in whenever I want to. It doesn’t really close up. I really like my conch.
The daith piercing has, to this day, probably been my most painful piercing. That’s just due to the fact the piercer couldn’t get through it the first time. He had to double pierce it and then take the ring and push it through the freshly double-pierced hole. I’d probably give it an eight or nine out of ten.
The healing process for the daith piercing was also not the easiest. It was more problematic when wearing airpods. It did take a while to heal. A lot of crust forms around it. You have to frequently clean it. But now it is completely healed. I can move it as I wish. I haven’t taken it out or changed it yet because I like it so much.
Ear Piercing Pain Scale: Rating All My Piercings
Here’s a quick recap of my pain ratings on a scale of 1-10:
- Lobe piercings (first, second, third, fourth): 1/10 – Quick and easy
- DIY lobe piercings at home: 2-3/10 – Manageable with ice
- Helix piercings: 4/10 – Uncomfortable but quick
- Tragus piercing: Low pain – Pressure but not painful
- Flat piercing: 4/10 – Similar to helix
- Forward helix piercings: 6-7/10 – More intense, stubborn healing
- Small lobe filler: 1/10 – Barely felt it
- Conch piercing: 4-5/10 – Moderate, healed well
- Daith piercing: 8-9/10 – Most painful due to double piercing
The daith was by far my most painful experience because it required two attempts. The forward helixes were stubborn during healing. The tragus was surprisingly easy. Lobe piercings remain the simplest option.
Piercing Aftercare and Healing Tips from My Experience
How to protect new piercing? Upon getting your piercing, you will be provided with the proper cleaning solution. What also works is a self-made salt water solution. Going into the ocean honestly helped me heal and recover my piercings the fastest.
For cartilage piercing aftercare, clean frequently. A lot of crust will form around new piercings, especially cartilage. Be patient with the healing process. Some piercings, like my helixes, can be stubborn even years later.
How Much Does Ear Piercing Cost?
In terms of cost, I think that varies from piercer to piercer. Lobe piercings are not going to be as expensive as cartilage piercings. I did most of my lobe piercings myself.
For each professional piercing, I paid around 30 to 50 dollars. Piercing shops often give you deals if you get multiple piercings or if you’ve been there before.
Now I have 20 ear piercings. I actually wanted to get another one since I’m 21 now, but I decided against it. I don’t want to crowd them too much. If I did a piercing for 21, I’d have to get one for 22 and 23, and that would be a mess.
I hope you enjoyed this piercing tip tour and got some inspiration.
-This article was provided by our customer Sophia. Thank you for sharing.