Getting cartilage piercings has been an exciting way for me to express my style. Over the years, I’ve collected several ear piercings, each with its own story about pain, healing, and aftercare. I want to share my honest experiences with cartilage piercing pain levels, how to clean cartilage piercings, and what worked for me during the healing process.
My Cartilage Piercing Collection
I have several piercings across my ears. My first cartilage piercing sits on the left side of my ear. I got it done when I was about 12 during a trip to Key West at Claire’s. I also have my lobes pierced—my first lobe piercing was done when I was a baby.
My second lobe piercing came later, also at Claire’s. My mid helix piercing sits between my cartilage and my second lobe. My most recent addition is my forward helix piercing, which I got done yesterday at a tattoo shop.
Cartilage Piercing vs Lobe Piercing: Pain Comparison
Cartilage Piercing Pain
When comparing cartilage piercing vs lobe piercing pain, there’s a noticeable difference.
My first cartilage piercing didn’t hurt that bad when I got it done. The pain wasn’t intense for me during the actual piercing. However, later that day it started stinging. It hurt so bad that night. I was up all night because sleeping on it was painful.
I felt like I wanted to die, but I got through it. The piercing healed fast despite the initial discomfort.
Lobe Piercing Pain
My lobe piercings were not that painful. I don’t think they hurt much at all during the piercing process. The aftercare was the same as my cartilage piercing—I used the solution with a cotton ball and squeezed it over my ear. The healing experience was good, and I didn’t have major issues with either lobe piercing.
Mid Helix Piercing Pain
My mid helix hurt the most out of my cartilage and second lobe piercings. This piercing hurt so bad when I got it pierced. I had an “ow” moment, but it wasn’t unbearable pain. I just wanted to squeeze someone’s hand.
All piercings have some discomfort—they’re not comfortable and not the most pleasant feeling. This one healed really fast, which surprised me. I used the same solution and cotton ball method, squeezing it over the piercing. I also found that using Dial antibacterial soap helped because it’s antibacterial and seemed to work well for cleaning.
Forward Helix Piercing Pain: My Most Painful Experience
Forward Helix Piercing Pain: 8 Out of 10
My forward helix piercing is my latest and most painful piercing.
I got it done yesterday, and I’m really happy with it. I had wanted this piercing for a long time. I don’t see many people with forward helix piercings—I see more people with tragus piercings.
The forward helix piercing pain was intense. It hurt an 8 out of 10 compared to my other piercings. I have a very high pain tolerance, so your experience might differ.
To give you perspective on my cartilage piercing pain scale: my lobe piercing was a 2 out of 10, my cartilage piercing was probably 3 or 4 out of 10, and my mid helix piercing was about 5.5 out of 10. This forward helix required me to squeeze with two hands.
How Long Does Forward Helix Hurt?
When you’re getting the forward helix pierced, it hurts during the process. But after you wait a bit and the piercing is done, the pain changes. About an hour later, I took a pain pill because it hurt a little bit. After I took the pain pill, it was fine and didn’t hurt.
Sleeping with Forward Helix Piercing
When I went to sleep last night, I was fine. I didn’t have any pain at all with my forward helix. When I woke up, I forgot it was there. I scratched my ear and that hurt really bad. But overall, sleeping was much easier than with my first cartilage piercing.
Where to Get Cartilage Piercing
Getting Pierced at Claire’s
I got most of my piercings done at Claire’s. I know you’re not supposed to get cartilage piercings at Claire’s, especially because they use a gun and it could shatter the cartilage. I didn’t really know better at the time, so I just did it anyway. My cartilage was fine, and my lobes were fine too.
Get Cartilage Piercing a Tattoo Shop
For my forward helix, I called a tattoo shop. One shop told me I needed a notary, which I didn’t know about. If you’re going to get a piercing done at a tattoo shop, they might require a notary on site.
The first shop I went to didn’t have one on site, so I would have had to go to Amscot. I wasn’t trying to do that, so I called another piercing place. They had a notary on site. She signed the papers, I signed the papers, my dad signed the papers, and I got it done.
Cartilage Piercing Gun vs Needle
The main difference between Claire’s and a tattoo shop is the method. Claire’s uses a piercing gun, while professional shops use needles. I’ve experienced both.
The gun method worked fine for me, but many experts recommend needles for cartilage piercings because they’re safer and less likely to cause cartilage damage.
How to Clean a Cartilage Piercing
What to Use to Clean Cartilage Piercing
What to use to clean cartilage piercing? For all my cartilage piercings, proper aftercare is essential. They give you a bottle filled with saline solution to clean the piercing. That solution works as good as soap does. It’s specifically made for piercings and helps keep the area clean during healing.
Daily Cleaning Routine Steps
The cleaning process is straightforward. Take a cotton ball and pour the solution on it. Then you soak the cotton ball and squeeze it over your piercing. This helps clean it when you first get it pierced.
How often to clean cartilage piercing? I clean my piercings twice daily using this saline solution for piercing care method. You can also use Dial antibacterial soap as an alternative cleaning option.
Cartilage Piercing Tips
Based on my experience with multiple cartilage piercings, here are my key takeaways:
- Pain levels vary by location: Lobe piercings are the least painful (2/10), standard cartilage is moderate (3-4/10), mid helix is more intense (5.5/10), and forward helix is the most painful (8/10)
- Healing happens faster than expected: My mid helix healed really quickly, while my first cartilage took longer due to sleeping difficulties
- Clean twice daily: Use the provided solution with a cotton ball, or try antibacterial soap like Dial
- Sleeping matters: The first night with a new cartilage piercing can be rough—try to avoid sleeping on the pierced ear
- Pain pills help: Taking a pain reliever an hour after getting pierced can make the first day much more comfortable
- Shop choice matters: Consider both Claire’s and professional tattoo shops, but know that tattoo shops may require a notary for minors
-This experience is shared by one of our customers. We hope it helps with your cartilage piercing journey.