In this article, we’re talking about the helix piercing.
Why You Should Never Use a Piercing Gun for Helix Piercing
Although it’s super common, it’s also very misunderstood. Please stop piercing this with a piercing gun. The piercing guns are terrible for cartilage piercings. They were only designed for the earlobes and poorly designed at that if you ask me.
Back in the early 90s, I had my cartilage pierced at the top with a piercing gun. A couple days later I found myself with pliers on both sides trying to rip it out. It was terrible. It spider webs the cartilage and does a serious amount of damage.
Have I stressed how much I’m not a big fan of the piercing gun through this area? Let’s talk about the right way to do it.
What is the Helix Piercing?
Where is the helix piercing on the ear? The helix is the outer rim of the ear all the way down. There are several placement options here. You can go lower, mid, or high. Plus there are different angles you can pierce this at.
Sometimes you want the gem pointed out that way. Sometimes for an industrial piercing you’re going to be piercing at a different angle. Sometimes with rings you want the ring to be flat so you’re just grabbing the edge of the ear.
You have to think about this. How do you want that jewelry to lay? What seems right to you?
Sometimes you can take a normal ring and hold it up. You can look and see the different angles and figure out what you need. Going in completely blind saying “I just want a cartilage piercing,” you might not get what you’re looking for.
Initial Jewelry Options for Helix Piercings
As far as the helix piercing initial jewelry options go, I highly suggest starting with the stud as opposed to the ring.
When you’re doing a ring it twists and turns while you’re sleeping. It rotates pulling crusties through, almost doubling the healing process. It’s pretty painful too when these things happen.
So start with a stud helix piercing jewelry, whether it’s a labret or a barbell. Then you have a lot of different jewelry top options. Whether it’s a gem cluster, a simple gem, a simple bead, or even a disc, it’s completely up to you. But at least you can have something fun to heal this all the way through.
How Long is the Healing Process for a Helix Piercing
Helix piercing, if you’re lucky, is going to be healed up in about three or four months.
What I mean by that is if you’re not sleeping on it, your hair products are not getting in there, and you’re not catching it on combs, towels, or shirts. All these things are determining factors.
I would say the average helix piercing healing time is six months to a year to heal this piercing up. The more gentle you are to this piercing and the healthier you are, the faster you’re gonna heal.
Why is My Helix Piercing Not Healing
As far as the most common problems, I mentioned them earlier. You’re dealing with combs and brushes.
Hair products like shampoos, conditioners, hair sprays, and gels—all these things getting inside an open wound will cause a longer healing process and some other issues which just aren’t fun to deal with.
Keep in mind: keep your hands off there. If you have problems, talk to your piercer.
How Much Does a Helix Piercing Hurt?
Earlier I mentioned how I had my helix done with a piercing gun and how painful it was. It was brutal. Now if done properly, it should be much less painful.
The helix piercing pain level? Middle to high. It’s surprising. You’d think it’d be a little less than that.
The reason why it fluctuated so much is it depends on where you’re getting it. More towards the middle of the ear as far as the cartilage goes, where it meets the earlobe, it’s a little bit rougher.
The cartilage is a little bit more thick. Sometimes it gets thinner up top, but in general it’s not too terrible. The rough part is sleeping on this and healing it up.
Living with a Helix Piercing
The thing I don’t like about helix piercing is a lot of people think it’s a real simple piercing. It ends up leaving people with a real bad taste in their mouth. It’s a cool piercing, but be aware that it’s going to take a little longer to heal than an earlobe.
It’s very temperamental. If you’re wearing helmets, headbands, or earphones that are covering over the top of it, it will be a rougher heal.
Be gentle to your helix piercing. Make sure you wait for the right time when it’s going to work for you. Then it’s an awesome piercing.
Helix Piercing Jewelry Options
Once healed, you have tons of helix piercing jewelry options.
Helix earrings come in various styles. Most people go for captive bead rings, seamless rings, or labret studs. Hoops add a touch of edge and can be mixed and matched with other ear adornments for a curated look. Helix hoops come in various sizes and styles, ranging from delicate and dainty to bold and statement-making.
For helix studs, you can choose anything from simple titanium helix earrings to elaborate gold helix earrings with gems or decorative tops. The positioning of the helix allows you to wear a variety of different cartilage earrings.