Ear piercings vary in healing time based on your own anatomical structure and aftercare. Ear piercings located on thicker cartilage will take longer to heal whereas ear piercing located on the fleshy lobe part of your ear will heal faster. Taking proper care of your piercing and doing your aftercare diligently is key for optimal healing. Read through this guide to learn all about average ear piercing healing times!
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FORWARD PIERCING HELIX HEALING TIME
INDUSTRIAL PIERCING HEALING TIME
Ear Lobe Piercing Healing Time
The lobe is least painful piercing, going through the fleshy bottom part of your ear. Since it heals the fastest, it makes it easy to start mixing and matching various styles as fast as possible! This is the choice for low-risk experimentation since it is so versatile that allows you to explore any style you wish.
Pain: Low
Healing: Approximately 3 months but can take up to 4-6 months to heal!
Popularity: Very High
Jewelry: Studs, Hoops
Upper Ear Lobe Piercing Healing Time
Like the regular lower lobe, this area is soft and fleshy, so the pain levels are very low. Since this area is so large, many people often get 3 or 4 piercings. This would be a great place to start experimenting if you want to move beyond the regular lobe piercing!
Pain: Low
Popularity: High
Healing: 4 – 6 months
Jewelry: Studs, Hoops
Forward Helix Piercing Healing Time
The forward helix piercing, for example, is located in the cartilage at the top curvature of your ear closest to your head. Since this area is so cramped, the healing process can take longer. This area is perfect for tiny studs or small minimalist hoops!
Pain: Low
Popularity: High
Healing: 4 – 6 months
Jewelry: Studs, Hoops
Tragus Piercing Healing Time
The tragus piercings go on the tiny piece of cartilage on the outside of your ear canal. It’s about a medium on the pain scale since it's a thicker piece of cartilage, and can take up to eight months to heal. This is best for people who want to experiment outside the box of the usual lobe and helix piercings and want to try our small, cute options.
Pain: Low - Medium
Healing: 6 – 12 months
Popularity: Growing
Jewelry: Studs, Hoops
Rook Piercing Healing Time
The rook piercing is located on the folded part of the upper inside of your ear. Since this is a very sensitive area, you’ll feel a lot of pressure while getting it done and will likely feel a lot of pain while it heals for up to 12 months. It’s definitely for people who want to take risks and stand out from the crowd!
Pain: Medium
Healing: 6 – 12 months
Popularity: Low
Jewelry: Hoops, Curved Barbells
Conch Piercing Healing Time
A conch piercing means a piercing in any part of the cartilage in the flat parts of the center of your ear. This piercing comes in two types: inner and outer, depending on where you want to place your earring. Be warned that this one is more painful than the previous options since it has to go through thicker cartilage. Since it’s a bit of a hidden piercing, it makes it clear you're a mysterious individual with your own style—it works well with hoops and studs.
Pain: High
Healing: 6 – 12 months
Popularity: Growing
Jewelry: Hoops, Studs
Auricle Piercing Healing Time
A slightly more painful area, the auricle is located midway between your lob and the top of your ear (the helix). This area is popular with people who want to start experimenting outside the classic areas. Hoop earrings are often a good fit for this area as they can loop around to catch the eye both from the front and the back. The healing time is slightly longer, sometimes going up to 12 months, so be sure to take proper care!
Pain: Medium
Healing: 6 – 12 months
Popularity: Growing
Jewelry: Hoops, Studs
Helix Piercing Healing Time
The helix piercing is on the upper rim of the ear, sometimes also called a cartilage piercing. Similar to a conch piercing, it does hurt more but it does offer a variety of locations to choose from. The healing time is at least six months, but that can change depending on the helix location you pick.If you were to go for a double or triple helix piercing, the healing time may be slightly longer than the usual 6 months, but the versatility of this area makes it all worth it!
Pain: Low - Medium
Healing: 6 – 12 months
Popularity: High
Jewelry: Hoops, Studs
Anti-Tragus Piercing Healing Time
The anti-tragus piercing is located in the middle cartilage in the ridge between the inner and outer ear. It can be very painful at the time since it requires pressure to get through the thicker area of cartilage and can take up to a year to heal. Because of this, it’s not the most popular piercing, but it still has its charm due to its uniqueness. This is ideal for experienced people who are familiar with the piercing process and want to try something really daring and different.
Pain: Medium
Healing: 9 – 12 months
Popularity: Low
Jewelry: Hoops, Curved Barbells
Daith Piercing Healing Time
The daith piercing is more painful since it goes through the innermost cartilage of the ear. It can take a while to heal, lasting anywhere from 9 to 12 months, depending on how well you take care of it. Some people even claim it helps with migraines—see my other blog post for details!
Pain: Medium – High
Healing: 9–12 months
Popularity: Low
Jewelry: Hoops, Curved Barbells
Industrial Piercing Healing Time
This is a more painful piercing since it’s two separate piercings in sensitive cartilage. Make this choice carefully since the healing time can be up to 12 months. Not all ear shapes will work with this style—check with your piercer first. Since this style is two piercings in one, after it’s fully healed, you can treat it as two helix piercings on those days when you’re not feeling the more common barbell look.
Pain: High
Healing: 9 - 12 months
Popularity: Medium
Jewelry: Industrial barbell, double chain earring
Whatever your style is, make an educated choice!
1 comment
Piercings NYC
An ear piercing is very popular for people of any age. This article provides a guide for the healing time for this type of work. Thanks for sharing!