When I wanted to get my navel pierced, you all had some very helpful info. A little over a year later, it looks great and I’m now considering getting the cartilage in my ear pierced. I can’t google search it, nor do I want to click on any links, because my computer is out of commission for the moment (3 viruses) and my father has forbidden me to go to any websites I don’t know on his computer.
So I’m hoping that you all can give me some helpful information here.
I can’t exactly answer the “heal” question because my ears want to close abnormally fast (I got my ear lobes pierced when I was 12, but I still have trouble with them if I don’t wear earrings for a few days).
I got the left side pierced, but either side is all right. I started out with a post earring but moved to a hoop after a few weeks because it looks better. It was less painful than getting my earlobes pierced because the cartilage is thinner.
Just make sure you get it pierced with a needle NOT NOT NOT a gun. Mine never healed right because I did not have this info 8 years ago. The hoop question I think you should ask the piercer I know that certain types of piercings heal better with barbells or studs but I am not positive which ones.
Cartilage can take a LONG time to heal. I had mine pierced by a friend and then stretched it to a 14 guage myself. It was about a year before I could comfortably lay on that ear again. The biggest trick is DON’T PLAY WITH IT and keep it CLEAN. I had probably about three infections during the healing time and they were quite painful. (oh and did I mention that it was actually THroBBinG for about 3 days after I stretched it. But that was probably my fault, I went and bought a 14g captive bead earring and spent an hour trying to push it through, very painful and some blood). But 5 years later, I still have it, and I can barely tell it’s there. And as an added bonus, since cartilage holds its shape, if I take it out, you can actually see right though the hole.
I advise you to go to www.bmezine.com. It’s by far the best piercing resource on the net (or anywhere for that matter).
It has heaps of pictures, detailed information on the aftercare (healing) of your piercing and plenty of personal experiences that can give you an idea of what you will be going through.
I also advise you not to get an ear cartilage piercing done with a piercing gun, too many nasty things can happen with them (they list the dangers of piercing guns on the site too).
I advise you to go to www.bmezine.com. It’s by far the best piercing resource on the net (or anywhere for that matter).
It has heaps of pictures, detailed information on the aftercare (healing) of your piercing and plenty of personal experiences that can give you an idea of what you will be going through.
I also advise you not to get an ear cartilage piercing done with a piercing gun, too many nasty things can happen with them (they list the dangers of piercing guns on the site too).
Do be warned that BME is not really a work-safe site. They have lots of good information but they have information about EVERYTHING OUT THERE that people do to themselves. Egad. (Hey, it’s your body, that’s fine. But I would never ever do some of that stuff. NEVER.)
I did get mine done at the mall – I didn’t know! – and it took about six months to heal and quit hurting. Unfortunately, I haven’t worn anything in it for a couple of years (after a couple of years with an earring) and though I’ve tried wearing an earring there again, when I tried my ear starting hurting badly enough I quit after a few days. I’m guessing I just chickened out.
I assume by cartilage you’re talking about getting your Tragus pierced, and not just the fleshy lobe?
[sub](That hard little bump just in front of the opening of the ear)[/sub]
If so, you’re looking at a healing period of 2 months to a year, depending on how fast you heal normally, and how much care you take of it.
Remember, all piercings are wounds, and the jewellery is considered by your body to be a foreign agent and your body will try to force it out, that can make the healing process much longer than a similar wound without jewellery.
A hoop is generally recommended while healing, as it’s much easier to clean, after that you can put whatever jewellery you like in it. As to which side, that’s up to you, I’d personally pick the side I don’t sleep on so often.
I think Monica is talking about the upper part of the external ear. I think that’s a lot simpler than the tragus, although I’ve seen it done also. I want to chime in on the needle vs. gun in favor of the needle. I washed my ear with antiseptic soap for 6 months (I think twice a day). I think I started with an 18 gauge, went up two sizes without any help, and then had the holes (2 of 'em) stretched by a piercer. Hurt LAMF very briefly, I thought I was gonna cry like a little girl. The pain went away within maybe 2 weeks. The piercer told me that if I wanted the holes any bigger they’d have to punch them: cartilage will only stretch so far.
I have nine earrings in my left ear, and eight in my right – some cartilage, some not (obviously). They were all done with the guns, I’m too broke to get them done at a piercing studio. A couple got infected, but most of them were OK. The most important part IMO is getting the right kind of earrings and keeping them clean.
dang. am i the only one who believes in ear cuffs?
i always wear one on my left ear (only). i’ve even adapted to wearing the open, adjustable-type toe rings as dangly hoop-type ear cuffs. (silver designs are everywhere, but can get a bit too “teenybop” in style. nice designs in gold finishes were harder to find, so i learned to make do.)