What is Ear piercing?
Ear piercing in itself is a broad term to use as there are many variations. Generally, people relate this kind of piercing with the earlobe piercing which was believed to be piercings for girls from ancient times, but it is somehow different from the latter. Depending on the part of ear getting the perforation and their number, there can be many terms used in its reference. It can be quite difficult to choose which type of ear piercing is trendy. However, the choices vary from a person to another.
Girls got these piercings at a very young age as the ear tissue in the early age is soft and easy to pierce. Now you may wonder when to pierce baby’s ears or what is the suitable age for baby ear piercing? Well, to get an ear piercing, the baby should be at least six months old and the piercing can be made by a piercer at home.
Types of ear piercings
The various types of ear piercings are:
- Tragus piercing
- Antitragus piercing
- Orbital piercing
- Helix piercing
- Forward Helix piercing
- Industrial piercing
- Snug piecing
- Rook piercing
- Conch piercing
- Daith piercing
- Auricle piercing
- Graduate lobe piercing
- Ear weaving piercing
- Standard lobe piercing
- Transverse lobe piercing
The above categorization is based on the position of piercings. However, based on the number of perforations usually following different kinds of ear piercings are famous among people.
- Single Ear Piercing
- Double Ear Piercing
- Triple Ear Piercing
- Quadruple Ear Piercing
All these different ear piercings, however, follow the same procedure:
Procedure
- Do not try piercing ears at home. Visit a licensed parlor authorized to do the piercing
- Piercer will mark the area of perforation
- A piercing will be made using a hollow sterilized needle or piercing gun
- The selected jewelry will get settled in the perforation
Pain Associated
Pain can be more or less depending on the tolerance capacity. It can cause bleeding in some cases which is quite common. The pain reduces slowly with the passage of time.
Ear Piercing Healing Time
Healing can take up to six weeks in case of earlobe piercing and about twelve weeks for cartilage piercing. Infection can increase during the healing period.
Aftercare- Do’s & Don’ts
Do’s
- Take a nutritious diet and add stuff like yogurt in meals.
- Turmeric has excellent medicinal properties. It is an antiseptic and has anti-inflammatory properties that reduce the chances of infection in the pierced area.
- Apply some coconut oil on the pierced area frequently as it will help in the lubrication and reduce the chances of an infection as the oil inhibits bacterial growth.
- Clean the area regularly with cotton to check the occurrence of pus.
Don’ts
- Eat spicy food or drink alcohol as it may cause sensations in the pierced area
- Touch the area with dirty hands, it can cause infection due to germs present in hand and palm
- Avoid going for swimming till the piercing wound hasn’t healed properly
- Change the jewelry until the piercing has healed completely
Infection
Symptoms
- Swelling and Soreness for a long time
- Excessive Itching and Irritation
- Redness and Inflammation
- Discharge of foul-smelling yellow fluid or pus
Cure
- Wash the affected area with lukewarm saline water. It kills bacteria through the process of ex-osmosis.
- Take the advice and medication from a doctor. Follow his prescription.
- Do not remove the jewelry as it may block the piercing
- Do not let flies and other vectors sit on the infection, it may worsen it or inhibit healing
Jewelry
The jewelry comes in certain variations. Ear piercing Studs, beaded rings, barbells, curved barbells. An ideal choice of metals is 316L Surgical Steel, Titanium, Gold, and Silver.
Types of piercings with pictures
Ideal Size
- Barbell- 1/16 to 1/8 inch
- Gauge- 16 to 18
Cost
Ear piercing can cost from $45 to $75 per piercing. The price may vary with type and material of jewelry and the Parlor.