Authored by Rodney Southern in Body Arts
Published on 03-19-2009

Although the piercing of earlobes is fairly commonplace, it is definitely not the only piercing done to the ears. Over the past few decades variations on the traditional ear piercing of yesteryear have emerged. The earlobe however, still remains the most popular of all ear piercings.

Ear piercing of the lobe is fast and relatively painless. It is typically performed with a piercing gun which is much like a stapler as far as functionality is concerned. In fact earlobe piercing is so commonplace that many parents take their infants to have their earlobes pierced. Earlobe piercing is the earliest recorded form of body modification.

All other variations of ear piercing are performed on cartridge. These piercings are all performed in a tattoo parlor featuring body piercing. (Except the helix as it can be done with a gun) There are 8 different types of ear cartilage piercings. The various forms of ear cartilage piercings include the tragus, the anti-tragus, the rook, the daith, the conch, the helix, the industrial, and the snug.

Ear piercing involving cartilage tends to be more painful as well as more prone to infection and rejection. When a piercing doesn’t go far enough into the flesh or cartilage, the piercing can be rejected by the body. As many areas of the ear do not have as much room as the earlobe, this is very likely. Areas such as the rook, the snug, the tragus, and the anti-tragus are especially susceptible to rejection.

Jewelry used for the various forms of ear piercing is quite flexible. One could use barbells, hoops, or studs based on personal preference.

After care for ear piercing is all the same despite the location of the piercing. Turning the jewelry several times a day after rinsing the new piercing with a solution designed for after care is ideal. All ear piercings heal within a short period of time. The longest healing time for an ear piercing is between 8-16 weeks. A general rule of thumb for healing time is based on location-the smaller the area, the longer the healing time. The only exception to this is the industrial. The industrial is by far the largest of the variant ear piercings. Stretching for one side of the ear through the other, the industrial can take up to 16 weeks to heal completely provided there is no occurrence of infection.

These variations of ear piercings are relatively inexpensive to have done, and are quite attractive when fully healed. If you are looking to get a piercing but are too squeamish to get anything too risqué, then ear variations may be right up your alley. These ear piercings are unique, and definitely make a statement.