5 Things You Need To Know About Helix Ear Piercing Before You Get One

After the cartilage and daith ear piercings, helix piercings have become really a hot favorite among females. Today, we have so many ear piercings that the single piercing has become so mainstream. Tragus, daith, helix, they all sound more like the magical characters of Harry Potter rather than the name of ear piercings. Cartilage piercings have become outdated with all of them in the scene.

So, if you are about to get helix ear piercings, or double or triple helix piercings, read this article to know all about it. So, let's start with the basics.

For those who don't know, piercings made on the upper cartilage of the ear is known as helix piercings. If you have a single ear piercing on the outer upper cartilage of your ear, it is called standard ear piercing. If you have two or three piercings on the same spot, just above each other, these are called double or triple helix piercings. 


So, what's a forward helix ear piercing? The piercing is on the forward helix. Follow along with the curve of your cartilage around your ear until you reach the side of your face, it is called forward helix. You can also have double or triple ear piercings on your forward helix. 

Cartilage is always pierced with needles. Helix and daith ear piercings should never be done with a gun. It is considered not only illegal but also dangerous. A brand new needle can be sterilized under autoclave while a gun cannot be sterilized in any way. The gun can shatter your cartilage causing permanent damage to your ear. It can also deform your ear and make it collapse.

So, always pick good ear piercings studio. It will use a needle along with a small tube. If you are going for a forward helix piercing, the area will be clamped first. Then they will slide a needle through it. The earrings will be put in the tube thread, sliding it in and then the ball is screwed tightly securing the earrings. And always check the area where you are getting the piercings done. It goes the same for double and triple piercings.

The cost of the helix or forward helix piercings depends on where three factors majorly- where are you getting your piercings from, type of piercings you are having and the type of jewelry used for these piercings. Usually, the Helix & Forward Helix or Cartilage Piercings cost around $20 to $50. Helix Orbital Piercings could cost anywhere between $60 to $80. However, the cost of these piercings could vary with the city, place, type and the jewelry used.

These ear piercings, along with their earrings are very affordable. In fact, I won't be wrong if I say helix ear piercings are cheaper than any other body piercings. So, don't go too cheap piercers as they might not be very experienced. And many things can go wrong then. You might end up spending a lot more than you saved. So, if you are going for helix piercings, find someone with experience. 

You shouldn't touch or change the earrings for at least 8 months from the piercing. It is an open wound and painful. It needs a chance to go through the healing process peacefully. The back of your new earrings could be stiff, and taking them off could cause more pain and stress on your piercing.

The healing process might take up to two years to completely heal, depending on the ear type. However, you can change the jewelry in two to four months. It will be better if t you leave it for a little longer period. You can also take the opinion of your piercer and ask them to change it for you when you are ready. 

If you are going to a licensed piercing studio for helix ear piercings, you can expect friendly and professional service along with a sterile environment. You can even ask them questions about the piercing if it makes you comfortable. You can see their certificates, equipment, ask them how they clean their tools and how they do the piercing. 

If you are torn between getting your helix pierced or daith, you can ask for the piercer's suggestion. You will have to sign the consent form and pick a piece of jewelry for the piercing. Then you will be taken to a cubicle where the piercing will be done. They will wear the gloves, sterile the earrings and will ready the already sterile equipment. They will clean the area where piercings are to be done. Now, they will mark the area with a dot where the piercing is to be done. And then you will be asked to check the marking. 

They will then wait for you to get ready for the piercing and will not start the process until you are ready. Because it hurt less when you are relaxed. If you have any allergies, let your piercer know about it. And if you are on medication or you are unwell or prone to dizzy spells and fainting. They will be equally careful with the procedure and will pierce as swiftly and quickly as possible.

Once the piercing is done, they will tell you how to take care of the piercing, what to do and what not to do. They will tell you the healing time and when you must contact them during the healing time. They might even sell you aftercare solutions which is better than anything you can get at local stores. Or, they might even give it to you for free.

There are certain things you must know before going for helix piercing, or even daith piercing. Once you know these things, you will be better prepared for the piercing. You will be able to decide if you want to get the piercing and what must you do before and after the process. 

If you are phobic to even a little amount of pain, you are in luck. Helix ear piercings, be it forward, double or triple, doesn't hurt at all. Since they lie in the cartilage area, there aren't as many endings of nerves as in the other parts of your skin. So, they hurt way lesser than lip piercings or belly button piercings. 

If you are not aware of the process, piercings could really scare you for nothing. The idea of helix piercings is worst than the entire process. So, you must always find as much about it as you can. It will put you and your anxiety at ease. 

But you must not forget the after effect of helix ear piercings. The aftermath will cause pain a little. You will feel some pain and tenderness at the piercing site. However, it will start feeling better in a few days. Moreover, the pain isn't so intense that you should avoid getting the helix ear piercings altogether. If you want to have it, go get it.

It is also important for you to know the kind of earrings you could use as the jewelry for your helix ear piercings. For the standard helix piercings, your piercer would use a stud. It will be similar jewelry to what is mostly used while pierci9ng the lobe. And almost all the times, that stud will be made of titanium. Reason being, titanium is the least reactive metal of all.

However, some also use the studs made of surgical steel. The back of your jewelry will be tight to keep it from falling. And some piercers also use the earrings as your helix piercing jewelry. But you must avoid it as using earrings as the helix piercing jewelry may cause some problems and discomfort to you. And they add extra to the cost. So, go ahead and pick a piece of jewelry for your double and triple helix ear piercings yourself.

For the forward helix ear piercings, your piercer will use the curved barbell of 1.2 mm. It is also known as the eyebrow bar. Or, they can also use 1.2mm labret stud as the jewelry for the forward helix ear piercings. You can also pick your jewelry for the piercing, but I will suggest you avoid earrings altogether. 

Healing is easy in lobe ear piercings. You can get over it in less than a month. However, a helix piercing can take anywhere from 3-6 months to heal. It can even bleed initially, get sore, swell and turn red. If not pierced efficiently, it can even turn infectious, and dangerous.you must clean the wound a few hours after the piercing. Use the liquid they gave you. Never use any cream, peroxide or anything that has been used by someone else. Creams can not only clog the piercing but also can result;t in the buildup of bacteria. This can further worsen the pain and infection. Peroxide being strong can prolong the healing process. It can cause a lot of swelling, irritation, pain and even cause blisters to your skin. You can also buy the special cleaner. Clean the piercings twice a day and leave it alone for the most part of the days.

Before going for the piercing, you must pick up the aftercare supplies. It is better because after piercing you just might want to go home and admire your new piercing. You must get the saline solution or sea salt and cotton balls or Q-tips. While you are buying saline, see that it is for cleaning the wounds and not cleaning the contact lenses. These things will help you avoid infection and take care of your piercing. 

The aftercare is very simple, and a must and is the same for daith and helix ear piercings. You must not skip on your aftercare routine. The aftercare rules for cleaning and taking care of helix ear piercings is straightforward and easy to understand. First thing, you must always clean your hands before touching the piercing. Hands carry a lot of dirt and bacteria that can be transferred to the piercing area causing infection. So never touch your piercing with dirty hands. 

Don't make it a habit of touching your piercing every now and then. If you get in the habit of touching and twisting the earrings often, you will not give it time to heal. And at times you will forget that your hands are dirty. This could cause the infection. Clean it twice a day with either saline or the solution your piercer gave you. 

If you see some crust forming around the piercing, wet your Q-tip with warm water and clean it gently. When the crust is removed, clean the area with caution. If your piercer didn't give you any solution, make a sea salt soak by mixing 8 ounces of hot water with one-fourth teaspoon of sea-salt that you previously bought at the store. Let it cool until the temperature of the water doesn't make you wince. 

Dip the cotton ball in the soak, squeeze the extra water and then hold it against your ear. Don't rub it too hard. You can also use the wet tissue for cleansing. Warm water will feel soothing and will clean up the piercing site. You can also buy the readymade saline for cleaning the site.

That's the biggest inconvenience of getting a helix piercings or any piercing for that matter. For a while, during the process of healing, you will not be able to sleep on your newly pierced cartilage. You will have to avoid sleeping on the side. And when you accidentally shift on one side while sleeping, you will jolt out of your sweet sleep due to pain. It will hurt a lot. So, you will have a disturbed sleep for the duration of healing.

The piercing is a new wound, so, a little swelling is fine. The swelling right after the piercings occurs due to the aggravation. Your piercer might use a longer bar or a bigger ring for allowing the swelling. Redness occurs due to the piercings, and it stays for a few hours. By the next day, its gone completely. And a little discomfort is normal as well. You will find sleeping on the pierced side difficult or nearly impossible. Cartilage is a very sensitive area, and it will hurt more than the lobe. You might also feel a little run down since body detects the piercings as a foreign object and tries to counter it. But nothing to worry because your piercings will stay and the area around it will heal. You might feel a little tired, a little sore throat or swollen glands and a little run down as well. And of course, a little itching every now and then until the piercings heal is normal as well. 

If you feel that your piercings is very painful, not healing or is getting infectious, It is a sign that your body is rejecting your piercings. In that case, you must immediately go to your piercer.  So, look for the following signs:

• Swelling getting worse- If the swelling increases in three to four days after the initial piercing or if the longer rod got embedded, you must see your piercer.
• Redness- If you haven't rubbed or snagged and it has been few days since piercings, redness isn't a normal thing. It could be the sign that your body is rejecting the piercings. 
• Heat- The feeling of rising temperature around the piercing could be another sign of infection Especially if it is accompanied by swelling and redness. 
• Pus, dark brown, green or yellow- Pus in any color is the sign of infection. And when you see it around the piercings site, go see your piercer or a doctor. 
• Fowl smell- It is not normal to have your piercings smelling fowl anytime. It is a sign that your body is rejecting the piercing. 
• Flu symptoms- If you start feeling feverish, tired, chills, nausea or vomiting three to four days after the piercing, don't dismiss it as normal flu. It could be. But it could also be the infection you are catching due to the piercing. Go see a doctor in that case.
• Bleeding- A little blood is okay. But if your piercing is bleeding a lot and keeps bleeding every now and then, contact your piercer.
• Severe itching- Same is the case with itching. Severe itching means the piercings might be catching the infection.
• Black skin- Black skin is the sign of metal allergy mostly with nickel or surgical steel. So, if you notice the black skin around the pierced area, see your piercer.
• Rash, scales or blistering- You can experience these either due to the use of peroxide, which you must absolutely avoid applying on the pierced area or due to infection.