10 Types of Ear Piercings to Inspire Your Next Look
Think of your ear as an empty canvas: with the help of the right piercer, it's a work of art waiting to be created. Much like makeup and fashion, an ear piercing (or many ear piercings) can evoke a style or sensibility. You can go preppy with one big diamond stud, punk-rock with a heavy-metal industrial, trendy with stacked lobes of tiny golden hoops.
But unlike makeup and fashion, the possibilities aren't exactly endless. There are a finite number of places to pierce an ear, and some piercers choose to focus their talents on only a few, offering a small selection of options or lobe-only piercings. So it's important to do your research before you go to the piercing shop.
Start with the basics: first, do your homework to make sure your piercer is licensed if your city or state requires it. Perhaps surprisingly, the rules will vary depending on your location. "There's no standardized license for body piercing," explains Jim Kelly, head piercer at Banter by Piercing Pagoda. "But definitely feel free to ask your piercers for their license. Some of them are hanging on a wall; others are in a binder. They're waiting for you to ask."
Second — and this is really an extension of step one — make sure to work with a reputable piercer who makes you feel comfortable and uses hygienic techniques. "All items should be pre-sterilized and opened in front of you," says TJ Cantwell, the owner of New-York-City-based Studio 28 Tattoos and Body Piercing. According to Cantwell, surgical-grade titanium or gold are the best metals to put in your body, as these types run the lowest risk of infection. Your piercer will go over the aftercare routine they recommend, but you'll need a saline spray to cleanse your piercing as it heals. Avoid sleeping on your newly pierced ears, and wash your sheets and pillowcases regularly.
With those basics out of the way, let's talk inspiration.
- Cassi Lopez of New York Adorned based in New York City
- TJ Cantwell, owner of Studio 28 Tattoos and Body Piercing based in New York City
- Jim Kelly, head piercer at Banter by Piercing Pagoda based in Philadelphia, PA
- Lisa Bubbers, cofounder and chief brand officer, Studs based in New York City
Courtesy of Studs1/9Stacked Lobes
Lobe piercings can mean so much more than the studs you got at Claire's as a kid. You can experiment with the placement of this classic to create an unconventional look. And as a perk, Lopez explains that this piercing tends to heal easily, since there's the most blood flow in the lobe. So why stop at just one? Multiple lobe piercings are an accessible way to level-up your earring game, and since there's no cartilage in the lower lobe, the piercing process itself isn't especially painful. (Although, to be fair, pain levels are subjective.)
Courtesy of Studs2/9Two-for-One (aka Snake Bite)
The ear shown above houses multiple piercings (from top to bottom: Flat, Helix, Tragus, Two-for-One/Snake Bite, Stacked Lobes), but we're here to talk about what Lisa Bubbers, co-founder of ear piercing studio Studs, terms a “snake bite" (pictured here with two studs). The hallmark of a snake bite, as differentiated from stacked lobes, is the closeness of the piercings — here, you'll notice that the two studs are closer to one another than to anything else on the ear.
The varied spacing allows for playful jewelry, as with the hoop and stud mixture above, and adds a bit of personality to otherwise uniform lobe piercings. Though snake bite piercings are often done on the lobes, Bubbers points out that they've seen a rise in customers asking for the double piercing on the midi, forward helix, and conch.
Courtesy of Banter by Piercing Pagoda3/9Forward Helix
A forward helix is on the upper, inner part of your cartilage, facing forward. “The forward-helix is literally a forward-facing piercing,” says Kelly. “If you're looking at someone straight-on, you'll see it.” Like most cartilage piercings, it'll take between three and six months to heal, he says. According to Lopez, that timeline is worth it. "A forward helix is one of my favorite piercings," Lopez says. "They are so beautiful, especially when someone has a nice amount of space and there’s a really decorative piece there."
Courtesy of Studs4/9Flat Helix
Unlike a forward helix, a flat helix isn't meant to be seen from the front. Instead, this piercing, housed on the "flat" inner part of the upper ear, will be visible from the side. "Cartilage piercings in general are more painful than a lobe," says Kelly. "But when it comes to cartilage piercings, helixes are pretty mild."
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TJ Cantwell5/9Conch
The piercing in the inner ear is the conch, Lopez's all-time favorite ear piercing. "They're just really beautiful. We don't start those with rings, because the area that it's in has a high chance of getting super irritated," she says. "So start them with studs and then swap them to a ring, usually after six months or so." (Also pictured: Three helix piercings. Lopez notes that the higher the piercing, the longer the healing time, as there is less blood flow the farther up the ear you go.)
TJ Cantwell6/9Tragus
"The tragus is one of those piercings that has never really died down," Lopez says. "In all of the years that I’ve been piercing, they are very consistent." It sits in that cute little tab of cartilage that's closest to your face, sticking out from the ear. According to Kelly, a tragus piercing lands towards the higher end of the three- to six-month healing range for cartilage piercings.
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Getty Images7/9Daith
A daith piercing passes through the ear's inner cartilage fold. Lopez says that the daith is “super popular” right now, and he especially loves ones that include decorative rings, as seen above.
TJ Cantwell8/9Rook Piercing
"A rook piercing is the little flap of cartilage at the top of your ear but below your helix," Lopez says. But Lopez also adds that not every single person's ear can handle this type of piercing. That's why it's important to go into your piercing studio with an open mind. And it's yet another reason to go with a licensed pro: experienced piercers will recognize when that's the case.
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micamackenzie9/9Industrial Piercing
According to Kelly, industrials (or what clients sometimes refer to as "the bar") are one of the most popular requests at Banter right now. Though the bar connects a helix piercing to a forward helix piercing, the industrial is pierced slightly differently from its individual components, so be sure to let your piercer that it's your goal. Unlike other piercings, where you need to begin with a stud, you'll leave your appointment with a bar in place. "This one hurts a little more, because it's a slightly bigger gauge," Kelly says. Maybe that's one reason "the bar" has earned its punk-rock reputation.
