Popular Ear Piercing Types

Ear PiercingEar is the most popular body part for piercing. Almost all parts of the ear can be pierced, so there are many different types of piercings performed on the ear. Some are more common than the others, some are more sensitive than the others and take longer time to heal. Regardless of the type, ear piercings are relatively simple to perform and they can be very effective.

Here is the list of the most popular ear piercing types:

Earlobe Piercing

Earlobe piercing is the most popular type of ear piercing. In fact, it’s the most common of all body piercings. Earlobe piercing is so widespread and socially acceptable that many people don’t even consider it body piercing in true sense of the word. Earlobe piercing is easy to perform and it heals quickly. There are many types of earrings suitable for this type of piercing.

A special type of earlobe piercing is stretched piercing. It’s sometimes called “gauging”, though it’s a wrong term: gauge is the size of the jewelry. Many types of piercings can be stretched to a larger size, but the most common are stretched earlobes. There are special types of jewelry made for stretched piercings: ear plugs, flesh tunnels, earlets, tusks, spirals, and more.

Industrial Piercing

An industrial piercing (also known as the scaffold piercing) consists of two holes connected by a single jewelry piece. It’s typically done on the upper ear cartilage. During the procedure, two piercings are made: one close to the head and the other further down the cartilage on the opposite side of the ear.

The most common jewelry type for industrial piercings is long, straight barbell. It’s inserted through the first piercing from behind the ear and it goes diagonally across the front of the ear cartilage to the second piercing. It’s not uncommon to wear a pair of captive bead rings instead of a straight barbell. Those who wish to use straight barbells for their industrial piercings can choose between numerous unique barbells with special decorations or spirals to make their piercing stand out.

Helix Piercing

The helix piercing is performed on the outer curly rim of the ear cartilage. It’s important that this piercing is done with a needle and not piercing gun (in fact, it’s best to never use a piercing gun; it’s only suitable for earlobe piercings and it’s not even the best method to perform that type of piercing). Most people get more than one helix piercing to wear several jewelry pieces on that side of the ear. A special type of helix piercing is the orbital piercing. Here, two piercings are made and the jewelry goes from back to the back of the ear, so it looks like it’s orbiting through the cartilage.

Anti-Helix

The anti-helix piercing is done on the ear part just the opposite of the helix. It’s also known as the snug piercing. This type of piercing requires micro-jewelry. Many people choose to get both helix and anti-helix piercings and pair them with the same jewelry types. The most commonly used jewelry for this type of piercing are curved barbells or circular rings.

Tragus Piercing

The tragus piercing is performed on the small piece of the thick cartilage projecting in front of the ear canal. It’s typically done at a small gauge (16g). The most common jewelry for this piercing is captive bead ring.

Anti-Tragus Piercing

The anti-tragus piercing is performed on the part of the ear cartilage directly above the earlobe.

Transverse Lobe Piercing

This is a piercing that goes horizontally through the ear lobe. It takes more time to heal than the regular earlobe piercing. Typical jewelry worn in this piercing are straight or curved barbells.

Rook Piercing

The rook piercing is done at the folded inner rim of the ear. This inner ridge of the ear runs down the center and it’s parallel to the helix or outer rim. It’s important to understand that the look of this piercing depends a lot on the anatomy of your ear.

Conch Piercing

There are two types of the conch piercing: the inner and the outer. The inner conch piercing is made on the center cartilage adjacent to the ear canal. These piercings are usually done at larger gauges (10g or 8g) and they can be stretched to accommodate ear plugs. The most common jewelry type for this piercing is barbell.

The outer conch piercing is made on the flat part of the top outer ear. It’s done at a smaller gauge (16g). Typical jewelry for this piercing is curved barbell or a captive bead ring.

Daith Piercing

The daith piercing is performed on the outer rim of the ear cartilage, closest to the head. It’s often performed with a curved needle to prevent damage to other parts of the ear. There is another variation of this piercing: the inner daith. This one is performed on the horizontal part of the cartilage, directly above the ear canal. The most commonly used jewelry for daith piercing is a captive bead ring.

About Melina Jackson:
Melina is a staff writer, author and researcher for TheChainGang. She covers numerous subjects, from body jewelry to kinky adult toys. In addition to this, Melina also provides occasional adult toy reviews written in an interesting and sexy manner. She says: “I’m happy and proud to be a part of TheChainGang team. I enjoy every research because I know how much importance TheChainGang places on customer satisfaction and providing accurate and up to date information. I particularly like sex toy reviews: they are fun to write and experience”. In addition to writing and researching, Melina provides online research results and handy information for buyers interested in accurate and easily understandable tips and advice on choosing the best adult toys and body jewelry.

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