Piercings made to the upper cartilage of the ear are regarded as Helix piercings. There are several helix piercings classes and types, such as the double, forward-backward, or even triple helix piercings.
The most common and classic style of helix ear piercings involves piercing the upper outer cartilage at a time. If you’ve got two or three piercings within an equivalent spot just above each other, we call these double and triple helix piercings.
Helix piercings are better accepted than they were some years ago. Currently, children commonly admire the helix, and they are often interested in having one of their own once they are of age.
Helix piercings are also getting more focus in the media as several elite celebrities wear jewelry to public gatherings, and display a variety of the varied helix piercing styles and designs that piercing companies have to offer.
WHAT IS HELIX PIERCING
The curved outer rim of the cartilage of the external ear is regarded as the helix. The helix can be pierced anywhere on the outer rim to give a helix piercing, and there are several classifications of this piercing.
Forward helix piercings are located between the top of the curve and the tragus. When people get multiple helix piercings near each other, it is known as a double or triple helix piercing.
When getting the helix pierced, a 14k gold material or implant-grade titanium is the choice of helix piercing jewelry as they are of the highest quality when it comes to earrings. Non-counterfeited gold earrings, especially, are effortless to clean, hence carry fewer risks of infection. Nickel which is found in low-quality gold earrings, is one of the highest causes of infection, unlike 14k gold, which doesn’t cause infections.
While most people would prefer not to wear stud earrings designs for a fancy outing, your piercing jewelry should be a stud. It facilitates faster healing and helps with dealing with the inevitable swelling after the piercing.
In general, straight jewelry is better for reducing your infection risks after piercing than a curved or angular earring. Then, once you fully heal and are out of danger’s way, you can switch to your choice jewelry without any fears.
Another vital thing to note is to prioritize the aftercare routine your piercer would ultimately prescribe. This usually includes cleaning products to use in the area and directions for use. You must also know that swelling after the initial piercing doesn’t mean it has been done wrongly, as it happens even with pros and is just your body’s natural response.
HOW PAINFUL ARE HELIX PIERCING?
Piercings around the helix aren’t much painful, as the outer ear cartilage has almost no nerve endings within. The average pain rating for a helix piercing, according to experts, is 5/10 except for cases where double or triple helix piercing is involved, which could increase the above rating.
Pains from helix piercing are susceptible to the pierced. If you recognize that you are more receptive to pain, then prepare ahead that you’re likely to feel some discomfort during the piercing period and its aftermath. Even though the helix isn’t a central pain area on the body to house a piercing which makes it indifferent, we prove the lobes of the ear to be the safest part for ear piercings.
Although cartilage piercings seem to be the most recent fashion trend in ear piercing, piercings done on the helix are more painful than lobe piercings. However, they are still less painful than other piercings, especially those on the tissues around the cartilage.
To get an idea of how much it’ll hurt you, try scratching the cartilage area of the ear. Ultimately, it depends on your ability to adapt to the pains. In addition, the degree of pain felt depends on the individuals, as reactions to pains differ among individuals.
COST OF HELIX PIERCINGS
The cost of helix piercing depends on the location of the piercing studio, the piercer’s experience, and piercing jewelry in use.
The standard rate for it, though, is between $30 and $75. So please make sure to seek a piercer-supported ability and not price, don’t choose one simply because it’s inexpensive, but bear their efficiency in mind.
However, a search finding shows the typical cost of helix piercing in the US and UK to be as follows:
• In the United States, helix piercing costs about $20–$60.
• In the United Kingdom, helix piercing costs about £20–£55.
An average UK-based piercing firm charges the following:
Helix Piercing – £20 – 50
Orbital piercing – £50 – 80
Anti-Tragus Piercing – £25–40
Rook Piercing – £25 – 40
Upper Lobe Piercing – £10–20
Transverse Lobe Piercing – £20 – 40
Standard Lobe Piercing – £10–20
BEST JEWELRY MATERIALS FOR PIERCING
The Association of Professional Piercers (APP) approved a couple of materials, but most piercers recommended implant-grade titanium material for first-time piercings.
Surgical steel
Surgical steel material is generally accepted for piercing because of its durability, affordability, and safety for most piercers. It contains some silvery elemental metal but is unlikely to affect the skin though.
Although not all steel is made of the same material, it is worthy of note that some jewelry made of steel doesn’t react with the skin.
Niobium
Like hypoallergenic titanium materials, Niobium possesses the same characteristic and follows an electrolytic process, which also comes in numerous colors. In this regard, ASTM B392 certified Unalloyed Niobium is one of the best choices for piercing.
Biocompatible plastics
When piercing parts of the body that requires high movement, there will be a need for additional liability and comfort. So, therefore, choosing jewelry made from biocompatible plastic materials might be a great choice.
Likewise, Tigon Bioplastic and Teflon are safe for an initial piercing for people seeking an alternative for iron-based jewelry due to budget constraints.
14k gold material
Gold materials are alternatives as long as its 14 karats, biocompatible, and non-silvery.
Platinum
If the cost wouldn’t be the problem, then platinum piercings pose a more secure alternative to piercing with titanium. But, unfortunately, jewelry made from this precious material can be scarce because platinum is more expensive and difficult to pierce with than other piercing materials.
Overall, bear in mind any metal sensitivities you’ve got while purchasing jewelry.
HOW LONG DOES HELIX PIERCING TAKE TO HEAL?
The piercing procedure generally involves passing a needle through the skin. Of course, this leads to some pain and creates a “wound” that would require healing. To help ease some of the pain, consider your pain threshold and the experience and skill of your piercer.
According to an expert, it can take up to 11weeks or more for the piercing to fully heal. In addition, it is unique to individuals because everyone has different responsiveness to healing processes.
It is advisable to change the jewelry when the pain has fully healed. Otherwise, it will worsen the case. You’ll know once it’s okay to change because it shouldn’t be painful, sore, or weeping.
Generally, though, Lobe and Cartilage piercings differ in terms of healing. Helix piercings usually take around three-to-six months to heal fully. In fact, in some cases, it can even take up to a year to heal. Lobe piercings, on the other hand, heal faster, usually in a month or two.
However, if you don’t properly look after your new piercing as it heals, it could take a more extended period, or you could probably have to get it re-pierced all over. It is interesting then to know that there are some things you can do to help give your piercing the best chance of a speedy recovery.
Overall, it’s difficult to give an exact healing time, as everyone is different, but it is typical for the piercing area to turn red, get sore, and even swell or bleed (at the initial stage).
SIDE EFFECTS OF HELIX PIERCING
Piercing of all sorts poses a side effect, which includes:
– Sensitive reactions: Piercing jewelry such as elemental metals can cause allergies.
– Skin problems: There might be a need for a drug to be taken to avoid further infection or diseases that may likely arise. Piercing can cause an overgrowth of connective tissue such as keloids or even cause scars.
– Keloid: Keloids are hard-raised growth of scar tissues that occur at the site of a skin injury. This usually happens in response to the trauma of a piercing and is just the body trying to protect itself. They only contain tissues but may differ in size.
– Blood-borne diseases: If the tools used for the piercing are contaminated or infected with blood, you can contract various diseases, including tetanus, HIV, or even hepatitis.
– Tearing: The constant usage of jewelry can get it worn out or torn unexpectedly, thus requiring stitches or further repairs.
– Yellow Green Discharge: While it’s usual for new piercings to ooze white pus at first, many find that the Yellow-green discharge is worrying. However, it’s also a natural discharge but may be very telling of an infection.
– Infection: Infections are pretty common side effects of piercings. There might be redness or even swelling in the area. Ordinarily, there’s nothing to fear, but if it gets worse, you can always seek medical help.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT INFECTED PIERCING?
Most ear-piercing infections are minor and may be cared for on your own. Do-it-yourself care for your piercing includes the following:
– Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water. Once clean, you can now prepare a saline solution by mixing a cup of water with half a teaspoon of salt.
– Use a pad to ease the saltwater solution onto the piercing site. After which, you can pat dry using gauze.
– After the piercing site is dry, apply an antibacterial ointment. Ensure you read and follow the instructions for the application.
– Now, repeat these steps a minimum of 3 times daily, or until you’re infection-free, which is usually about two weeks.
In situations where home care methodologies aren’t sufficient, it will be best to seek the service of experienced medical personnel, e.g., when the earring is trapped inside the earlobe or if redness and swelling persist.
You must also know that there’s a risk of infection spread to the entire body if proper care isn’t taken. The infection can also worsen or become inflamed.
CONCLUSION
The loveliness of any helix piercing lies in the jewelry material used and the neatness of the pierced area. If there are bumps, the swollen spot will look unsightly displeasing. There are several conflicting views and opinions regarding how long it takes for these piercings to heal.
Most piercers say 12 weeks on average. However, others believe it can take a longer time. We can deduce that helix piercing takes at least 12 weeks to heal. Although, the healing time may vary from person to person and is dependent on factors such as the piercer, instrument used, and aftercare.
Hence, the primary thing to specialize in after getting this modification is care. First, take the proper measures early enough to make sure your piercing doesn’t contract an infection. Another thing is to pick the right jewelry for your piercing and ensure the piercer properly sterilizes all instruments.
