Cartilage Piercing – Beautify your ear – Beautify your ear
If you want a cartilage piercing, you are right on trend.
Hardly any other piercing offers such a variety of placement and combination options as the cartilage piercing. In German-speaking countries, this type of body jewelry is also known as cartilage piercing and is one of the most popular. Thanks to the numerous combination options, the trend has been around for many years and will certainly continue to do so.
What are cartilage piercings?
Simply put, any piercing that is made through cartilage tissue is a cartilage piercing. This primarily includes the nostrils and some areas of the ear.
Cartilage Piercings on the nose
The most popular places for cartilage piercings are the nostrils. This classic is called a nostril piercing and is one of the most commonly done piercings.
Cartilage Piercings on the Ear
There are several places on the ear where cartilage tissue is found. The most common cartilage piercings are helix and tragus piercings. However, there are many other cartilage piercings on the ear.
- Helix /Forward Helix
- Tragus / Anti-Tragus
- Daith
- Snug
- Industrial
- Conch
- orbital
The special thing about cartilage piercings is that they can be not only pierced but also punched. In the second variant, a circular piece of tissue is punched out with a biopsy needle. This sounds worse than it is and is similar to piercing with a normal hollow needle. The advantage is that the puncture channel heals more quickly, as the tissue is not displaced but is removed cleanly.
What should you pay attention to when getting a cartilage piercing?
Cartilage piercings are pretty to look at, but they also require special care. Since cartilage does not have a blood supply like soft tissue, piercing channels heal much more slowly. To avoid complications, it is strongly recommended to pay attention to the material of the jewelry. Titanium has proven to be a good choice, even as a first choice.
Please note that a cartilage piercing takes longer to heal. The original jewelry should stay in for 6-8 weeks, but it would be better to wait as long as possible before changing it. You should also avoid sleeping on the fresh piercing. A piercing pillow can help here, as its donut shape means it doesn’t put any pressure on the ear. In general, you should touch the piercing as little as possible in the first few weeks and care for it regularly. A sterile saline solution is best for this. Contrary to popular belief, cartilage piercings should not be disinfected, as many disinfectants contain substances that are toxic to cartilage.
How painful are cartilage piercings?
Piercings that are done through cartilage are significantly more painful than those that are done through soft tissue such as earlobes. This is because cartilage tissue is much harder and has many nerves running through it. This is precisely why it is particularly important to have cartilage piercings done only by an experienced piercer.
Piercings that go through thick cartilage tissue are considered particularly painful, namely daith, conch, and anti-tragus. How much a cartilage piercing hurts depends greatly on the individual. Individual pain sensitivity, healing process, and care are important factors on which the intensity and duration of the pain depend. However, you should expect it to last for a few weeks.
How long does a cartilage piercings take to heal?
Anyone wanting a cartilage piercing should be patient, as even a ” quick” healing process takes 6-8 weeks. Many report a longer healing time, which can take 3-6 months or even longer. One advantage of cartilage piercings is that they rarely grow out. Because of the firm tissue, the jewelry stays where it is. Only the tragus piercing can grow out if there is little tissue for anatomical reasons. The use of ointments to speed up healing is not recommended. A saline solution is perfectly sufficient to care for the piercing in the first few weeks. Tyrosur and Octenisept are often recommended as care products but are not suitable for cartilage piercings. Firstly, these products should only be used for acute inflammation and not for prophylaxis, and secondly, they contain ingredients that are toxic to cartilage.
What are the risks of cartilage piercings?
The most important prerequisite for a successful cartilage piercing is the type of piercing. Under no circumstances should piercings be shot through the cartilage, as this can cause it to splinter. This can result in unsightly kinks on the ear thickening of the tissue, and even inflammation. If cartilage is splintered, it cannot be repaired. Since cartilage tissue is increasingly permeated with nerves, nerve damage can also occur.
Cartilage piercing inflamed – what to do?
If the new piercing reacts with redness, swelling, or pain, this can be very worrying. However, it is not unusual for a cartilage piercing to be sensitive in the first few weeks. Redness and slight swelling often occur shortly after piercing. In this case, simply continue to treat with saline solution and avoid frequent touching. Inflammation is noticeable through heat, excessive swelling, redness, and throbbing pain. In addition to saline solution, the use of Betaisodona solution has proven to be effective for treatment. In addition, you should always seek the advice of an experienced piercer. Inflammation can also occur later, which is why it is especially important to stick to the care routine as long as the piercing has not completely healed.
Can you let a cartilage piercing grow over?
Before getting a new piercing, many people ask themselves whether the piercing channel will close up completely if the jewelry is no longer wanted. Cartilage tissue is generally firmer and has no blood supply, which is why it closes up more slowly. If the jewelry is removed while the piercing channel has not yet completely healed, the hole will close up again within about 6 weeks. If the piercing channel has already healed, it can take several months for it to close up. The hole does not always close up completely and a small scar should always be expected.
