Helix piercings: meaning, types, care tips, material and costs
Table of contents
- What a Helix Piercings? – Meaning & Explanation
- Getting helix piercings
- What types of helix piercings are there?
- Helix Piercing Care Tips: What Should You Consider?
- How much does a helix piercing cost at a piercer?
- Where can I get a helix piercing?
- FAQs – The most frequently asked questions about helix piercing
Ear piercings have always been very popular, but in recent years helix piercings have become the most popular of cartilage piercings. Regardless of age or gender, more and more people are choosing to decorate their ears with a helix piercing. The types of helix piercing jewelry are as individual as their wearers and so everyone finds their way to decorate their body.
What is a Helix Piercing? – Meaning & Explanation
A helix piercing is a piercing that is placed on the outer edge of the auricle. This type of body jewelry became popular in the Western world. In the 1990s and has been an indispensable part of everyday life ever since. But it does not have any particular significance here.
Getting helix piercings
If you want to get a helix piercing, you should go to a professional piercer. They will give you expert advice and check your anatomy so that they can fulfill your wish with the greatest possible care. Before getting it pierced, you should think about what type of jewelry you want to wear after it has healed. And discuss this with your piercer so that you can find the right position for your helix.
What types of helix piercings are there?
Since the helix is the outer edge of the auricle this is a relatively large area for piercings. There are many different types of helix piercing. Due to different anatomical conditions, not every piercing is possible on every ear. If you are not quite sure which piercing you would like to have, you can get inspiration from us.
Classic Helix Piercings
The helix piercing is attached to the outer bulge of the ear cartilage and is worn with a stud or a ring after it has healed. It is advisable to clarify at the time of piercing. Whether you would like a ring as the final piece of jewelry. The piercer can then take into account any thickening of the helix fold and adjust the placement if necessary. The healing time for a helix is around 6 to 9 months, during which time any pressure on the fresh piercing should be avoided.
Double Helix Piercing
As the name double helix piercing suggests. These are two helix piercings that are pierced directly on top of each other. And are typically worn with rings after healing. If you want to get a combination of these piercings. It is recommended that you get both piercings in one session. The healing time is around 6 to 9 months and, as with a classic helix. Any pressure on the fresh piercings should be avoided during this time.
Triple Helix Piercing
The triple helix piercing is a combination of three-helix piercings placed relatively close together. With this combination, you should think carefully about whether you want to do all three piercings together in one session, as it can be very stressful for your body to heal so many cartilage piercings at the same time. Rings are usually inserted after healing, but small studs or spikes can also be worn. Here, too, you can expect a healing time of around 6 to 9 months or more.
Forward Helix Piercings
The forward helix piercing is attached to the bulge of the outer ear and is worn with a ring or stud after it has healed. Since this area of the ear is not equally developed in every person, this piercing is not possible for everyone. The healing time is usually 6 to 9 months, during which time you should avoid putting pressure on the fresh piercing.
Flat / Scapha
The flat helix piercing, also called a scapha piercing, is located in the ear groove framed by the helix, or on the flat cartilage level of the upper auricle. With this piercing, the correct angle when piercing is particularly important, as it is usually pierced for a stud that has already been chosen. Depending on how far out the piercing is pierced, it is also possible to wear a larger ring after it has healed. The healing time is 6 to 9 months.
Industrial Piercing
With an industrial, two piercing holes are pierced at the same angle in the middle and upper part of the helix fold and connected with a barbell. This piercing is not possible for everyone and can take a long time to heal. Healing times of 12 months or more are not unusual. Here, too, you should avoid any pressure on the piercing and generally be cautious when handling it. If you wear glasses, it would also be advisable to switch to contact lenses for the first time.
Anti Helix Piercing / Snug
The anti-helix piercing, also called a snug, is placed in the inner elevation of the outer ear cartilage and is typically worn with a curved barbell. As with many other cartilage piercings, the ability to wear this piercing depends heavily on the individual anatomy. Suitable candidates have a clear elevation of this cartilage area, and it must also be grown together at the back of the ear. The healing time is 6 to 9 months or longer.
Mid Helix Piercing / Low Helix Piercing
The mid or low helix piercing is placed in the middle of the helix fold, roughly where the cartilage and the lobe meet. After the healing period, this piercing is often worn with a small, delicate ring. The healing time is 6 to 9 months.
Helix Piercing Care Tips: What Should You Consider?
There are a few things to consider when getting a fresh helix piercing. Healing is slow and people who want this type of piercing need patience and perseverance. You should keep your fresh piercing clean and move it as little as possible. One of the most important helix piercing care tips is to buy a neck pillow that you can use to sleep on your side without pressure. To care for your helix piercing properly, you should use a product developed specifically for piercings and not mix anything yourself.
What should be considered when healing a helix piercing?
Since the healing time of a helix piercing can take a good 6 to 9 months even under optimal conditions, it is important to take good care of it. The most important thing with a cartilage piercing is that you should avoid putting pressure on the piercing during the entire healing period, which means you should not sleep on your piercing and avoid headphones and tight hats. You should also not touch it all the time and of course, avoid getting it caught when combing your hair or getting dressed or undressed.
There is not much you can do to speed up the healing of your helix piercing, but you can of course support it by giving your body enough rest and eating a healthy and varied diet so that your body has enough strength for the long healing process. If your helix piercing does not heal despite all your efforts, we are of course happy to advise you.
Helix Piercing: When & how can I change or remove it?
Please do NOT remove or change the jewelry before the piercing has completely healed. If you remove or change your helix piercing too early, it can cause injuries in the not-yet-healed piercing channel, which can lead to infections or growth. Your piercing is ready for a jewelry change. It is recommended that you make an appointment with a piercer so that they can change your jewelry for you. If you urgently need to remove the jewelry from your healed helix piercing and do not have a professional on hand, there is no need to despair. The common labrets, barbells, and clicker rings can often be opened without tools. At least one of the ends of your jewelry can either be twisted off or pulled off and clicker rings work in a similar way to classic earrings.
Can I sleep on my helix piercing?
Since a helix piercing can cause pain when sleeping, we recommend NOT sleeping on your helix while it is completely healing. Furthermore, constant pressure can lead to the growth or migration of the piercing, which we want to avoid. If you are unable to sleep on one side only, it can help to get a neck pillow and then place the pierced ear in the hole of the pillow while you sleep.
Helix Piercing: Sauna, swimming, or sports – what is possible and when?
You’ve had a helix piercing and are wondering when you can do sports and go swimming again. Well, in principle this can vary depending on the sport and your fitness level. but we recommend that you avoid sports for at least two to three days after getting a helix piercing and that you don’t go swimming or going to the sauna for at least four to six weeks.
Do I have to rotate the helix piercing from time to time?
You should move your fresh helix piercing as little as possible, as your body will try to close the open wound caused by the piercing. If you constantly twist, move, and touch your piercing, you will tear the wound open a little each time and you will unnecessarily slow down the healing of your helix.
Helix piercing made of real jewelry: gold, silver, titanium, surgical steel – what is suitable?
The initial jewelry should always be made of titanium, titanium is completely nickel-free
How much does a helix piercing cost at a piercer?
The cost of a helix piercing varies slightly from studio to studio, and in most studios, it is between €40 and €80. If you buy jewelry with it, the price can of course increase dramatically.
Where can I get a helix piercing?
Are you wondering where you can get a helix piercing? Of course, with us! We are a professional studio with over 20 years of experience and do many piercings every day. Helix piercings are among the absolute favorites of our customers. With great attention to detail, we are happy to help you get the individual piercing of your dreams.
FAQs – The most frequently asked questions about helix piercing
What to do if a helix piercing becomes infected?
If your helix piercing becomes infected, it is advisable to see a professional piercer as soon as possible. So that they can take a look at it. Until you get to your piercing studio, you can clean your piercing as usual 1 to 2 times a day, avoid any pressure and friction, and possibly cool it carefully. Does your helix piercing keep getting infected? There can be various reasons for this, perhaps your original jewelry is simply too long and you keep getting caught on it. Your hair gets caught in the stud, or you unconsciously touch your piercing more often and thus bring unwanted germs onto it.
Even periods of very restless sleep illness, or fatigue and stress can lead to recurring small irritations and even infections. In such cases, it can help to use a shorter piercing bar, and reducing stress in everyday life and increasing your intake of vitamins and minerals can also be considered as supportive measures. However, please do not decide this on your own, but rather in consultation with your piercer, who can help you in such cases in much more detail.
Can you also get a helix piercing?
We should never get any piercings, and this also applies to ear piercings and all other parts of the ear. Since piercing simply involves stapling a blunt object (i.e. the ear stud) into the body with force, unnecessary tissue injuries occur. Which in turn can lead to poor healing or inflammation. The ear-piercing gun is also not sterilized in an autoclave beforehand. Furthermore, the employees in the shops that offer this service have received little to no training and therefore often do not know exactly what they are doing.
How do I clean my helix piercing?
Daily cleaning of your piercing is important so that your body can heal properly. How exactly this is done can vary from person to person. The simplest method is daily cleaning with a special piercing care product, which you can buy in good piercing studios. You can simply put the care product on a cotton swab and then carefully soften and remove the crust.
How painful is a helix piercing?
Since we all have a very individual perception of pain, it is difficult to say how much the piercing will hurt you. However, the helix piercing is not the most painful piercing possible on the ear and it is not as bad as you might imagine. For most customers, the moment of piercing is just a short prick or a dull pressure, followed by a feeling of warmth in the ear and pain when touched in the affected area.
At what age can you get helix piercings?
Since getting a piercing is considered bodily harm, there is a minimum age for it. This can of course vary slightly depending on the studio and the piercing you want. With us, you must be at least 14 years old for a helix piercing and must be accompanied to your appointment by at least one parent or legal guardian. From the age of 16, we also offer the option of coming without a parent or legal guardian and presenting a written consent form from your parents. We only accept our forms, which you can download from our website and not self-written three-line forms.
Can helix piercing cause side effects such as headaches?
After the piercing and in the first few days afterward, you may experience a slight headache. There are various reasons for this. Firstly, you have an open wound on your ear. Which can of course lead to swelling and a feeling of pressure. Secondly, it can of course also be the case that the caution you take causes your neck to be slightly. Or severely tense, which can unfortunately also trigger headaches.
Can helix piercings cause swelling?
Your helix piercing is swollen and you’re wondering if that’s normal. We can reassure you, because yes, swelling after piercing is a completely natural reaction of your body. We naturally take this into account when choosing the initial jewelry. Always choose a stud that might seem a little too long for you. But that leaves enough space for your ear to swell without your stud exerting too much pressure.
In which direction can I twist my helix piercing?
The jewelry usually has a right-hand thread. To unscrew your piercing, you have to turn it to the left.
Will my helix piercing close up if I take it out?
If you take out your fresh helix piercing, it will close up again relatively quickly. With a healed helix, it can take a while until the piercing hole closes again.
How long does my helix piercing hurt?
How long your helix piercing hurts varies greatly. For some people, the pain subsides after just a few days, for others the pressure pain lasts for several weeks. If you have severe pain that lasts for several weeks, we strongly recommend that you see your piercer.
Can I do a helix piercings myself?
If you are not a trained piercer, the answer to this question is ‘no’. Piercing should only be done by a professional in a studio, as unhygienic procedures can lead to serious infections.
