Helix Piercing Information & things about the trend
Things to know about helix piercing and helix piercing information
The helix is the bulging, cartilaginous border of the auricle. There you can get so-called helix piercing information. In addition to the tragus piercing, cartilage tissue is also pierced with the helix piercing. Both piercings must not be shot through with the ear piercing gun, as is usual with simple holes in the earlobe. Unlike the tragus piercing, the helix piercing has historical models from various ethnic groups in Southeast Asia, Africa, and America.
It is a tradition among the Dayak tribes of Borneo that warriors have the upper edge of their ears pierced and use the claws or teeth of leopards and bears or glass beads. These helix piercings used to be a badge of honor for particularly successful headhunters. In Indonesia, women also wear a helix piercing as an expression of their maturity.
In West and East states there are numerous ethnic groups in which the helix is pierced in men and women and interspersed with jewelry. This type of piercing has the function of a badge of rank and status symbol combined with the local ideals of beauty. Helix piercings were also common among some Native American tribes.
This is how a helix piercing works
The best way to get a helix piercing is to lean back or lie down. The ear must be well disinfected at the site of the piercing. The puncture site is then marked on the front of the ear. The piercing is usually done with a medical hollow needle, a so-called venous cannula.
In the past, an ear-piercing gun was sometimes used for a helix piercing, but reputable piercers no longer take this risk. The danger of injuring nerves is far too great. A cartilage fracture cannot be ruled out either. So if a piercer attacks you with a punch gun for a helix piercing, flee immediately.
Punching is an alternative to stinging, especially since stinging with a helix piercing can be quite painful. With the dermal punch, the cartilage is punched out. The pressure pain is less and the healing is much faster. As a rule, blood does not escape from a helix piercing.
What are the risks and pains of a helix piercing?
Piercing cartilage is more painful than piercing sites with a good blood supply, such as the earlobe for a lobe piercing. The risks of such a piercing are manageable if you pay attention to a few things. Compliance with hygiene rules is also the top priority here. Do not touch the freshly pierced piercing and only with well-washed and disinfected hands.
Don’t let anyone else near the piercing either. Particular care is required when caring for your hair. Use only mild and sanitizing shampoos. Dying your hair is taboo after getting pierced. Hair dyes are often harsh chemicals that have no place on a fresh wound. You should also not bathe during the healing phase.
A balanced diet and avoiding alcohol and nicotine promote wound healing. Sometimes there is also talk of the risk of facial paralysis with helix piercing. With an experienced piercer, however, this risk can be ruled out, because no nerve leads directly past the helix.
After getting a helix piercing, the following reactions are normal:
- slight itching of the piercing
- leakage of wound fluid (no pus)
- Swelling of the helix
- a slight feeling of pressure
How long does a helix piercing take to heal?
The cartilage of the helix is not supplied with blood. This is bradytrophic tissue in which there are almost no capillaries. Fluid is supplied by diffusion from around the helix. This means that the healing process of a helix piercing is longer than in well-perfused areas. If everything goes well, it lasts about four to six weeks. If the helix piercing has been punched, the healing time is only about half as long.
Until the helix piercing has healed, you should use a barbell, i.e. a small jewelry dumbbell made of surgical steel or titanium. The barbell must not be removed during the healing phase. If it is unavoidable to remove the helix piercing (e.g. for medical examinations), a non-metallic object made of bio last or PTFE can be used temporarily. This prevents the branch canal from closing again.
The ear must not be stressed in any way while it is healing. Don’t overdo the grooming either. Also, avoid sleeping on it. If you are planning to get several helix piercings on the cartilage edge of your ear, then do this gradually. Only when a helix piercing has healed can you tackle the next one.
What is the best way to care for your helix piercing?
Like any piercing, a helix piercing needs to be well cared for. Clean the piercing and piercing jewelry with a mild antibacterial agent from time to time. It should not contain alcohol. Particular caution is required if you wear one or more rings in the helix. There is always a risk of getting caught and injuring the puncture canal. When this happens, you must treat the helix piercing as if it had just been done.
Some variations and jewelry for a helix piercing.
The entire upper edge of the ear is suitable for one or more helix piercings. If the piercing is particularly close to the skull, it is called an anti-helix piercing. When two opposite helix piercings are connected by a barbell, it is called a scaffold or industrial piercing. If the piercing is further below the helix, it is called an outer conch piercing.
In addition to barbells, the ball closure ring is common for a helix piercing. Labret studs can also look great. Spirals can be pulled through multiple helix piercings. There are no limits to the variety of materials and colors. It is best to find out more in the piercing shop and choose a nice piece of jewelry for your helix piercing.
