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Auricle piercings have begun to gain a lot of attention lately, as the trend of ear piercings in general become more popular.
This is a type of helix piercing that allows you to express your personality and style with your ear jewelry.
Here’s everything you need to know about the auricle piercing including the best jewelry to choose for it.
What is an Auricle Piercing?
Auricle piercings involve piercing the auricle of your ear. This is the section between your earlobe and your upper helix, the open expanse of cartilage that makes up the outer curve of your ear.
Auricle piercings are very similar to helix piercings in terms of their location, but the main difference is that the auricle piercing is placed in a specific location, along the midway point of the outer edge of your ear.
This area is large enough to accommodate multiple piercings, so you could opt for a couple of auricle piercings to up your ear jewelry game.
So, to put it another way, all auricle piercings are helix piercings, but not all helix piercings are auricle piercings. Perforations on this part of the ear are known as cartilage piercings and can be rather painful. They need to be done by a skilful piercer to ensure that the piercing is done cleanly and accurately.
Best Jewelry for Auricle Piercing
While both hoops and studs look amazing on this part of your ear, it’s best to get pierced with a stud. Rings tend to move around a bit which can irritate your fresh piercing.
Once you get pierced, try to keep that same piercing until your piercing heals, to avoid aggravating it. This is why it’s important that you get pierced with a jewelry style you love.
In terms of styles, there are endless ways to dress up an auricle piercing. This is one piercing that’ll let you show off your style. Here are the best options out there:
- Auricle Piercing Stud
A beautifully chosen stud is one of the best choices for an auricle piercing and allows you to beautifully adorn the area.
There are several types of studs but of these the labret stud is often a favorite option because of its flat, disk-like backing.
This minimizes any potential snagging that can happen with the stud because studs can get caught on things more than hoops would. If you sleep on a stud, it can also push into your skin and cause discomfort.
Choose a stud if you like a more conservative, less out-there style for your auricle piercing.
- Auricle Hoop Earring
Hoops are not only comfortable to wear but are also very stylish and noticeable.
They’re perfect for auricle piercings, but as we mentioned above, it’s best not to get pierced with them as they move around a fair bit and if they get caught on something, the resulting injury would be much worse than one with a stud!
There are many types of hoops for this piercing, but the preferred one is the seamless, metal hoop that looks great in multiples.
Captive bead hoops are also very stylish and gives a sleek, dressed up look to your piercing.
More elaborate and funky hoops are also available, and you can start exploring them as your piercing heals.
- Auricle Piercing Barbell
There are three main types of barbells, so called because of the two balls on either end of the post. These are straight (like a standard stud), curved and circular (or horseshoe barbells which are similar to hoops but have an opening).
Barbells are generally very comfortable, although circular and curved ones tend to be a little more comfortable than straight barbells.
The best thing about barbells is that because their ends have spheres attached, they don’t snag or catch on stuff. Like studs, though, barbells also move more than hoops.
- Non-Pierced Auricle Cuffs
Let’s say you love the look of an auricle piercing but want to check it out first before committing with a perforation. Your best option in this case to choose a fake cuff. Don’t worry, even celebrities like Emma Watson wear fake cuffs on their auricle, which look stylish and very classy. Always choose cuffs made of top quality metals, to avoid skin sensitivities.
Best Metals for Auricle Piercing Jewelry
Choosing the right metal for your new piercing is very important as this can help reduce infections, allergic reactions and pain. Always look for a hypoallergenic metal for your ear piercing.
The best metals include titanium, surgical stainless steel, niobium and high karat gold.
Check out our article on the safest metals for new piercings.
Auricle Piercing Pain – Can I Handle It?
Like any cartilage piercing, auricle piercings tend to hurt for most people. However, because the experience of pain is quite subjective, the experience varies from person to person.
In general, this is considered one of the more painful piercings as it goes through your cartilage, but because the cartilage is thin, this pain tends to pass quickly. However, a dull throbbing pain can continue for up to three weeks after having the procedure done.
However, some people feel little to no pain with this type of piercing. These are people with a high pain tolerance.
Jaina: My auricle piercing hurt quite a bit but not as much as my helix piercing, which I had gone in to knowing it would hurt. I think because I wasn’t sure what to expect with the auricle piercing, I was quite blasé about it. So when it happened, it was over so quick and I didn’t even have time to react.
Auricle Piercing Aftercare
This piercing can be a little tricky because it’s on the part of the ear that sticks out the most. As such, the auricle piercing is more exposed and is more likely to hit on something or get infected. In general, this piercing takes between 6 to 9 months to completely heal, depending on how well you take care of it.
However, if you follow the aftercare rules as outlined by your piercer, you should be ok. Here are the main things to bear in mind:
- Clean your auricle piercing using a sterilized swab of cotton and saline water.
- Use sea salt soaks like this highly recommended product which pushes out bacteria in your piercing and helps it to heal faster.
- Avoid putting pressure on your piercing as it can prolong the healing process and cause issues with your jewelry. Try not to sleep on that side of your head and change your pillowcase frequently until the piercing is healed.
- When spraying perfumes, hairspray or other cosmetics, make sure it doesn’t touch your unhealed piercing.
- When showering, use a soap that doesn’t contain harsh chemicals.
Kate: The auricle piercing can be so annoying to heal! Mine kept getting knocked around and caught on stuff. It took a long time to heal but it was still worth it because it looks great.
Pros and Cons of an Auricle Piercing
Auricle piercings offer something for everyone, whether you want a little understated pizzazz on your ear, or a statement style with attitude.
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of this piercing before we sign off:
Pros of Auricle Piercings
- Stylish piercing in a visible spot.
- Highly versatile with lots of style options.
- Less common piercing giving you a unique look.
Cons of Auricle Piercings
- Not ideal if you’re susceptible to scarring.
- Long healing timeframe.
- Vulnerable to infections and irritations.
