Are you someone who just loves accessories, and jewelry? Some people like wearing necklaces, some love good old-fashioned jhumka, and some like adorning their ears with hangings and subtle yet beautiful accessories. Ear piercing is one of the trends that is still sorted out by people. Did you know that piercing ears were a part of human tradition over 1000 years ago? If you like to pierce your ears, you would want to know how long do ear piercings hurt. If you have researched a bit and want to go for a specific type of piercing say daith, you might raise the question does daith piercing hurt? You will get to know about all of these as you continue reading the article.
1. What is the History of Ear Piercings?
The practice of ear piercing dates back to 5,000 years ago. The evidence is from a mummy known as Ötzi the Iceman, a man who lived in the fourth millennium, and piercings were found on his ears. In Africa, the fighters of the Samburu clan are made to pierce their ears and put on earplugs made of ivory. They used to do it to signify that they are brave and have become men, and also how long do ear piercings hurt was not even a question then.
Around the 16th century in Europe, men working in the king’s court were known to have their ears pierced and around the 18th century, clip earrings began to replace earrings that required piercings. In the 1970s, Jim Ward started America’s first body piercing shop and popularised barbells. Ear piercing shops became more popular around the 1980s, and by the 1990s fewer people were concerned about getting their ears pierced. Today at least some people wear earrings in almost every country and culture. If you want to know how long do ear piercings hurt, read the next segments which will describe the healing process for the different types of piercings. (Also read Does Everyone have a Birthmark?)
2. What are the Types of Ear Piercings?
Before opting for piercing your ear or anything in general it is always better to do your research. The types of ear piercings vary based on the area of the ear you want to pierce. The upcoming is the ten very common ear piercings opted for by the people. (See What is the Golden Ratio face?)
- Snug,
- Daith,
- Industrial,
- Lobe,
- Anti-tragus,
- Rook,
- Forward helix,
- Tragus,
- Helix or Cartilage,
- Conch. (See Why are Arteries Red?)
3. How Long do Ear Piercings hurt?
It is significant to note that pain is subjective. The amount of pain mentioned here is based on the average researched by the professionals by observing the clients. Piercings will hurt but it might hurt more for some people than others. It depends on the skin and the thickness of the cartilage. If you have thicker cartilage, then you might go through more pain than others. But fret not, nowadays professionals use numbing agents to numb the ears before starting the procedure. You will feel a numbing pain for a couple of days but it gets better day by day. So, to answer how long do ear piercings hurt, it might take six to nine months depending on their condition and also your skin type. (See Number of Bones in Human Body Male vs Female)
4. Do Conch Piercings hurt?
The piercing of this type is forward-facing and is done in the center part of the ear’s conchal bowl. This type of ear piercing is recommended by professionals as it won’t be a hindrance when you sleep on your side. Arguably this heals faster than all cartilage piercings as the average healing time for this type of piercing is six months and the piercing offers minimal discomfort. (See 25 Best Home Made Remedies for Sore Throat)
5. Do Helix Piercings hurt?
You can also ask, do cartilage piercings hurt? The helix piercing or the cartilage piercing is the traditional ear piercing that falls on the space anywhere on the outer ring. They are often pierced and a stud is used until the piercing is healed. Later, the rings are changed. Everyone’s cartilage is unique and the thickness varies from person to person. Hence the healing period of each person differs. On average, it takes 9 months to heal completely or it can be healed as early as four months. However, how long do ear piercings hurt depends but the piercing hurting intensity is not very severe. (See 6 Nasal Hair Facts)
6. Does a Tragus Piercing hurt?
This type of piercing falls on the denser part of the cartilage or in layman’s terms it is pierced in the cartilage on the side of your face. As mentioned before, the thicker the cartilage, the more painful is the process but despite this notion, the tragus piercing isn’t painful at all. People have reported the briefest pinch and then a slight discomfort. The average healing time is six months. To smooth the healing process, one should avoid using headphones or earbuds to avoid dislocation of the piercings, bacterial infections, etc. (See How Do We Get Sick?)
7. Does Daith Piercing hurt?
This is one of the few piercing types where you can pierce with a ring directly instead of using a stud initially. This type of piercing lands on the area between the tragus and the lower part of the cartilage in the innermost part of your ear. The discomfort you’d experience when you go through this type of piercing changes from medium to intense. So, getting back to how long do ear piercings hurt, you must be careful during the healing period as it can be as early as six months or can extend to a year. (See What is the strongest muscle in your body?)
8. Where are Snug Piercings done?
This piercing is done on the outer rim of your ear and is pierced inward towards the conch. According to professionals, this type is the most uncomfortable in terms of healing time and initial process. It requires several follow-ups and jewelry changes as this place is sensitive to even the slightest discomfort resulting in redness and swelling up immediately. It is not recommended for beginners, especially for faint hearts.
Hope your doubts regarding how long do ear piercings hurt are cleared up and now go through the healing process in the next point. (See Why Do We Have Armpit Hair?)
9. How can I keep the Healing Process smooth?
The piercing is only the initial part and it is not even the difficult one. The healing process determines whether the piercing is successful or not. As you already read how long do ear piercings hurt, you should wait and take good care of your piercing so as to make the healing process as smooth as possible without infections. Here are some general care tips to follow. (See How to Make Waves on Short Hair for Guys?)
- Try not to agitate the piercings.
- Keep the piercings clean.
- Utilize your body’s natural healing process.
- Know that everyone’s healing time cannot be the same as yours or vice versa. Must read what is personalization cognitive distortion?
10. What if my Piercing got Infected?
If it gets infected, then your response to how long do ear piercings hurt will change as it will depend on the intensity of redness and swelling of that part. However, these are very common after you get your ear pierced. If it doesn’t go away after three to four days and you find it itchy or have a discharge, try this three times a day to reduce the infection.
- Mix salt in water and apply it to the pierced area without removing the earring.
- Dry it with padded cotton and apply an anti-bacterial cream.
- Rotate your piercing slowly a few times to make the cream reach all around the area.
- If the itching and the discharge didn’t stop or some other part of your ear gets infected, kindly go and see a doctor. (Also read What Vitamin Deficiency Causes Brain Fog?)
I hope this article answered your questions like how long do ear piercings hurt along with the healing time of different piercings. Now you can share this information with your friends who are interested in this ear piercing process. Ear piercings are not as bad as people say they are and can be simple and safe if you follow the guidelines properly. It is only during the initial process that you might experience slight discomfort for a few months until it heals completely. (See Is Goatee without Mustache called Amish Beard?)
