This type of piercing is used to puncture the cartilaginous part of the auricle. Cartilage piercing and its consequences are different from a regular earlobe piercing with a needle or gun.
Tools for piercing the ear cartilage : catheter needle (the number depends on the diameter of the jewelry), a window clamp, a clamp and a ring spreader.
Earrings for cartilage piercing : ring, barbell, circular.
Treatment before the procedure: before marking, the ear is wiped with 95% alcohol. The decoration is immersed in an antiseptic solution for 15-20 minutes (95% alcohol, disinfectant solutions).
Place of puncture: the point is placed with an aseptic marker.
Ear cartilage piercing process
Secure the ear with a window clip. Use a sterile catheter needle to pierce the ear through. Remove the needle, leaving the catheter tube in the ear cartilage. Insert the stem of the jewelry into the catheter and, as it were, push the catheter out of the canal with the stem of the jewelry. When the threaded part of the jewelry appears from the opposite hole, you need to remove the catheter from the stem and screw on the ball (or clamp the ring).
Care after ear cartilage piercing
The healing of the puncture and the formation of a channel when the cartilaginous part of the auricle is pierced takes 4 weeks, after which the jewelry can be changed. We recommend applying chlorhexidine bigluconate to the puncture area and decoration 2-3 times a day for 2-4 weeks. The earring should be moved and rotated so that the solution gets onto the earring shaft and into the canal.
Ear cartilage puncture
Long gone are the days when masters in piercing salons dealt exclusively with piercing the earlobe. Modern fashionistas find the most unpredictable places for piercings. For example, piercing the ear cartilage, which today has become as common a procedure as traditional earlobe piercing. It is true that there are several features that those wishing to decorate themselves with a new hole would do well to get acquainted with.
Features of cartilage piercing in the ears
First of all, everyone who wants to pierce their ear cartilage should be warned that this procedure takes longer and is somewhat more complicated than piercing the earlobe. In addition, the puncture is accompanied by unpleasant sensations, and the healing of the cartilage takes a little longer than usual.
In order for the ear cartilage piercing to be successful, the master piercer must adhere to all rules and regulations. First of all, you should take care of treating the puncture site. This procedure will only take a few seconds, but will help prevent many unpleasant consequences. For treatment, it is enough to wipe the cartilage with alcohol or special disinfectants. It is recommended to place the earring in an antiseptic solution first. A quarter of an hour should be enough to effectively process the jewelry.
Most salons today refuse to pierce the ear cartilage with a gun in favor of using an ordinary catheter needle. This allows not only to make punctures of different diameters, but also to prevent infection. The fact is that it is almost impossible to completely disinfect a pistol, and cartilage is a very vulnerable spot. In addition, after a puncture using a gun, a not very attractive “ragged” wound appears on the ear, while when working with a needle, the hole turns out to be neat.
To ensure that the consequences of piercing the ear cartilage are as positive as possible, masters resort to several secrets:
- Using a special tool, a hole the same size as the jewelry is cut out in the cartilage. Thanks to this, healing time is reduced to a minimum.
- Whenever possible, craftsmen try to use the finest decorations.
- Immediately before the puncture, the cartilage is transilluminated so that the piercers know where the vessels are located. This also promotes rapid healing of the wound and prevents the appearance of painful sensations in the ear cartilage after a piercing.
- Earrings are always chosen with a reserve length so that a person feels comfortable even if swelling appears on the cartilage.
Caring for ear cartilage after piercing
How long it will take for the ear cartilage puncture to heal and how successful the healing will be depends on the correct care and compliance with all the specialist’s recommendations. It is important to understand that this process is quite lengthy - it can take several months.
So:
- Earrings cannot be removed for a month after the puncture procedure.
- In the first few days after the piercing, it is not recommended to wet the wound. You should avoid swimming in a pool or pond; it is best to refrain from going to the bathhouse and sauna.
- In order not to relieve pain and prevent ear swelling after a cartilage puncture, you need to regularly wipe the wound with a special antiseptic solution (in no case should you use alcohol - it will only burn the cartilage). Moreover, you need to ensure that the antiseptic gets not only onto the edges of the wound, but also into the canal. To do this, you can simply scroll the earring during processing.
- After playing sports, it is recommended to treat the puncture site additionally.
Of course, ear cartilage piercing should only be done by a professional who works with a sterile instrument.
Products mentioned in the article
Studex ear piercing gun
Amidine aqua, spray for disinfection of mesoscooters, 90 ml
STUDEX ear needle earrings, 1 pair
Care instructions after piercing the ear with a catheter needle (cartilage piercing)
- Do not remove the earrings for 4 weeks.
- In the first 3 days after cartilage puncture, refrain from visiting the pool, bathhouse, or swimming in reservoirs.
- Every day, morning and evening, for 4 weeks, treat the puncture site with a special antiseptic or chlorhexidine digluconate. The product must be applied so that it reaches the needle entry and exit points, as well as into the canal. During processing, it is necessary to scroll the earring and move it in the channel.
- You cannot treat the puncture site with alcohol - tissue burns may occur.
- After a shower, sports activities, baths and swimming, treat the puncture site additionally.
- After 4 weeks, you can remove the needle earrings and exchange them for other piercing jewelry.
- If redness, swelling around the earring, pain or discharge occurs, you should immediately remove the jewelry and contact the specialist who performed the piercing.
Piercing technique
Before puncturing the cartilage, the puncture site is wiped with medical alcohol, and the earring is treated with Miramistin or Octenisept.
The puncture point is marked with a marker, the ear is fixed, and the cartilage tissue is pierced with a medical needle, on the other side of which there is a catheter with an earring already inserted into it. The needle is removed once the earring is fully seated in the cartilage. The procedure itself is quick, however, discomfort remains after it.
Some salons use a gun instead of a piercing needle. We won’t talk in too much detail about how ears are pierced with a gun, but let’s say that this procedure is similar to the procedure for piercing an ear with a needle.
A needle is inserted into the gun, just like into a catheter, then the tip of the needle is pointed at the point marked with a marker and the “trigger” is pulled.
However, in reality, a qualified craftsman will not do this because it is dangerous. The reason for the danger lies in the fact that the gun cannot be completely sterilized, as a result of which quite serious infections can get into the wound.
In addition, the gun often leaves "ragged" edges of the hole. What makes the situation worse is that cartilage tissue is quite fragile. When using a gun, you can not only severely damage the cartilage, but also practically crush it.
Recently, new pistols have appeared that minimize the risk of serious damage. Regarding whether it hurts to pierce the ears with a gun, we can say that this procedure is considered almost painless, because the puncture occurs much faster than when using a needle, and the person does not have time to feel the pain.
Quiet and peaceful
Many girls buy their first earrings secretly from their parents, and they even do the piercings themselves. The technology seems simple. I heated the needle, sterilized it, and off I went. The procedure will not cause problems with the earlobe, but how to pierce the ear cartilage at home? It all depends on whether the puncture is performed independently or whether there is an assistant. In the first case, naturally, it will be more difficult. At the pharmacy you need to purchase an intravenous catheter, alcohol, gloves and painkillers. After the ear cartilage is punctured, the area hurts and irritates for about a week. So the time ahead is not the most pleasant. But what can’t you do in the fight for beauty? During the puncture, the needle must be guided strictly perpendicularly. Then the needle can be pulled out of the tube and threaded through the earring. After piercing the ear cartilage, the earring should be washed and rotated regularly, but should not be removed. Healing takes up to six months, and the speed of healing directly depends on the frequency of washing.
Reviews on ear cartilage piercing
Yulia Borisova, Moscow
I asked the master how long it would take for the cartilage to heal after an ear piercing and he told me that my case was standard and everything would happen in 6 or a maximum of 10 weeks. Unfortunately, I had to get rid of the ring much earlier. Despite the treatment, purulent discharge began, the entire ear turned red and became very sensitive, the temperature rose repeatedly, a seal appeared in the puncture area and the cartilage became swollen. An infection occurred and treatment was required.
Angela Milova, Kazan
Hello everyone, I was faced with the fact that my ear was swollen after a cartilage puncture; it was impossible to sleep on the side of the wound. I didn’t contact the specialist who did the piercing and relied on my own strength. I read on the Internet about how to treat such inflammation at home and did everything according to the instructions. As a result, it only got worse and my ear even turned blue. As soon as I pulled out the labret on my own, all the negative symptoms disappeared. I don’t advise anyone to get a cartilage puncture, it hurts.
Ksenia Agapova, Ekaterinburg
Everyone asks if it hurts to pierce the ear cartilage, and I answer that it doesn’t hurt at all, since you need the right attitude for this operation. I personally have a beautiful piercing. At first there was a slight swelling and slight redness, and sensitivity increased. There was a small cloudy discharge. This is the norm. I only took care that the escaping serous exudate and lymph did not form a crust. After a month and a half of processing, I happily showed off my new jewelry.
Anastasia Menshova, Nizhny Novgorod
I was lucky because I found a good tattoo and piercing artist. He believes that piercing the ear cartilage with a pistol is unacceptable, since it creates an unsightly ragged edge of the hole, it cannot be sterilized and there is a risk of infection. It is also important that when working with this tool you cannot control the intensity of the impact, so it is easy to cause injury. I had my cartilage punctured with a catheter and I am very happy. I didn’t notice any side effects, except for a little discomfort.
Days style piercing, ring with decoration 3 labrets with spikes in the cartilage and 3 rings in the earlobe tragus piercing - tragus piercing, small barbell (or labret) with a ball
Today, there are rough men's cartilage earrings on sale. They help enhance the effect of the tough and brutal appearance of the stronger sex. The exact opposite of such jewelry is delicate women's earrings, which help to increase attractiveness and add charm. For those who are not satisfied with standard solutions, we offer an unusual piercing with a shocking design, which can often be seen on the most daring celebrities.
In the cabin
Ear cartilage piercing is an original alternative to the prosaic earlobe piercing. The history of this procedure comes from the American Indians. What does it mean to decorate yourself?
Of course, this is informality, the desire to stand out and demonstrate oneself. There are many options for how to pierce the ear cartilage. You can do this on the comb, through the antihelix, or in two places at once. Many options offer different styles. In salons they use catheter needles, and less often - special guns. The ear is treated with alcohol, and the jewelry is washed with an antiseptic. The procedure is quick, but unpleasant. The average cost of a procedure in a salon reaches 1,100 rubles, and the first earring can be given as a gift.
Cartilage Piercing Care
Medicines for puncture treatment
Let's name proven drugs that help disinfect the puncture site and speed up healing:
- 3% hydrogen peroxide solution;
- Levomekol (ointment against suppuration);
- Chlorhexidine bigluconate (disinfectant solution);
- Baneocin (powder preparation);
- Miramistin (used after cleansing with peroxide, when you need to remove particles of blood and secretions);
- Dioxidin and Octenisept (used strictly as prescribed by the specialist to cope with complications).
We have listed common pharmaceutical medications, but in each case the approach is individual.
You just need to follow all the recommendations of your master. A specialist knows better how to treat an ear piercing depending on the characteristics of a particular piercing. Deys style cartilage piercing, short straight barbell with balls blue tragus style flower piercing and 2 small studs in the lobe cartilage piercing, colored straight short barbell with balls
Let's look at how to care for your ear after a cartilage piercing, experts advise.
It is necessary to wash your hands thoroughly before each touching the wound or treating with medications. You should not move or touch the ear piercing until the wound is completely healed. It is better to minimize close contacts with people. It is advisable to behave carefully and avoid sudden movements so as not to accidentally injure the puncture site, otherwise scars may remain. You should not visit fresh water bodies, gyms, swimming pools, solariums, saunas, or take a hot bath.
In order for the ear cartilage to heal better and not swell, you need to remove hair during rehabilitation.
Constant monitoring of the tightness of the screwed elements is required. Check with clean fingers. Wearing synthetic and woolen items is a bad decision; cotton is more suitable. To protect against irritation and reduce healing time, do not treat the wound with antibiotic ointments, iodine, alcohol or dental rinses. heart in ear cartilage, 2 punctures
Is it worth it?
In addition to some pain, ear cartilage puncture has contraindications. This is an allergic reaction to certain types of metals. It is better to choose medical steel so as not to make a mistake. If after the puncture the cartilage turns red and swelling appears around the earring, then the appearance of pain and pus is only a matter of time. There are nightmarish cases of cartilage fragmentation due to poor quality work by craftsmen. Then there will be a scar. Work only with reputable people, take care of your appearance! After the healing period, you can change the jewelry, but before that you cannot make replacements. By the way, in the first three days there are bans on visiting bathhouses and swimming pools. Nowadays, many salons perform ear cartilage punctures efficiently and accurately. They offer photos of their work to new clients as a sample. Statistics show that piercings can be beautiful and attractive.
Rules of care after cartilage puncture
Typically, complete recovery occurs after a month, after which the jewelry can be changed. Experts recommend treating the puncture site and the jewelry itself with chlorhexidine several times a day throughout the month. In order for the product to get onto the jewelry rod, it should be twisted.
You should take proper care of your piercing
Consider the rules for caring for your ears:
- Earrings should absolutely not be removed for four weeks;
- in the first days after piercing the ear cartilage, you should not swim in ponds or visit the bathhouse;
- to avoid burns, do not treat the punctured cartilage site with alcohol;
- treat your ear with an antiseptic daily in the morning and evening, and after bathing, carry out additional treatment;
- If the puncture site becomes swollen, red, or discharge begins to appear from there, it is important to consult a doctor immediately.
Live piercing at home
First of all, if you have decided to pierce your ear cartilage, we consider it necessary to warn you that this procedure is much more complicated and longer in terms of puncture compared to lobe piercing.
In addition, the puncture is accompanied by unpleasant sensations, and the healing process takes a little longer than usual.
Many girls, as a rule, buy their first earrings, hiding it from their parents, and even pierce their earlobes themselves. They think the technology is extremely simple. All you have to do is heat the needle, sterilize it, and get to work.
There will be no problems with piercing your earlobe, but how to pierce your ear yourself?
In this matter, everything depends on whether you will pierce it yourself or together with an assistant. Of course, the first case is much more troublesome and difficult.
In any case, you will need to get an intravenous catheter, alcohol, gloves and painkillers. After the piercing procedure, this area of the ear causes pain, it aches for about a week, and it hurts to sleep at night. So it's not a very pleasant time ahead.
But all this suffering is for the sake of beauty, right? And it doesn’t matter whether you are in pain or not, your ear is swollen or you need to be patient for a while.
During manipulation, be sure to hold the needle perpendicularly. Then you can pull it out of the tube and thread the earring through. After an ear piercing, you need to systematically wash the earring and rotate it, but under no circumstances should you remove it. Healing can take as long as six months, and the more often you rinse your ear, the faster the wound will heal.
How does piercing happen in the salon?
For this procedure to be successful, the master piercer must adhere to all norms and rules. First of all, you should treat the puncture site. The piercing is painless and quick - just a few seconds, but after that you do not need to fear many unpleasant consequences.
To properly treat this area, it is enough to wipe the piercing site with alcohol or special disinfectants. Before piercing your ear, place the earring in an antiseptic solution. Effective processing of jewelry should take no more than a quarter of an hour.
In most salons today, they no longer pierce the ear cartilage with a gun; it has been replaced by an ordinary needle-catheter. The gun not only makes punctures of different diameters, but also contributes to infection.
This is due to the fact that it is almost impossible to completely disinfect the gun, but the cartilage is a rather delicate and sensitive place. In addition, the “lacerated” wound is not the most attractive - the result of using a gun, while working with a needle makes the hole neat.
To achieve the most positive result when piercing ear cartilage, specialists always follow several secrets:
- Cut a hole the same size as the decoration using a special tool. This action will minimize healing time;
- Whenever possible, the artist tries to use the finest decorations;
- Right before the puncture, the cartilage is transilluminated so that the piercers know the location of the vessels. This is also necessary for the speedy healing of the wound and relieves pain in the ear after a piercing;
- It is advisable to always choose earrings with a reserve of length so that the person does not feel pain, but, on the contrary, is comfortable even when swelling appears.
Rules for care after piercing the ear with a catheter needle
Keep in mind that this process is quite lengthy - it can take several months.
- Earrings can be removed only after 4 weeks have passed from the date of the procedure;
- In the first few days after the procedure, you must give up the idea of going to the pool, sauna, or swimming in a pond;
- Prepare a special antiseptic or “Chlorhexidine bigluconate” for daily (morning and evening, for a month) treatment of the puncture site. The product should be applied in such a way that it penetrates the needle entry and exit points, and, of course, the channel. During processing, it is recommended to ensure that the earring rotates and moves in the channel;
- To avoid tissue burns, treating the procedure site with alcohol is not recommended;
- After leaving the shower or bath, as well as after sports activities or swimming, the piercing site should be additionally treated;
- Only after a full 4 weeks can you remove needle earrings and put on other piercing jewelry;
- If you are in pain, your ear is swollen, or you notice any redness, swelling or discharge, you should immediately remove the jewelry or consult a specialist.
It would be useful to note that ear cartilage piercing should be trusted only to professionals who work with sterile instruments.
Is it worth getting your ear cartilage pierced?
The main thing to beware of when piercing cartilage is its injury and crushing. It will be better if this procedure is performed manually with a catheter needle. Guns, especially disposable ones, can cause cartilage fragmentation.
This is dangerous; necrosis (death) of the cartilage may occur, leading to prolonged and difficult healing. In addition, a scar or large hole may remain on the ears. Punctured cartilage requires especially careful care.
There is a small chance of an allergy to the metal of the earrings. When purchasing earrings for your first piercing, give preference to titanium or medical steel.
Be healthy and beautiful!
A huge number of people, mostly women, have had their earlobes pierced since childhood. Perhaps this is the most common of all that are practiced today. However, recently, cartilage piercing has become popular at various points on the outside of the auricle. Moreover, both boys and girls decorate themselves with such a feature equally.
Possible consequences and complications
Adverse consequences of piercing the ear cartilage occur in three cases:
- if the rules of care are not followed;
- if the technician is poorly qualified or performs the procedure independently at home;
- for health problems.
Complications may be as follows:
- inflammation at the puncture site;
- allergic reaction to the material from which the earring is made;
- bleeding after puncture;
- neoplasm at the piercing site;
- tissue scarring;
- facial paralysis;
- visual impairment;
- deformation of the auricle.
Such phenomena can be prevented by carefully choosing a specialist and following all his instructions. If complications cannot be avoided, and the puncture of the ear cartilage does not heal, festers or hurts, you should remove the earring from the puncture and consult a doctor.
