Declared by Glamour to be one of the coolest piercings to try in 2022, getting a new helix piercing is definitely one of the trendiest ways to curate your perfect ear stack. If you’ve only ever had the fleshy areas of your ears pierced before, getting a helix piercing will expand your ear canvas and open up a world of new options.
If you’re interested in getting a helix piercing, you may find that a double helix piercing is an even better option. Before you get started, though, it’s important to understand that helix piercings aren’t quite the same as regular ear piercings. The process can be a bit lengthier due to increased healing time, and you need to be a bit more careful when it comes to aftercare for helix piercings.
So, what are double helix piercings, and what are the important things that you need to know before you get a helix piercing? Read on for a detailed overview.
What Are Double Helix Piercings?
A helix piercing is a piercing in the cartilage of your ear’s upper rim. There are two types of helix piercings – forward and backward – and the type depends on the specific part of your ear that gets pierced. If the piercing is on the front part of your ear, it’s a forward helix piercing. If it’s on the back part, it’s a backward helix piercing. Getting a double helix piercing means that you’ll have two holes placed very close together, and that’s usually done on the back part of the ear. Some people even get triple helix piercings.
It’s most common for people to wear studs in helix piercings, but it’s also possible to wear small hoops in them. As for the exact style of the earrings you choose, the only limit there is your own creativity. It’s very popular, though, to wear matching or contrasting studs in double helix piercings.
Do Double Helix Piercings Hurt?
It’s impossible to state definitively whether helix piercings hurt more than regular piercings because pain response is a very personal thing. Many people do report feeling stronger pinching sensations when getting helix piercings, though, because the helix region of the ear is comprised of thick cartilage. Cartilage is very strong connective tissue, and a needle doesn’t penetrate through cartilage quite as easily as it penetrates through the fleshy parts of the ear. In addition, you may find that the discomfort after getting a helix piercing lasts a bit longer than with standard piercings. We’ll discuss that at greater length shortly.
The best way to make the process of getting a double helix piercing as quick and painless as it can be is by managing your anxiety and expectation of pain. All piercings do hurt, but the important thing to remember is that it’ll be over quickly. As an aside, a boutique ear piercing studio may offer an upscale experience that’s much more pleasant and supportive than what a mall studio can offer.
How Long Do Double Helix Piercings Take to Heal?
Depending on the thickness of the cartilage and your own personal healing factors, you can expect double helix piercings to take anywhere from three to nine months to heal fully. There are several things that you can do to make the healing process as quick as possible, and we’ll discuss those shortly.
The fact that helix piercings can take so long to heal is another reason why going to a boutique piercing studio is really worth the extra cost. During the aftercare process, there’s a good chance that you’ll want to have an expert check your piercings to see how they’re coming along. It’s really helpful to work with professional piercers who know what to look for and what to do if things aren’t going quite as they should.
Note that if you want to get double helix piercings in both ears, you should plan for the process to take several months. Unless you’re a back or stomach sleeper, your piercing expert will most likely recommend that you pierce just one ear and return to do the other ear after the first piercings have healed completely. That’s because sleeping on your ear cartilage while it’s still healing could lengthen and complicate the healing process. Your piercing expert will also most likely recommend that you wear studs – not rings – in the piercings while they heal. Rings are much more likely to move around in the piercings, which could cause friction and irritation.
How Do You Care for Double Helix Piercings?
After you get your double helix piercings, the piercing studio will send you home with a liquid or spray antiseptic that you should apply according to the instructions on the bottle. If it’s a liquid antiseptic, you should apply it with lint-free gauze rather than a cotton ball because cotton fibres could get stuck in the piercing and cause irritation or infection.
Keep your double helix piercings clean and dry. After showering, you should take special care to remove any residual water. Consider drying your ear with a blow dryer on low heat. If you have long hair, it’s a good idea to wear your hair up or tied back for at least the first few days after getting double helix piercings. You wouldn’t want your hair to get caught on the stud; it could cause irritation and prolong the healing process.
Cartilage is very strong tissue – and as we explained above, pushing a needle through that tissue isn’t easy. You can expect double helix piercings to exhibit a bit more bleeding and swelling than standard piercings. If you see any sign that that the piercing is becoming infected or is being rejected by your body, you should return to the piercing studio for advice or call NHS on 111 for medical assistance. Some signs of an infected piercing include green, yellow or white pus, fever and abnormal swelling around the site of the piercing.
