Last week marked the time I added piercings 9, 10 and 11 to myself - next time I go through airport security I think I’ll be having some issues lol. Because I’ve managed to collate such a collection over the past year I thought it’d be a useful topic to chat about on here. I know that when I have an idea for a new piercing, I often turn to blogs and YouTube videos of people who already have it, as to learn from their experience and see if it’s worth it. Therefore, if my pearls of piercing wisdom can help at least one person add a new metal friend to their body, then it was worth it. I’ll try and go in
chronological order, and talk about the pain, healing, and the service I got 💉💉💉
First and second lobes
Pain rating: 2/5 Venue: Extreme Needle / Covent Garden Healing Process:😕 Cost: £60
Most people, especially girls, have lobe piercings very young, but I was very uninterested, and frankly a bit scared, to get them done, right up until I was 18. Moving to London, feeling independent and impulsive, I decided to get not only one piercing per lobe but the second ones too. As the most traditional piercing, the pain is very bearable and lasts only as long as the needle jabs you. My pain was a little prolonged because of having two consecutively in both ears, but again, it was very manageable. One thing that was disappointing about my experience was the price. Being new to London, I didn’t know the area very well, and wasn’t prepared to travel very far out of the small part of central that I knew. Therefore, I paid extreme central London prices, but even with this in mind, I don’t think that £60 is very justified, and I now know that I can get exactly the same treatment in equally sanitary conditions for a much cheaper price - so do your research! The staff were however very nice and gave me advice on the healing process, which, like all piercings is simply cleaning them twice a day with warm salt water. Definitely listen to their advice on a three month healing process before changing the jewellery, as I was too eager and changed mine prematurely, which negatively impacted the healing and made things a little gross for a while. Other than that, it was a very straightforward experience.
Forward Helix
Pain Rating: 3/5 Venue: Underground Tattoos, Enfield Healing Process: 😊 Cost: £15
After my lobes were all healed, I knew I wanted something a little more unusual added to my ears. After doing much more research this time I found Underground, which is where all of my future piercings were done. It is quite far away from where I live but totally worth it for the great service and incredibly reasonable prices. Being cartilage, the forward helix hurt a little more than my lobes and was generally a little more uncomfortable. However, after the initial piercing was done I had no major problems. The healing was straightforward and I didn’t make the mistake of changing the jewellery during healing, and in fact haven’t changed it since then. Being a little more unusual than a normal helix piercing, I highly recommend this one for something a little different and very low maintenance.
Daith
Pain Rating: 2/5 Venue: Underground Tattoos, Enfield Healing Process: 😊 Cost: £15
Travelling so far to this piercing place meant I couldn’t just leave with one new addition, so on the same day as my forward helix, I got my daith. Being quite an awkward place inside the ear and with quite thick cartilage, I was expecting the daith to be much worse than it turned out to be. I would compare it to the pain of a lobe piercing, in that the pain only lasts as long as the actual act of piercing it does, and after that, other than the typical soreness that comes with the aftermath of any piercing, it was perfectly fine. The healing was also very straightforward, which is apparently because the jewellery doesn’t go out of the back of the ear, which stops it from getting knocked as much or caught in clothes/hair etc. So, for something that looks really cute, doesn’t hurt too much, and heals like a dream, this is a great choice.
Inner Conch
Pain Rating: 2/5 Venue: Underground Tattoos, Enfield Healing Process: 😊 Cost: £15
After the previous two were healed, I again was eager for more (if you haven’t realised that I have an addictive personality, strap yourselves in). The inner conch is a super subtle choice that is hard to even see at first glance, which is one of the reasons I got it, what with my collection filling up already. It was very straightforward to pierce and not being thick cartilage, it wasn’t painful either. Healing was a little tricky due to the stud coming out of the back of the ear, but it soon got better with regular cleaning. One annoying thing about this particular piercing was that putting earphones in was painful for the first few weeks, so I’d advise over ear headphones if you need music like I do. Other than that, a pretty and straightforward piercing again.
Snug
Pain Rating: 4/5 Venue: Underground Tattoos, Enfield Healing Process: ☹️ Cost: £15
As you can see, most of my piercings have been an easy ride so far, but not this one! The snug is a piercing through a very thick part of the ear, and the pain did make me gasp when it was initially pierced. This one is not for the faint hearted, though I do like how it looks. This definitely isn’t a first time piercing either, as it might put you off for life lol. Due to the uncomfortableness of this one, the healing has been a nightmare and lasted far longer than the 3 months it was supposed to, no matter how much I looked after it. Even after healing I had a few flare ups of infection which was not fun, yet still I’m still too stubborn to take it out, because when it’s behaving itself it’s definitely one of my favourites. I wouldn’t say I regret this one, but I wish I’d done a little more research on the pain and healing.
Helix (times two)
Pain Rating: 3/5 Venue: Underground Tattoos, Enfield Healing Process: 😕(so far) Cost: £30
At this point, I’m pretty much space-filling on places my ears are bare. The helix is actually one of the more common cartilage piercings that people get, so I thought it was about time I got involved too - having to go one stop further though, and having never just gotten one thing done on my ear in what sitting, naturally I opted for two. These were pretty painful, especially since, like my lobes, I got two in the same area, and it did throb a little afterwards. I have only had these done for a couple of days, so it’s early days on how the healing will go. So far all I can report is a little bleeding, and they’re still too painful to lean on when sleeping - other than that, no problems. This is a cool option for a cartilage piercing that’s quite low key, and getting two makes it a little different from the norm, if you don’t mind it being a little more painful.
Nose
Pain Rating: 3/5. Venue: Underground Tattoo, Enfield Healing Process: 😊 (so far) Cost: £15
You can gather that I have a thing for ear piercings specifically, as I find them very non-committal, and if I didn’t like any of them they could easily be hidden by my hair. Getting a facial piercing was a big step for me, but my nose was always something I wanted. Some piercing places will give you a ring immediately, but studs are recommended for better healing, and I knew I wanted a stud as it is more subtle if I decided I didn’t like it. A given for nose piercings is that they make your eyes water, and it is a little uncomfortable to get done, as it is a bit of an awkward place for the needle, and the area is very sensitive. This is also a new addition so I am yet to experience the healing process, but as of now it is perfectly fine, and getting less sore each day. The feeling of the jewellery inside your nose feels a little foreign and it is tempting to itch away at it, but I know I mustn’t. My verdict is a positive one however as I love how it looks and I think it’s a very effortless way to change up your look a bit.
There you have it, the tour of the various painful holes I’ve had jabbed into me. Hopefully this has given some people some useful info on a piercing they are considering, and I’m sure I’ll have an updated one for you in a few months once I decide what’s next!
Thanks for reading my dudes
H x
chronological order, and talk about the pain, healing, and the service I got 💉💉💉
First and second lobes
Pain rating: 2/5 Venue: Extreme Needle / Covent Garden Healing Process:😕 Cost: £60
Most people, especially girls, have lobe piercings very young, but I was very uninterested, and frankly a bit scared, to get them done, right up until I was 18. Moving to London, feeling independent and impulsive, I decided to get not only one piercing per lobe but the second ones too. As the most traditional piercing, the pain is very bearable and lasts only as long as the needle jabs you. My pain was a little prolonged because of having two consecutively in both ears, but again, it was very manageable. One thing that was disappointing about my experience was the price. Being new to London, I didn’t know the area very well, and wasn’t prepared to travel very far out of the small part of central that I knew. Therefore, I paid extreme central London prices, but even with this in mind, I don’t think that £60 is very justified, and I now know that I can get exactly the same treatment in equally sanitary conditions for a much cheaper price - so do your research! The staff were however very nice and gave me advice on the healing process, which, like all piercings is simply cleaning them twice a day with warm salt water. Definitely listen to their advice on a three month healing process before changing the jewellery, as I was too eager and changed mine prematurely, which negatively impacted the healing and made things a little gross for a while. Other than that, it was a very straightforward experience.
Forward Helix
Pain Rating: 3/5 Venue: Underground Tattoos, Enfield Healing Process: 😊 Cost: £15
After my lobes were all healed, I knew I wanted something a little more unusual added to my ears. After doing much more research this time I found Underground, which is where all of my future piercings were done. It is quite far away from where I live but totally worth it for the great service and incredibly reasonable prices. Being cartilage, the forward helix hurt a little more than my lobes and was generally a little more uncomfortable. However, after the initial piercing was done I had no major problems. The healing was straightforward and I didn’t make the mistake of changing the jewellery during healing, and in fact haven’t changed it since then. Being a little more unusual than a normal helix piercing, I highly recommend this one for something a little different and very low maintenance.
Daith
Pain Rating: 2/5 Venue: Underground Tattoos, Enfield Healing Process: 😊 Cost: £15
Travelling so far to this piercing place meant I couldn’t just leave with one new addition, so on the same day as my forward helix, I got my daith. Being quite an awkward place inside the ear and with quite thick cartilage, I was expecting the daith to be much worse than it turned out to be. I would compare it to the pain of a lobe piercing, in that the pain only lasts as long as the actual act of piercing it does, and after that, other than the typical soreness that comes with the aftermath of any piercing, it was perfectly fine. The healing was also very straightforward, which is apparently because the jewellery doesn’t go out of the back of the ear, which stops it from getting knocked as much or caught in clothes/hair etc. So, for something that looks really cute, doesn’t hurt too much, and heals like a dream, this is a great choice.
Inner Conch
Pain Rating: 2/5 Venue: Underground Tattoos, Enfield Healing Process: 😊 Cost: £15
After the previous two were healed, I again was eager for more (if you haven’t realised that I have an addictive personality, strap yourselves in). The inner conch is a super subtle choice that is hard to even see at first glance, which is one of the reasons I got it, what with my collection filling up already. It was very straightforward to pierce and not being thick cartilage, it wasn’t painful either. Healing was a little tricky due to the stud coming out of the back of the ear, but it soon got better with regular cleaning. One annoying thing about this particular piercing was that putting earphones in was painful for the first few weeks, so I’d advise over ear headphones if you need music like I do. Other than that, a pretty and straightforward piercing again.
Snug
Pain Rating: 4/5 Venue: Underground Tattoos, Enfield Healing Process: ☹️ Cost: £15
As you can see, most of my piercings have been an easy ride so far, but not this one! The snug is a piercing through a very thick part of the ear, and the pain did make me gasp when it was initially pierced. This one is not for the faint hearted, though I do like how it looks. This definitely isn’t a first time piercing either, as it might put you off for life lol. Due to the uncomfortableness of this one, the healing has been a nightmare and lasted far longer than the 3 months it was supposed to, no matter how much I looked after it. Even after healing I had a few flare ups of infection which was not fun, yet still I’m still too stubborn to take it out, because when it’s behaving itself it’s definitely one of my favourites. I wouldn’t say I regret this one, but I wish I’d done a little more research on the pain and healing.
Helix (times two)
Pain Rating: 3/5 Venue: Underground Tattoos, Enfield Healing Process: 😕(so far) Cost: £30
At this point, I’m pretty much space-filling on places my ears are bare. The helix is actually one of the more common cartilage piercings that people get, so I thought it was about time I got involved too - having to go one stop further though, and having never just gotten one thing done on my ear in what sitting, naturally I opted for two. These were pretty painful, especially since, like my lobes, I got two in the same area, and it did throb a little afterwards. I have only had these done for a couple of days, so it’s early days on how the healing will go. So far all I can report is a little bleeding, and they’re still too painful to lean on when sleeping - other than that, no problems. This is a cool option for a cartilage piercing that’s quite low key, and getting two makes it a little different from the norm, if you don’t mind it being a little more painful.
Nose
Pain Rating: 3/5. Venue: Underground Tattoo, Enfield Healing Process: 😊 (so far) Cost: £15
You can gather that I have a thing for ear piercings specifically, as I find them very non-committal, and if I didn’t like any of them they could easily be hidden by my hair. Getting a facial piercing was a big step for me, but my nose was always something I wanted. Some piercing places will give you a ring immediately, but studs are recommended for better healing, and I knew I wanted a stud as it is more subtle if I decided I didn’t like it. A given for nose piercings is that they make your eyes water, and it is a little uncomfortable to get done, as it is a bit of an awkward place for the needle, and the area is very sensitive. This is also a new addition so I am yet to experience the healing process, but as of now it is perfectly fine, and getting less sore each day. The feeling of the jewellery inside your nose feels a little foreign and it is tempting to itch away at it, but I know I mustn’t. My verdict is a positive one however as I love how it looks and I think it’s a very effortless way to change up your look a bit.
There you have it, the tour of the various painful holes I’ve had jabbed into me. Hopefully this has given some people some useful info on a piercing they are considering, and I’m sure I’ll have an updated one for you in a few months once I decide what’s next!
Thanks for reading my dudes
H x
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