A helix piercing is a piercing in the edge of the auricle. This can be at the very top of the ear, but also more towards the middle. Because this piercing goes through cartilage, it requires more care than earrings in the earlobe. The internet is teeming with horror stories about this type of piercing. However, it is not too bad if it is taken care of properly.

Shoot or pierce?

Years ago, helix piercings were often simply done at a jeweler with a device that also makes earlobe holes. This is no longer done in the Netherlands because the cartilage can splinter due to the force of shooting, causing it to heal less well. In extreme cases it can even cause cauliflower ear.That is why it is recommended to have it pierced at a piercing shop. A needle is then pierced through it by hand, after which a real earring is placed in it. This usually costs around 40 to 50 euros.

Care

After the piercing has been done, the wound must be kept clean. Advice regarding care may differ per piercing shop, but in general it is recommended to clean the piercing once or twice a day. While sterilone or alcohol is often given for earlobe holes, this is not recommended for helix piercings because these remedies are very aggressive and also kill good bacteria. A simple antibacterial soap (can be purchased at a drugstore) is best. Let the soap soak in for a while and then rinse it off. Also turning the piercing in the meantime is not a good idea. This causes the wound to be opened again and again, which means it does not heal and can become infected. Some people claim that a piercing will grow tight if it is not loosened, but that is not true. A piercing will not grow to a body. It may sometimes feel as if the piercing is stuck, but that is usually because some wound fluid has become stuck.Healing takes about 3 to 9 months. This takes much longer than the healing of an earlobe hole because cartilage heals slowly. In some cases, sleeping on the pierced ear is very painful. So keep this in mind. It is also a place where things can easily get caught (hair, clothing), causing irritation over and over again.

Irritated piercing

Irritations and small bumps behind the piercing are quite common with this type of piercing. One way to improve this is to treat the ear with a sea salt solution. This is done as follows: take a mug of boiled water, add a quarter to half a teaspoon of sea salt and mix it together. Let the mixture cool slightly. It still needs to be warm because then it works better. Soak your ear in this for ten minutes and dry it thoroughly afterwards. If it is difficult to place the mug on your ear or hang your ear in it, you can also make a compress. To do this, dip a piece of gauze/cotton wool in the solution and place it against your ear.Please note that it is sea salt and not regular salt .

Famous people with a helix piercing

Helix piercings, in English cartilage piercings (literally cartilage piercings) are quite popular. These famous people also have one or more: Julia Stiles, Jessica Alba, Courteney Cox, Hilary Duff, Hayden Panetierre, Sienna Miller, Kate Moss and Alyssa Milano.