If you're thinking about getting a new piercing, you may have stumbled upon helix piercings in your search. Hugely customisable and the perfect place for expressing yourself through earring stacks, this spot is an incredibly popular one - and for good reason.
In our guide, we're going to answer the most frequently asked questions about helix piercings, from how long they heal to how to take care of them, complete with recommendations of our own beautiful helix earrings.
What is a helix piercing?
A helix piercing is a hole made for earrings on the upper, outer edge of your ear. The majority of ears have a fold of skin around the edge, especially in this upper area - the piercing goes through the flat cartilage skin, typically just where the fold begins. This means that the stud or feature at the end of a helix bar will be visible just on the edge of the fold, while hoops will look like they're wrapping around the fold.
Is a helix a good first piercing?
A person's first piercing is very much up to their preference! There is no rule about what should come first. Most commonly, you'll see people start with earlobe piercings, as they are the easiest to pierce and come with the least amount of pain. They're also the fastest to heal, making them appealing to those who have never had a piercing before.
However, if you'd like your first piercing to be a helix, then there is nothing stopping you from making that choice. Just be ready to take care of it during its longer healing period.
Are helix piercings hard to heal?
Compared to body piercings, helix piercings are not too hard to heal. However, they will take longer to heal than most ear piercings and require more TLC than most ear piercings.
Expert piercers recommend helix piercings be left to heal for 9 to 12 months, with very gentle, daily cleaning. Twisting, pulling, and generally touching a healing cartilage piercing is a no-go, as it can cause irritation, swelling, and, in some cases, infection. Catching them on clothing and hair can also be a common problem if you're not careful, as the outer ear is a hot spot for snagging.
So, you may be wondering why helix piercings are so dramatic. It's because of the nature of cartilage: it's what's known as 'avascular tissue'. This means it has no direct blood supply due to a lack of blood vessels, and without that blood supply, the healing process is slow, and there are fewer antibodies to fight wound infection.
But don't let this information put you off! Getting a piercing anywhere requires patience and care; helix piercings just happen to need a little more than some others. If you keep it clean, avoid messing with it, and don't replace the bar it was pierced with too early, then you shouldn't have any problems.
Can you sleep on a helix piercing?
To start with, while the skin is still tender, it may be hard to sleep on a helix piercing. Sleeping on it also has the possibility to irritate a helix piercing, if you're the type to move your head around on your pillow a lot. However, this isn't an exclusive experience. Helix piercing owners across the internet speak of entirely different sleeping experiences, so it will entirely depend on how your body reacts to the piercing.
Some recommend sleeping for a month or so with a neck pillow (the kind you wear on a long flight) with your ear in the centre gap to avoid pressure. To go a step further, some people recommend purchasing a piercing pillow, which has a much smaller hole in the centre where your ear can go. Others recommend simply not sleeping on the pierced side (though this is impossible for some, and many people can't help rolling over in their sleep).
If these suggestions aren't going to work for you, then we recommend keeping your hair back while you sleep in a braid, a bun, or a bonnet, and keeping your pillow clean to avoid bacteria. Wash the cover multiple times a week, and clean your piercing every morning and night.
Once a month or two has passed, many people find it comfortable to sleep on the affected ear. However, we strongly recommend continuing to clean your pillowcase regularly and your piercing twice daily until it's fully healed.
How to clean your helix piercing
Cleaning a helix piercing while it heals is very easy. Because you should avoid touching it, it's best to treat the area with a sterile saline solution spray. Spritz it on the front and back, let it dry, and you're done. If the piercing develops a bit of crust, don't panic - this is fairly normal during the healing process, as long as it doesn't hurt and doesn't look bloody. This harmless crust will typically come away with the spray, but if not, douse a cotton swap in the solution and very gently dislodge it, avoiding the earring. It's recommended to do this once or twice a day until the cartilage piercing has fully healed.
Once your piercing has healed, you can ease up a bit on the aftercare! When showering, allow the warm water to run over the piercing. This will help to clean away any dirt from the day. Feel free to continue using a sterile saline spray, too.
When can I change my helix piercing?
You can change your helix piercing from the bar it was pierced with once it is fully healed, which is typically between 9 and 12 months. Do not attempt to change it before this time. Cartilage piercings, as we've mentioned, can be rather dramatic, and messing with them to that extreme before they're fully healed will very likely lead to infection, which in turn can result in permanent scarring.
We recommend waiting for a full year before switching your bar to a helix earring or hoop, but if at the year mark, it still doesn't look or feel fully healed, leave it longer. If the idea of having the bar for so long makes you sad, don't worry - there are many piercers out there who have a wide range of truly beautiful studs for their piercing bars, ensuring the earring you wear for 12 or so months is a gorgeous one.
Our range of hypoallergenic helix hoop earrings
We love a helix piercing. Whether a single statement hoop or multiple helix piercings stacked, we think they are a lovely piercing with amazing potential for personal styling. Made using hypoallergenic materials, we have created several stunning helix hoops to wear in fully healed helix piercings. Here's just a small selection of our favourites:
Our triple dot cartilage hoop earring adds a subtle splash of personality to an ear stack. With three small balls on its polished silver surface, and no clasp or hinge to cause potential irritation, it's the perfect piece for the helix. To close, simply twist the two ends together.
Looking for something more classic? Our simple helix hoop in 18ct gold is ideal for wearing alone or as a pair in a double helix piercing. Another hinge-free piece, just twist it carefully into place to form a full circle once it's in your ear.
Finally, a piece with a bit of sparkle. Available in two sizes, our lab-grown diamond stud cartilage hoop brings an element of shimmer to your jewellery look, whether you're heading to work or to a wedding. Twist it into place like our other helix hoops and enjoy.
All of our helix earrings are made of argentium silver, solid 9ct gold, solid 18ct gold, or solid 9ct gold coated in 18ct gold, all hypoallergenic and perfectly safe for sensitive piercings.
Shop ethical earrings
We don't just create helix earrings. Discover our range of earrings for the tragus, the nose, and other cartilage piercings, all designed and made with care in our London studio. We ensure every piece of jewellery we create, not just our earrings, is made with ethically sourced materials, from our gemstones to our metals to our lab-grown diamonds. Discover our jewellery ranges today and find the next piece for your collection.
