Everything You Need to Know About Helix Piercings
The helix piercing is located in the cartilage area of the upper ear. It's a very popular piercing due to the delightful effect it has on the ear.
When considering a helix piercing, it's important to be well-informed about some of the risks involved. We're here to help!
Where should I get a helix piercing?
When getting a piercing, go to a professional studio. You can ask for professional certification and ensure proper hygiene. In a studio, the piercer is responsible for hygiene, so all forceps and tools must be completely sterile.
Furthermore, your piercing will be done with a disposable hollow needle, which is gentle on the ear, meaning your helix will heal quickly and you'll save yourself a lot of unnecessary pain.
Although getting a needle piercing instead of a piercing gun may seem scarier, know that it's the safer option.
Risks of getting a piercing gun
Many people choose to get their piercing gun because they aren't fully aware of the consequences. Piercing guns can be disinfected but not sterilized, so they could contain blood and bacteria from previous clients.
In the worst case scenario, piercing guns could carry hepatitis or other life-threatening bacteria.
Furthermore, the way the earring bar is fired into the gun significantly impacts the flesh, making it more likely to cause infection. Unfortunately, there is no legislation on how to clean piercing guns. Nor are there any hygiene requirements for the room where they are used.
When you want a piercing, see a professional. This is the same reason why you should only have your teeth treated by a certified dentist.
What type of jewelry should I wear in my helix?
Helix piercings allow for a wide variety of jewelry! You can wear hoops, horseshoes, or bars—straight or curved. Labrets are also often used for their comfort while sleeping, as they allow you to rest your head on the pierced ear.
When choosing jewelry for your helix, you should first consider whether your piercing was done with a gun or a needle.
Gun piercings have a thinner wire diameter than most piercing jewelry sold on Liny.
If you had your piercing done by a professional piercer, the options for your piercing jewelry are practically endless.
Beyond jewelry size, keep in mind that horseshoes and hoops are easy to clean because you can move them around without necessarily removing them, while labrets collect much less dirt, having no hooks or edges.
If you don't have a helix piercing yet, maybe you'd like to try a clip-on!
What size jewelry should I wear in my helix?
For horseshoes and hoops, the most common diameter is 8 mm. For labrets, the most common lengths are 6-8 mm.
There are no rules regarding jewelry sizes. Find a design you like and feel comfortable with; that's all that matters.
What are the best materials for helix piercings?
Once you've found the type of jewelry you want for your helix piercing, the next step is choosing the material.
Most piercers use titanium for the first piece of jewelry, as it's considered one of the safest materials for new piercings. Once the piercing has healed, there are many different materials to choose from, such as surgical steel, 14k gold, brass, or PTFE.
What size jewelry should I wear in my helix?
Ear piercings tend to be more susceptible to dirt than other types of piercings. Just think about hair, makeup, and hair products, for example. Try to avoid contact with your new piercing, especially during the healing period. Also, change your pillowcase frequently so your ear doesn't rest on a dirty one.
But, in general, you should just take care of your helix piercing like any other piercing.