2.) Post-Piercing Signs- Whenever you get any piercing you can expect for your ear to become red, swollen, bleed a little, and become a little tender. Those are perfectly normal symptoms that you can expect with any piercing, but there are a few things that make a double helix piercing a bit different. This is the first time I've ever experienced slight bruising on my ear which has definitely added to the pain I've been feeling. The bruising was caused by having two piercings done in near proximity of one another, just in case you were wondering. Some people may also experience their ears throbbing, and for that I would recommend taking an Advil or ibuprofen. You'll also have to watch out for bleeding (especially right after getting your piercing). After I got my piercing I went to Starbucks and I didn't notice that my ear was bleeding until I went to the bathroom... no wonder why I got a weird look from the barista.
3.) Healing Time- Before you even begin to look for cute jewelry for your new double helix, it's very important to understand that your piercing will take months to fully heal. Since cartilage doesn't get the same blood supply as your earlobes, you can expect your piercing to take 6 months up to a year to heal. My other cartilage piercing took a full year to heal completely and I made the very dumb mistake to change my jewelry after the 4 month mark, which I shouldn't have done. I know some piercers will say it's completely fine to change your jewelry around the 3/4 month mark, but it's better to just let the piercing heal completely before introducing that area to a new metal. Doing so might actually set you back in your healing time like it happened to me, so that's why this time around I'm going to leave these basic barbell earrings until the piercing fully heals.
4.) Piercing Guns vs. Needle- This shouldn't even be something to consider, but I still come across people who think it's completely fine to go get piercings done at Claire's or a mall kiosk. Piercing guns are just not safe for piercings, despite what some people may say. The Claire's employees are not certified piercers and generally speaking piercing guns have a blunt needle that can actually shatter your cartilage. You also can't sterilize a piercing gun, so that might put you at risk of getting an infection. It's better to be safe than sorry and just head to a local piercing shop. Although needles might sounds scary, they're actually the safest option for piercings.
5.) Do Your Research- Piercings aren't a thing that you should do on a whim because of the possible complications that you may encounter and the painful healing time. Piercings are a commitment, and if you're not ready it's much safer to wait. Before getting any piercing you should really be familiarized with everything from the cost, to the aftercare. I was actually considering of getting my conch pierced, but after doing a lot of research I decided not to get pierced through the thickest part of cartilage on my ear. Another thing you should do extensive research on is the tattoo/piercing shop that you're planning to check out. Nowadays it's very easy to find out if a place is good or not by looking up a place on Yelp. Not only will you be able to read through reviews but many customers also add pictures of the piercings they've gotten. You can also check out the shop's website and social media accounts to get further information and check out their work.
So these are the things that I think everyone who's considering a double helix should know about. Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.
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