double helix piercing double helix piercing

Double Helix Piercing: Important Facts to Keep in Mind

Where there is beauty, there is also pain. And honestly, a lot of girls will agree. May it be waxing, threading, or even double helix piercings.

Double helix piercings are comparatively the least painful piercings of your ear cartilage. Ear piercings were and still are fashionable and will remain so for the foreseeable future.

Some opt for single, triple, or multiple studs on the earlobe or ear cartilage. Piercing is the most preferred because it helps you flaunt the body jewelry.

What is an Ear Piercing?

shutterstock 515811724 scaled
Macrovector on Shutterstock

Piercing is a procedure that involves piercing the skin in one or more locations to implant a ring or other piece of jewelry. There can be ear piercings, face piercings, and many other body piercings.

There are many different types of ear piercings to choose from. Unique ear piercings and attractive earrings have become very popular in recent years.

The cartilage and earlobe piercings are the most commonly pierced areas. For ear piercing, many options could be opted for. Some of them are:

1. Forward helix piercing

2. Helix piercings

3. Tragus piercing

4. Rook piercing

5. Anti-tragus piercing

6. Lobe piercing

7. Inner lobe piercing

8. Outer conch piercing

9. Inner conch piercing

10. Snug piercing

11. Orbital piercing

12. Daith piercing

13. Industrial piercing

14. Cartilage piercing

About Double Helix Piercings

Helix Piercings

Any piercing made to the upper cartilage of the ear is referred to as a helix piercing, but there are other types of helix piercings.

A basic helix piercing is done in the outer upper cartilage; however, there are several variations, including backward helix piercings, forward helix piercings, double helix piercings, and triple helix piercings.

Double Helix Piercing

shutterstock 160543679
Axel Bueckert on Shutterstock

The standard double helix piercing is a form of ear piercing that usually has two piercings on your one ear cartilage. In comparison, the typical helix style involves piercing the upper outer cartilage once.

The double helix piercing is popular because it lets you flaunt two earrings that are placed too close to each other. You can wear the same type or separate earrings for a double helix piercing per your preference.

Double helix piercing could be the least painful compared to the other piercings, but the pain level varies from person to person.

Does Helix Pierce Hurt?

Double helix piercing pain can vary from person to person. The early discomfort could be more intense and can experience sharp pain.

But, once the piercings are completed, you may experience a dull and throbbing pain. The discomfort could last for one to two weeks. The pain is subjective to each person; however, it can be reduced to some extent if a skilled piercer does the piercing.

Double Helix Piercing Procedure

Double Helix Piercing

Your ear piercing can be done in a variety of ways. It can be done with either a piercing gun or a sterile needle. While doing a double helix piercing, it is always preferable to use a needle.

Piercing with a piercing gun can create discomfort and infection, whereas piercing with a needle is faster and more reliable.

Getting an ear piercing or a double helix piercing from a professional piercer or a medical professional is always preferable. The right approach to get a piercing done is to use a hollow needle.

A hollow needle creates a channel that allows the jewelry to fit in and enables the tissue to form around it.

Here is the procedure for double helix piercing:

Step 1: First, decide on the type of jewelry you wish to wear. There may be two options= hoops or studs, so you can choose which one you like.

Step 2: The next step is to clean both the front and back of the ear pierced.

Step 3: Next, indicate the location of the piercing. So, using the mirror, double-check whether the marked spot is to your liking or not.

Step 4: The piercing is done in the marked area using the hollow needle. After the needle is placed, the jewelry is looped through the end.

Step 5: Close the earring end and disinfect the surrounding region.

Note:

a) Check to see if the professional piercer is wearing gloves.

b) After inserting the needle, ensure sure there is enough space for the earring to move around.

c) Always opt for an experienced piercer.

Healing Time for Double Helix Piercing

Piercing experience can vary from person to person. Most people anticipate that they might experience too much pain, but it is different from the actual piercing. But it takes a long time for a double helix piercing1 to heal, and it will be uncomfortable for a long time.

As a result, you must ensure that it is properly cared for over an extended period.

The healing process takes longer because the entire cartilage lacks blood flow, which causes it to take longer. It can take up to six months to nine months, or it can take more months to heal.

The initial healing period will be sore for a while, and the discomfort may last for weeks or even take months to recover fully.

Double Helix Piercing Aftercare

  1. It’s essential to keep the pierced area clean. Do follow the cleaning instructions mentioned by the piercer to avoid infection.
  2. Try to avoid touching the piercing, especially with dirty hands. Always wash your hand before touching the piercing. You can clean the area with a bar of mild soap until the piercing is fully healed.
  3. It can be washed once a day or treated with aftercare supplies if provided by professionals. With the help of a cotton swab, you can also use a saline solution.
  4. It would be best if you were very careful when you are combing, changing your dress, or even while speaking on the phone; try not to use the side of a new piercing. When sleeping at night, avoid sleeping on the side of the new piercing.

Can you do Double Helix Piercings at the Same Time?

You can do a double helix piercing on the same day. Since the healing process takes a long time so doing two can be considered. But it depends upon you and the pain tolerance that you can take in.

You can also wait for a day and do the second piercing or can take your time deciding whether you want to get another one or not. It is advisable not to do more than two or three in one sitting.

How to Remove Double Helix Piercing For the First Time?

Wait about two to three months before removing the jewelry. In terms of the healing process, it differs from person to person. It can heal rapidly or take a long time to heal. Some can take two to three months, while others can take up to six months.

However, you should wait a few months if possible. If there is no irritation or discharge after the first two months, you can change your jewelry. It is strongly advised that you replace your helix piercing for the first time with a professional piercer.

You can do it yourself, but it will be better if you get it done by an experienced piercer. If you are overly rough while replacing your jewelry, the injury may recur, and you will have to wait for it to heal from the beginning.

A professional piercer can assist you in removing your jewelry and can also determine whether or not the piercing is ready to be removed. Be patient and wait till your injury heals, and also consider seeking professional piercing assistance.

Ear piercing
Photo by szefei on Unlimphotos

After Effects of Double Helix Piercing

After helix piercing, the majority of people suffer some discomfort. This could be due to an allergic response and irritation caused due to the jewelry, an incorrect piercing angle, or an injury in the new piercing. One of the most common scars is hypertrophic 2scarring.

A variety of factors can cause an irritated piercing. Slight redness, swelling, a slight lump, slight yellow, or clear discharge are signs of a painful piercing. Some people do not get infected or in pain after their ears are pierced, but others do.

Infected piercings are easy to spot because they cause immense pain and have symptoms that are similar to irritated piercings, but the situation is much worse. It will have a large lump, a yellow-greenish discharge, and sometimes even blood.

It’s a symptom of infection if you feel the heat in your piercing. A foul odour may emanate from the piercing, another indicator of infection.

If you have an infection, you should continue with the aftercare instructions. You can also use the saline solution to clean the area, and if the infection is severe, it is better to visit a doctor.

Points to Keep in Mind Regarding Double Helix Piercing

1. Always be specific about where you want your piercing.

2. Using a stud rather than hoops for the piercing is preferable. Hoops can cause injury, infection, or discharge from the piercing region because hoops can cause a lot of movement.

3. Rather than getting pierced at a random store, try to find a well-experienced piercer. Inquire and choose someone who has experience with your piercing.

4. Never choose a piercing using a piercing gun; instead, choose a piercing with a needle.

5. piercing aftercare is a must, and since healing time is longer, it will require attention for a more extended time.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How long should I wait to change my ear piercing?

It is advised to wait 6 to 8 weeks after getting an ear piercing before trying to switch out your earrings. This is advised because the healing process for a piercing takes 6–8 weeks.

2. What is the fastest healing ear piercing?

The most common, comfortable, and quickly healing type of piercing is an earlobe piercing.

3. Can I take my earrings out after 3 weeks?

You must allow 12 weeks to pass for your cartilage piercing to fully recover before donning new earrings.

Final Thoughts

The trend for double helix piercing will keep going as they are so distinctive!

You can opt for a single or double helix piercing or even opt for a forward helix piercing. People interested in body modification and piercing should think about this as a viable option.

Though it is trending, you must consider that it takes a longer time for healing, so you need to take care of it for a longer time.

  1. Pradhan, Saroj K., et al. “Daith piercing: Revisited from the perspective of auricular acupuncture systems. A narrative review.” Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain (2024). ↩︎
  2. Maron, Barry J., et al. “Diagnosis and evaluation of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: JACC state-of-the-art review.” Journal of the American College of Cardiology 79.4 (2022): 372-389. ↩︎

Last Updated on by Suchi

Author

Anuja.V

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *