Ear piercing cartlidge

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So perhaps I'm having midlife crisis but I want my ear cartlidge pierced. I know it'll hurt. But I want it done. I've been looking at the sort of stuff Maria Tash does but she's in New York so that's not going to happen.

I'd like a nice diamond stud (a teeny one) but all the tattoo/piercing places I've looked up only offer titanium earrings/hoops.

Does anyone know anywhere in Manchester/Liverpool which offers this sort of jewellery?

Thanks in advance.

You'd need a titanium piercing when its first done because it's the safest type for a new piercing - less risk of infection etc. That's why they use titanium in surgery.

Once it's healed you can switch it to whatever you like.

Make sure you go to a reputable piercing studio and that they use a needle and not a gun. Use salt water to cleanse twice a day and don't turn the piercing. It probably won't hurt as much as you think!

Oh I see! That makes sense. Thanks Fairylea

You can buy high-end gold and diamond jewellery that is suitable for fresh piercings - BVLA are an excellent (but expensive) brand.

BeautyGoesToBenidorm is a good person to ask for advice on this.

Liberty now sells Maria Tash jewellery online... www.liberty.co.uk/fcp/categorylist/designer/maria-tash?gclid=Cj0KEQjw6am-BRCTk4WZhLfd4-oBEiQA3ydA3iaB7Dwi9hkxE1TcIroSlfyq6WSPcVrjXpEILhMgTxcaAvdx8P8HAQ

It's expensive but beautiful.

Got mine done at Claire's 20 years ago. It didn't hurt. Still going strong. :)

You could have a gem ball?

Oh I forgot the main bit. They pierced it with a tiny gold/zircon stud.

Maria Tash have a full salon in Liberty now, if you can get to London

You can get it done at Claire's with a gold stud, think they do 9ct and 18ct now, with a cubic zirconia stone. They pierce with a gun whereas a tattoo/piercing place would probably use a needle. They do get training at Claire's, so they are more than capable of doing it, but for extra peace of mind get the manager or assistant manager to do it because they've probably had the most practice!

Don't get it done anywhere with a gun, particularly for a cartilage piercing. Guns work by pushing the stud / earring through with lots of force. They can actually shatter cartilage and can leave a keloid scar. I know because it happened to me and I still have it now aged 36 (had it done when 17).

A reputable tattoo and piercing studio will use a very sharp sterile needle that will pass easily through the cartilage meaning there will be very little scarring. They will probably also use a titanium bar rather than a stud which will allow enough room for any swelling to breathe rather than being squashed in the short space of a stud.

Fairy's right - my niece had hers pierced at Claire's, and the cartilage shattered. It's never healed and she still has problems with it nearly ten years later.

I've just looked at holier than thou in Manchester and it says they use titanium but can also use high end 14 or 18 karat gold. They're on Oldham street and pierce with needle

Bloody marvellous - thank you all very much. Tempted as I am to use this as an excuse to gadabout London by myself I'll look at Holier than Thou as it's reasonably local. Thx ageingrunner.

I have spent an enjoyable half hour looking at BVLA's stuff too - cheers Tea. It is expensive though is it? I already thinking I need a few extra piercings....

I'll give Claire's a miss. Just the thought of a gun and my lovely cartlidge disintegrating is enough to put me off the whole thing.

I'll keep you updated if anyone's interested.

Definitely a needle and titanium till it's healed. I also find with cartilage ones it's best to leave an earring in if you can sleep with one in!

If you're in/ near the north east I can recommend a couple of places that get amazing reviews!

Cartilage doesn't hurt getting done ime. Can be slower healing due to less blood flow but I've never had any problems with mine since getting them done. Salt water at the start and regularly changing pillow cases to keep it clean, slept on the opposite side for a while.

MrsRaymond terrible advice. Piercing anything with a gun should be banned, especially in cartilage, which as previously mentioned can shatter from a gun. People should go a proper piercers, Claire's staff are not properly trained, if they were they wouldn't use guns.

It wont hurt much at all but dont do it with gun
Do it at piercing place with needle
This is because of the impact on the cartilage with the gun, needle wont hurt more but it will be a better result. And yes surgical metal such as titanium or what they recommend

Oh yes, I had a keloid scar. I ended up paying privately to have it fixed by a cosmetic surgeon. This was years ago. I never understood at the time why it happened, but now I suspect it was the piercing gun that caused it

Paperdoll - I worked for Claires for 6 years...had training courses for ear piercing and trained others to do it. I never shattered anyone's cartilage and nobody who worked for me did either. There is a higher risk of this with a gun, but it's not terrible advice, it's informed advice.

Holier than thou are who I use and they're brilliant, highly recommend them. Clean, experienced and friendly with it. They've done my helix and my nose and I'll be having more helix piercings done with them.

Piercing ears at Claire's absolutely does not make you trained. Any trained person would know NEVER to use a gun. How would you know you hadn't shattered anyone's cartilage?? Someone daft enough to go to Claire's might not attribute the damage to the gun, just to that fact it was cartilage. Please ignore any advice to use a gun op!!!

Do not go to Claires to get it done and do not get it done with a gun. All of DD's friends who had it done at Claires have shattered cartlidge. We found a place who did it with a needle. DD has had no issues..