Helix piercing experiences - a poll

[GameOfLifer]

I had my helix pierced at uni with a gun, I wasn’t great if taking care of it and the butterfly back earring was uncomfortable. I persevered for a few months but ultimately took it out.
Now “a few” years later I’m enjoying getting new piercings again and I’m keen on getting a helix or maybe even a double helix. However from the old mn threads I’ve read quite a few people give up on the healing process and remove them.
So, my question is: if you have had your helix pierced (with a needle) did you manage to see out the healing process?

3 helix one side and 1 on the other. All done with a needle at Holier than Thou in Mcr. All had bars in to begin with and no issues with any of them. I was very ‘on it’ getting the bars downsized and I think that helped. I now have hoops through the triple and a bar in the other.

Forward helix done about 15 years ago, never had a problem with it.
Done with needle at a piercing place in the laines in brighton.
Have a conch and tragus and lobe piercings, the Tragus was the one that I nearly gave up on, but glad I didn't. Took a year to heal properly.

I had mine done less than theee weeks ago so don’t know about long term but so far so good. It’s healing nicely.
didn’t hurt I sleep on one of those travel pillows clean it by using the shower and not touching it. Dry with hairdryer on cool shot and so far so good
think I’m going to get my Tagus done next week.

So I had my first helix piercing in one ear done 15 years ago, I seem to remember it healed fine. The second I did with a drawing pin before a young farmers ball, weirdly also healed okay I think. Then this year, March time I think, I decided to have at my other ear, had two helix piercings, my tragus, my conch and a couple of extra lobe piercings too. Frankly it’s been a cunt of a job. Looks amazing, now, but the tragus got really infected and I had to take it out, and the rest are sore herrr and there still now. The conch was the easiest. Admittedly I do have a little’un who grabs my ears regularly still so that probably didn’t help

Had mine done about 5 years ago with a needle and flat back titanium labret. Took about 4 months to heal fully and had no issues with it. Bathed it twice a day with salt water and also twice a day soaked it with a hot, wet chamomile teabag at the recommendation of my piercer.

I had my helix done in January this year, but I went swimming about 2 weeks after I'd had it done (top tip, don't do this! Lol) and it got really badly infected! I got antibiotics and it calmed down but it took longer for me to be able to get it downsized and honestly it still gets angry now and again now so I don't think it's fully healed yet. Best thing to do for sleeping is get a travel pillow and sleep with your ear in the hole.

How do you figure that out? The piercing jewelry should be the same either way surely?

When I first read this I thought you were cleaning your travel pillow in the shower. I got there eventually.
Keen to hear feedback on the tragus too!

Helix was done with a needle in July 2021. The actual piercing wasn’t painful but out of the six ear piercings I have this was by far the hardest to get used to. Couldn’t sleep on it and I kept getting a blister type spot on it that would just come and go. The piercer did say it would take between 6 and 12 months to heal and mine did take the full 12 months. I never got to the point of wanting to take it out but it was definitely challenging! As long as you know it’s going to take a while and that it might be a bit temperamental then do it. Mine is fine now, bubble/blister just seemed to disappear and I can sleep on it comfortably.

Friends recently at Claire's and Accezzorize (sp?)

I've got a forward helix in one ear which healed really quickly and I had no issue, it was probably healed within 6 months. The other ear I have a double helix, pierced with a needle about 6 months apart. These have taken about 3 years to heal fully, I've no idea why it took that long but I remember not being able to sleep on that side for ages.

Oh thanks! I didn’t know Claire’s did that, I thought they just did lobe piercings. I don’t think I’d want a cartilage piercing done with a gun!

DON’T get any piercings with a gun but especially not cartilage. It can shatter. The ear essentially collapses completely. Guns are also not completely sterile - chances of infection are so much higher.

24 hours on and mine is ok, tender if I knock it and was a little blood encrusted this morning but not bad. Throbbing totally stopped. Slept on the other side which I’m sure helped.

Doubles on each side. All done with a gun 😬took longer to heal than regular lobe piercings but not forever and they're fine now, no probs, couple of years later

That’s what I’ve always been told at piercing studios - but with it being not a good idea I would have thought places like Claire’s would not be allowed to do it? Especially since they often attract teen girls etc!

I had a helix piercing done over 30 years ago with a gun. It didn't heal properly at all so I took it out and had it redone slightly higher up with a needle. I honestly don't remember any problems with that one and it's still in place now.
DD had hers done 6 months ago with a needle. She did have a minor infection despite keeping it clean but I suspect she fiddled with it at school. Since that resolved itself, it's been fine and the piercer changed the jewellery a couple of months ago.

As far as I know there have been multiple attempts to make it illegal to piece with a gun but right now it isn’t, and Claire’s etc only care about the money. Awful!

I’ve used Claire’s as have my kids and most kids I know

all our lobe and ear piercings were done with a gun no problem

In response to pp, I never felt my helix (with gun) piercing

I didn’t even know she’d done it

You were lucky. It’s incredibly risky.

I had mine done with a needle but it wasn’t really painful either! What did they pierce you with though? I had a different type of jewelry in my helix than lobes?

Just a regular sterling silver stud

Mine was a bit of a pain to be honest – took ages to heal and was very sore to sleep on. Then it got ripped out and I ended up with an infected piercing bump which was VERY sore. Piercers sorted it for me though and it healed. It was fine once I swapped for a shorter flat-backed piercing and now gives me no trouble at all. But I’d say it was a good 8 months of healing, and I normally don’t have any issues with piercings.

I have a helix with gun 20 years ago, a matching helix on other ear 2 months ago, by tattooist needle and labret. The 20 year piercing still gets irritable. Have 2 lobes as well and a daeth. Both helixes took ages to heal, but the most recent is doing really well, but need to sleep mindful. Punching the pillow speaks to me

I was told to sleep on a travel pillow with my ear in the hole on that side, to avoid any pressure on the piercing/ stop the earring itself moving around before the post is downsized. Seems to be working well so far.