Contents : 

1. Where are the helix and anti-helix?
2. Gun or needle?

3. What about the price?
4. Care, advice and healing
5. Changing jewelry 

6. Ear cuff rings: fake piercings you'll love

Located on the upper part of the ear (composed of cartilage), these piercings are a little more painful to perform than those on the lobe. It's precisely the presence of cartilage that makes these piercings a little more delicate. 

I don't know about you, but whether it's with little creoles or ear chips, I think the helix and antihelix are clearly among the trendiest piercings! And it has to be said, they really enhance the ear!

But as you can imagine, you'll really have to take care of it! 

If you've fallen for one of our earrings, find it here. here.

As I said, this piercing is a little more delicate... So, even if it's tempting to go to a jeweller's to have your piercing done with a spray gunI strongly advise you to go to a professional piercer a professional piercer who will pierce you with a needle! In addition to guaranteeing a clean, precise piercing, it's the safest and most hygienic alternative!
Sure, it'll cost you a bit more, but you'll be dealing with a person you'll be dealing with a professional.

Of course, make sure that sterile equipment is used and that the the following hygiene rules are observed :

• The premises must be clean. 
  
  
• The room where you will be drilled must be reserved for this purpose and isolated (separate from the reception area or any other room). 
  
  
• The piercer must use a new, single-use needle: check that the little bag with the needle has never been opened. He must open it in front of you and throw the needle away after piercing you.
  
  
• The driller must wash his hands before and after drilling and dry them with a clean disposable paper towel. He must also wear sterile gloves to limit the risk of transmitting viruses and bacteria.  
  
  
• The prosthesis he will fit you with must be made of surgical steel or titanium.

Gun piercings , on theother hand, are more risky: they can break the cartilage, cause infections and prevent your piercing from healing properly...

I'm going to be a killjoy and insist on this point, but it's important! An ear piercing may seem harmless, but it's important to take every precaution to avoid infection!

After a little investigation at the piercer's(of course), a helix or anti-helix piercing costs an average of €35 .

So, now that you've been to a professional piercer and have your brand new piercing, what are the right things to do? How do you get your helix piercing to heal properly? How do you disinfect it properly? Because piercing is only the first step! 

The healing process depends on the individual, but it should be noted that helix piercings can take between 3 and 12 months to heal .

Between you and me, I think it's an urban legend that it takes 3 months to heal. My helix piercings took 1 year to completely heal!

So, just in case your piercer hasn't done his duty to inform you properly, we're going to explain exactly how to clean and disinfect your piercing. 

But before that, we've put together a little list of "Do's and don'ts". These are little things we don't necessarily think about (and aren't always told), but which are important to us!

So, first things first, we tell you right away what NOT to do during the healing phase.

• Touching your piercing while it'shealing is the number-one cause of infection!
  
  
• Remove your piercing and change your jewelry before the end of the healing process (minimum 3 months, but between us, I wouldn't say before 6 months).
  
  
• Putting alcohol on your piercing is a bad idea for disinfection: alcohol is irritating, dries out the skin and can slow down or even prevent healing.
  
  
• Use hydrogen peroxide to disinfect: hydrogen peroxide not only kills bacteria, but also destroys the skin cells that rearound the piercing. Using this product for too long will reduce the chances of healing.
  
  
• Overuse of betadine: you can use betadine for the first few days, but not over the long term, as it may delay healing. Betadine is effective for resolving infections, but when used for too long, it can destroy healed tissue. It also discolors gold jewelry, and many people develop dermal sensitivity to it.
  
  
• Putting on a bandage would prevent proper healing.
  
  
• Take aspirin or drink alcohol excessively during the first 15 days: these are anticoagulants, and slow down the healing process.

• Thoroughly clean and disinfect your piercing for at least 3 weeks, morning and night!
  
  
• Change your pillowcases once a week.
  
  
• Paying attention to your helix piercing when you put on a T-shirt, comb your hair or put on your headphones... Trust me, you don't want that pain!

Now let's get to the heart of the matter: cleaning and disinfecting your piercing. Because yes, they're two different things, and you need to attach as much importance to one as the other.  

Cleaning your piercing will remove any dirt that may have accumulated around it or even inside it, and disinfecting it will eliminate germs and prevent infection.

• Wash hands thoroughly with antiseptic soap and dry with a clean towel.
  
  
• Rinse your piercing with lukewarm water and, using a cotton bud and mild antibacterial soap, remove any residue around the wound and/or on the jewelry (don't use your fingernails for this!).
  Don't tear off the scabs if they don't go away on their own - they'll eventually fall off on their own.
  
  
• Then rinse thoroughly with saline solution, moving the piercing DELITICATEALLY to remove residues and soap.

• Leave the piercing to dry, or use a sterile compress or paper towel (not cotton, as this will leave fibres!).

Diaseptyl ®: personally, I've always used it to disinfect my helix piercings, and I've never had an infection.

Easy Piercing ®: this disinfectant is specially formulated and highly recommended by professional piercers.

We've already told you above, but a reminder never hurts: don 't remove your prosthesis within 3 months of drilling!

Don't give in to the temptation to put in a new piercing immediately after piercing, as you'll increase the risk of infection...

3 months later...

We can FINALLY remove this prosthesis which, let's be honest, is never very stylish! 

I advise you to choose piercings in gold (18 or 14 carats), gold-plated, silver, surgical steel or titanium! These are metals that will respect your ear and prevent you from getting infections. 

Gold-plated piercings should be avoided at all costs.

Why is this? Gold-plated piercings oxidize very quickly because the layer of gold is so thin(unlike gold-plated). You'll end up with a brass piercing (that's usually the basis of gold-plated jewelry), and I'm not sure your ear piercing will appreciate it... 

You're going to say "yes, but gold-plated jewelry also has a brass base, but you recommend it". 

Yes, it's true, but gold-plated jewelry has a minimum layer of 3 microns of gold! That's why gold-plated jewelry holds up so well. By the time the gold disappears, you'll have time to change your piercing 10 times! 

Your helix piercing will be in contact with gold, a noble material, for years to come. 

If you'd like to find out more, don't hesitate to read our article on differences between gold and gold plating.