The Earlobe is denoted as the external structure of the ear, which is composed of adipose connective tissues and tough areolar cells. Due to this feature, they lack the firmness and elasticity of the rest of the auricle. In exceptional cases, the lower lobe is connected to the lower side of the face. The fact to be noted is that the earlobes are not considered to perform any major biological function in our body.
What is Earlobe Piercing?
Earlobe piercing is one of the most common and universally accepted types of piercing where the lower part of the ear, the Earlobe is pierced, and any type of jewelry piece can be worn easily. Since this part of the ear does not contain any cartilage, it has a large supply of blood, which makes it warm and balances the whole ear system.
What Happens During An Earlobe Piercing?
Earlobe piercing can be carried out either at a persons home or at the piercing clinic. Here at the steps of how earlobe piercing is actually carried out:
Firstly, the piercer tries to make the client comfortable so that he can follow the piercing process easily.
Nextly, he asks you the exact location where you have to get your Earlobe pierced.
Then, the professional piercer uses either a piercing gun or a needle to pierce your Earlobe and makes a hole in your Earlobe.
He immediately puts a cotton piece at your Earlobe to prevent bleeding.
Usually, a gold earring or a neem stem is firstly inserted into your Earlobe piercing to make it heal as soon as possible.
Earlobe Piercing Jewelry
Usually, the earlobe piercing has a small gauge or a hole, which eventually means that you have to get some jewelry pieces made specifically for lobe piercings whose variety is countless and have tons of jewelry designs to choose from. Here is a list of some favorite designs and styles that are in trend always:
It is an incredibly popular jewelry option where you can choose a stud with a diamond, gemstone, or a charm. Studs are suitable for all clothing types, and only the kind of stud matters sometimes. Staple Earlobe piercing-like studs can be worn in any active situation.
(Video) *VERY IMPORTANT* Piercer Shares 10 Steps Before You Get A PiercingDangle pieces give you more room for intricate and fashionable designs. Often, dangle earrings or hanging jewelry pieces are in trend as they are usually worn in fancier events, parties, or when you want to pop your earrings. The dangle earrings have a wide range of jewelry pieces starting from the western look to pure Indian ones.
Hoop designs are also quite popular in lobe piercings as they are easily worn in no time, are lighter than other classes of earlobe piercings, and can be carried anywhere and anytime. They are specifically small hoops like babies, which are worn normally during the day.
Open hoop earlobe piercings are relatively similar to hoops, but variation is seen along with the size of the rings. While most earrings have a hanging appearance, open hoop earrings are a small charm or ball that peeks from the piercing hole with a half-hoop that curves around the back of the Earlobe with a charm or dangle that hangs below the Earlobe. It offers a different aesthetic that can bring new life to your lobe piercing.
Screw back stud earrings offer a more secure hold. Screw back stud earrings are a great choice for young children with lobe piercings or those with a more active lifestyle.
What to do before an Earlobe Piercing?
Although, one need not do anything before the piercing process but choosing the right place of piercing is essential, and here are some methods you can follow:
You can choose between the helix point of the Earlobe and the main earlobe area to get your earlobe piercing done.
Helix is located in the outer region of the Earlobe, whereas the central earlobe region is at its center.
One should choose a professionally trained and experienced piercer to get their Earlobe or any type of piercing done successfully because, after all, it is a lifetime matter of your ears and outlook.
Earlobe Piercing Pain and The Healing Process
This type of piercing is mostly carried out at an early age before being even ten years old, and thus, the pain at that time may feel more than what it actually is.
No doubt, earlobe piercing will hurt as a needle is inserted into your Earlobe to make a hole there. However, the pain level majorly depends upon the level of experience of the piercer.
The earlobe piercing takes almost six to eight weeks to get healed. The after-care methods in earlobe piercing play a major role in reducing the healing time.
Adopting natural homecare methods is a favorable option rather than going for medicines and injections to reduce your pain and healing time. Homecare remedies include applying turmeric paste at your Earlobe, inserting the appropriate size of neem stem, and avoid wearing artificial jewelry for the first two to three months of piercing are some of the standard methods to get rid of piercing pain and reduce healing time.
Earlobe Piercing Aftercare and Cleaning
There are some after-care and cleaning tips mentioned below which you should follow to take care of your earlobe piercing:
Saline water cleaning is one of the appropriate methods to quickly clean your Earlobe and prevent it from bleeding.
Avoid rotating your jewelry piece during healing time. Only keep cleaning your piece using a saline spray, cotton dipped in water, or by simple soap and water solution daily.
Try not to sleep with your earpiece on as it may exert more pressure on your Earlobe due to that jewelry piece, which can cause further problems and infections.
How to Make Your Earlobe Piercing Last Longer?
Proper cleaning and after-care are essential to make your earlobe piercing last longer. Here are some effective cleaning tips which you can follow to make your earlobe piercing last longer:
Make cleaning the Earlobe piercing a routine with your daily cleaning activities.
Make sure that you wash your hands before touching the piercing as interacting with the piercing with dirty hands can give birth to bacteria and other infections.
Use some clean cotton pads dipped in rubbing alcohol to remove any bacteria around the piercing.
Dab the piercing with a clean towel or tissue, so you dont damage the tissue while its healing. Make sure that you dont wipe it up.
Applying a small layer of petroleum jelly can be useful to smoothen your earlobe area and give you relief.
(Video) Ear Piercing Aftercare & Cleaning | UrbanBodyJewelry.comAlways clean the earlobe and piercing piece whenever you put it off and put it back at its place.
Avoid washing your piercing in the bathroom because even the cleanest of the bathrooms have tiny bacteria and germs roaming around.
Dont use any shampoo or body cleaning shower gel at your piercing place. Normal clean soap and water are enough.
Earlobe Piercing Infections
Fashion queens from every culture and era in history have experimented with earrings and have the ability to adorn them effortlessly. From simple stud looks to bold statement designs, earrings in every form beautify and embrace ones personality.
As many as one-third of individuals who get piercings, experience various infections due to ear piercing, and it is mainly because of improper hygiene, unsanitary instruments, or inadequate after-care and cleaning methods.
Treating an Ear Piercing Infection
Some simple Earlobe piercing care habits, methods, and solutions can effectively reduce symptoms of an infection. Some of them are listed below:
Always keep your hands clean with soap and water before you touch your ears as bacteria on your hands can transfer onto newly created piercings, accumulate, and make this area a breeding ground for germs, which results in infections and bleeding. Similarly, avoid touching your piercings or pulling on your earrings while wearing them.
For some infections, antibiotic ointments and antiseptic solutions can provide systematic relief. You can remove your earrings and wash them with rubbing alcohol every four hours to sterilize them properly.
In extreme situations, you should prescribe doctors and take the required precautions and medications. You can follow acetaminophen or ibuprofen to manage piercing pain.
Once your piercing infection clears, insert your light and small earrings and keep them untouched for six weeks as piercings holes will get time to adjust to their new shape.
How To Prevent An Ear Piercing Infection
Wearing only quality jewelry made out of stainless steel or 14-karat gold can significantly reduce the chance of experiencing an infection.
(Video) Comprehensive Guide to Lobe PiercingsHypoallergenic metal-crafted earrings such as platinum and titanium can provide especially good protection against piercing infection and associated problems like contact dermatitis. You should avoid wearing nickel-based jewelry, which is inexpensive but can cause unnecessary allergic reactions and infections.
Choose earrings that have quite stable back holdings that can hold your earpiece effectively and do not smash your earlobe piercing.
Opt to wear studs instead of dangling earrings so that they can protect you against skin tearing and accidental snagging, both of which are signs of open infection to you.
Dont press the backings of the earrings against your ears too tightly and firmly, as this can apply more pressure to an already light and sensitive area.
Make sure that you take off your earrings when you are going to sleep to properly expose your piercings and earpieces to the healing properties of air and reduce healing time.
Also, along with Earlobe and earpieces, wash your regular items which are in contact with your ears like pillows and phones, to avoid cross-contamination and additional infections.
Always ensure that you are visiting only real piercing studios or hair salons that employ licensed professional piercers and offer sterile techniques and equipment to perform the service, which makes your piercing smooth and prevents you from any risks and side effects.
Cost Of Earlobe Piercing
The earlobe piercing usually costs between $40 and $60. This is only the cost of getting a piercing done. The jewelry pieces that you would wear have an additional cost. Some piercers provide free piercing services in which you only have to pay for the jewelry. Those piercers may use unsafe piercing equipment, which can cause harm to your Earlobe.
Also, you might have gone through or seen parents piercing their childs Earlobe. This can be a success as well as can have serious effects sometimes. Thus, going to a real piercing studio and getting your ears pierced is recommended.
The cost of earlobe piercing jewelry entirely depends on you what type and quality of the jewelry you want to wear. Its range is fixed and varies according to the kind of material, size, shape, color, and designs of the jewelry piece.
Type Of Earlobe Piercing
Types of earlobe piercings merely depend on the size of your earlobe, and thats only the end of your creativity. There arent any veins or nerve endings at your Earlobe that you and your piercer have to worry about avoiding, so the only limit to adorn yourself is to your imagination. Here are some widely followed types of earlobe piercings:
Multiple lobe piercings basically consist of double or triple-lobe piercings that usually extend behind the first lobe piercing located at the center of the Earlobe, and they can also be aligned vertically.
Transverse lobe piercings are basically a different area of piercing where the hole is made on the lower side of the Earlobe than at the center. It usually features entrance and exit points that can extend horizontally through the lobe instead of standard lobe piercing. The puncture points can be connected with a captive bead ring or a curved barbell. The curved barbell sometimes creates a double pierced look with small beads that peeks through the bottom of your earlobe.
Stretched lobes are that type of piercing that can be made out of any earlobe piercing. You should slowly increase the gauge and size of your jewelry to stretch your piercing to whatever length you would like. Stretched lobes are like stretching the hole to the whole length and then filling them with whatever type of earpiece you like. But it is like a permanent lobe now because you will need surgery to make it to a normal piercing.