Helix piercing
Healing 6–8 months
The helix piercing is a perforation of the helix or upper ear (cartilage) for the purpose of inserting and wearing a piece of jewelry. The piercing itself is usually made with a small gauge hollow piercing needle, and typical jewelry would be a small diameter captive bead ring, or a stud.
Sometimes, two helix piercings hold the same piece of jewelry, usually a barbell, which is called an industrial piercing.
Piercing process
A sterile needle is pushed through the cartilage and then kept in while the jewelry is added. This can be painful, depending on the individual's pain threshold, and bleeding and swelling are expected after the piercing process, especially if the jewelry is bumped or snagged on hair or clothing.
Piercing guns are not commonly used due to a risk of shattering the cartilage, infection, and sudden shock to the ear.
After care
Daily Care Routine Do not touch your piercing unless you are cleaning it. Unwashed hands carry bacteria and your piercing is a point where these bacteria can penetrate below your skin and cause an infection. While healing, your piercing will need to be cleaned once daily. Cleaning more often than this will harm your piercing. You will need to use an antibacterial soap that contains either chloroxylenol or triclosan (e.g. Dettol Liquid Soap). The step-by-step procedure is:
-Wash your hands with antibacterial soap. -Wet the piercing with plain water. -Put a few drops of antibacterial soap on the piercing and work them into a lather with a cotton bud. -Try to loosen any crusted discharge and float it off the jewelry and your skin with the cotton bud. -Leave the antibacterial soap on the piercing for two minutes while rotating the jewelry back and forth, allowing the disinfectant to penetrate the piercing. -Rinse with water and air dry thoroughly. Do not dry with a towel, which may carry bacteria. [1][2]
Avoid oral contact, rough play and contact with other people's bodily fluids on or near your piercing during the healing period.
Avoid submerging the pierced area in bodies of water such as lakes, pools, etc. during the healing period.
Avoid all beauty products such as makeup and sprays during the healing period.
Never use alcohol swabs, Betadine, hydrogen peroxide or tea tree oil to clean your piercing [1] avoid over-cleaning, which can delay your healing by irritating the area.
Avoid undue trauma such as friction from clothing, excessive motion, and playing with the jewelry. These activities can cause the formation of unsightly and uncomfortable scar tissue, migration, prolonged healing, or other complications.
Initially, some localized swelling or tenderness is normal.
During healing, you may experience some itching, or a secretion of a whitish fluid (NOT PUS) that will form around the jewelry. Cleaning as listed above will lessen this. The tissue may tighten around the jewelry as it heals.
Lavender Oil lubricates the piercing and is reputed to reduce scar tissue and prevent tightening. It must be used in its dilute form, a drop applied to each side of the piercing with a cotton bud, the excess removed, and then the jewelry moved back and forth through the piercing. The correct dilution is 10 drops lavender oil in 15mls grapeseed or sweet almond oil.
Remember that a piercing MAY seem healed before the healing time is complete. This is because piercings heal from the outside in, and although it feels healed, the tissue remains fragile on the inside. One should remain patient during the healing period.
Healing
The helix piercing usually takes 6–8 months to heal. In some cases, however, it takes as little as 2 months and as long as a year to heal. As with all piercings, a person with a new helix piercing needs to keep it clean to prevent infection and complications. Knocking the piercing or rotating the jewelry may prolong the healing time as it can usually break away the clot/scab/plug that is preventing the bleeding. The jewelry acts like a plug, so removing it before the piercing has properly healed may cause complications.
