If you’re interested in ear piercings or body piercings in general, you may have heard the term “helix piercing” before when talking about cartilage ear piercings. If you’re not sure what that is or want to know more, keep reading for a quick guide to the different kinds of helix piercings, helix trends, and jewelry styles.
A helix piercing is any piercing done in the cartilage along the outer and upper ear. There are several different kinds of helix piercings so it can get a little confusing if you’re just learning what they are. The helix piercing is a type of cartilage piercing, which is a piercing of the cartilage of the inner and outer ear or nose.
Listed below are some of the common types of helix piercings that you can get.
Classic Helix Piercing
A classic helix piercing is a single piercing in the outer cartilage of your ear. The jewelry for this piercing can be a stud or ring as well as a cartilage clicker that resembles a hoop but has a hinged barbell.
Double and Triple Helix Piercings
A double helix piercing is in the same place as the classic but has two piercings in the same area, one on top of the other. The triple helix is a cluster of three in a row. Double and triple helix piercing jewelry is generally studs or rings unless the double helix piercing is an industrial piercing.
An industrial piercing is two piercings in different parts of the helix, about an inch to 1.5 inches apart with a long barbell that is worn through both piercings.
Forward Helix Piercing
A forward helix piercing is a piercing of the cartilage just above your tragus, close to your face. Like the regular helix piercing, you can get a double or even triple forward helix piercing too so the variations to your look are endless.
Helix Piercing Jewelry
Helix piercings are popular because there are several different ways you can get your helix pierced, and there’s plenty of room so if you love lots of piercings you can create a custom look. Several types of jewelry can be worn in helix piercings, whether you have one piercing or many, including:
- hoops
- captive rings
- horseshoe earrings
- cartilage studs
- cartilage clickers
- curved barbells
- spiral curved barbells
A major trend in piercing is to get unique combinations of forward and outer helix piercings done with cartilage piercings of the inner ear to create a curated pierced ear look that is totally your own. Because there are so many types of body jewelry to choose from, you can really get creative and express yourself with your cartilage piercings.
If you’re interested in a fun, personalized pierced look but aren’t ready to stretch your ears to move into plugs then a helix piercing or three is a great choice for you. Make an appointment with your trusted, professional piercer to see what kind of helix piercings would look amazing on you!
