The Student Room Group

Cartilage Piercing?

So at the moment I only have my lobes pierced but recently I have thought I might like to get my cartilage pierced, but I have a few questions. I don't really want to rush into it and then take it out or something, especially as this is my first piercing since i was about 11.
Also I'm going on holiday on 5th July, so a lot of swimming and air travel messes up my ears anyway (not that it should be a problem with a piercing?) but would you suggest waiting until I get back?

How much does it hurt?

How long does it take to heal?

Is it easy to clean ect. afterwards?

How much should you expect to pay?

Can you swim and things soon after you've had it done?

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Reply 1
I got my tragus done, only cartilage I have done.
Hurt most out of any piercing, however I went to Blue Banana, don't get it done there!!
Fully healing takes months, however healed enough to change or sleep on wasn't as long.
Easy to clean? They all are really, unless you get a cartilage lump which hurt like hell to get rid off as you have to scrub it off, literally!
Wouldn't expect anything over £15 for a cartilage, my latest piercing was almost cartilage, really high up on lobe so she treated it as a cartilage, that was £7 or £10 I can't remember lol.
Swimming, I swam with dolphins 7 weeks after, had to take it out and put it back in later and all was fine but I could be the exception.

Ask your piercer if you are unsure :smile:
Reply 2
Also tragus stops earphones and ear plugs going in properly at first
Reply 3
i got the top of my ear done and it hurt after it was done and the first couple of weeks after i had it done
it can take up for a year to heal
it is easy to clean but depends on if you have a stud or ring, i got a right and i used cotton buds, salt water and sometimes savlon
i paid £10 for mine
i guess you can swim afterwards but make sure you clean it asap
Reply 4
ive got the top of my ear done twice first time it was really sore and swelled, wasnt comfortable to sleep on and oozed a bit, but i put savlon on it and it went down over night. Second time it was sore but put savlon on it around two days after and had no problems.

my two were both ten pounds, and were easy to clean. If you are getting the top of your ear done get a ring instead of a bar they are much easier to clean.
I would suggest you wait until after your holiday. Cartilage piercings are usually pretty troublesome so I wouldn't dream of adding chlorinated (and dirty) pool water into the equation.

I've got 3 cartilage piercings, have had 4 in total.

Yes, they hurt, how much depends on your pain threshold.
Yes, cartilage piercings can be a bugger to heal. Upto a year for healing (and that's discounting any granulomas you get).
As easy to clean as any other piercing, generally.
I paid £30 for my conch.
Again, swimming in my book, is a complete No-Go until it is FULLY healed.
Reply 6
I'd wait until after your holiday.

I had the top of my ear done about 8 years ago and it still hurts sometimes when I sleep on it. Mine also went a bit manky after I'd had it done so I'd wait till after your holiday just to be safe!
wait, mine was a little tricksy for about 6 months after i got it done, hurt like a bitch but was totally worth it! wouldnt pay any more than £15 for a tragus, clean it twice a day with salt water and dont swim for 6 weeks after, same with tattoo's
Please make sure you go somewhere reputable, and DON'T get it done with a gun.
Reply 9
I had mine for a year, but I never felt like it healed properly, probably because after i got it done i realised i toss and turn alot in bed.. i think i spent £15 on it.. =) i got it done in a nice place and it was over really quick and with numbing spray so it didnt really hurt, more just a dull ache in the evenings!
I'm sure if you clean it for the first month and make sure you dont sleep on it, you'll be fine :smile:
By the way when i was thinking of getting mine done i looked on lots of websites and one of the main things that came up was to make sure make sure when you get it done they use a needle and not a gun.. something about the latter running a risk of shattering the cartilage;( i dont think its likely but probably not worth the risk) so ask when you go :smile:

x x
[QUOTE='Flo[ProActiv]']Please make sure you go somewhere reputable, and DON'T get it done with a gun.
Best post so far =)
Reply 11
I found that getting a cartilage piercing was quick and painless. it healed quicker than my lobe piercings, and i found changing the earings much easier.
It cost me about £7 and i got it done with a gun, and it cleaning it with salt water & surgical spirit to be really simple. I'd reccomend waiting til you get back though (:
best o' luck
Reply 12
I got my Tragus pierced about 8 months ago, didn't hurt at all cause it was sprayed with numbing spray. I've heard from people that have had it done without numbing spray that it hurt, but I guess it all depends on your own personal pain threshold.
Definitely get it done after you've been on holiday though, you don't want an infected ear ruining your holiday!
Oh... I paid £25 for mine, It's a lot more than everyone else has been saying, but I've had absolutely no problems with mine so think it was totally worth it! :smile:
Good luck
-x-
Reply 13
I got the top of my ear done (with a gun), there weren't any problems, my ear didn't fall off etc etc. I can't remember how much it cost but I think it was around £7. It's very easy to clean afterwards so don't worry about that :smile: Mine got infected so it took a while to heal but my friend's healed after a couple of months.
I'd also advise you to get it done after your holiday unless you can get it done in the next couple of days :smile:
How much do u think it will be then and what's the pain like and what earring is better to get I'm 13 years old I really want it done and I just need all the help I can get
I'm a qualified eat piercer & I trained with Caflon and we can only use the Caflon gun for lobe & cartilage so using a gun on cartilage is okay..
Original post by Bamitznicole
I'm a qualified eat piercer & I trained with Caflon and we can only use the Caflon gun for lobe & cartilage so using a gun on cartilage is okay..


Of course the manufacturer is going to say that!


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They can't just say that, its the biggest ear piercing name ever, health and safety wouldnt allow it if it wasn't safe, there not just a manufacturer they do training courses, each to there own, if anyone has ever had a problem with a cartilage piercing with a gun, its most likely there fault for not doing the after care they was told...
Or possibly the blunt force trauma caused by piercing with a too blunt stud instead of a sterile needle.

Piercing is hardly a highly regulated industry. Anyone can buy a piercing gun on the internet and poke away.

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Reply 19
Gun on cartlidge..... No! Not at all.


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