Choosing where to get pierced is about more than style — different placements on the ear come with different techniques, healing timelines, and aftercare needs. Here's everything you need to know about cartilage and earlobe piercings, from Rowan's Piercing Nurses.

Lobe Piercings

The earlobe is the soft, fleshy part of the lower ear. A lobe piercing is most commonly the first piercing, making it the most common piercing placement. It's also one of the most versatile: stacked lobe piercings and constellation piercings have become increasingly popular styles for building out a custom ear.

Cartilage Piercings

Cartilage piercings aren't a single placement — they span several distinct spots across the ear's auricle (the visible, cartilage-based outer ear). At Rowan, we offer:

Helix piercing — the rim of the upper ear; also called a high ear piercing or upper ear piercing

Flat piercing — the flat area of the upper inner ear, next to the helix

Mid-helix piercing — between the upper lobe and upper cartilage, near the conch

Conch piercing — the shell-shaped center of the ear (the concha)

Tragus piercing — the small cartilage flap in front of the ear canal

Forward helix piercing — on the upper cartilage rim closest to the face (versus a standard helix, which sits on the rim farthest from the face)

We also offer nose piercing at most of our locations (these are cartilage piercings, too!).

How Long Does Each Piercing Take to Heal?

It’s important to remember that everyone heals differently, regardless of where you got pierced. However, healing time is one of the biggest differences between lobe and cartilage piercings, largely because of blood flow.

Earlobe piercing healing time: Initial healing takes as little as 3 weeks with Rowan's Advanced Aftercare Solution. Full healing takes up to 12 months or more.

Cartilage piercing healing time: Because cartilage has limited blood supply, initial healing takes as little as 8 weeks, with full healing up to 12 months or more. It’s common for the area to stay tender for up to a year.

What Piercing Methods are Best for Each Placement?

Rowan offers two piercing modalities:

Needle piercing uses a single-use, sterilized hollow-bore needle and is recommended for any ear placement. Rowan pairs needle piercings with flat back earrings for optimal healing and comfort. 

Device piercing uses a hand-pressurized tool controlled entirely by your Piercing Nurse, and works on the outer ear perimeter. Device piercings use butterfly-back or bell-back earrings.

Rowan's adverse reaction rate is under 1%, compared to an industry average of 30% — so whichever piercing method you choose, you're in great hands with our Rowan Piercing Nurses.

For more information about the difference between our needle and device methods, head to this blog post.

How Do I Take Care of My Piercings?

Everyone should follow these aftercare instructions:

 

- Always wash your hands – don’t touch your ears unless you’re cleaning them, and always wash your hands before touching your earrings.

- Spray your piercing – use our Advanced Aftercare Solution 2-3 times daily on the front and back of your healing piercing.

- Leave space – regardless of the type of earring you get pierced with, there should be space between your ear and the front and back of the jewelry. If there’s no space, return to your nearest Rowan for an evaluation.

- Disinfect – clean anything that goes in, on, or around your ears (that includes earbuds, headphones, cell phones, glasses, and sunglasses!)

- Rinse & repeat – Rinse your piercing in the shower after using hair products.

- Hypoallergenic earrings only – Wear hypoallergenic earrings 24/7 for at least 1 year to prevent your piercing from closing. 

But aftercare does vary slightly by placement:

- Lobe piercings: rotate the earring a full 360° during daily cleaning

- Cartilage piercings: do not twist the jewelry — this can cause scarring or slow healing

Consistent hygiene is the key to a fast, safe heal no matter where you're pierced.

 

FAQ

 

Is cartilage or lobe piercing more painful?
Everyone experiences pain differently, but studies of our customers have shown no significant difference in pain level between our needle and device piercing methods.

Can I get multiple cartilage piercings at once?
You can! To ensure a safe and comfortable experience, we limit the number of piercings to four per visit. This includes a maximum of three piercings per ear and no more than two piercings on the upper outer perimeter of the ear.

If you want to add more piercings, we recommend waiting at least 2 weeks to allow proper healing before returning for additional piercings.

Please book back-to-back appointment slots if you’d like to get more than two piercings done in one visit. This will give our Piercing Nurse enough time to complete the process safely and thoroughly.

How do I know which piercing is right for me?
Book an appointment with a Rowan Piercing Nurse! They’ll help you with placement options based on your ear anatomy and style goals.