The Most Painful Ear Piercings: A Comprehensive Guide to Piercing Pain Levels

Ear piercings have been a popular form of self-expression for centuries. From traditional lobe piercings to more adventurous cartilage piercings, there is a wide range of options available. However, one factor that often concerns potential piercing enthusiasts is the level of pain associated with each type of piercing.

In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the world of ear piercings to discuss the most painful options. So, if you're ready to discover which ear piercings are more likely to cause discomfort, let's get started!

What Can you Do About it?

So, what can you do if you really want a piercing but with the lowest amount of pain possible? First, make sure you select a piercing artist with plenty of experience in their field at a reputable piercing parlor. An experienced piercer will be more likely to get you through your piercing quickly while still ensuring everything is placed properly to heal correctly. The piercing artists at Pierced in the Upper Canada Mall in Newmarket have vast experience to make sure your piercing is as painless as possible.

Second, choose your piercing wisely.

While all piercings will hurt somewhat, some are known for being much more painful than others. In addition to the pain while getting the piercing done in the first place, you might also want to take healing time into account. Most piercings don’t hurt a lot while healing, but depending on where they are on your body they may cause discomfort during the healing process. Below, we’ve compiled a list of the most painful ear piercings to help you make the best possible choice for your body.

Most Painful Ear Piercings (in no particular order)

Industrial Piercing

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that all of the piercings on our list of most painful ear piercings are cartilage piercings. Compared to the soft and fleshy lobes on your ears, the harder cartilage areas take much more force to punch through. This can make for a painful or uncomfortable experience.

So when taking into account that cartilage piercings are going to be higher on the pain scale, the industrial piercing is the clear winner for most painful ear piercing.

The industrial piercing is a super popular piercing amongst piercing fanatics. This stylish piercing goes through two parts of the ear with a long barbell that can be worn as is or even adorned with dangling charms for a more unique and personalized look. However, the two holes required for an industrial the reason for the potential pain involved in this piercing. Both of those holes go through cartilage, making this a difficult piercing for those wishing to minimize pain as much as possible. Do keep in mind, however, that when done with a caring and experienced hand, the pain should still be over relatively quickly.

Industrial piercings take about 3 to 9 months to heal. During the healing process, you must be extra diligent to keep the area clean and to avoid letting any irritating hair products like hairspray touch the area. You also may need to adjust your sleeping habits for comfort.

Conch Piercing

Next on our list is the Conch piercing. This stylish piercing punches directly through the inner shell of the ear. This particular part of the ear has much thicker cartilage and only a very thin layer of skin. The thicker cartilage can account for some intense pressure while getting pierced, making it land on the more painful end of the scale. However, unlike the industrial piercing, a conch piercing is done with a single hole, making it much quicker overall. A conch piercing also takes 3 to 9 months to heal and will require a regular cleaning regiment using a salt water solution.

Cartlidge Dermal Punching

Stretched and gauged piercings are becoming more and more popular every day. However, stretching is really only a viable option for piercings done in fleshy areas. While it’s possible to stretch a cartilage piercing, it really isn’t recommended. This is where cartilage dermal punching comes into place.

A dermal punch uses a small tool that was traditionally used to remove tissue samples for biopsies to punch a larger hole in your outer or inner conch. Needless to say, this is going to cause more pain than a simple small gauge piercing. The results, however, can be quite eye catching!

Finding a piercing artist who is experienced in dermal punching is of utmost importance when deciding to go this route, both to minimize pain and to assure it is done safely and correctly as it is an extremely delicate procedure. Dermal punch healing time differs due to placement and gauge of the punch.

Need an experienced piercer who knows what they’re doing?

Working with an experienced piercer can make all the difference when it comes to the amount of pain you may experience. If you are concerned about the level of pain with regards to various ear piercings, give us a call or stop by today. We’d love to help walk you through what to expect and help you choose the right option.