Already Have Your Lobes? Here’s What to Add Next

Already Have Your Lobes?

Here’s What to Add Next

Most people who sit down in my studio started the same way. With their lobes. Maybe at a mall kiosk when they were seven, hopefully not, but it happens. Maybe with me. 🙂

Then, sooner or later, comes the question I hear almost every week:
“What should I get next?”

I love that question. After more than twenty years of piercing, here’s how I help people answer it. Think of this post as your map.

Start with you, not the trend

Trends are fun. But the best next piercing fits your body and your everyday life.

• Your ear shape. Every ear is a little different. Some piercings need a certain fold or ridge to be there. If it isn’t there, no amount of wanting will put it there.
• How you sleep. Side sleeper? Cartilage on that side gets pressed all night. Many people start on the side they don’t sleep on, unless you are determined to find a different way to sleep!
• What sits on your head. Earbuds rest right against the inner ear. Over-ear headphones, hats and glasses press on the upper ear. If you love these gadgets, take that into consideration. If not, you might try to find an alternative device that will accommodate the desired piercing.
• Your phone. If it lives against one ear, think about the other one.
• Your work. Some spots are easy to keep low-key. Others are front and center. You know what is acceptable and not acceptable to your employer, but many employers are much more accepting of accessories than they used to be!

None of these are deal breakers. They just help us pick the right place to start.

---

Map 1: your ear

The easy add: another lobe

A second or third lobe is the gentlest next step. It’s the foundation to the rest of a curated ear and is quick to heal.

The most popular first cartilage: the helix family

The inner ear: tragus, conch and flat

Check first: rook and daith

The rook sits on the inner ridge near the top of your ear. The daith passes through the innermost fold, just above the ear canal. Both depend completely on your anatomy. Some ears have a perfect spot. Some don’t. I’ll look before we decide anything, but it is very rare I find someone who doesn’t have the correct anatomy.

---

Map 2: your face

• Nostril. The most common first face piercing, and a classic for a reason. I think everyone should have one of these personally.
• Septum. This goes through the soft “sweet spot” at the front of the nose, not the hard cartilage behind it. With the right jewelry, most septum piercings can be flipped up and out of sight. Handy for when you are looking for discretion.
• Eyebrow. Bold and simple, placed right at the brow. This piercing has recently made a comeback, no longer a harsh statement of the past but rather an elegant piercing often using gold jewelry with different colored gemstones. See my blog on current piercing trends here.

Around the lips

• Medusa sits in the little dip above the center of your upper lip. That dip has a name, by the way. It’s called the philtrum.
• Monroe sits off to one side above the lip. It’s named for Marilyn Monroe’s famous beauty mark.
• Labret sits just below the center of your lower lip.

Lip piercings come with a bonus job. Aftercare happens inside your mouth too. I’ll walk you through it before you leave.

---

Be prepared for a jewelry adjustment in size

This is a case by case thing. If the jewelry is uncomfortable or moves around too much we may want to adjust the fit. The first few weeks you do want a little extra length to accommodate swelling.

There is no sign that a piercing is healed other than a lack of signs it’s not, as signs it is still healing may be hidden deep inside the fistula, or tunnel through the skin. Changing the jewelry too early when it appears to be healed can show the signs if they were hidden. In contrast, if it is still tender to the touch, bleeds when you clean it, or continues to have dried dead skin cells build up on the jewelry, you’ll want to continue being patient.

Thinking about the holidays?

If you want something settled in time for holiday photos, a lobe is your safest bet. Cartilage or a face piercing? Starting now still gives it a head start. Just plan on it still healing through the season. Also, fall is one of the best times to get a piercing because it removes most of summer’s healing risks, and it gives a new piercing a head start before the holidays.

Let’s look at it together

You don’t need to have it all figured out. Book what you like, but we can always pivot to a different piercing if necessary during your appointment. Bring the chart, bring a screenshot, or just point.

Before any needle comes out, I mark the spot with a small dot. Then we check it together in the mirror. If another spot would suit you better, I’ll tell you. Honestly.

Every piercing uses a single-use needle, never a gun. Implant-grade jewelry is included in every price. Here’s why I never use a gun.

Under 18? A parent or guardian must be present at the time of service with valid photo ID. That’s North Carolina law.