Deep into daith piercing research and found yourself landing on this page? If you're trying to decide whether the daith is the right piercing for you, you've come to the right place. Thanks to jewellery designers and luxury piercing experts like Maria Tash, plus the arrival of boutique piercing salons, we've been obsessed with achieving that carefully curated pierced ear stack, and the daith is a perfect addition to our dream look.
The humble ear piercing has become a lot more experimental since the days of sitting in Claire's Accessories to get your standard lobe pierced. Now, mystical-sounding names like helix, tragus, and daith are cropping up everywhere as these cool-girl piercings help to build that perfect earring stack. Of all the piercings, the daith definitely stands out for us. The central placement lends itself nicely to a hoop earring—whether plain or bedazzled—and sits nicely alongside surrounding cartilage piercings.
If we've convinced you that the daith could be on the cards for your next piercing appointment, we're here to help before you officially commit to your new bejewelled ear. Read on for all the essential details, including where the daith sits on the ear, how much it hurts, and if the rumors are true on whether the daith piercing really helps with migraines. This expert intel came from some of our fave jewellery brands, including Penny at Sacred Gold and Astrid & Miyu piercer, Chloe. Plus, with celeb endorsers like Zoë Kravitz sporting the daith piercing, who wouldn't want to upgrade their ear with this look?
What is a daith piercing?
The first question you probably want to ask is, well, where exactly on the ear does the piercing go? A daith piercing enters through the cartilage fold that sits just above the entrance to the ear canal. It's actually pronounced 'doth' like goth (don't worry, we've been saying it wrong, too), and was invented by piercer Erik Dakota in California in the early '90s. The piercing chart below gives you a good idea of where it would sit amongst your other piercings.
Does getting a daith piercing hurt?
As someone who has had her fair share of painful piercing experiences, I'd rate the daith pretty low on the pain scale. A two out of 10, let's say. It may seem like a brave choice, based on the unique location with thicker skin than a lobe, but honestly, it was totally bearable. I even said to my Astrid & Miyu piercer, Chloe, "Is that it?" after my new earring was sitting pretty in its position.
But, it's wise to remember that everyone's pain thresholds are different, with Sacred Gold's Penny reassuring us that "you can sometimes feel a mild amount of discomfort for a second but most clients describe the sensation as pressure." I'd agree—the pain after the piercing felt like a mild earache that was gone by the evening.
How long does a daith piercing take to heal?
A daith piercing usually takes around six months to a year to heal, which does sound like a big undertaking. But Rome wasn't built in a day, ya know? With the right aftercare, you'll be showing off your pierced bling and playing around with different earrings in no time. Just remember, while it's healing, make sure to resist the temptation to switch up your jewellery. Which leads us on to...
How do you take care of your daith piercing?
Penny explains that the faith "requires minimal aftercare but a bit of patience." She recommends using a sterile saline solution—which your piercing salon will usually sell, or you can pick up from your local Boots—sprayed onto some non-woven gauze and gently wiping the area twice a day.
Chloe suggests that you can even spray the saline solution directly onto the pierced area thanks to Astrid & Miyu's Aftercare Solution coming in a handy spray bottle. It saves fiddling with cotton buds or gauze, as it's actually pretty difficult to see where you're cleaning due to the placement of the piercing.
Also, PSA! It is advised not to sleep on the ear you've had pierced during the healing process, as well as avoiding wearing earbuds or headphones for a while, so be aware if the idea of a podcast-less commute is your idea of a waking nightmare.
Do daith piercings help with migraines?
Honestly, and sadly, the answer is no. Penny explains, "There's no evidence that supports that a daith piercing helps with migraines." Anecdotally, people who suffer from migraines have said they've found it to relieve pain because of the pressure point area and how the piercing can act like acupuncture. But it's been suggested that this could be a placebo effect. It still looks pretty darn great, though.
Can everyone get a daith piercing?
It's good to keep in mind that a daith piercing is usually anatomy dependant—our ears come in all different shapes and sizes, after all—and piercing salons will offer a consultation before getting pierced. This is to asses whether your ear can hold the particular piercing you're after to make sure it's the right one for you.
A daith piercing isn't for everyone. We don't just mean in terms of looks, but literally, some people don't have enough space to get a daith piercing. For me, my piercing just sits slightly higher than most due to the anatomy of my ear, which Chloe says is pretty normal. Good to be aware of!
***
This article originally appeared on Cosmopolitan.com/uk. Minor edits have been made by the Cosmo.ph editors.
