Piercing Type, Method & Healing

The Ultimate Guide to Piercing—The Right Way

Thinking about getting a piercing? Before you let anyone come near your ears with anything sharp (or worse—a piercing gun), let’s walk through everything you need to know about types of piercings, piercing methods, and how to heal like a pro.

1. Piercing Methods: Gun vs. Needle

Let’s set the record straight: not all piercings are created equal, and the method used matters a lot more than you think.

Piercing Guns – The Fast Food of Piercing (and not in a good way)

Originally invented 100+ years ago (yes, seriously)
Forces a dull earring through your ear using blunt force trauma
Not sterile, often reused (hi, infection risk )
Can cause cartilage displacement, poor angles, and terrible healing
Uses low-quality jewelry that your skin probably hates

Guns are for glue sticks and Super Soakers—not your body.

Piercing Needles – The Gold Standard

Sterile, single-use, ultra-precise
Glides cleanly through the skin with minimal trauma
Allows proper jewelry placement based on your anatomy
Less painful than a gun (despite what your mall memories may tell you)
Sets you up for faster, cleaner healing

The method you choose is only as good as the piercer using it. At Nina Wynn, our team is trained in needle piercing only, using modern, sterile techniques and the best jewelry your ear has ever worn.

2. Types of Ear Piercing

Lobe – Classic, soft, fast-healing. Ideal for first-timers or building a stack.
Second & Third Lobes – More sparkle, more fun.
Helix – That cool spot on the upper ear cartilage. Edgy but elegant.
Flat – Great canvas for studs and curated ear magic.
Forward Helix – Delicate placement near the front/top of your ear.
Tragus – Tiny flap by your ear canal. Understated and on-trend.
Daith – The inner fold of cartilage (rumored to help migraines too).
Rook – The little ridge above the daith. A true “wow” placement.
Conch – Inner shell of the ear. Gorgeous with hoops or big stones.

3. Healing, Aftercare & Downsizing

Healing Times (Patience, Babe)

Lobes: 8–12 weeks
Cartilage (helix, conch, etc.): 6–9 months
Full Maturity: Cartilage can take up to a year to fully settle

We’ll give you everything you need to care for your new piercing, including our signature aftercare spray, pro tips, and reminders not to twist your jewelry like it’s 2003.

Jewelry Matters

We exclusively use implant-grade, threadless flat back labret posts for all piercings. Why?

They’re comfortable AF, especially for sleeping
No pokey backs to stab your neck
Designed for long-term wear and safe healing
And yeah, they look good while doing it

Downsizing = Piercing Success

Initial posts are a bit longer to accommodate swelling—but once your ear starts healing, that extra length becomes a problem. Movement = irritation = bumps = “what is that thing on my ear?!”

Downsizing means switching to a shorter post that fits snug and heals right.

Lobes: Come back in 8–12 weeks
Cartilage: Come back in 10–12 months

We make it easy to book your downsizing appointment and get your jewelry upgraded at the same time. (Why not make it sparkle more while you're at it?)

In Summary (aka The Tea):

Piercing guns are out. Forever. Don’t even.
Needles are in. And have been for decades—for good reason.
Healing takes time, but with the right jewelry and downsizing, you’ll be golden.
Your ears deserve more than a 5-minute mall hack job. Let us curate something you’ll actually love for life.

Located in Denver? Come visit our luxurious studio.
Ready to start your piercing journey (or need to downsize)?
Book Now