Trend Alert: The Hidden Helix Piercing
It’s rare that a piercing can make it look like your body is performing a magic trick, but the hidden helix piercing is known for its ability to create an illusion. Also called a floating helix, this piercing is growing in popularity and is sure to make at least a few top piercings of the year posts.
Read on to discover what this piercing is and why it is quickly becoming one of the most popular piercings of the year.
What Is a Hidden Helix Piercing?
A hidden helix piercing is a piercing of the ear’s cartilage where you can see the hanging or dangling jewelry but not where you’re pierced. This is accomplished by piercing the upper helix right at the top of the ear and safely tucking the jewelry beneath the cartilage fold. This is what gives the piercing the illusion that it’s floating.
The exact placement of the piercing will depend on your specific anatomy and where it makes the most sense to pierce to hide as much of the jewelry as possible. You can get a vertical helix piercing for the same look if you don’t have enough of a fold or the proper anatomy. The only difference is that the flat backing of the jewelry will also be visible.
Hidden Helix Piercing Jewelry
Unlike other ear cartilage piercings, where you can wear studs or rings, you need to wear specific jewelry to pull off the look of a hidden helix piercing. Otherwise, this is simply a regular helix piercing.
Hidden helix piercing jewelry consists of flatback jewelry, but the top has a specific design. The top of the jewelry consists of a curved portion. This part of the jewelry is hidden beneath the curve of your ear’s cartilage fold. Attached to the curved portion of the jewelry are decorative chains or dangling shapes or gems that are highly visible and will appear to be floating in your ear.
One thing to know about the hidden helix piercing is that many piercers do not recommend healing the piercing with the dangling jewelry. A fresh helix piercing is already susceptible to getting snagged. Unfortunately, the dangling jewelry presents more opportunities for the jewelry to get caught on a brush, towel, or clothing and snag. This will slow down the healing process and can lead to the piercing getting an irritation bump.
To avoid this, it’s best to heal the piercing with a traditional stud in it. This doesn’t mean you must first opt for plain, ugly jewelry. You can select a curved gem cluster that will look great at the top of the ear as it follows the curvature of your ear’s anatomy. This is especially helpful as the post will need to be longer at first to accommodate any swelling, and it will need to be downsized as it is after the first 2-4 weeks of healing. Once the piercing is fully healed, you can wear the desired jewelry with the chains or dangles.
How Painful Is a Hidden Helix Piercing?
A hidden helix piercing may seem painful, but the good news is that it isn’t. The helix ranks the lowest on the pain scale of all the ear cartilage piercings, and the top of the ear has the lowest pain score out of all the possible helix piercing placements.
While you will still definitely feel a pinch, the pain is shortlasting. At most, this would rank a 3 on a 10-point pain scale.
How Much Is a Hidden Helix Piercing?
Each piercing shop or studio will set its fees for piercings. Typically, the cost of a hidden helix includes a service or needle fee, the price of jewelry, and any tip you want to leave for your body piercer. Service fees can range from $30 and up. The cost of the jewelry can range anywhere from $45 and up, depending on the materials and gemstones in the jewelry.
Hidden Helix Piercing Healing and Aftercare
How Long Does It Take a Hidden Helix Piercing to Heal?
A hidden helix piercing aftercare takes four to six months to heal, a shorter timeline than the six months to a year for a standard helix piercing.
How to Properly Clean a Hidden Helix Piercing
To clean a hidden helix piercing, spray it with pre-made saline wound wash twice daily. Examples of pre-made saline wound wash are the ones sold by Neilmed or H2Ocean. It’s best to clean it once in the morning and once at night. Pat the area dry with a paper towel to avoid catching it on a regular bath or hand towel thread.
You shouldn’t need to touch your piercing directly while it heals. If you need to, wash your hands thoroughly with an antimicrobial soap before touching the piercing or jewelry.
Are There Any Common Problems That Can Occur with Hidden Helix Piercings?
The most common problem with hidden helix piercings is sleeping on it and changing the angle at which it is pierced. Fortunately, this is more of a problem for standard helix piercings, and there are ways to sleep comfortably and avoid sleeping on your piercing.
One of the best ways to protect a new hidden helix piercing is to buy a circular or round travel pillow. Simply put your ear in the center of the pillow so it’s not touching anything, and go to sleep on your side like you usually would.
Ultimately, the hidden helix piercing is perfect if you’re looking for an easily hideable piercing that creates a unique look.
FAQ
What Is the Difference Between a Hidden Helix and a Vertical Helix Piercing?
A hidden helix and vertical helix piercing are very similar, but they have distinct differences. A hidden helix piercing is pierced almost vertically, but it’s angled back so that the curve of the jewelry can be hidden beneath the cartilage fold at the top of the ear.
A vertical helix piercing goes vertically through the top of the ear and is not angled back. With this piercing, having the flatback visible at the top of the ear is okay, as nothing is intended to be entirely hidden.