Daith Piercing: Pain, Healing Time and What to Know First

A daith piercing goes through the ridge of cartilage inside your outer ear. It’s a cartilage piercing, which means it takes longer to heal than an earlobe and needs more careful aftercare.

It’s also one of the most talked-about piercings online, mostly because of claims that it cures migraines. Here’s what’s actually known about that, plus what to expect from the pain, the healing, the aftercare and the parent conversation.

What is a daith piercing?

Cleveland Clinic describes it as a piercing where the cartilage ridge inside your outer ear, called the helix, ends. You can get it in one ear or both. Because it goes through cartilage, it behaves differently from an earlobe piercing: Cleveland Clinic says piercings in your upper ear are more likely to become infected, and those infections are sometimes serious.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get one. It means this is a piercing to plan, not to do on a whim at the mall.

Does a daith piercing help with migraines?

The short answer: there’s no good evidence that it does. Cleveland Clinic’s article on the topic quotes a headache specialist who says a piercing in that area will not alter the pain pathway of migraine, that any relief people report is probably a temporary placebo effect, and that the danger of infection outweighs any unproven benefit.

So get a daith piercing because you like how it looks, not because a video told you it would fix something.

How much does a daith piercing hurt?

Pain is personal, and no medical source gives a reliable rating, so a number from a stranger online isn’t worth much. Here’s what you can count on:

• You’ll feel it. Be honest with yourself about that before you book.
• It should be done with a needle by a trained piercer. The Association of Professional Piercers (APP) says a reputable professional won’t use a gun for any piercing, even for earlobes.
• Soreness and some redness afterward are normal. Cleveland Clinic says some pain and redness are normal during healing.

Eat something beforehand, breathe slowly, and tell your piercer if you feel dizzy. Bringing a parent or friend helps too.

How long does a daith piercing take to heal?

Longer than you’d think. APP says that tougher tissue like ear cartilage may take six months or longer to heal. Plan for months, not weeks.

APP also explains that healing goes from the outside in, so a piercing can look and feel healed before the inside actually is. That’s the mistake that gets people into trouble: they stop cleaning, swap the jewelry or take it out too early, and the piercing gets irritated or closes.

How to find a safe piercer

This matters more than the jewelry you pick. APP’s guide to picking your piercer says to look for:

• A studio and staff that are noticeably clean, with a separate area for sterilizing equipment.
• Needles, tools and jewelry that come in sealed sterile packaging, opened while you watch.
• A front-loading or cassette autoclave. APP says top-loading, dry heat and liquid soaks are not acceptable ways to sterilize piercing tools.
• A new needle for every client, and never a piercing gun.
• Smooth, well-polished jewelry. APP members use internally threaded jewelry for initial piercings.
• A piercer who is willing to do a consultation first and show you healed examples.

APP also points out that a license alone doesn’t guarantee a piercer has been trained properly, and that outdated aftercare, like antibacterial soap or ointment, is a red flag. One more thing from us: a good piercer will tell you honestly if your ear isn’t a good fit for the piercing.

Daith piercing aftercare

Ask your piercer for written aftercare instructions and follow them. Advice varies by source, which is one more reason to go by what your piercer gives you. Here’s what APP’s aftercare guide says:

• Wash your hands first, every time, before you clean or touch the piercing.
• Clean with sterile saline wound wash. APP says the only ingredients should be 0.9% sodium chloride (and purified water). Pat dry with disposable gauze, not a cloth towel.
• Skip alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, antibacterial soap, iodine and ointments. APP also says to avoid pierced-ear care solutions and other products with benzalkonium chloride.
• Don’t twist or play with the jewelry. Avoid friction and snagging from hair, hoodies, headphones and sleeping on it.
• Stay out of pools, hot tubs, lakes and baths until it’s healed.
• Leave the jewelry in. Piercings can shrink or close within minutes, and putting jewelry back in can be difficult or impossible.
• Keep makeup, lotions and sprays away from the piercing, and don’t hang charms from the jewelry until it’s fully healed.

Some medical pages, including Cleveland Clinic’s page on infected ear piercings, suggest other cleaning products such as mild soap or rubbing alcohol. If you’re not sure which advice to follow, ask your piercer or your doctor, and don’t mix several methods.

Swelling is common, so APP also notes that many piercings need a professional downsize of the jewelry during healing. Check in with your piercer instead of changing the jewelry yourself.

Signs of infection and when to see a doctor

Cleveland Clinic lists discharge, fever, and redness, warmth or swelling around the piercing as signs of infection. Because this is cartilage, don’t wait it out. Contact a doctor or other health care provider if you notice:

• Fever or chills.
• Foul-smelling yellow pus or discharge.
• Severe redness, swelling or pain, or red streaks coming from the piercing.
• Symptoms that last a week or get worse (these last few come from APP’s troubleshooting guide).

APP says that if you suspect an infection, seek medical attention. It also warns that removing jewelry when there’s an infection can lead to an abscess, so ask the doctor before you take it out. APP adds that irritation or allergy is far more common than infection when a piercing is done and cared for properly, so redness doesn’t always mean the worst. Still, with cartilage, get it checked.

Do you need your parents’ permission?

If you’re under 18, almost certainly yes. APP’s standard is that for any piercing of a minor, a parent or legal guardian must be present to sign a consent form. Laws on piercing minors vary from state to state, and individual studios often set stricter rules than the law, so call the studio before you go, or check with your state health department.

Asking is also a good idea because a cartilage piercing is a months-long project that your parent may end up helping you with. Some tips for the conversation:

• Do your homework first. Know the studio, the piercer, the cost and the aftercare.
• Offer to pay for part of it, or to take care of the aftercare yourself.
• Be ready to hear “not yet,” and ask what would change their answer.

Our guides on how to convince your parents and how to deal with strict parents walk through how to ask.

Is a daith piercing right for you?

It might be if you like the look, you’ve got the patience for a long healing time and you can commit to the aftercare. Think twice if you:

• Play contact sports or often sleep on your side with no way to avoid the ear.
• Wear headphones for hours every day and can’t take a break.
• Are hoping it will fix migraines.
• Are getting it only because everyone else is.

Waiting a few months is fine. The piercer will still be there.

Questions people ask