Your Piercing Choice Guide: Rook vs Daith Piercing

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Rook and daith piercings are great options if you’re going for a more edgy style. However, since they’re both fun ear piercings, making your choice can be tough.

If you’re struggling to choose between the two piercings, this rook vs. daith piercing post will help make your decision easier. We’ll dive into both piercing types, pros and cons, and what to consider when choosing. 


What is a rook piercing?

Rook piercing - Your Piercing Choice Guide: Rook vs Daith Piercing

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A rook piercing is an ear piercing that goes through the top cartilage ridge of the inner ear. It’s located right below the ear’s helix. 


What is a daith piercing?

Daith piercing - Your Piercing Choice Guide: Rook vs Daith Piercing

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A daith piercing goes through the middle cartilage ridge, located right above the earhole. It’s situated below the rook cartilage.


Rook vs. daith piercing: Which is for you?

Rook and daith are both fine piercing types, and you’ll hardly get a straight answer on which is better. However, knowing the pros and cons of the two piercings can help you decide the best one for you.

Here are the pros of having a rook piercing:

Rook Piercing

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  • A rook piercing is located under the helix and is protected from unintentional hitting or snagging. 
  • Rook piercings are not common, so you’ll likely be the only person with one in the room. 
  • Rook piercings are not so noticeable, which is good if you don’t want to draw attention to your piercing.  

Here are the cons of having a rook piercing

  • They are usually more painful than daith piercings.
  • They typically take longer to heal. 
  • A rook piercing isn’t for everyone; if your ear cartilage isn’t thick enough, you can’t have a rook piercing. A professional piercer can help you determine if you can get a rook piercing or not.

On the other end, these are the pros of having a daith piercing:

Daith piercing

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  • They’re usually less painful than rook piercings.
  • Daith piercings also tend to heal faster. 
  • Daith piercings are easier to spot when you wear them; a good thing if you want a piercing that quickly makes a statement. 

Here’s what’s not-so-good about daith piercings

  • Like an earlobe piercing, a daith piercing can be caught by your clothing, so you’ll need to be extra careful while it heals. 
  • Since a daith piercing is close to your earhole, it prevents you from using in-ear headphones, especially while it heals. 

💡 Bottom Line: If your uppermost cartilage is thick enough and you want a discrete but unique piercing, a rook piercing might be for you. But if you want a prominent piercing that you can flaunt effortlessly, you’re better off getting a daith piercing.

What are the benefits of a rook piercing?

A rook piercing is protected because your helix covers it. So, you have lower chances of hitting your rook piercing or getting it caught up in your clothing. Rook piercings are also uncommon, so having one makes your style unique. 

Do daith piercings have benefits?

Yes, daith piercings have some benefits. For one, they’re are slightly less painful than rook piercings. Some people also believe that daith piercings help them with migraines. 

Which is more painful: rook or daith piercing?

Both types come with a measure of pain because they are cartilage piercings. But many who have a rook and daith piercing find their rook piercing more painful.

Rook vs. daith piercing: Which one heals fastest?

A daith piercing usually heals faster, within 6-9 months. Rook piercings may take anywhere between 6-12 months to heal. Your piercing healing time is usually affected by your piercing material, aftercare routine, and your body’s natural healing rate. 

Can you have a daith and rook piercing?

Rook and Daith piercings

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Yes, you can, but it mostly depends on the shape and thickness of your ear. A professional piercer can determine if your ear can accommodate a daith and rook piercing. 

💡 Take Note: If you’re getting both, you may want to have them pierced at different times. Getting both piercings simultaneously may be extra painful and harder to heal. 


FAQs About Rook and Daith Piercings

Rook
Rook piercing

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Daith
Daith piercing

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Choosing a rook or daith piercing may leave you with a few more questions. So here are answers to some frequently asked questions.

Do rook piercings help with migraines?

While many claim that rook (and daith) piercings help them with migraines, there is no scientific evidence to confirm this.

💡 Our Take: You may feel psychological relief from your migraine because you believe the piercing works (this is called the Placebo effect), but there’s no scientific proof that rook piercings treat migraines. 

Do rook piercings get infected easily?

Because they take longer to heal, rook piercings are prone to infection. You may also experience piercing bumps as your rook piercing heals. 

You can protect your rook piercing from infection by cleaning the piercing site with saline solution twice a day and keeping unwashed hands away from it. You should also leave your initial piercing in before changing to hoop earrings

Can you wear AirPods with a rook or daith piercing?

While your rook or daith piercing is still fresh, avoid wearing things that weigh on it, including AirPods. But once healed, you can wear AirPods with your rook or daith piercing. 

Can you sleep on a new rook piercing?

No, you can’t sleep on a new rook piercing. Sleeping on a new rook piercing will place pressure on it, which can irritate the piercing. Until your rook piercing heals, sleep on your other non-pierced ear or your back.

What is a faux rook piercing?

Faux rook piercing

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A faux rook piercing is a rook piercing alternative that goes through only the top of your rook ridge. If your ear cartilage is not thick enough for a rook piercing, you can opt for a faux rook piercing. 

Why does my rook piercing hurt so much?

Rook piercings hurt because they go through thick cartilage. So they are harder to pierce compared to earlobe or helix piercings. However, if your rook piercing shows other signs of inflammation such as redness and pus exudation, your piercing may be infected.


The Choice Is Yours

Because rook and daith are both cartilage piercings, they can be painful. So weigh your options carefully before making your choice. 

Daith piercings are slightly less painful and tend to heal faster, while rook piercings are rarer and more unique! And if you’d like to try a different type of piercing, there are many other piercing options you can explore!  

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