We bet you’ve seen a lot of people with stacks of jewelry on their ears. Yes, ear curation is the latest trend. Even if you’re not one to follow trends, a curated ear is about your style, not what’s in season.
There are different types of ear piercings, so you can get stuck on which to get next. No worries, we’ve put together a wide range of ear piercing ideas for you. We’re sure you’ll find an ear stack to inspire your next piercer visit.
Ear piercings chart
Before looking at how ear piercings will combine, you should know the different types available and their placement.
30 Ear piercing ideas for women
These ear piercing ideas will help you figure out your next piercing.
Simple ear piercing ideas
If your style is simple and sweet, you’re in for a treat with these lovely ideas.
Stacked lobe piercing
This stacked lobe piercing is a way of getting multiple piercings without straying from the norm. Since it’s a lobe piercing, it’s less painful and will heal within six weeks. This can also be a good base for curating your other ear piercings.
Double helix piercing
A helix piercing looks good, but two will steal the show. It’s suitable for large and small ears and compatible with most ear structures.
This cartilage piercing is typically more painful than a lobe piercing but your piercer may be able to find the part of your helix with the thinnest cartilage.
💡 Take Note: This piercing can take up to six months to heal. You can only interchange it with a stud or hoops after your piercing heals.
Triple lobe piercing
Multiple lobe piercings are great for a simple piercing style. You can easily wear studs and hoops on them. Build exciting patterns and create a unique look with your choice of jewelry.
Orbital piercing
An orbital piercing connects two piercings with a ring. Typically, the two piercings should be measured and made simultaneously, but it can be an afterthought in rare cases. An orbital is usually mistaken for a conch piercing with a ring, but they are different.
Forward helix piercing
A forward helix piercing is a variation of the helix piercing. It is located at the upper cartilage close to your face, above the tragus. The piercing can take up to six months to heal or longer.
💡 Keep in Mind: If you have long hair, you may have to keep your hair tied up during the healing process, so it does not snag on your starter stud and irritate your piercing.
Flat and helix piercing
A flat piercing is located at the flat area of skin in the upper part of your ear. It is a cartilage piercing and will hurt like any other cartilage piercing. It will usually have a stud, but you can be creative with your choice of a stud. Combining a flat and helix piercing is a good way to populate the upper part of your ear.
Cute ear piercing ideas
To have cute ear piercings, you must choose cute earrings to adorn them.
Smiley face piercing
Instead of getting a stud with a smiley emoji design, you can draw it on your ear. It is usually done with three flat piercings adorned with two round studs and a half-moon-shaped stud.
Zoe Kravitz ear piercing
Zoe Kravitz makes a fashion statement with her ear piercings, and it’s always a good look. She keeps it simple and cute on her left ear with multiple lobe piercings, a conch, a helix, and a tragus piercing.
Lobe piercings heal quickly, but tragus, conch, and helix piercings are all cartilage piercings and can take six to nine months to heal. It’s always a good idea to start your piercings with a stud and switch to a hoop once it’s completely healed.
Check out our list of the 10 best hoop earrings for cartilage piercings.
Daith and flat piercing
A daith piercing is located on the innermost fold of the ear. Some people believe it can help treat migraines and anxiety because it is an acupuncture point, although there is no supporting scientific evidence.
It is one of the most painful cartilage piercings because it is done on a thick layer of cartilage. Daith piercings are often confused with rook piercings but are different. A daith and flat piercing with similar-looking jewelry is a cute look.
💡 Warning: You cannot wear earbuds with a fresh daith piercing.
Connected helix and flat piercing
Helix and flat piercings are cute on their own but wearing a connected jewelry piece elevates the look. If you already have these piercings but have become bored, this is an easy way to switch things up. If you’re feeling creative, wear a themed jewelry piece.
Ear piercing combination ideas
Combining ear piercing types can be stressful. Here are our seven favorite ear piercing combination ideas.
Multiple lobe, conch, and flat piercing
The multiple lobe, conch, and flat piercing give you a crowded lower ear look. This combination makes the flat piercing the star of the show. You can wear a piece of unique jewelry like a charm stud or a gemstone stud.
Surface tragus and ear plug piercing
A surface tragus piercing is a vertical piercing that goes through the soft skin in front of the tragus. It ends up looking like a double piercing. It should be done with a staple bar and not a curved barbell else, it’s likely to reject.
An ear plug comes from stretching a pierced hole in your lobe over time. It is a good piercing choice for creating an edgy look.
💡 Warning: Like other surface piercings, the surface tragus piercing is likely to reject after some time.
Forward helix and flat piercing
A forward helix and flat piercing combination is a good way to fill your upper ear. However, you can only wear studs on the flat, but a hoop can fit into the forward helix piercing.
Stacked lobe and inner conch piercing
A stacked lobe and inner conch piercing is a classic combination. Since there are many holes to fill, it might be difficult to choose jewelry, but standard practice is to put the largest hoop in the standard lobe and then play around with studs.
Tragus and conch piercing
A tragus and conch piercing complement each other well. However, they are both cartilage piercings and will take a long time to heal. Therefore, we don’t recommend getting both piercings at the same time.
Crossed industrial, daith, and conch piercing
An industrial piercing is made up of two piercings connected by a straight barbell. In the case of a double barbell, it involves four piercings. It is one of the most painful ear piercings and can take up to nine months to heal. Therefore, it is not advisable to get both piercings done at the same time.
Not everyone can get an industrial piercing because it requires particular ear anatomy, but you can always check with your piercer. This also applies to the daith piercing, but most people can get a conch piercing. The combination of these three piercings is the ultimate cool look.
A full ear piercing
If go big or go home was an ear piercing combo, this would be the one. With a stacked lobe, helix, forward helix, and daith piercing, there are lots of holes to fill up. A rule for decorating your piercings with gemstones is to stick to a color palette. Let every jewelry piece be intentional.
Trendy ear piercing ideas
If you’re one to follow the trends, these are the hottest ear piercing ideas for this season.
Dangling helix piercing
Getting multiple helix piercings is nice but if you want to be a bit extra, add jewelry with a chain. Multiple helix piercings are great options for people who want many ear piercings but do not have space for inner ear piercings like a rook and a daith piercing.
V-shaped Industrial piercing
Whether you know it as an industrial piercing or a scaffold, it is the ultimate edgy piercing. However, if you don’t want the typical industrial piercing or your ear anatomy is not suited for it, you can get a v-shaped custom bent jewelry.
Outer space piercing
This is a carefully curated ear with an outer space theme. It combines multiple lobes, helix, double flat, conch, daith, and forward helix, and a tragus piercing. These piercings are adorned with moon-shaped, Saturn-shaped, constellations, and lightning-shaped studs.
Vertical Industrial piercing
A standard industrial piercing is not suitable for all ear shapes, so a vertical industrial piercing might be the next best choice. It is as painful as the traditional industrial piercing and will take as much time to heal. It’s also a good choice if you prefer its aesthetic.
Celestial piercing
This is a minimal celestial-themed ear decorated with star studs. In some cases, the piercings are arranged to resemble a constellation for a zodiac sign.
Ear plug piercing
Ear plugs are a form of body modification that involves piercing the lobe and stretching it with plugs over time. You can stretch lobe piercings until they are as wide as a soda can. It is important to clean the piercing properly, or it may start to have a foul odor.
💡 Warning: Think carefully before getting ear plugs because it is one of the most regretted piercings over time.
Ear piercing ideas for small ears
The type of ear piercing you can get depends on your ear’s anatomy more than its size. However, the smaller your ears, the less space you have to accommodate piercings. Good thing there are still lots of combinations you can try.
Double lobe and tragus piercing
A double lobe and a tragus piercing is a simple piercing that many small ears can accommodate. Sometimes, two piercings on the lobe are the most you can do, but choosing a piece of glamorous jewelry will get your ear the attention it needs.
Double conch and tragus piercing
A double conch piercing depends heavily on your ear structure, but this pairs well with a tragus piercing. It’s a gorgeous fit for gemstone studs and perfect if you’re a minimalist. (More minimalist ear piercing ideas.)
Conch and daith piercing
A conch and daith piercing is a good choice for a crowded inner ear look. You can also have a lobe and flat piercing to create a balance.
Rook and tragus piercing
You need to have enough fold of your cartilage to get a rook piercing. Rook and tragus piercings are cartilage piercing, but the result is worth the pain.
Rook, conch, and helix orbital piercing
This ear stack combines a rook, helix, and conch piercing. A helix orbital piercing has a ring going through two holes made on the helix. This is a unique twist to the typical helix piercing.
Faux rook piercing
If you cannot get the rook piercing but desire the look, you can get something similar with the faux rook piercing. This piercing resembles the top portion of the traditional rook piercing. However, instead of the jewelry passing through the fold of cartilage vertically, it goes out of the ear horizontally.
Triple flat piercing
If you have a wide flat area in your upper ear, even with your small ear, you can have three flat piercings. The pattern will depend on the shape of your ear. These piercings balance multiple lobe piercings.
Frequently asked questions
Now that you’ve gone through many cool ear piercing ideas, here are answers to some questions you may have.
Which ear piercing spot hurts the most?
Piercings done on areas with cartilage, such as the tragus and rook hurt the most. Although people have different pain thresholds, it is a consensus that cartilage piercings are more painful than lobe piercings since the needle has to go through a thick layer.
Does it matter which ear you pierce?
You can pierce any ear you want. But we recommend you pierce one ear at a time, so you have a side to sleep on while the piercing on your other ear heals up.
How many piercings can I get at once?
Getting only one piercing done at a time is advisable, but you can manage at most three. If you want to get more than one piercing at once, make sure it’s on the same ear so that you can have one side to sleep on while the new piercing heals.
Which ear piercings heal the fastest?
Lobe piercings typically heal the fastest. It can be completely healed within four to six weeks.
Find your piercing combo
What’s better than one pair of earrings? At this point, it’s a unanimous vote that it is multiple stunning earrings. So say goodbye to the standard lobe piercing.
Remember to always go to a professional to get your piercings done. They will be able to advise you on which piercings are safe and will suit your ear anatomy. If you’re not ready to fully commit to these looks, you can try on jewelry resembling piercings.
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