Daith piercing - All Your FAQs Answered By Experts

With search volumes for daith piercing reaching an all-time high in 2023, it’s likely that you’re amongst many of us who've been considering long and hard about getting one. That's if you haven't been influenced by the celebs like Rihanna, Kylie Jenner and Zoe Kravitz who have been sporting the look for quite some time.

What exactly is our obsession with the daith piercings though? Perhaps it’s due to their uniqueness, as they’re not just one you can create by piercing a hole through your earlobe using ice and needle.

Clearly, this one requires skill and expertise (safety first). They automatically amp up your beauty look with a sprinkle of bling and edge, and there is no denying they simply look pretty damn cool. There is also a lot of anecdotal evidence that showcases the power of daith piercing on migraines (more on that further down).

Before you give your ears away to a master of needles, it’s always important to do your research. Here is everything you need to know about getting your first daith piercing, plus Google's most asked questions around it answered by experts.

In this article:

What are daith piercings?

Ara Hall, who is an expert piercer at Astrid & Miyu, says that “Daith piercings are cartilage piercings that are located in the inner curved fold which sits above the ear canal.” They have roots in Jewish culture, and the name itself translates into “knowledge” or “knowing” in English. Daith piercing are also anecdotally known for having health benefits. More on that later.

How much are daith piercings?

Prices for daith piercing usually start at around £20 upwards per ear. You would then usually have to pay for the jewellery separately, ranging from around £24 upwards, depending on the material. At Astrid & Miyu, daith jewellery ranges from £35-175.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how painful are they?

Taking into account that pain levels are subjective, in Ara’s experiences, daith piercings are not worst ear piercing in terms of pain. Ara says: “Depending on the client's pain threshold, the scale can range, but it’s usually around a five.” However, as we skim through reviews on social media like Reddit or TikTok, users often claim it to be quite painful. Since pain threshold is extremely subjective, please do take all reviews with a pinch of salt, but do be prepare for a pinch of pain.

How long do they take to heal?

Ara says, “Daiths can take anywhere from six months to over a year to heal.” Although this may seem like a long time in comparison to earlobe piercing which would usually take one to two months, this area of the ear is delicate as this type of cartilage is more easily damaged than softer skin.

You may well notice some bruising, redness or tenderness during that healing period, but your daith piercing should hurt less and less over time. To speed up the process, make sure you keep up with its cleanliness.

What do I need to do for the aftercare?

After getting a daith piercing, it's crucial to follow some aftercare tips to promote healing and prevent infections. Here are some general guidelines:

• Keep it clean: “Looking after your piercing plays a critical part in healing; we only recommend saline solution twice a day. Thoroughly dry afterwards with either a paper towel or a hairdryer on a cold setting” says Ara.
• Avoid touching it unnecessarily: Try not to touch the piercing with dirty hands to prevent the spread of bacteria.
• Don't remove the jewellery too early: Keep the initial jewellery in place for the recommended healing period to prevent the piercing from closing up.
• Avoid swimming and soaking: Stay away from swimming pools, hot tubs, and baths to prevent exposure to bacteria.
• Be gentle with the pierced area: “We don’t recommend sleeping on cartilage piercings, so a travel pillow can be handy” says Ara.
• Watch for signs of infection: Keep an eye out for redness, excessive swelling, or pus, and consult a healthcare professional if you notice any of these symptoms.

It's always wise to consult with a professional piercer or a healthcare professional for specific aftercare instructions tailored to your unique circumstances.

How to change out or remove your daith piercing?

Firstly, ensure your daith piercing is completely healed before you start fiddling with it and swapping jewellery around. 12 weeks is the suggested time by experts to take cartilage piercing. If returning to the piercing salon, do so; however, if you do decide to take it out yourself, make sure your hands are freshly washed and disinfect the area before and after touch. Depending on whether you have a captive ring (a small ball that has dimples on either side), you can pop the ball out of the ring and turn the ring to remove it. If you have a stud piercing, unscrew the ball and remove it.

Do daith piercings cure migraines?

The strongest evidence suggesting that daith piercings cure migraines is very much anecdotal, and there is not enough scientific evidence suggesting it does in fact, relieve or cure migraines. So although no data on daith piercing are available in scientific literature, the National Library of Medicine has reported that: “An anonymous survey promoted online investigated its effect on attack frequency and intensity. Of the 380 patients with a daith piercing completing the survey, 47.2% experienced a reduction in migraine frequency. Of the remainder half, 4.7% got worse and the others did not show any change. Half (49.9%) of the responders experienced less severe attacks.”

The theory suggests that the piercing affects a branch of your vagus nerve, which runs from your brain down into your body. According to Web MD, the constant pressure of the earring on this one spot is supposed to work sort of like acupuncture to block pain receptors in your body. Since acupuncture is sometimes used as a migraine treatment, and therapy may include your therapist pressing on a tiny spot on your ear near the place where daith piercings are done, then logically, the daith piercing would do the same.

However, there’s no way to be sure that your piercing is made on that exact spot. Some people suggest this theory to be more placebo, but many people who have them seem to have got daith’s claim that it has helped them.

Is daith or tragus better for migraines?

Since all evidence around migraines being cured with piercing are anecdotal, it's hard to say. However, according to Healthline, “some people believe that tragus piercings could work in the same way to help relieve migraine pain.”

Is it hard to sleep with a daith piercing?

Some people have reported that sleeping directly on your daith piercing can be a little painful, so it's best to not apply pressure on it. It's also important to remember that new piercing shouldn't be pressured until fully healed, so most people can sleep on a daith piercing within a couple of months. Ara says: “We don’t recommend sleeping on cartilage piercings, so a travel pillow can be handy.”

Do daith piercings get infected easily?

All piercings, including the daith are constantly exposed to bacteria from your hair, hats, phone, accessories, other piercing and more. This means they are consistently in risk of infection. Healthline experts say: “There’s also less blood flowing to this part of the ear, which can prolong the healing process. A typical daith piercing can take anywhere from four to 12 months to heal, and you’re more likely to experience infection during this time.” However, keeping up with cleanliness and keeping any trauma away from the piercing will reduce the risk of infection.

Can your body reject a daith piercing?

Our bodies have a special way of combating infections, and it does so by detecting foreign materials, entities and bodies. When we pierce our ears, there is a foreign object piercing through the skin, so the antibodies can decide to reject it, especially if they are pierced too shallow. When a piercing begins to reject, you will notice that the amount of skin that is holding the jewellery in is starts to become thiner and tighter than before, around or above the jewellery, and the piercing noticeably starts migrating and moving away from your body.

Also consider the colour of the skin around the region of the hole. If that starts changing, or becoming transparent or near-transparent then this is a likely sign of rejection. When your body starts rejecting your daith piercing, your best solution is to take out the piercing completely and seek professional help.

Can you wear earbuds or earphones with a daith piercing?

Unfortunately you will struggle with most types of earbuds when you get a daith piercing. If you insist on wearing earbuds, or earphones, they could also damage or irritate the piercing which will make it more prone to infection.

The best alternatives would be to make sure that the size of the earbuds or earphones are very small, or perhaps you could get earbuds specially designed to wear with the daith piercing and if you're planning on listening to music, consider over the ear headphones.

Are there any side effects?

Like any piercing, getting daith can not only cause pain, but it may also take longer to heal than more common ear piercings, which can also lead to infections. Cartilage piercings have higher risks of bacterial infections (such as toxic shock syndrome and sepsis) than lobe piercings, so be sure to follow good piercing hygiene.

What are the best jewellery materials?

When getting a daith piercing, as well as the process of getting your ear pierced, it’s important to choose the right metal for its jewellery. You'll want to choose an allergen-free metal that's biocompatible with your skin. Titanium, gold, and surgical stainless steel are your best options for that.

Daith piercings to try now:

For more from Glamour UK Beauty Writer Shei Mamona, follow her on Instagram @sheimamona

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