Charts
Every reference table in one place: pain scores, healing times, prices and jewelry sizes, all on one consistent scale.
Interactive ear piercing chart
Hover, tap or tab through the points to compare pain, healing time and cost.
Selected
Helix
- Pain
- 4/10
- Healing time
- 6–12 months
- Typical cost
- $30–80
- Gauge
- 16g (1.2 mm)
- Starting jewelry
- Implant-grade titanium flat-back labret, 6-8 mm post
| Piercing | Where | Pain | Healing | Cost | Gauge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Tragus | Ear | 5/10 | 6–12 months | $35–90 | 16g |
| Belly Button | Body | 4/10 | 6–12 months | $40–90 | 14g |
| Conch | Ear | 5/10 | 6–12 months | $35–90 | 16g or 14g |
| Daith | Ear | 5/10 | 6–9 months | $35–90 | 16g |
| Dermal | Body | 4/10 | 4 weeks – 3 months | $70–100 | 14g anchor |
| Earlobe | Ear | 2/10 | 6 weeks – 2 months | $20–40 | 16g or 18g |
| Eyebrow | Face & lip | 3/10 | 2–4 months | $30–70 | 16g |
| Helix | Ear | 4/10 | 6–12 months | $30–80 | 16g (1.2 mm) |
| Industrial | Ear | 7/10 | 8–12 months | $50–100 | 14g |
| Labret | Face & lip | 3/10 | 2–3 months | $30–70 | 16g |
| Medusa (Philtrum) | Face & lip | 3/10 | 2–3 months | $30–70 | 16g |
| Nipple | Body | 6/10 | 6–12 months | $40–80 | 14g |
| Nostril | Nose | 4/10 | 4–6 months | $30–70 | 18g (1.0 mm) |
| Rook | Ear | 6/10 | 6–12 months | $35–90 | 16g |
| Septum | Nose | 5/10 | 2–3 months | $40–90 | 16g or 14g |
| Smiley | Oral | 2/10 | 4 weeks – 2 months | $30–50 | 16g |
| Tongue | Oral | 5/10 | 4 weeks – 2 months | $30–70 | 14g |
| Tragus | Ear | 4/10 | 6–9 months | $30–80 | 16g |
| Vertical Tragus | Ear | 3/10 | 2–4 months | $35–80 | 16g |
Every piercing on this site is scored on the same scales by the same people, so the comparisons hold even where individual experience varies. The table above covers all of them at once.
The individual charts
- Pain chart rates every piercing 1 to 10 and explains what each actually feels like.
- Healing time chart gives real ranges and the downsize schedule that goes with them.
- Price guide covers US studio prices with and without jewelry.
- Gauge and size chart converts gauge to millimetres and lists the standard size for each piercing.
How to read them together
Pain is the least useful number for making a decision. Every piercing here is over in one to two seconds.
What actually determines whether you keep a piercing is the year afterwards: whether your anatomy suits it, whether you can sleep without pressing on it, whether your headphones, glasses or waistband will interfere, and whether you will keep up the aftercare for the full healing time.
Read the healing chart before the pain chart.
The ear diagram above is interactive. Face and body versions are in production.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ear piercing chart?
A labelled diagram of the ear showing where each named piercing sits: lobe, helix, forward helix, flat, conch, rook, daith, tragus, anti-tragus and industrial. Our ear piercings hub compares all of them by pain, healing time and cost.
Which chart should I look at first?
If you are choosing a piercing, start with pain and healing time together, because the seconds of pain matter far less than the six to twelve months afterwards. If you already have one, the healing chart tells you whether yours is on schedule.
Sources
- Association of Professional Piercers - Suggested aftercare for body piercingshttps://safepiercing.org/aftercare/
- Association of Professional Piercers - Jewelry for initial piercingshttps://safepiercing.org/jewelry-for-initial-piercings/