On this page
| Piercing | Where | Pain | Healing | Cost | Gauge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Tragus | Ear | 5/10 | 6–12 months | $35–90 | 16g |
| Conch | Ear | 5/10 | 6–12 months | $35–90 | 16g or 14g |
| Daith | Ear | 5/10 | 6–9 months | $35–90 | 16g |
| Double Helix | Ear | 4/10 | 6–12 months | $60–140 | 16g (1.2 mm) |
| Earlobe | Ear | 2/10 | 6 weeks – 2 months | $20–40 | 16g or 18g |
| Flat | Ear | 5/10 | 6–12 months | $40–90 | 16g (1.2 mm) |
| Forward Helix | Ear | 5/10 | 6–9 months | $35–80 | 16g (1.2 mm) |
| Helix | Ear | 4/10 | 6–12 months | $30–80 | 16g (1.2 mm) |
| Hidden Helix | Ear | 4/10 | 6–12 months | $35–90 | 16g (1.2 mm) |
| Industrial | Ear | 7/10 | 8–12 months | $50–100 | 14g |
| Orbital | Ear | 5/10 | 6–12 months | $50–110 | 16g (1.2 mm) |
| Rook | Ear | 6/10 | 6–12 months | $35–90 | 16g |
| Second Lobe | Ear | 2/10 | 6 weeks – 2 months | $25–60 | 18g or 16g |
| Snug | Ear | 7/10 | 6–12 months | $40–90 | 16g (1.2 mm) |
| Stacked Lobe | Ear | 2/10 | 6 weeks – 2 months | $50–120 | 18g or 16g |
| Tragus | Ear | 4/10 | 6–9 months | $30–80 | 16g |
| Transverse Lobe | Ear | 4/10 | 3–6 months | $40–90 | 16g or 14g |
| Vertical Tragus | Ear | 3/10 | 2–4 months | $35–80 | 16g |
| Bridge | Nose | 4/10 | 2–4 months | $40–90 | 16g or 14g |
| Double Nostril | Nose | 4/10 | 4–6 months | $60–160 | 18g (sometimes 16g) |
| High Nostril | Nose | 5/10 | 6–12 months | $40–90 | 18g or 16g |
| Mantis | Nose | 5/10 | 3–6 months | $60–140 | 18g or 16g |
| Nasallang | Nose | 7/10 | 6–12 months | $70–150 | 16g |
| Nostril | Nose | 4/10 | 4–6 months | $30–70 | 18g (1.0 mm) |
| Rhino | Nose | 6/10 | 6–9 months | $60–120 | 16g or 14g |
| Septril | Nose | 6/10 | 3–6 months | $60–150 | 14g or larger, matched to the stretched fistula |
| Septum | Nose | 5/10 | 2–3 months | $40–90 | 16g or 14g |
| Angel Bites | Face & lip | 3/10 | 2–3 months | $60–140 | 16g |
| Angel Fangs | Face & lip | 4/10 | 2–3 months | $80–160 | 16g |
| Anti-Eyebrow | Face & lip | 3/10 | 3–6 months | $40–90 | 16g |
| Ashley | Face & lip | 4/10 | 2–3 months | $40–80 | 16g |
| Cheek (Dimple) | Face & lip | 5/10 | 3–12 months | $60–140 | 16g |
| Dahlia | Face & lip | 4/10 | 2–4 months | $60–140 | 16g |
| Eyebrow | Face & lip | 3/10 | 2–4 months | $30–70 | 16g |
| Jestrum | Face & lip | 4/10 | 2–3 months | $40–90 | 16g |
| Labret | Face & lip | 3/10 | 2–3 months | $30–70 | 16g |
| Medusa (Philtrum) | Face & lip | 3/10 | 2–3 months | $30–70 | 16g |
| Monroe | Face & lip | 3/10 | 2–3 months | $30–70 | 16g |
| Shark Bites | Face & lip | 3/10 | 2–3 months | $120–240 | 16g |
| Side Labret | Face & lip | 3/10 | 2–3 months | $30–70 | 16g |
| Snake Bites | Face & lip | 3/10 | 2–3 months | $60–140 | 16g |
| Spider Bites | Face & lip | 3/10 | 2–3 months | $60–130 | 16g |
| Vertical Labret | Face & lip | 4/10 | 2–3 months | $40–80 | 16g |
| Frog Eyes | Oral | 5/10 | 4 weeks – 2 months | $70–140 | 14g (1.6 mm) |
| Smiley | Oral | 2/10 | 4 weeks – 2 months | $30–50 | 16g |
| Snake Eyes | Oral | 6/10 | 4 weeks – 2 months | $50–100 | 14g |
| Tongue | Oral | 5/10 | 4 weeks – 2 months | $30–70 | 14g |
| Tongue Web | Oral | 2/10 | 4 weeks – 2 months | $40–80 | 16g (1.2 mm) |
| Back Dimple | Body | 4/10 | 4 weeks – 3 months | $120–200 | 14g anchors |
| Belly Button | Body | 4/10 | 6–12 months | $40–90 | 14g |
| Corset | Body | 3/10 | 3–12 months | $150–400 | 14g or 12g |
| Dermal | Body | 4/10 | 4 weeks – 3 months | $70–100 | 14g anchor |
| Floating Navel | Body | 4/10 | 6–12 months | $40–90 | 14g |
| Nape | Body | 4/10 | 3–6 months | $50–110 | 16g or 14g |
| Nipple | Body | 6/10 | 6–12 months | $40–80 | 14g |
| Sternum | Body | 4/10 | 3–6 months | $50–110 | 16g or 14g |
The table above lists every piercing on the site in one place, grouped by body area, with pain, healing time, price and jewelry gauge. Click any name for its full guide.
How to read the table
- Where. The area of the body: ear, nose, face, oral or body.
- Pain. Our 1 to 10 scale, where 1 is a firm pinch you would barely register and 10 is the most painful thing you have experienced. Every piercing is rated on the same scale, so the comparisons hold, but it is an average and not a promise. See the pain chart.
- Healing. The typical range for the piercing to heal fully, which is not the same as the date it stops being sore. The Cleveland Clinic gives about six to eight weeks for an earlobe and up to six months to a year for cartilage, which is the same pattern as the table.
- Cost. The piercing itself, before jewelry, in a typical US studio. Confirm the current price with your studio. Piercing prices adds jewelry. Piercing prices by placement shows what six studios publish.
- Gauge. The thickness of the jewelry. Higher numbers are thinner. See the gauge and size chart.
The five areas
- Ear piercings. The largest group. Pain runs from 2 to 7 out of 10, healing from 6 to 52 weeks, and the piercing itself costs $20 to $140. The lobe is at the gentle end and the cartilage piercings are at the slow end.
- Nose piercings. Pain from 4 to 7, healing from 8 to 52 weeks, and $30 to $160. The septum is 8 to 12 weeks and the nostril 16 to 26.
- Face piercings. The eyebrow, lip and cheek piercings. Pain is a narrow 3 to 5, healing runs from 8 to 52 weeks, and prices run from $30 to $240. Types of lip piercings compares the lip group in detail.
- Oral piercings. Pain from 2 to 6, healing 4 to 8 weeks, and $30 to $140. They heal quickly but carry a risk to your teeth and gums.
- Body piercings. The belly button, nipple, dermals and surface piercings. Pain from 3 to 6, healing from 4 to 52 weeks, and $40 to $400.
What the table shows
Pain runs from 2 to 7 out of 10, with a median of 4. Only three placements reach 7: the industrial, the nasallang and the snug. Nothing scores higher.
Healing is where the placements differ most. Oral piercings heal quickest, at 4 to 8 weeks. Cartilage, the belly button and the nipple are at the other end, at 24 to 52 weeks, which means planning for a year rather than a season. The Cleveland Clinic makes the same point about cartilage.
Cost runs from $20 for an earlobe to $400 for a corset. Only three placements start above $100: the corset, shark bites and the back dimple.
Where to start
- The easiest on the numbers: the earlobe and the second lobe, at 2 out of 10, from $20 to $60, and 6 to 10 weeks to heal.
- Something less usual, with mild pain: the labret, medusa, monroe and side labret, at 3 out of 10, 8 to 12 weeks, and $30 to $70. They open inside the mouth, so the jewelry needs to be the right length. The APP says that once swelling has subsided, it is vital to replace the original, longer jewelry with a shorter post to avoid damage to the teeth and gums. See piercing downsizing.
- Quick to heal: the smiley and tongue web, at 2 out of 10 and 4 to 8 weeks. The same teeth and gums warning applies.
- If you can wait: cartilage. A helix or conch takes 24 to 52 weeks, so plan for up to a year.
Snake eyes is in the table for completeness, but many professional piercers refuse it, so we never recommend it. Read its page before considering it.
If you are undecided, the piercing quiz weighs pain, healing, cost and looks against your own priorities.
What the table cannot tell you
- Your anatomy. The APP says a piercer should be willing to provide a consultation to inspect your anatomy before taking your money. Whether a placement suits you depends on it.
- Your jewelry. The APP says initial jewelry must be of appropriate length or diameter for your unique anatomy. The gauge in the table is a starting point, not a prescription.
- Your healing. The ranges are typical. Yours can be shorter or longer.
- Your local price. Studio and city both move it.
Before you book
How to choose a piercer lists what a good studio looks like and what to ask. Piercing aftercare covers the routine once you are home, and piercing downsizing covers the jewelry change most piercings need during healing.
Frequently asked questions
How many types of piercings are there?
This site covers more than 50 placements across five areas: ear, nose, face, oral and body. The ear has the most, followed by the face. Some rarer placements are not covered yet.
Which piercing hurts the least?
On our scale, the earlobe, second lobe, stacked lobe, smiley and tongue web, all at 2 out of 10. Pain is subjective, so the score is a guide to how placements compare, not a promise.
Which piercing hurts the most?
The industrial, nasallang and snug score highest, at 7 out of 10. The nipple, rhino, rook, septril and snake eyes score 6.
Which piercing heals fastest?
The oral piercings. The tongue, tongue web, smiley, frog eyes and snake eyes are 4 to 8 weeks, and dermals and the back dimple are 4 to 12. At the other end, many cartilage piercings, the belly button and the nipple run 24 to 52 weeks.
Which piercing is cheapest, and which is most expensive?
The earlobe is cheapest at $20 to $40 for the piercing, then the second lobe at $25 to $60. The corset is the most expensive at $150 to $400, followed by shark bites and the back dimple. These prices exclude jewelry.
Which piercing should I get first?
On the numbers, the earlobe: 2 out of 10, $20 to $40, and 6 to 10 weeks to heal. If you want something less usual, the labret, medusa and monroe are 3 out of 10 with 8 to 12 weeks, but they open inside the mouth, so read the lip piercing guide first. The quiz weighs your own priorities.
Sources
- Cleveland Clinic - Ear piercing 101: healing, hurting, cleaning and morehttps://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-to-expect-when-getting-your-ears-pierced
- Association of Professional Piercers - Picking your piercerhttps://safepiercing.org/picking-your-piercer/
- Association of Professional Piercers - Oral aftercarehttps://safepiercing.org/oral-aftercare/
- Association of Professional Piercers - Jewelry for initial piercingshttps://safepiercing.org/jewelry-for-initial-piercings/
This article is for education only and is not medical advice. If a piercing is hot, swollen, spreading redness, oozing yellow or green discharge, or you have a fever, see a doctor today.