An orbital is two holes joined by a single ring: the ring exits one hole and re-enters the other, so a loop of metal sits against the ear with a section of tissue captured inside it.
It can be done in the helix rim, in the bowl of the conch, or in the earlobe. What makes it an orbital is not where it sits but that both holes were planned together around one piece of jewelry.
Why it has to be planned as one piercing
This is the thing that separates a good orbital from a permanently irritated one.
Every piercing is made at an angle, and the jewelry sits comfortably only along that angle. Two independent piercings are each made at whatever angle suits their own spot. An orbital’s two holes must be angled to line up with each other, so a single ring passes through both without pulling on either.
That alignment cannot be added later. It is decided at the marking stage, before any needle is used.
This is why you usually cannot convert two existing piercings into an orbital. If you already have a double helix and you thread one ring through both, the ring pulls each channel in a direction it was never pierced for. Some pairs happen to line up; most do not. Ask a piercer to look rather than experimenting with a ring you bought online.
Where it goes, and what that changes
| Location | Pain | Healing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earlobe | 2/10 | 6-10 weeks | The forgiving version. Soft tissue, fast, low risk. |
| Helix rim | 5/10 | 6-12 months | The common version. Cartilage, slow, catches easily. |
| Conch | 5/10 | 6-12 months | Sits in the bowl. Needs a reasonably deep conch. |
A lobe orbital is genuinely straightforward and heals in weeks. A cartilage orbital is one of the slower ear piercings, and everything below applies to it.
Pain
About 5 out of 10 in cartilage. It is two passes through dense tissue in a single sitting, which is what puts it above a single helix rather than any single pass being worse.
In the lobe it is about 2 out of 10, the same as any lobe piercing, twice.
Healing, and why a ring is the hard part
Six to twelve months in cartilage, at the slow end of that range more often than not.
The reason is the jewelry. Almost every healing piercing does better with a stud than a ring, because a stud sits still and a ring rotates, swings and transmits every knock into the channel. An orbital is a ring by definition, and that movement reaches both holes at once.
Some piercers will pierce two separate studs, heal them fully, and only then fit the connecting ring. It takes longer overall and it is a considerably easier heal. If your piercer suggests it, that is good advice rather than a delay tactic.
- Weeks 1-3: swelling, tenderness at both openings, warmth.
- Weeks 3-16: crusting on both, intermittent irritation. More flare-ups than a stud placement.
- Months 4-12: slow internal maturing.
Downsize or resize at eight to twelve weeks. A ring sized to allow for swelling is too large once the swelling has gone, and a loose ring swings more, which is the last thing this placement needs.
Living with one
The ring is the whole story:
- Hair catches on it far more than on a stud. Tie it back for the first few weeks and be careful with a brush.
- Sleeping on it presses a ring into the ear from an awkward angle. Other side only, and a travel pillow with the hole under your ear if you move at night.
- Jumpers and towels hook a ring easily. Pat dry, never rub.
Aftercare is otherwise ordinary: sterile saline twice a day, hands off, no rotating. The ear cleaning guide has the routine.
Jewelry
A ring, 16 gauge, implant-grade titanium, sized precisely to the two holes. Too small and it compresses the captured tissue; too large and it swings. Seamless, clicker or captive-bead styles all work once healed, though a clicker is easiest to fit without disturbing the piercing.
Threadless or internally threaded for any studs used during healing. See the materials guide.
Problems
Irritation bumps are common on cartilage orbitals and are almost always about movement: a ring that is too large, hair catching, or sleeping on it. Fix the movement before treating the bump. See piercing bumps.
Uneven healing where one hole settles and the other does not usually means the alignment is slightly off and the ring is pulling on one side. That is a conversation with your piercer, not something to wait out.
Infection in cartilage needs a doctor the same day if there is heat, spreading redness, thick coloured discharge or fever, jewelry left in. See infected ear piercing.
Cost
$50 to $110 in a US studio, plus jewelry. It is priced above a single cartilage piercing because it is two piercings and the marking takes longer. Lobe orbitals sit at the lower end. Tip 15 to 20 percent.
Frequently asked questions
What is an orbital piercing?
Two holes joined by a single ring, so the ring passes out of one and back into the other. It can be done in the helix rim, the conch or the earlobe. What makes it an orbital is that both holes are planned together to suit one ring.
Is an orbital the same as a double helix?
No. A double helix is two independent piercings with separate jewelry, each at its own natural angle. An orbital is one piece of jewelry through two holes that were angled to line up with each other, which has to be planned from the first mark.
Does an orbital piercing hurt?
About 5 out of 10 in cartilage, and about 2 out of 10 in the lobe. The cartilage version is two passes through dense tissue in one sitting, which is the main reason it rates above a single helix.
How long does an orbital take to heal?
Six to twelve months in cartilage, six to ten weeks in the earlobe. Cartilage orbitals are at the slow end because a ring moves more than a stud, and movement is what slows a healing channel.
Can I turn two existing piercings into an orbital?
Sometimes, and only if the two holes happen to be angled so a ring passes cleanly through both. Often they are not, and forcing a ring through two channels pierced at different angles pulls on each one. Ask your piercer to assess rather than trying it yourself.
Why do orbitals take so long to settle?
Because the jewelry is a ring. Rings rotate and swing with every knock, and that movement travels into both channels at once. It is the trade for the look.
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/
- American Academy of Dermatology - Caring for pierced earshttps://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/tattoos/caring-for-pierced-ears
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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.