Daith piercing jewelry: rings, clickers, materials and when to change it

The daith is the fold of cartilage just above the ear canal, where the inner and outer ear cartilage meet. Most photographs show it with a ring, but the sources we read do not say what a daith has to start with.

This page follows Healthline, the Cleveland Clinic, the American Migraine Foundation and the Association of Professional Piercers (APP). Where we give sizes they come from our own daith page and are labelled as ours. Details are as read in October 2026.

Photo by Carnivoredaddy via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

What goes in first

None of the medical pages we read names a starter piece for the daith. The APP says rings are best for some areas and straight or curved bars for others, that jewelry must be of an appropriate length or diameter for your anatomy, and that ill-fitting jewelry increases the likelihood of swelling and embedding.

Our daith page suggests a 16 gauge implant-grade titanium curved barbell or an 8 mm clicker. That is our view, and the right diameter depends on how deep your fold is, which is why a piercer measures it. The APP warns that jewelry too thin in gauge can be treated like a splinter, resulting in migration or rejection. The gauge and size chart converts gauges to millimetres.

Ring styles

A daith ring has to pass round a tight curve and close inside the ear, so the closure matters. The usual choices are:

• Clicker. A hinged segment that snaps shut.
• Captive bead ring. A ring held closed by a bead under tension.
• Seamless ring. A ring with no bead or hinge.

Our ring styles guide explains each one. The APP asks for internally threaded or threadless jewelry for initial piercings, which applies to barbells, and our threaded vs threadless guide covers the difference.

Materials

See materials and hypoallergenic earrings for how the lists compare.

Changing it

The APP says many piercings need a downsize before they have healed and that a qualified piercer should do downsizes and any jewelry change during healing. The Cleveland Clinic says not to change earrings until fully healed, and lists the signs: no pain, redness, swelling or crust, and jewelry that moves easily.

Our daith healing time guide goes through the stages. The American Migraine Foundation says most people do not change the jewelry often. Working a ring through a daith is awkward, so we would have a piercer do the first change.

Jewelry and migraines

Some studios sell daith jewelry for migraine relief. The American Migraine Foundation says the evidence is purely anecdotal, does not recommend daith piercings for migraine and says they may even make symptoms worse. The Cleveland Clinic says there is no scientific evidence or clinical trial result behind it and that any relief is likely a placebo effect. No particular ring or placement changes that. Our daith migraine guide has the detail.

When the jewelry is the problem

Healthline’s daith infection article says less blood flows to this part of the ear and that hair can catch on or irritate the piercing. Its pain article mentions snagging on hats or clothing. The APP says changing jewelry size, style or material often resolves problems, and that bumps usually come from inappropriate aftercare or over-cleaning.

If you suspect infection, leave the jewelry in. In Healthline’s daith infection article a doctor says removing it will often cause the site to close up, and the APP says removal during an infection may result in an abscess. See infected cartilage piercing.

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.