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Ear piercing hurts briefly. The Cleveland Clinic describes it as typically feeling like a quick pinch, followed by some throbbing. Earlobes hurt the least, and cartilage tends to hurt more.
What the Cleveland Clinic says
- Lobes. Earlobes are fatty tissue, so they do not have many nerves in them, and they hurt the least.
- Cartilage. Cartilage piercings tend to be more painful.
- The feeling. Typically a quick pinch, followed by some throbbing.
- Needle or gun. It is often said that piercing needles may hurt less than piercing guns.
Pain by ear placement
Our scale runs from 1 to 10, where 1 is a firm pinch you would barely register and 10 is the most painful thing you have experienced. It is applied to every placement so the comparisons hold, but it is an average and not a promise. See the pain chart.
| Piercing | Pain |
|---|---|
| Earlobe | 2/10 |
| Second lobe | 2/10 |
| Stacked lobe | 2/10 |
| Vertical tragus | 3/10 |
| Helix | 4/10 |
| Tragus | 4/10 |
| Transverse lobe | 4/10 |
| Hidden helix | 4/10 |
| Double helix | 4/10 |
| Conch | 5/10 |
| Daith | 5/10 |
| Forward helix | 5/10 |
| Flat | 5/10 |
| Anti-tragus | 5/10 |
| Orbital | 5/10 |
| Rook | 6/10 |
| Snug | 7/10 |
| Industrial | 7/10 |
The Cleveland Clinic says cartilage tends to hurt more than a lobe, but the page we read gives no per-placement scores, so the differences between cartilage piercings are our editorial estimates. Almost no piercing on the site scores above 7. Detailed guides: helix, conch and tragus.
Needle or gun
The Cleveland Clinic says it is often said that piercing needles may hurt less than piercing guns, and quotes a physician who recommends needles for piercing children because guns are not always sterilised between uses. The Association of Professional Piercers (APP) says a reputable professional will not use a gun for any piercing, even for earlobes. Piercing gun vs needle covers the difference, and how to choose a piercer has the checklist.
After the pinch
The Cleveland Clinic describes some throbbing after the piercing. Tenderness can last through healing, which takes six to eight weeks for a lobe and up to a year for cartilage. Earlobe healing time and cartilage piercing healing time cover both.
The APP says to see a doctor if you have severe redness, swelling or pain, or if symptoms last for a week or get worse. Irritated or infected piercing has a symptom table.
Children
Baby ear piercing covers what pediatricians say about age and method, and ear piercing at Claire’s, Banter and Rowan compared sets out what each retailer says.
Not medical advice
This page is educational. If a piercing is hot, has spreading redness, thick coloured discharge or red streaks, or you feel unwell, see a doctor the same day.
Frequently asked questions
Does ear piercing hurt?
Briefly. The Cleveland Clinic describes it as typically feeling like a quick pinch, followed by some throbbing. It says earlobes are fatty tissue with few nerves, so they hurt the least, and that cartilage piercings tend to be more painful. On our scale an earlobe is 2 out of 10.
Does a needle hurt less than a piercing gun?
The Cleveland Clinic says it is often said that piercing needles may hurt less than piercing guns. It quotes a physician who recommends needles for piercing children because guns are not always sterilised between uses. The Association of Professional Piercers (APP) says a reputable professional will not use a gun for any piercing.
Which ear piercing hurts the most?
On our scale the industrial and the snug, at 7 out of 10, then the rook at 6. The Cleveland Clinic says cartilage piercings tend to be more painful than lobes, but the page we read gives no per-placement scores, so the scores for cartilage are our editorial estimates.
Does a helix hurt more than a lobe?
Yes. The Cleveland Clinic says cartilage piercings tend to be more painful than earlobes, which hurt the least. On our scale a helix is 4 out of 10 and a lobe is 2.
How long does the pain last?
The piercing itself is a moment. The Cleveland Clinic describes some throbbing afterwards, and tenderness can last through healing. The APP says to see a doctor if you have severe redness, swelling or pain, or if symptoms last for a week or get worse.
How do you score pain?
On a fixed 1 to 10 scale, where 1 is a firm pinch you would barely register and 10 is the most painful thing you have experienced, applied to every placement. It is an average, not a promise, and it is explained on the piercing pain chart.
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 - Troubleshootinghttps://safepiercing.org/troubleshooting/
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.