Ever since Romy Boomsma flashed her daith piercing on Instagram a few years ago, the earring seems to have become a trend. Our Michelle also saw Romy’s daith passing by and immediately knew: I want that too. She has now had it done and is happy to share her personal experience about… the daith piercing.
What is a daith piercing?
The daith piercing is placed on the inside of the ear, just above the tragus. Now I’m not completely a piercing novice, because I already had the tragus piercing in my left ear. So the daith piercing was planned for my right ear. The jewelry can be in the form of a bar, but in my experience a ring is just a bit nicer.
Does daith piercing hurt?
I don’t think getting a piercing is really pleasant, because the bar goes through your cartilage. Yet the pain was really not that bad for me. I think that a good piercer is very important, someone with whom you feel comfortable, who calmly guides you through the process and tells you what he is doing every moment. Also important: it tells you what you should do. Breathe in calmly, breathe out calmly. It can all help a lot during the piercing. This means you have the least chance of being ‘surprised’ by the pain and you can best prepare for it. As I mentioned earlier, it is painful because it is pleasant, but after the piercing the pain disappeared almost immediately.
Can you sleep on your ear with a daith piercing?
Perhaps this was what I feared most: not being able to sleep on my right ear anymore because I had to put a hip ring through it if necessary. Or in an unguarded moment, turning to your right ear, forgetting that you have a daith piercing and… ouch! This was indeed the case with the rod that I once had placed in the edge of my auricle (helix). It bothered me so much that I finally decided to remove it. The pain wasn’t worth it to me. Fortunately, it’s a completely different story with my daith piercing. This ring is quite hidden in my ear, so I hardly feel anything. What a relief! Even the evening after the installation, I slept wonderfully on my right ear and didn’t notice anything. I change my pillowcase more often to prevent infections caused by bacteria as much as possible. No idea if it helps, but all under the guise of prevention being better than cure.
Care of the piercing
Because yes, ultimately a daith piercing is medically the same as an open wound and an open wound needs care. After my visit, I received an extensive form with instructions on how to care for the daith piercing. I end up cleaning it several times a day. Or well… that’s what I gave my friend instructions for. He uses two sterilized cotton swabs (remember Sterilon?) and gently but thoroughly cleans the wound on both sides. And yes, it does sting – especially in the beginning. However, it is really important that you do not skip this! It is also important to dry your daith piercing after showering. And no, don’t start scrubbing with your (dirty) towel, but use two dry cotton swabs. Squeeze the wound with the two sticks, so to speak, so that there is no air or moisture left, as this can cause infections. And, I had to remember this, it is not something you can do with your hands. Most piercing infections are caused by dirty hands. I wash my hands often just to be safe.
A daith piercing against migraine or fibromyalgia
It is claimed that a daith piercing can help against migraines. The daith piercing is placed in a certain way that would have approximately the same effect as an acupuncture needle. Now I can consider myself lucky that I don’t suffer from migraines, so I can’t share any experience about this. I did ask ‘my’ piercer if it was true, and he couldn’t guarantee anything either. If you like a daith piercing and suffer from migraines, then I would say: try it!
It is also said to help with fibromyalgia flare-ups. With this chronic condition, patients experience constant pain and sensation of pressure at certain points on the body. This has also not been sufficiently researched to say with certainty that a daith piercing helps with fibromyalgia.
Daith piercing costs silver/gold
Of course, you decide for yourself what kind of ring you ultimately want through your ear, but as you know, many piercing shops first shoot rods or rings with a ball attached to them. And it may be a matter of taste, but I don’t like it that much. Fortunately, there are also piercing shops that are willing to immediately place a ‘nice’ ring for your daith piercing. In Amsterdam this is possible at Kanpatha (I went here) or Dare 2 Wear. I didn’t think a daith piercing was cheap. The costs are 125 euros for the setting and the ring itself. But… then the piercing is also made of gold and they take their time for you.
Of course, silver jewelry for a daith piercing also exists. These are slightly softer in price. They are available from 15 euros. Including setting it would cost about 60 euros. The prices of course differ per piercing shop.
If you want to buy jewelry for your daith piercing, you can go to most jewelry stores. You can simply wear most ‘normal’ other piercings in the hole. Please make sure that the bar or ring is not too large for your ear. If it does not fit, it can hurt very much and even become infected. Visit a piercing shop near you for advice. They can also change the daith piercing for you.
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