How To Unscrew A Rook Piercing

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Amy Lawrenson was the Editorial Director for UK and has worked as a freelance beauty and health journalist for over 13 years.

The rook piercing is one of the more unusual inner-ear piercings. The tragus and the daith tend to be more popular choices, but who wants to look the same as everyone else? Besides looking fresh and delicate, the rook piercing is versatile, and it's having quite a moment right now.

Rook Piercing 101: Everything You Need To Know

We are finding that after our customer has his/her first few lobe piercings, they then look to something more creative and the rook is now one of their favorites, says Nadine McCarthy Kahane, founder and CEO of Stone and Strand, a fine jewelry and piercing shop in NYC.

No piercing is pain-free, but we wanted to find out how painful the rook piercing is, how long it takes to heal, what types and materials are best, and whether it will suit you. We called on a piercer and dermatologists to educate us on everything you need to know about this cool and niche piercing. Keep scrolling!

Aftercare: Wash the piercing area gently with water and soap twice a day. Dry it with paper towels, if needed, to keep the potential bacteria from normal towels away and avoid going into public bodies of water such as swimming pools and hot tubs.

Is There A Secret To Changing A Rook? Lol. Mines Healed, I'd Love A Cute New Rook But I Can't For The Life Of Me Change It! Is There A Special Room

A rook piercing is a cartilage piercing in the uppermost ridge of your inner ear, located above the tragus in the antihelix. The piercer uses a hollow needle to go through the cartilage of your rook and then insert the jewelry. Rook piercings are safe as long as they are done by a professional using a sterile technique.

According to Rhianna Jones, a London-based piercer at The Circle London, the piercing is suitable for most, but as each person's ear anatomy is different, a small number of people may find they are not able to get it. I will always work with each client to try to position jewelry to best complement both their anatomy and any existing piercings, she says.

When we think about having a piercing, one of the first (and common) worries is if it hurts. Although pain is relative, medical and cosmetic dermatologist Gary Goldenberg, MD, of Goldenberg Dermatology alerts: This type of piercing goes through a very thick layer of cartilage, which is usually more painful and takes a little more time to heal. For example, lobe piercings that don’t involve cartilage take about six weeks to heal, while cartilage piercings like the rook or snug may take six months or longer before it’s fully healed.

Everything You Need To Know About The Rook Piercing

The procedure is definitely more high risk than a lobe piercing because of a much higher risk of infection, says Goldenberg. The sequelae of infection of cartilage is also a lot more serious than the earlobe and treatment is more involved.

Where you live and where you get it done will determine a price range, but it's usually between $30 and $80 (plus the jewelry). I charge the same for any ear cartilage piercings with the actual cost depending on the jewelry you choose, says Jones.

For example, at Studs, New York’s Kaia Gerber-approved piercing studio, the service fee is $35 plus the cost of the jewelry you'd like. At Stone and Strand, the service is complimentary with the purchase of jewelry (it starts around $60 and goes up to three-digit options).

Piercing Bump: 6 Ways To Get Rid Of Cartilage Or Nose Keloid, Blister

As with any piercing, this is dependent on how well you follow your aftercare and your general health. Aftercare should be followed until the piercing is fully healed as recommended by your piercer. It is always advisable to try to avoid sleeping on any new ear piercing until fully healed as it can cause problems and delay the healing, notes Jones.

When it comes to proper cleaning and care, dermatologist Kristina Goldenberg, MD, says that one of the most common mistakes is using hydrogen peroxide or alcohol on the area. Washing the area gently with soap and water two to three times per day suffices. If there are any signs of infections I recommend adding a topical antibiotic right away, she says.

The best thing you can do while the piercing is healing is to leave it alone and avoid touching it, moving it, or rotating it.

Remove The Rook Or Get Shortened Jewelry?

The risks of the procedure are infection, which can potentially lead to permanent deformity of the tissue that was pierced. Extreme and prolonged pain is a definite side effect. If it’s not done correctly or is placed too superficially, a rook piercing is at risk of rejection.

Remember our tip to leave it alone? So yes, you have to wait until the piercing is completely healed to remove it. The good thing is that most piercing studios can do this for you (some of them even do it for free). So it's something to ask about it when you get your rook pierced.

At Stone and Strand, for example, they advise customers to go back to the studio to change out their jewelry. It is best practice to follow up with your piercer after new piercings, as this allows them to check in on the healing process, and to swap out jewelry for a more appropriate/comfortable size if necessary, explains Kahane.

Tips On Taking Off Rook Hoop

For the initial healing period, Jones recommends using a bar, but you can choose either a bar or hoop, unlike the daith, which is better suited to a hoop.

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