Piercing Ear Rook

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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.

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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.

Rook Piercing: Everything You Need To Know

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.

Rook Piercing 101: Everything You Need To Know

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).

Everything You Need To Know About Cartilage Piercings

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.

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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.

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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.

Takes every opportunity to use high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.This unique ear cartilage piercing is one of the hottest piercings now, however, before getting under the needle, you’re likely to be brimming with questions, and understandably so!

Here’s everything you need to know before going to a professional piercer to get the rook pierced, starting from what it is right down to how much it’ll cost. This guide is bound to help you gain clarity about this unusual inner ear piercing in your cartilage fold!

Rook Piercing Pain Levels, Coping, And Piercing Aftercare

Located above the tragus, this cartilage piercing in the uppermost ridge of your inner ear, should not be confused with a daith piercing that rests just above the ear canal on the minor ridge.

Although cartilage ear piercings have been around for quite a while now, nothing matches the beauty and grace of this type of ear piercing nestled between the cartilage fold.

For the faux rook, piercing professionals move their instrument horizontally a little above the ridge of the inner ear. A faux rook goes straight through the tissue right above the ridge of the rook. It's done with a straight barbell, instead of the usually curved barbell used to pierce the rook.

Surgical Steel Rook Piercing

The average rook piercing cost can range anywhere between $30 to $100. However, this range isn’t set in stone since the price might change depending on where the piercing studio is located, the experience level of the professional piercer, and the type of jewelry you select.

Don’t compromise on the quality of the service you’re getting, though, just to save a few bucks. You want to go to an experienced piercer to get your rook pierced to ensure you don’t have any problems with your rook down the lane.

Make sure to make a piercing appointment with a reputable piercing salon. Professional piercers first clean your ear thoroughly using rubbing alcohol. Then, they carefully mark the area with puncture spots using a surgical pen. Next, a 16G gauge hollow needle is inserted into the ear’s cartilage with a hollow tube at the end to prevent any pricks.

Rook Piercing Jewelry

Once the rook is completely penetrated, a curved barbell earring is inserted, firmly positioned, and clamped to ensure the piercing remains stationary. Ensure that you do not let your new piercing touch anything, especially after getting it pierced.

Like other types of cartilage piercings, rook piercings do cause a little discomfort during the procedure. While some say it is not one of the most painful piercings, most people say they hurt, ranking pain level an 8 out of 10 on a pain scale.

You might feel sudden pain at the time. However, if you’re in the hands of a professional piercer, the pain will subside just as quickly as you felt it!

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Professional piercers will even have you lie on your side to prevent you from fidgeting around during the process of passing out.

The healing period can take anywhere from a year to a year and a half. for the