The Truth About Daith Piercings

I would like to set the record straight on the correct way to pronounce “daith piercing”. In 20 years of piercing professionally I have yet to hear a customer pronounce it correctly. And to be fair, it’s understandable. Logically, you would think that it’s pronounced how you spell it. Not in this case. The proper way to say it is just like you would say goth but with a D. Pretty simple, so now you know!

A daith piercing is a cartilage piercing found on the ear, in the small fold of cartilage just above the ear canal. They usually take about 2-3 months to heal. You can choose between a captive bead ring or a curved barbell for your starting jewelry. Another popular piece of jewelry that’s been getting a lot of attention for this piercing are the heart rings. Usually you’re body jewelry is going to be a thickness of 16g or 14g. Those two gauges are considered standard for the first 2-3 months. The diameter or length will be decided by your piercer at the time of the piercing depending on your ear and the look your trying to achieve. Hold off on putting in any elaborate jewelry until your ear is fully healed. Jewelry with many fancy details tends to have a lot of nooks and crannies that can harbor bacteria and cause complications during the healing process.

There’s been a lot of internet hype lately talking about how the daith piercing can cure migraines. The ”theory” behind this claim is that it aligns with an acupuncture point that relieves migraines. I strongly believe that it is important that people understand that body piercing is not acupuncture. They are 2 different things. I have seen no scientific evidence that would prove this lofty claim true.

Salt water soaks are the recommended aftercare for a daith piercing. Because of its location, if a soak is not possible because of the differences in individual ear shapes, then a salt water compress can be done in its place. Please know that the soak will give you the best results, so it is best to do it that way if at all possible. To make the soak, use non-iodized sea salt and distilled water. Your ratio should be 4 teaspoons of non-iodized sea salt to 1 gallon of distilled water, no more, no less! Then take a coffee cup (never use a paper or plastic cup), fill it with the salt water mixture, microwave it until it is just barely to body temperature, and soak your piercing in the solution for 7-15 minutes. If you must use a compress instead of a soak, take a paper towel, fold it up, dunk it in the warm salt water mixture and do a compress on the piercing for 7-15 minutes. Never use q-tips or cotton balls on your piercing.

You can expect to pay between $35 and $65 in most shops for this piercing. Make sure to choose your piercer wisely, and seek out a professional confident practitioner. Choose someone who has a good established reputation in the community, who knows from experience and proper education how to provide you with the highest quality piercing. Daith piercings are easily one of my favorite things to pierce and they can be made to look really amazing with the right jewelry and placement. Don’t ever settle for less, and the final outcome should be an amazing piercing that will highlight, accentuate, and adorn your ear for years to come.