Daith Piercing Information & Aftercare Guide

The daith piercing became popular after a Buzzfeed article stating that it could cure frequent headaches and migraines went viral. From there, other hypotheses about the piercing helping reduce anxiety or assisting with weight loss were published and spread online.

The daith piercing, often mispronounced as “day-th” rather than “dah-th,” was discovered in 1992 by Erik Dakota. Dakota named it after the Hebrew word “da’at,” meaning “knowledge.” The first public release of the new piercing type was in issue #4 of Fakir Musafar’s Body Play magazine.

If you’re considering getting a daith piercing, read on to learn everything you need to know before you get pierced.

What Is a Daith Piercing & How Is It Performed?

A daith piercing is a cartilage piercing that goes through the ridge of connective tissue between the opening of the ear canal above the tragus and below the forward helix. The connective tissue is known as the helix crus. The placement needs to be perpendicular and deep enough to ensure it doesn’t While Erik Dakota initially performed the piercing with a straight needle, and the piercing process can still be performed with one, Fakir Musafar created a bent or curved needle, which is the preferred way to perform this piercing.

Daith Piercing Jewelry Options

If you’re looking for a piercing, you can get one and wear a hoop immediately. A daith piercing is a perfect option. When you first get pierced, you should opt for a captive bead ring, a circular barbell, a segment ring, or a clicker.

You want to start with something other than a curved barbell. The curved barbell should curve outward towards the ear’s outer rim when worn properly. Because you’ll need longer than usual jewelry to accommodate any swelling as your fresh piercing heals, there’s a good chance the jewelry will twist so it is turned inward. When this happens, the angle of the piercing changes and causes irritation, which can lead to an irritation bump.

After your piercing is fully healed, you can choose seamless rings (in any shape). The reason you don’t want to wear seamless rings initially is that the slit in the jewelry for insertion and removal purposes can heal in the fistula, making it difficult to remove later.

Regarding the jewelry size, daith piercings are most commonly performed at a 16 gauge.

Learn more about daith piercing jewelry options on our blog, including different jewelry styles.

Does a Daith Piercing Cure Headaches or Migraines?

As mentioned at the beginning of this page, daith piercings became popular because of a viral Buzzfeed post stating that they could cure migraines or frequent headaches. The article noted that the placement of the daith piercing is where a pressure point is used in acupuncture to help alleviate the frequency and severity of migraines. Therefore, the piercing acts the same as the acupuncture pressure point.

However, neurologists and research scientists have yet to find much to corroborate the truth of this article. Piercers cannot guarantee that the proper placement based on your ear’s anatomy is specifically in alignment with the pressure point. The information in the original article was simply anecdotal. In my own experience, I have had a daith piercing for six years and have not felt any relief or reduction from the frequent sinus or pressure headaches I get.

You might want to reconsider if you’re considering getting the piercing because of the supposed headache relief. Some piercers say that advertising these benefits goes against their moral and ethical responsibilities to clients.

Mythbusting Other Reported Daith Piercing Benefits

In addition to curing headaches and migraines, other online articles have come out touting a daith piercing’s ability to help reduce or eliminate anxiety and aid in weight loss. However, scientists and medical researchers have not been able to confirm this and state it’s due to a placebo effect rather than the actual piercing.

Daith Piercing Pain: How Much Does It Hurt?

A daith piercing is moderately more painful than an earlobe piercing because the cartilage is thicker than the earlobe tissue. Fortunately, these aren’t the most painful piercings you can get. During the piercing process, you’ll feel a quick, sharp pinch, but it’s the sounds you’ll hear more than you’ll feel the pain. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being not painful and ten being the most painful, a daith piercing ranks at about a five.

After the piercing, you may feel a dull pain, especially as it swells and becomes inflamed. However, this goes away quickly as the piercing heals.

Daith Piercing Healing Time

On average, it takes anywhere from six to nine months for a daith piercing to heal. Depending on how your body typically heals, it could heal more quickly or longer than that. The good thing about rings is that you can leave them in without downsizing until the piercing is fully healed.

When Can You Change Your Daith Piercing Jewelry?

Perhaps you bought a variety of daith jewelry from our store and are dying to know when you can put the new jewelry in. According to our piercer, Matt, the true answer to this question depends on each person and how their piercings are healing.

However, on average, it’s best to wait at least two to three months before changing the jewelry. The key is to go a whole week without having any discharge, crust, soreness, redness, or swelling.

If you’re unsure, you can always return to your piercer and have them check on the piercing and assist you. Daith piercings are notoriously tricky to change the jewelry for yourself because they are hard to see. It may be a good idea to see your piercer when you change out the jewelry for the first time anyway. They can give you tips and tricks for changing your jewelry yourself.

Aftercare Information

How to Clean a Daith Piercing

Because of its placement, the daith piercing is challenging to access, making it a bit trickier to keep clean. This is especially the case regarding the visibility of “crusties.” Fortunately, we’ve got the tips and tricks to make aftercare easy.

One option, and the simplest way, is to purchase a ready-made saline solution mist. Simply spray each side of the piercing and let it dry. If you feel you have crusties, you can use a paper towel or the plastic pick part of stick dental floss to help remove the crusties, but be careful not to put too much pressure on the piercing, especially when it is new.

Another option is to soak a paper towel with the premade saline solution and hold the damp towel to your piercing for about three to five minutes. Pat the area dry with a clean paper towel, or use your blow dryer's low, cool setting.

You’ll want to avoid public bodies of water during the healing process. This means no swimming pools, lakes, oceans, hot tubs, or anywhere where multiple people can spread bacteria. This will help keep unwanted bacteria out of your healing piercing and avoid an infection.

Lastly, do not use in-ear headphones while your piercing heals. In fact, you want to avoid anything that puts unnecessary pressure on the piercing, as it can cause an irritation bump. To avoid sleeping on your piercing, get a round travel pillow and put your ear in the center. This will allow you to protect your piercing and still get a good night’s rest with a pillow.

FAQ

Rook vs. Daith Piercing: What’s the Difference?

Many people confuse rook and daith piercings, so let’s point out the differences between the two.

A rook piercing and a daith piercing have distinctly different placements. A rook piercing is located toward the upper part of the ear, and it goes through the thickest ridge of cartilage above your ear canal. The daith is located in the middle of the ear, through a thinner ridge of cartilage, and sits deeper in the conch bowl of your ear.

Additionally, you should start with a curved barbell for a rook piercing and not with a curved barbell for a daith piercing.

To learn more about the differences between a rook and a daith piercing, check out our blog post dedicated to explaining them.

Does It Matter What Side You Get Your Daith Piercing On?

No, since there’s no evidence that daith piercings can cure migraines, it doesn’t matter what side you get yours pierced on. Pick whichever ear you want to adorn, whether right or left.

How Much Does a Daith Piercing Cost?

The price of a daith piercing will vary from shop to shop. Generally, you will pay a needle or service fee, the cost of jewelry, and any tip you want to leave the piercer. Depending on the shop, needle fees typically range from $20 and up. The price of jewelry will depend on the material and the manufacturer. It can range anywhere from $35 and up. While you do not need to leave a tip, one is graciously accepted. This can range up to the customary 20%.