Daith Piercing Information & Aftercare

This piercing has become really popular recently because of some research that it may help people who have frequent headaches. It is often mispronounced and should be said as “dah-th” rather than “day-th”. It is located on the inner part of the ear below the rook and is part of the ear cartilage. The name translates to “knowledge” in Hebrew and was coined by Erik Dakota, a piercer who reasoned that you had to be smart to be able to do the piercing as a piercer. It was first made famous by Fakir Musafar in Body Play magazine and he created the advanced technique used to do the piercing with a curved needle most piercers use today. The piercing is quite painful, partially because of the cartilage and force needed and partially because it takes longer for the needle to pass through that thicker cartilage.

Do Daith Piercings Cure Headaches/Migraines?

Many people turn to alternative therapies instead of using pain medications. The story behind the daith piercing and headaches uses acupuncture techniques to apply the piercing where an acupuncture needle would be placed to help deal with headaches. The theory is that the piercing will do the same job and reduce both the severity and occurrence of migraines. Neurologists and research scientists have found little to corroborate this actually being effective. However, if you have tried acupuncture for headaches before and found it to be effective it may be worth getting the piercing anyway.

The problem is that even with acupuncture the relief is only meant to be temporary and even those who have had a daith piercing be effective for migraines will say that the relief does not last. Other people have complained that the migraines become worse with a daith piercing, though it can be taken out and healed.

Which Side Should You Get Your Daith Piercing For Migraines

So when it comes to choosing which side to get your daith piercings for migraines, it really just depends on your migraines. Now since there is no exact science proving that daith piercings give any relief for migraines then its hard to say which side you should get done. But from my experience and the thousands of clients I've pierced who say the daith piercing gave them migraine relief, almost all got pierced on the side they experienced the migraines on. If there isn't a certain side you predominantly get migraines on, then just choose a side to get pierced. Its a roll of the dice. Or just go for broke and pierce both sides! More importantly is to make sure you find an experienced professional piercer who can perform this piercing properly for you. There are little points on the daith that acupuncturists use for migraine relief and that's what your piercer should be looking for when marking placement. 

How Long Does a Daith Piercing Take To Heal?

A daith piercing takes approximately 2-3 months to heal like most cartilage piercings and the jewelry should not be changed until it is healed. In fact, the healing process can be much longer (up to 12 months) simply because of the type of piercing and awkwardness of its situation. It is usually pierced with a 16g-14g  curved barbell at approximately 3/8” in length depending on your anatomy but it can be pierced with a captive bead ring. The curved barbell is easier to heal because it it less likely to catch or get moved while healing. Once it's healed it is possible to use a smaller barbell or ring or change it to something more ornate. The daith piercing is quite painful, it has the traditional cartilage “pop” but it isn't as forceful as the tragus. Once it is healed many people choose to change to a “clicker” piece of jewelry that has ornate designs or gems on one side and is much more decorative. They can also come in fun shapes like stars, hearts, and moons. The daith piercing will heal up if you leave your jewelry out too long so don't take it out for long unless you want the piercing to close.

How Much Does a Daith Piercing Hurt?

A daith piercing shouldn't hurt anymore then any other piercing. If done properly the piercing should only last about a split second. You will probably feel more pressure then anything else. Definitely make sure you seek out a skilled professional piercer in your area to do this one. There are a lot of little nuances that you need to know in order to perform this piercing quickly and perfectly. I definitely would not trust just any one to do this. As with most piercings the pain is more buildup then actual feeling. Anticipation being the worst part. Don't over think it, do your homework and get it done right, and enjoy your new piercing!

Can You Sleep On A Daith Piercing?

You should always try and wait as long as possible or until your daith piercing is healed before trying to sleep on it. Most daith piercings take about 2-3 months to heal. At that point it should be totally fine to spend 8 or so hours a night sleeping on it. But in the meantime a nights worth of sleeping on a daith piercing that is trying to heal can just cause alot of pressure and trauma resulting in complications. Every once in awhile its not uncommon to wake up sleeping on it, but try to be conscious and roll over to the other side when you can. Luckily since this piercing is so tucked then its a little protected but nonetheless you should try and avoid sleeping on it for the duration on the healing time.

Why Does My Daith Piercing Have A Bump?

There are several reasons why your daith piercing might have a bump on it. First reason being trauma. If you are constantly bumping, knocking, touching, playing, or sleeping on it for the first 2-3 months then that could be the cause. Excessive movement and trauma is the number one cause of bumps on your piercings. So build a force field around it and let it heal! Improper aftercare can also be a cause! Never put any hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, neosporin, bactin, or other similar product on your fresh piercings. These products are not meant for piercings and do more harm then good. A sterile saline spray is usually all that should be used on a new piercing. Another reason it could be getting bumps is your jewelry is to small. If you have a ring or curved barbell that isn't big enough to accomodate for swelling and basic healing then that can lead to problems. Hopefully you have a professional piercer in your area who can make sure you are wearing the proper size jewelry. On that same jewelry note, jewelry made out of cheaper metals can cause irritations resulting in those bumps. Only start a daith piercing with implant grade astm f-138 surgical stainless steel or astm f-136 titanium. Metal quality is super important! And finally bad or improper placement and or bad angles on your piercing can also lead to excessive bumps and complications with healing. Another reason why it is super important to seek out a professional piercer who has the experience and qualifications to help you get the best daith piercing possible!

Daith Piercing Aftercare

You want to avoid spinning or moving the piercing as much as possible. Do not use hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, or neosporin on the piercing as this can damage the healing process. To wash the piercing use clean fingers and a sea salt water solution. Soak the piercing in a seal salt water solution using a small shot glass or a coffee cup with your head tilted so your ear fits into the space. You can also do a sea salt compress with a paper towel and hold it over the piercing. The salt walter mixture should be 1 gallon distilled water to 4 teaspoons of non-iodized sea salt. Do not use q-tips or cotton buds to wash the piercing as this can cause small threads to get entangled in your jewelry which may cause it to become irritated. The sea salt compresses are also important because they will reduce the risk of keloiding and scarring. In extreme cases of scarring you can end up with “cauliflower ear” from a daith piercing which has a lot of scarring. Avoid wearing hats, headphones and anything that covers your ears while it's healing. You'll also want to keep your hair and hair products away from the piercing as much as possible.