Industrial Piercing Information & Aftercare Guide

In 1992, Body Play introduced Erik Dakota’s invention of industrial piercings to the body modification community, and they’ve been popular ever since. Today, industrial piercings have made their way into popular culture. Celebrities such as Ashley Tisdale, Willow Smith, Kylie Jenner, Machine Gun Kelly, and Travis Barker are known for having industrial piercings.

But what is an industrial piercing? Learn everything you need to know before you get pierced, including its placement, cost, pain level, jewelry options, and aftercare routine.

What Is an Industrial Piercing?

An industrial ear piercing, also known as a scaffold piercing, is unique because it joins two cartilage piercings using jewelry.

While the most common type of industrial piercing joins the helix and anti-helix horizontally, other types include:

• Double industrial piercing
• Vertical industrial piercing (vertical double conch)
• Rook-daith
• Anti-helix-rook
• Daith-lower conch
• Industrial projects that combine multiple industrial piercings

Industrial Piercing Anatomy

One of the most important things is that industrial piercings are anatomy-dependent. For a helix to anti-helix industrial, the outer ridges must be thick enough to support the piercing, and they need to face each other so the piercing will fit. Additionally, the middle of the ear cannot interfere with where the jewelry will lay.

Fortunately, you can still get an industrial piercing if you don’t have the proper anatomy. First, your piercer can try to custom bend jewelry to fit your ear’s specific anatomy.

Additionally, you can opt to get a floating industrial piercing. Like a traditional industrial, you can get a half-floating or full-floating industrial consisting of two separate piercings. A half-floating industrial has one end that is pierced as if you’re getting a traditional industrial, and the second end is pierced so it goes from the front of the ear to the back. A full-floating industrial piercing is where both ends are pierced front to back, making it look like the barbell is floating in your ear.

If your middle ear anatomy gets in the way, another option is to opt for a chain industrial piercing. These are two piercings connected by a chain. Chains work with hoops and studs, giving you more jewelry options than a standard industrial piercing.

Industrial Piercing Pain: How Much Does It Hurt?

How much your industrial piercing will hurt depends on where you’re piercing through. However, because it goes through cartilage, it will hurt more than traditional lobe piercings. Additionally, because you’re getting two piercings at once, it will be more tender than if you were only getting one piercing.

After begging my mom to let me get one, I got my industrial piercing when I was 16. Mine is a standard helix to anti-helix version. While I have a very high pain tolerance, I don’t remember the actual piercing process hurting too much. However, I remember that my ear was tender for the rest of the day.

Overall, depending on your pain tolerance and the type you get, most people rank the industrial piercing between a five and seven on a pain scale that goes up to ten.

How Long Does an Industrial Piercing Take to Heal?

On average, an industrial takes between six and twelve months to heal fully. To speed up the healing process and avoid irritating the piercing, avoid sleeping on it, wearing helmets or over-the-ear headphones, getting hair products in the piercing, and sleeping on dirty pillow cases.

Industrial Piercing Jewelry Options

The only acceptable jewelry available for industrial piercings is a straight barbell. Typically, the piercings are performed at a 14 gauge, though sometimes at a 16 gauge, depending on your anatomy.

Straight barbells come in many different colors, and there are endless options for beads or balls. The barbells can also be plain or with gemstones or other designs in the middle.

Learn more about different industrial jewelry styles on our blog.

Industrial Piercing Healing and Aftercare

The one downside of industrial piercings is that they’re notoriously tricky to heal, and, as mentioned above, they take a considerably long time to heal fully.

When you’re initially pierced, the barbell will be much longer to accommodate any swelling. Due to this, it is relatively easy to accidentally snag your fresh piercing when drying your hair, brushing your hair, or removing or putting on clothing. This means you need to be extra careful as you prepare for the day or bed.

Speaking of bed, you must avoid sleeping on your fresh piercing as much as possible. Putting pressure on your new industrial piercing will prolong the healing process. One way to help prevent sleeping on your piercing is to use a round travel pillow. Put your ear through the center and use the rest of the pillow as a cushion while you sleep.

You don’t need to twist your piercing and shouldn’t touch it much, if at all. If you need to touch your new piercing, wash your hands thoroughly with antimicrobial soap.

To clean your piercing and remove any crusties, spray it twice daily with a ready-made saline mist spray, such as the ones made by NeilMed or H2Ocean. Pat the area dry with a paper towel. If you have stubborn crusties, you can use the toothpick part of stick dental floss to help remove them.

FAQ

How Much Does an Industrial Piercing Cost?

Prices for piercings vary by shop and how experienced your piercer is. Typically, you’ll pay a needle or service fee plus the cost of jewelry. The cost can range from $60-$100

When Can I Change My Industrial Piercing Jewelry?

You can change your industrial piercing jewelry once the piercing is ready to be downsized. This varies from person to person and depends upon the ear’s anatomy and proper aftercare. Typically, it will be about the six-month mark when you can change out the jewelry.

Is It Better To Get Two Piercings and Heal Without A Barbell?

Because industrial piercings can be so tricky to heal, some piercers recommend getting one piercing at a time and healing them without the barbell. However, this isn’t recommended because piercings can migrate. Therefore, if you get the piercing, it can migrate enough to make it so there isn’t a good angle where it can connect to a second piercing. Stick to healing with a barbell, even though it’s trickier.