Rook Piercing Information: Everything You Need to Know

The rook piercing was first introduced to the piercing world in 1992 when Erik Dakota’s pictures of the first rook piercing ever were published in the fourth issue of the popular Body Play magazine. Since then, this piercing has only grown in popularity. Erik Dakota is known for pioneering unique piercings, and the rook piercing is one of them.

If you’re considering getting this piercing, check out our comprehensive guide to learn all you need to know before you visit your local piercer. This guide will cover what a rook piercing is, its placement, the types of jewelry you can wear, and proper aftercare.

What Is a Rook Piercing?

A rook piercing is an ear cartilage piercing. Its technical placement goes through the inferior crus of the antihelix. In simpler terms, the piercing goes through a ridge of cartilage in the upper part of the ear that’s near where the ear connects to the face. Some people have very pronounced ridges, and some people don’t have pronounced ridges at all.

Unfortunately, the rook piercing is highly anatomy-dependent. You must have a ridge of cartilage that’s substantial enough to pierce through and enough space for jewelry to sit comfortably. If you don’t, and your rook is particularly shallow, the piercing, which is already pretty tricky to heal, will not heal correctly, and you’ll be left with gnarly scar tissue.

Proper Placement

Unlike other piercings, where your piercer will mark where they think is most centered on you, a rook piercing’s placement is determined by your anatomy. In other words, you don’t have much choice regarding placement. Instead, your body dictates the exact placement of the piercing – if you have the proper anatomy in the first place.

Your piercer will mark your ear based on where it’s most suitable for the piercing, where it will support the jewelry you want to wear, and where it will have the best chances of healing. Regarding the ridge of cartilage they go through, your piercer will ensure that it is not too deep, too high into the middle, or too shallow. If it’s any of the above three, the piercing will not heal well and will likely migrate or reject.

One thing that is important to consider is that, most often, the piercing is hidden by your forward helix, especially when you try to view your piercing in the mirror. This is common with rook piercings, where the piercing is viewable to others but not so much to you in the mirror. However, rest assured that your piercing will look fabulous even if you can’t quite see it.

Different Types of Rook Piercings

There are multiple types of rook piercings in addition to the standard one we’ve been discussing so far. One important note is that it is excellent for anyone who doesn’t have the proper anatomy for a rook piercing or is unhappy with its angle based on individual anatomy. This option is the faux rook.

The faux rook piercing mimics the look of the top bead of a rook piercing. However, instead of piercing through the ridge of cartilage that a rook piercing goes through, it goes from front to back. This still gives you the option for fun jewelry clusters and gems to wear, but it also gives you the option to get a piercing that will heal properly. Unlike the traditional piercing, where you can wear curved barbells and hoops, a faux rook piercing’s only acceptable jewelry is a flatback stud or a straight barbell.

Some people are lucky and have a long enough pronounced ridge that can support a double rook, which is two parallel rook piercings.

Rook Piercing Jewelry

Multiple types of jewelry can be worn in a rook piercing. However, the kind of jewelry you can wear will depend on how far along you are in the healing process.

When you’re initially pierced, you should be fitted with a curved barbell. The standard gauge for a rook piercing is either 16g or 14g. Your jewelry will be longer when you are first pierced to accommodate any swelling.

It’s also best to keep the jewelry simple as the piercing heals completely when it comes to initial jewelry. This will make it easier to clean than jewelry with a more elaborate and decorative end on top and bottom. This is because it’s hard to see the piercing in the mirror, so you can effectively clean it properly. Having simpler ends will allow you to feel it with a pointed Q-tip more easily than with a sizable jeweled cluster end.

Another option for initial jewelry is a J-curve. This is much like a curved barbell, except it has more curvature, so the ends are displayed more visibly. There are some beautiful ornate ends available as well as gemmed clusters, so the options really are endless. One thing to be cautious of is that the hook of the J can fall forward, passing through the fistula, which is rather uncomfortable and can prolong the healing process quite a bit. This means extra care is needed during the healing process if you’re initially pierced with a J-curve.

Once the piercing is fully healed, you can opt for a hoop. However, the types of hoops you should consider include captive bead rings, circular barbells, and seamless rings.

Be sure to browse through our extensive collection of rook piercing jewelry so you can stock up before your piercing is fully healed.

Rook Piercing Benefits and Drawbacks

As with any other piercing, getting a rook piercing has multiple benefits and drawbacks. It’s important to be aware of both sides of the coin so you know exactly what to expect when it comes to healing and aftercare.

Benefits

• Some of the many advantages of a rook piercing include:
• There are plenty of jewelry options available for any aesthetic
• Since it’s located in the ear, it’s easy to hide for work by wearing hair down
• It’s easy to sleep with because it’s located inside the ear
• Although often confused with the benefits of a daith piercing, which is a separate piercing, and while there’s no scientific or medical evidence to back this up, some people claim their rook piercing helps relieve stress and/or migraines

Drawbacks

• In addition to the benefits a rook piercing has, it also has drawbacks, including:
• It is known as one of the trickier cartilage piercings to heal and can take longer than other piercings
• You may not be suitable for the piercing if you spend much of your day on the phone or with headphones in
• Because it’s more difficult to see in the mirror, it can be challenging to keep clean
• Because it’s more difficult to see in the mirror, it can be more challenging to change the jewelry on your own
• It can be more painful than other piercings because of how thick the ridge of cartilage is that the piercing goes through.

Rook Piercing Pain: How Much Does It Hurt?

The answer to this question varies. Each person has their pain tolerance, and each piercer will make the pain level differ according to technique and experience. An experienced piercer who uses quality needles will help reduce the pain of this particular piercing.

If the pain of the rook piercing were on a scale from one to ten, with ten being the most painful, it would fall at about a five or a six. The piercing isn’t higher on the pain scale because it’s over in a second. The actual discomfort people experience can be attributed more to the crunch sound of the needle going through the thick cartilage than how bad it actually hurts. You hear more than it hurts.

How Much Does a Rook Piercing Cost?

The price of a rook piercing depends on the shop you go to, and the shops set prices for different piercings. Typically, the price of the piercing is the set service or needle fee for the piercing. You’ll then also have to pay for the cost of jewelry. Tipping, while it isn’t required, is customary, and a standard 20% tip on the total price is appropriate. Overall, a rook piercing should range between $65 and up.

How Long Does a Rook Piercing Take to Heal?

In general, rook piercings take longer to heal than other piercings. The piercing goes through thicker cartilage, and there’s less blood supply.

A rook piercing takes six to nine months to heal fully. However, it’s not uncommon to take as much as a year to a year and a half, especially if you’re sleeping on the piercing.

As your piercing heals, it goes through the following three stages:

• Inflammation: This occurs immediately after the piercing process and can last for a couple of weeks. As the name implies, you will experience swelling, soreness, and redness at the piercing site. There may also be some discharge and crust formation around the jewelry.
• Granulation tissue formation: During this stage of the healing process, new blood vessels form around the piercing site. This stage can last from one to four weeks.
• Epithelization: During this stage, new skin forms over the surface of the piercing. This process can last four to seven months or even longer.

Unlike other piercings where downsizing is necessary, you do not have to downsize from the initial jewelry. You should only downsize if the length of the initial jewelry is uncomfortable and you’re seeking something more comfortable once the swelling has subsided.

Rook Piercing Aftercare Routine

As tempting as picking off the crusties from the jewelry may be, the cardinal rule of piercing aftercare is not to touch your piercing. You do not need to twist or move the jewelry at all, which can irritate the piercing and prolong the healing process.

Instead, cleaning the piercing is simple. Acquire a saline wound spray, such as the kind made by Neilmed or H2Ocean, and spray the piercing twice daily. Pat the area dry with a paper towel. If you have any crust buildup from discharge, spray some saline solution onto a wet, pointed Q-tip and gently rub the jewelry until the crust comes off.

If you ever need to touch the piercing, wash your hands with antimicrobial soap beforehand.

You should also avoid sleeping on the piercing as much as possible, especially while it’s initially healing. One way to do this is to invest in a round airplane travel pillow. Put your ear in the center of it and rest your head on the plush pillow parts. This will keep you as comfortable as possible without putting unnecessary pressure on your ear.

Lastly, you should avoid all public bodies of water. This means hot tubs, jacuzzis, pools, beaches, lakes, etc. Public bodies of water can introduce foreign bacteria into the healing piercing, which could result in an infection. It’s better just to avoid contact with them until the piercing has fully healed than to risk the healing of the piercing.

Overall, the rook piercing offers many unique jewelry options, and it’s a unique piercing you can only get if you have the proper anatomy. Be sure to read our tips to reduce healing time and stress, what a rook piercing says about you, and our reasons why a rook piercing should be your next piercing.

FAQ

What is the difference between a rook and a daith piercing?

While both piercings were invented by Erik Dakota and popularized in the 90s, the rook and the daith piercing are two very different piercings with different placements. Learn more about the difference between the rook and daith piercing in our comprehensive blog article.

Disclaimer: If you have any questions or concerns about your piercing make sure to go to your Professional Piercer or Medical Doctor.