Types Of Ear Piercings

It seems like people will pierce almost anything these days, and there are many types of ear piercings available. Styles range from the regular lobe piercings found on little girls to the complicated and painful stretched lobe variety. The following are common types of ear piercings:

1. Lobe - Regular style that runs through the front of the lobe.
2. Transverse Lobe - Runs horizontally through the fleshy part of the lobe.
3. Stretched Lobe - These begin as a regular lobe piercing. Gradually, earrings with larger gauge posts are inserted, stretching the hole.
4. Industrial or Scaffold - This type of piercing is actually two piercings on either side of the ear, with one bar running through both holes.
5. Conch - Runs through the middle, concave part of the ear.
6. Auricle - Located about halfway down the outer ear rim. Rings or studs can be inserted into this piercing.
7. Daith - This piercing is located on the fold of cartilage just above the ear canal opening. Some people don't have enough cartilage in this area to accommodate a piercing.
8. Rook - Like the Daith piercing, some ears may not accommodate a Rook piercing. It is located in the fold of cartilage just above the Daith.
9. Orbital - This piercing is located in the top fold of inner cartliage, just above the Rook location.
10. Helix or Pinna - Located on the interior ear rim, just above the ear canal opening.
11. Tragus - The flexible section of cartilage located close to the cheek just outside the ear canal.
12. Anti-tragus - Located above the lobe, this piercing is performed on the section of cartilage that runs at an angle across from the Tragus.
13. Snug - Located on the outermost curved edge of cartilage opposite the Tragus.