The trend for multiple piercings isn’t going anywhere, so it’s time to throw minimalism to the wind and load up your ears! We’ve pulled together our favourite dazzlers here – and we’ve assembled some industry experts to give you the ins and outs (sorry) of nailing the trend. You know what they say – go big or go home…
The Ultimate Guide To Maxi – Piercing
What’s a daith? Should I take my earring out if I get an infection? How do I speed up the healing process? Can you ever have too many piercings? We asked industry experts all your hole-related queries (NO! Not that one, you dirty lot)
What’s better, a piercing gun or needle?
“Needles are sterile, single-use and hurt a lot less, whereas a gun is essentially a blunt object punching through your ear at high impact – it’ll always feel more sore,” says Penny Burrows at Maria Tash, who’s pierced Kate Moss and Idris Elba.
Is there anything that can help make the piercing process less painful?
“If you’re on your period, you may be more sensitive to pain,” says Penny. But, adds Clem Kirchmeier, general manager at Metal Morphosis, “Painkillers shouldn’t be used beforehand as most are blood-thinning.” Rhianna Jones, piercer at The Circle, suggests “eating one to two hours before”. You could also channel your inner zen, as The Circle’s piercers use yoga breathing during the procedure. Ommm.
Why do I get metal allergies?
“Allergies to certain metals often lie within the nickel content. We don’t know how or why certain people are more sensitive than others,” says Penny. “At Maria Tash we only pierce with completely nickel-free gold. Some other studios pierce with titanium, which also has a low nickel content. Never get pierced with silver because it oxidises and increases the risk of infection and allergic reactions.” Rhianna says, “We only recommend piercing with implant-grade titanium, which is used in surgical procedures, like knee and hip replacements. Anything of a lower grade isn’t suitable to live
in the body.” Dr Emma Wedgeworth, a renowned dermatologist, agrees that surgical-grade titanium is the safest metal to pierce with: “Certain types of stainless steel are made to contain the nickel within the metal, so it is not released into the body. Despite this, personally, I would avoid it for a fresh piercing.” She adds, “If you’ve ever reacted to jewellery, watches or belt buckles, it’s also important to get this assessed before piercing.”
What should I do if my piercing gets infected?
“Don’t take it out immediately. You might trap the infection in your ear if it heals up,” says Penny. To help avoid this, Clem advises, “Use the right aftercare products, like a pre-made sterile saline solution, don’t touch it, use fresh towels and pillow cases regularly and don’t swim in public pools for a while.” If you’re concerned about an infection, or there doesn’t seem to be any improvement within a couple of days, see your GP.
What are keloid scars?
These are enlarged, raised scars that can be pink, red, skin-coloured or darker than the surrounding skin. They can also continue to grow and might have to be surgically removed. “If you have a bump, nine times out of 10, it’s probably not a keloid bump, but a blood blister,” says Penny. “In which case, treat by doing compresses every day for a few weeks. Just saturate some kitchen roll in a hot cup of chamomile tea.” If you’re still unsure, check with a doctor or piercer.
Golden Rules Of OTT Ears
1. Do your research.
Go into your piercer the same way you would your hairdresser, armed with research and ideas for how you’d like to look. “I use Instagram and Pinterest as my sources
of inspiration,” says multi-pierced influencer Monikh (@Monikh).
2. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
You can never have too many piercings (within reason) but, “We recommend having no more than three done per session,” says Penny at Maria Tash. So if you’re aiming for six, speak to your piercer about staggering them.
3. Go maximal (not minimal).
“Large layered earrings are the next big trend,” says Monikh. ”Think gold, layered, shells and dangly, alongside tiny studs.”
4. Get crafty
“I have tiny good-quality gold hoops from Jennifer Fisher and hang little charms or pendants from charity shops or flea markets from them. You
can also get single second-hand earrings and just sterilise them well before wearing. That way, no one will ever have the same ones as you,” says Cosmopolitan’s fashion director Amy Bannerman.
5. If you don’t want to go the whole way, fake it till you make it
With cuffs and huggers, which are essentially pretend hoops. “They stay put even when sleeping or showering and look so realistic. Instant pain-free style!” says Amy.
6. Layer, layer and layer again.
“You can sometimes fit a tiny stud into the same hole as a hoop so it ends up looking like one earring,” Amy explains. Nifty, eh?