When and how should you change your helix jewellery?

By Robin Jehanno, piercing specialist at Solstice Bijoux.

You’ve finally taken the plunge! And it’s an exciting step: you’ve chosen a helix piercing. Stylish and discreet, it can be an appealing choice for a first cartilage piercing, depending on your anatomy and your piercer’s advice.

Unfortunately, you’re not too keen on your initial jewellery. You’d like to wear a hoop, or perhaps a little stud. It seems you may already have your eye on a few of our designs, and I understand why! Our catalogue jewellery is for healed piercings.

But is it the right time to change your helix jewellery? Do you need to wait until your cartilage has fully healed before fitting a new piece? Can you do it yourself? 🤔

That’s what we’ll explore in this article.

Enjoy!

How long should you wait before changing your helix jewellery?

Before we get to the main question, I’d like to give you a quick anatomy reminder.

Just to make sure we’re talking about the same thing 🙂

The helix is the part of the ear along the outer rim of the cartilage. It’s a thin, curved region running around the outer edge of the ear, above the lobe.

Gold-tone Sillage helix jewellery with a screw-free threadless fastening, perspective view of a practical, luxurious-looking cartilage piece

Still with us?

Let’s look at how long to wait before changing your helix jewellery.

The recommended wait according to piercers

In general, you should wait until your helix piercing has healed before changing the jewellery. Healing time varies, so rely on your piercer’s assessment rather than the calendar alone.

Yes, I know it feels like a long time when you’re eager to try a new piece. But here’s what matters.

Wait until the piercing has fully healed before changing the jewellery yourself. If an adjustment is needed during healing, have it assessed and carried out by your piercer. A fixed wait of two or three months is not enough to decide whether a change is appropriate (see the APP’s aftercare recommendations).

It helps to know what to expect, doesn’t it? 😃

For more on helix healing, see the APP’s criteria for initial piercing jewellery. These are criteria for initial piercing jewellery, not claims about our catalogue.

Signature ear stack, gold-tone jewellery worn on an ear.

In all cases, avoid removing your jewellery before you’re sure the cartilage piercing has healed.

But how can you tell?

How can you tell whether your helix piercing has healed?

It’s the question everyone asks after a new piercing!

To assess whether your helix piercing may have healed enough for a jewellery change, consider these signs. They do not confirm complete healing on their own:

The piercing site should have its normal colour
You should feel no pain or tenderness
Your ear should not be swollen
There should be no clear or yellowish fluid coming from it
When you clean the piercing, there should be no residue or blood

Do all five apply?

Those are encouraging signs that your piercing may be healing well 👏

Have your piercer confirm that it has fully healed before swapping your helix jewellery for a new design.

Are some of those signs missing? Your piercing may not be fully healed, or there could be irritation or infection.

Try not to panic.

If your piercing is recent, healing may still be underway.

Continue the aftercare your piercer recommends and be patient. If you suspect infection, seek medical advice rather than relying on aftercare alone 🙂

If healing seems to be taking longer than expected, ask your piercer for advice. If you suspect infection, seek medical advice promptly.

How do you change your helix jewellery?

Your cartilage piercing has finally healed, but you’re unsure how to change your helix jewellery.

That’s understandable when you’re doing it for the first time!

Open gold-tone Aliona hoop, showing the hinged fastening.

Here’s how to approach it in 4 steps:

First, remember hygiene: wash your hands thoroughly and clean the jewellery appropriately before touching your fully healed piercing.
Next, remove your old jewellery using the correct method for its fastening. If it is too tight, ask your piercer for help rather than forcing it or using pliers yourself.
Open your new jewellery according to its fastening instructions and gently guide it into the piercing. Do not force it.
Close the fastening securely, and you’re done!

If you’re finding it difficult, ask your piercer for help!

When choosing jewellery, a hoop is a popular option. It’s lovely for building an ear stack. Diameters of 6 and 8 mm are options to consider, depending on your anatomy and placement.

If you prefer a more discreet look, why not choose a little stud?

To see a jewellery change on a healed helix piercing, here’s how a clicker hoop with chains is fitted.

TIKTOK · @SOLSTICECONSEILSChanging a helix hoop, shown step by step