Daith piercing: the ultimate guide
Thinking about getting a daith piercing? Looking for information about the price, pain and healing? Wondering whether it really helps with migraines?
At Solstice, we specialise in ear piercing jewellery. And we're here to help!
Located in the cartilage fold above the ear canal, a daith piercing is subtle and stylish. We recommend wearing a hoop once it has healed.Â
Unfortunately, a daith piercing can be quite painful and is not usually recommended as a first cartilage piercing. In French piercing studios, prices are often around 50 to 100 euros.
You'll discover:
- Everything you need to know about this piercing: the procedure, price, healing and more
- Whether a daith piercing really helps with headaches
- Which jewellery to wear in a healed daith piercing
- Tips for caring for your cartilage piercing
Get to know your daith piercing from every angle.
Let's get started!
What is a daith piercing?
Distinctive, subtle and increasingly popular, the daith piercing sits in a curved fold of cartilage above the ear canal. But where exactly does it sit on the ear?
Where the daith sits on the ear
The daith is a small area of cartilage just above the ear canal, almost in the centre of the ear. It is a comma-shaped fold of skin and cartilage that you can pinch when you bring your fingers towards the entrance to your ear. It sits at the root of the helix, beside the tragus and rook.Â
Piercers may find this area difficult to reach because of its curve and small size. This is why daith piercings are often performed with a curved needle.Â
Unfortunately, not every ear has the right anatomy for this piercing, and the fold needs to be thick enough.
Does a daith piercing help with migraines?
Some people report an improvement, but these accounts do not demonstrate that a daith piercing treats migraines.
The scientific review published in Headache in 2024 found no clinical trials among the publications analysed. The available evidence does not support recommending a daith piercing as a treatment.
Choose this piercing for its appearance, rather than as a medical solution for migraines.
If you have migraines, seek medical advice.
Prices and costsÂ
In French piercing studios, a daith piercing often costs between 50 and 100 euros. It is often priced above more accessible cartilage piercings, such as the helix or tragus, because the placement can be more demanding.
As a reminder, do not have your cartilage pierced at a jewellery shop. The equipment used, a piercing gun and butterfly back, is unsuitable for cartilage piercing. Choose an experienced professional piercer who can look after your ears and give you the advice you need.Â
Bear in mind that the price of a daith piercing can vary depending on the jewellery material, the studio's location and its reputation. Read reviews carefully and choose a piercer whose work and hygiene standards inspire confidence.
Daith piercing pain
Piercing pain varies depending on several factors: cartilage thickness, the piercer's experience, your stress levels and your personal pain tolerance. Let's look at daith piercing pain and ways to ease it.
Does a daith piercing hurt?
Located in a cartilage fold, a daith piercing can be painful. Your experience is personal and cannot be predicted by a fixed score out of 10.
When your ear is pierced, you may first feel a sharp pain, rather like a pinch, as the needle passes through the cartilage. This is quickly replaced by a more general ache that can last a few hours, as though your ear has been knocked. The ear can stay tender, red and swollen for a while afterwards.
To put this feeling into perspective, here is one person's experience of getting a daith piercing. The video goes on to discuss healing and expectations around migraines.
As daith piercing pain can be quite intense, we recommend having some experience of how a piercing feels first. If this is your first piercing, consider a tragus or helix piercing with your piercer's advice.
How can you ease ear piercing pain?
Your state of mind plays an important role in how you experience pain. Breathe slowly, talk to someone close to you or listen to music during the appointment. The aim is to distract yourself and avoid focusing on the needle.
Stay well hydrated and have a substantial meal a few hours before your daith piercing. Go to bed early the night before so you feel rested. This may help you feel better and support your recovery.
Finally, we recommend visiting a professional piercer with solid experience, good hygiene practices and suitable sterile, single-use equipment. A jewellery-shop piercing gun is unsuitable for cartilage and may cause more trauma.
Cartilage healing: times, aftercare and advice
Cartilage piercings often take a long time to heal and need careful attention. It is important to follow aftercare advice to support healing and reduce the risk of complications, including infections and unwanted scarring.
How long does a daith piercing take to heal?
The daith healing process usually takes time and can vary from person to person.
- An early phase with redness, tenderness, discharge and crusting;
- A longer settling phase where the area can still be sensitive or irritated;
- Full healing, confirmed by a professional before you change your jewellery.
Healing time varies from person to person and may take several months or longer. Do not use time alone to decide when to change your jewellery, usually a hoop. Once your piercer confirms that it has fully healed, you can choose a different style. Solstice catalogue jewellery is for healed piercings only.
Before changing your daith jewellery, check that the skin around the piercing has its normal colour, is no longer red, has no discharge and is no longer painful. These signs alone do not confirm full healing, so ask your piercer to assess it.Â
If you need help removing your initial jewellery, ask your piercer rather than relying on someone without piercing experience.
How should you care for a healing piercing?
Aftercare aims to clean a wound by removing dirt and residue that build up during the day. A daith piercing needs particular attention because the cartilage is delicate and close to the ear canal.Â
Follow your piercer's individual aftercare advice. A gentle routine is outlined below, with precautions:
- Wash your hands with soap, then dry them thoroughly;
- Apply a little sterile saline solution to a gauze pad;
- Dab gently without rotating the jewellery;
- Gently remove loosened residue and dirt with the gauze pad;
- Rinse with lukewarm water;
- Have your piercer check that your jewellery is secure, without overtightening or unnecessarily handling it;
- Never remove your jewellery before healing is complete unless a healthcare professional advises you to do so;
Choose an additive-free sterile 0.9 % saline solution intended for wounds. Avoid homemade salt mixtures: their concentration is difficult to control (see the APP's aftercare recommendations).
To support the healing of your daith piercing, also follow these precautions:
- Watch out for snagging on your hair, clothing and, especially with a daith piercing, your earphones;
- Sleep on the ear that has not been pierced and change your bed linen regularly;
- Keep make-up and shampoo away from the piercing;
- Look after yourself: eat well, stay hydrated and get enough sleep;
- Do not swim in the sea, lakes, swimming pools or similar places.
The advice about earphones deserves a practical example: this TikTok explains the difference between using them during healing and once the piercing has healed.
Complications and piercing bumps
Problems can happen during healing, including irritation, bumps and infection. Following the aftercare advice above can help reduce risk.Â
A keloid is a type of raised scar, but not every piercing bump is a keloid.
If you notice a small, hard bump on your ear, return to your piercer for advice and seek medical assessment if needed.
Recognising and treating an ear piercing infection
Cartilage infections can happen. Following appropriate aftercare can help reduce risk, but cannot guarantee prevention or replace medical treatment. Let's take a closer look.
How can you tell if you have an infection?
A cartilage infection can look like irritation. It should not automatically be assumed to be harmless.Â
To spot a possible daith piercing infection, look for redness, swelling, increasing pain, bleeding or yellow, foul-smelling discharge. Fever can also be a warning sign. These symptoms need medical assessment.
Possible contributors include unsuitable equipment, poor hygiene, swimming, snagging and inadequate aftercare. Some problems are caused by irritation or injury rather than infection.Â
How should an infected daith piercing be treated?
If you suspect an infection, seek medical advice promptly. Gentle aftercare does not replace treatment; do not remove the jewellery without medical advice.Â
Do not dismiss increasing pain, pus or fever: these are signs of infection described by the NHS that require medical assessment.
Keep following gentle aftercare while you seek advice, and ask your piercer or healthcare professional what routine is appropriate for you.
Choosing jewellery for your daith
Choosing jewellery for your daith piercing isn't always straightforward. A hoop or a stud? It's easy to feel unsure! The advice below can help you choose jewellery for a healed piercing.
Which materials and jewellery styles should you choose?
When choosing piercing jewellery, the material matters more than the design. An appropriate material can support a healthy piercing, but cannot guarantee protection against infection.Â
For a healing piercing, ask your piercer which jewellery material and style are appropriate. Solstice catalogue jewellery is for healed piercings only.
You can also choose your jewellery colour to complement your skin tone. These are styling suggestions, so choose the colours you enjoy:Â
- Pale skin: silver-tone and white-gold-coloured finishes
- Fair skin: try silver-tone, gold-tone or rose-gold finishes and choose the look you enjoy
- Olive and tanned skin: any colour, plenty of choice!
- Dark skin: yellow-gold tones
For a healed daith piercing, we often favour a hoop or circular barbell, subject to your anatomy and your piercer's advice.Â
Studs, straight barbells and curved barbells can be less practical in this tight cartilage fold, so check the fit with your piercer. Heart- or moon-shaped jewellery with stones is also a popular choice for a healed daith piercing!Â
When can you change your daith jewellery?
We recommend changing your daith jewellery only once healing is complete. Any change before full healing should depend on your piercer's assessment and suitable jewellery, rather than Solstice catalogue pieces.
Initial jewellery should come from your piercer. If your piercing is fully healed and you want to remove the jewellery yourself, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and dry them.
Make sure no cotton fibres are caught under your nails. For a hoop with an appropriate clip fastening, gently pull the 2 sides apart to unclip it, then slide it out. Opening methods vary, so ask your piercer if you are unsure and do not force it.
Inspiration, ideas and styles
One styling approach is to place the jewellery so the lower part of the hoop seems to emerge from the inner ear.Â
This lovely piercing pairs well with a hoop or flat-back labret stud in the helix and earrings. For a lighter look, you can keep jewellery inside the ear to just a few pieces, such as a tragus or rook piece. This is a styling preference, not a rule.Â
A conch and daith can create a fuller inner-ear look. Stacking hoops is popular, but choose the balance you enjoy and check that the jewellery fits without pressure or interference.
Here are a few ear stack ideas, combining several pieces of jewellery with a daith piercing:
Start with your daith and try different combinations with your lobe or helix jewellery in the Solstice Ear Stack Builder.
Build my ear stack