The Truth About Daith Piercings

Every week a hot new piercing trend sweeps the nation and, right now, nothing is cuter or more on-trend than the daith piercing. If you're wondering where exactly the daith sits, piercer Peter Monckton explained simply to Byrdie — it's the cartilage on the inside of your ear (right above the entrance to your ear canal, essentially). Anatomically speaking, it's the crux of the helix.

The great thing about daith piercings (pronounced like "doth," according to their originator, Erik Dakota, though most piercers will know what you mean if you rhyme it with "faith") is they're delicate. It's not a massive hoop hanging out of your face, so you can go as big or as small with the jewelry as you like.

Daith piercings look cool and are minimal fuss

Although it's in a decidedly weird, hard-to-reach spot, a daith piercing isn't a particularly painful one. It's comparable to a helix piercing; however, Monckton advises that's more of a sharp nip, while a daith is a dull pressure. Your ear shape will dictate whether it's possible to pierce, but most people should be fine. It's one of the few piercings where a ring is encouraged right off the bat, though, so you won't have to wait to bling your daith out.

It does take a while to heal, however, namely anywhere from six to nine months, and you shouldn't sleep on it at first, but it should be comfortable enough after a couple of months. The aftercare is typical; you'll need to clean it twice a day using a saline solution, give it a good rinse in the shower, and resist the urge to play with the jewelry. A daith piercing won't set you back too much either, retailing at around $30 (excluding jewelry).

It's worth noting, too, that like any other piercing, a daith will take longer to heal the more you irritate it. Cosmopolitan explains any time you bang into it, you're prolonging the healing process, so be aware at all times and be careful getting dressed. However, if you end up hating it, the good news is a daith piercing can be easily removed and the scar likely won't even be that noticeable because of its placement.