Daith Piercing Guide

By Brook Helton

Published: July 03, 2024

Body jewelry helps you showcase your inner sparkle on the outside. But if you want a little more bling than what you can fit on your earlobe, you might consider branching out to a daith piercing.

A daith piercing allows you to wear a hoop near the inner part of your ear for a subtle yet sparkly look – and some people even claim it helps their headaches. (Although, the jury’s still out on scientific evidence.)

If you’re thinking about adding a daith piercing to your repertoire, learn all about them below. Plus, discover where to find hypoallergenic hoop earrings perfect for sensitive ears.

What is a daith piercing?

A daith piercing is an ear piercing that hugs the ear’s helix – the innermost section of cartilage near your head. You can pronounce it “day-th,” like “faith,” or “doth,” like “goth.” Whatever sounds better to you.

History of daith piercings

The word “daith” comes from the Hebrew word for “knowledge.” Researchers believe it earned this name thanks to a belief that the piercing made it easier for knowledge to pass through the ear.

Daith piercings gained mainstream popularity as a fashion piercing in the 1990s, and they’ve been adding extra glam to our ears ever since.

Comfort

It’s time to break up with your regular earrings. Once you try Cords Club, you’ll never go back.
Happy Piercings

If you have sensitive skin, this is a safe space for you. From the materials we use to the variety of styles available on our site, your piercings will thank you for outfitting them in Cords Club.
No Green Skin Guaranteed.

We’ve got you covered and have a no-green guarantee for all of our pieces. We’ve lab tested our pieces to make sure that they are made of the highest quality materials that can handle a day at the pool, a beachy getaway, and daily showering.
You + CordsClub = Vibes

Say goodbye to the days of having to remove your jewelry so that it won’t tarnish while you do everyday things. Your jewelry shouldn’t hold you back.

Does a daith piercing hurt?

A daith piercing doesn’t necessarily hurt more or less than other ear piercings, according to Courtney “Corky,” Pagleno-Brewer, a representative of Monarch Fine Jewelry + Professional Piercing in Chattanooga, Tennessee, who has a daith piercing.

“It largely depends on your ear anatomy because there could be more cartilage there for some people,” she said. Expect a small “pinch” and mild throbbing. Like all ear piercings, you may experience swelling, redness, or pain for a few days afterward.

What kind of jewelry can I wear in a daith piercing?

The usual option for a daith piercing is a hoop earring. In fact, a daith piercing starts with a hoop, unlike other types of ear piercings that use studs. But Pagleno-brewer says you can also wear earring styles like balls, gems, or curved barbells in a daith. Although, you may not be able to see them as well as a hoop.

How do I change a daith piercing?

Because the daith piercing is so close to your head, it can be somewhat hard to change the piercing on your own. But Pagleno-brewer says that some piercing studios may offer a changing service to swap your initial daith jewelry for a different earring option. Otherwise, you can simply pick an earring you like and leave it in for the long run.

If you do want to change your daith earring with help from a pro, don’t take the existing earring out ahead of time. Even healed ear piercings can shrink or close within minutes. So, just keep the earring in unless it’s irritating your skin or you’re confident that you can change it on your own.

Do daith piercings help migraines?

Daith piercings also surged in popularity due to a belief that they help with chronic headaches and migraines. The theory is that the piercing stimulates an acupuncture pressure point connected to the vagus nerve – the longest central cranial nerve in your body. That said, a 2024 research review found that no conclusive evidence supports this claim. So, any headache relief you feel may only be a placebo effect.

Anecdotally, Pagleno-brewer notes that her headaches don’t seem to be as bad after getting a daith piercing. But she isn’t sure if it’s thanks to the piercing or a placebo effect.

CordsClub Earrings

Other Earrings

Hypoallergenic Material

Tarnish Free

365 Day Warranty

Affordable & Comfortable

How much does a daith piercing cost?

The price you can expect to pay for an initial piercing will depend on your location and your piercer’s skill level. But at Pagleno-brewer’s studio in Tennessee, daith piercings cost $50 for each ear, with subsequent piercing changes costing $5 each.

How long does it take for a daith piercing to heal?

According to the Association of Professional Piercers, it takes around 6 to 9 months for a daith piercing to heal, though Pagleno-brewer says that it can take up to a year for some people.

You can take care of your piercing during the healing process by:

Leaving your earring in at all times.
Cleaning the piercing regularly with gentle soap and water
Avoding harsh cleaning agents, like rubbing alcohol
Avoid submerging your piercing if swimming in a lake, pool, or hot tub.

Additionally, it’s also a good idea to avoid wearing earbuds or Airpods. Since an earbud may rub against the earring and irritate the skin, Pagleno-brewer says it’s recommended not to wear them until your daith piercing is fully healed. If you have to wear headphones, it’s best to opt for an over-ear style.

How can I tell if my daith piercing is infected?

While it’s normal to experience mild redness and pain after any piercing, it should clear up after a few days. If your daith piercing is still inflamed and painful a few weeks later, or has crusty discharge near the piercing site, head to your doctor’s office.

Blue Skies Baguette Flat Back Stud

1,000+ Sold

What kind of jewelry should an initial daith piercing use?

When choosing the initial ring for your daith piercing, pay special attention to the metal. Some evidence suggests that using nickel-based jewelry for an initial piercing could heighten your chances of developing a nickel allergy.

After all, a piercing is essentially an open wound. So, it stands to reason that using an irritating metal, like nickel, could cause issues with sensitive skin. In fact, researchers believe that ear piercings are the most common source of nickel allergies.

Luckily, there are plenty of hypoallergenic metal types you can use for initial piercing, including the following.

Gold. 14k to 18k gold is best suited for initial piercings. Any higher, and the gold earrings will be too soft and may scratch. If you’re worried about allergies, just make sure the gold alloy is nickel-free.
Implant-grade titanium. Titanium has lower rates of allergic reactions than other types of metal. Implant-grade titanium is even used in medical implants for people who have nickel allergies.
Surgical Steel. Certain types of stainless steel are also approved for medical implants, making them a good option for initial piercing jewelry.

Where to find earrings for a daith piercing

If you’re looking for stylish hoop earrings that you can rock in a daith piercing or in other ear piercings, CordsClub is here for you.

Our hoop earrings are made with hypoallergenic metals, like gold and implant-grade titanium, that are perfect for metal allergies or sensitive ears. Plus, when you sign up for emails, you’ll get a monthly discount on earrings delivered right to your inbox. Join the club and find stylish earring options for all areas of your ear!

Frequently Asked Questions

I have really sensitive ears. What are your pieces made of?

My team and I have sensitive ears, too! Our goal is to provide high quality, affordable, hypoallergenic options for our sensitive-eared girlies. All materials are listed in each product's item description. We use stainless steel, surgical steel, and implant grade titanium in our earrings. These materials are rust and tarnish proof and won't turn your skin green.

If your ears are extra extra sensitive, I recommend giving our flat back earrings a try! They're made of surgical grade materials. Less than 1% of the population is allergic to true implant grade titanium, which makes it the best metal for sensitive skin.

To learn more about why implant grade titanium is awesome, read this peer-reviewed article: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/12/2/214

Note that our gold titanium flat back studs do have an 18K Gold PVD plating. If you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Is your jewelry waterproof?

Oh yeah! 99% of our earrings are waterproof. Unless otherwise stated (we have a few hand painted statement earrings), you're getting jewelry that you can get wet.

My clicker hoop clasp seems to be getting loose. How can I fix that?

It's inevitable. Your favorite pair of hoops won't stay shut anymore. So annoying! Simply put a little pressure on the post part that goes through your ear until it shifts a tiny bit up or down. Keep doing that until it clicks in snugly. Be careful not to press too hard though!

Do you offer discounts?

We are priced very fairly when you look at other brands with our same caliber of quality! We do have a monthly discount and an extra special yearly birthday discount for members of our Cords Club (it's free!).

Do you have a loyalty rewards program?

We do! Earn rewards for such tasks as referring friends to Cords Club, making a purchase, following us on social media, and more! Find out more about our rewards program here.

Did you have rewards points with the old Indiecords site? Fear not! Reach out to hello@cordsclub.com with the details.

Sources

Angel, E., Berry, S., Chavarria, E., Dinius, D., Frueh, R., Johnson, J., Kesler, C. D., King, P., Martin, M., Mcdiarmid, C., Misako, A., Pecorino, M., Skellie, B., Suarez, D., Szumski, B., Weber, J., & Williams, B. (2013). Procedure Manual. https://safepiercing.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/APP_Procedures_2013_A_Web.pdf

Bhandari, P., Ranjit, E., Sapra, A., Davis, D., & Brenham, C. (2020). Daith Piercing: Wonder Treatment or Untested Fad? Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.6978

Clinic, C. (2024, June 27). What to Expect When Getting Your Ears Pierced. Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-to-expect-when-getting-your-ears-pierced

Jewelry for Initial Piercings. (n.d.). Association of Professional Piercers. https://safepiercing.org/jewelry-for-initial-piercings/

Niedzielska, I., Sitek-Ignac, N., Bąk, M., & Niedzielski, D. (2022). Is Allergy to Titanium Bone Fixation Plates a Problem? Coatings, 12(2), 214. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12020214

Pradhan, S. K., Gantenbein, A. R., Li, Y., Shaban, H., Lyu, X., Sevik, A., & Furian, M. (2024). Daith piercing: Revisited from the perspective of auricular acupuncture systems. A narrative review. Headache the Journal of Head and Face Pain, 64(2), 131–140. https://doi.org/10.1111/head.14672

Professional, C. C. M. (2024, June 21). Vagus Nerve. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22279-vagus-nerve

Esmaeili, A., Ghaffari, S. A., Nikkhah, M., Ghaini, F. M., Farzan, F., & Mohammadi, S. (2021). Biocompatibility assessments of 316L stainless steel substrates coated by Fe-based bulk metallic glass through electro-spark deposition method. Colloids and Surfaces B Biointerfaces, 198, 111469. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2020.111469

Comfort

Happy Piercings

No Green Skin Guaranteed

You + CordsClub = Vibes

365 Day Risk-Free Guarantee

Your Cart 0

Sorry, looks like we don't have enough of this product.