If you’re looking for an edgy new piercing, the rook piercing is definitely worth considering. It’s a relatively new type of piercing that has been growing in popularity in recent years.
Though it’s still not as mainstream as other piercings like the standard lobe and helix, the rook piercing is becoming more and more popular among young adults and professionals who want to add a bit of flair to their look.
If you’re thinking about getting a rook piercing, here’s what you need to know.
What is a Rook Piercing?
A rook piercing is the kind of piercing that goes through the inner edge of your ear. Just above the daith of your ear is a ridge which is also called a rook and this is where the piercing will be placed.
Unlike daith piercings though, it’s not associated with any migraine or anxiety relief, but it’s still gaining popularity.
Does a Rook Piercing Hurt?
Since the rook piercing will involve piercing through the cartilage, it will be more painful than a typical lobe piercing.
The rook itself consists of thick, hard tissue that doesn’t pierce as easily as other areas like your earlobe and top lip which can be pierced with relative ease by most people without much effort or discomfort involved in the process.
After an hour or two, the pain will ease down and will be replaced by a throbbing sensation. This throbbing will last for several days until eventually fading away completely over time depending on how severe emotional problems were beforehand.
How Much is a Rook Piercing?
The U.S. national average is $25 – $40, but it can be as low as $15 or as high as $50, depending on where you go and who does it. The studio should have plenty of information about their charges online so that you can check before you go.
Rook earring piercing costs can vary from state to state and city to city because of different market rates for piercers’ labor and business costs. Some may charge more, but many do not. The price will probably be around $20 or so, but check with your local studio for sure before you commit!
Why is the price for a rook earring piercing so high?
Piercing prices vary depending on many factors, including geography – market rates and competition in your area, piercer skill level, the materials used, the sterilization procedures, and the overall cleanliness of their shop. So shop around before you decide.
The Procedure
The procedure starts with finding a reputable piercer. This means someone who maintains sterile piercing equipment and environment.
Once you’re in the chair, your piercer will look at the structure of your ear to determine if you’re a good candidate for a rook piercing. Ear size and shape vary from person to person. Your piercer will also recommend a quality piece of starter jewelry, typically a barbell.
The piercer will mark a spot with a marker and check with you to make sure you like the position. If you don’t like where they are marked, tell them where you’d prefer it. Getting pierced takes only about ten seconds, though piercing prep can take up to an hour.
First, the piercer will clean the site with a medical-grade alcohol swab.
Then, for an initial piercing, you’ll get pierced with a needle receiving tube, followed by a cannula that allows the jewelry to pass through it.
Next, your piercer will insert a barbell or curved bar into your ear and thread the other end through the cannula. Once inserted, he or she will tighten it down and use pliers to bend each end of the barbell closed.
Afterward, you’ll need to let your piercing heal for at least six months, changing your jewelry once a month until then. To keep it safe and comfortable, avoid touching or playing with it while it’s healing.
After that, you can safely switch to regular jewelry. A rook piercing will feel tender for a few days after getting pierced, like any other new piercing. It might be pretty sore for the first week of healing, but the pain should gradually fade.
What to Expect with Rook Piercing Healing
Your rook will look like a new ear piercing for several weeks. During this time you’ll need to take extra care not to damage it. You can’t do anything too extreme with a rook piercing, but it’s not as fragile as most starter piercings. You can take this time to find ways to take better care of yourself as you can’t do anything too extreme during this period.
If you want to treat yourself for sticking through the healing process, try wearing ear cuffs after your rook is fully healed. You can also wear regular jewelry now that you have a healed rook.
How Long Does a Rook Piercing Take to Heal?
In general, rook piercing tale approximately 4-6 weeks to heal.
Although one can make general rules, everyone responds differently to piercings. The only way to know exactly how your body will respond is to do a little trial and error.
Here’s a general outline of how long it takes for rook piercings to heal:
The piercing process can be broken into four parts that roughly correspond with the four stages of healing. Note that these are rough estimates. Your body may require more or less time than normal based on your personal health and lifestyle.
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The Piercing: 1-2 Weeks
Rook piercings heal very quickly. Someone with a healthy immune system can expect to heal in about 4-6 weeks, but that can vary between 2 and 12 weeks. It’s up to you to take care of the piercing and adornment in-between visits.
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The Healing: 2-3 Weeks
During this stage, you will notice some swelling and tenderness around the piercing site. This is normal and should dissipate within a few days. Your piercer may apply a thin layer of ointment during this initial healing period to speed recovery.
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The Scabbing: 1-2 Weeks
As the wound heals, you’ll notice your skin forming a scab. This is perfectly normal and should not feel sharp or uncomfortable. If it’s painful, let your piercer know. They may recommend changing to saltwater soaks instead of ointments for this stage. Of course, salt water soaks are meant to be used alongside other methods. Pick whichever method you prefer.
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The Fading: 1-2 Weeks
The scab should slowly fall off during the next few weeks, revealing healthy skin beneath. The piercing hole itself will remain visible at this point for several months until it closes completely if you don’t put any earrings on. Once again, this may vary depending on your body’s specific healing process.
The bottom line is that everyone heals differently. You can expect to see some improvement after the first week, but complete recovery takes much longer. It’s important to be patient throughout the whole process.
What are the Risks of Getting a Rook Ear Piercing?
Getting a rook ear piercing, like any other kind of body piercing, comes with some risks. These risks can be minimized by having your piercer properly sterilize their equipment and follow proper aftercare procedures.
The main risk associated with getting a rook earring is excess scar tissue buildup, which occurs when the hole closes up too quickly. This typically happens when the earring is removed or knocked out before it has a chance to heal. Other risks include infection and soft tissue damage if proper sterilization techniques are not used.
Preventing Excess Scar Tissue Buildup
Excess scar tissue buildup is something that happens when the hole in the rook pierces closes up too quickly after having been removed. It usually occurs because the earring is too heavy and the hole closes up on its own after a few days or weeks of not wearing it.
The scar tissue will develop from the back of the lobe inward, eventually closing over the front of the piercing as well. This can be very painful and may need to be surgically corrected.
The best way to prevent this from happening is to have your piercer put the earrings in deeper so that they hang below the fleshy part of the lobe to ensure it cannot close over itself. This way, even if you take your earrings out for a few days, there will still be about two millimeters of space between the lobe and the earring post, which should be enough to keep it open. However, putting the earrings in too deep can cause damage to your cartilage by forcing the jewelry through too much of an angle or restricting movement.
Infection Prevention
It is important to practice good hygiene when you get a rook piercing so that infection does not occur. This means taking your earrings out every day and cleaning your ears in the shower with a gentle antibacterial soap or piercing aftercare spray.
It is important to keep the area around the piercing dry at all times. This includes not letting the water run directly on it in the shower and avoiding direct contact with unclean things like sweat, water, and dirt.
After your ears have healed from the initial piercing you can switch to a softer metal such as titanium or niobium which will not irritate the fresh wound.
Remember to immediately see a doctor if you notice signs that the piercing is infected. Some signs include chills, fever, sweating, vomiting, or pain that’s increasing over time.
The After Care
Aftercare is important for any kind of ear piercing, especially so if the piercing involves cartilage. For several weeks after getting pierced, you can try using warm saltwater soak twice a day to help the piercing heal. Though ask your piercer or a medical professional what’s the best method for you. It will also help if you fill up your medicine cabinet with all the basic necessities that will help you with the pain and prevent infection.
You’ll also want to avoid sleeping on that side of your face or bumping it until it heals completely. Smokers should stop smoking as soon as possible before getting a rook piercing although it won’t affect healing if you can’t.
Smokers should also avoid drinking alcohol, or at least drink less than average until the piercing is fully healed.
