A helix takes about 9 months to heal, and it is prone to bumps. Not because it is a difficult piercing, but because people make the same few avoidable mistakes: sleeping on it, changing the jewellery too early, or putting the wrong things on it. Placed well, cared for simply, and checked at four weeks, a helix heals smoothly. Here is how.
The daily routine
Once a day, every day, until it is healed:
- Warm water in the shower. Let warm (not hot) running water run over the piercing for 30 to 60 seconds.
- Crust, gently. If there is crust, use a damp cotton bud while it is still wet, and take away only what comes off easily.
- Pat dry with a clean paper towel.
- Don't turn the jewellery. This is old advice and it is wrong. Turning it drags crust through the healing hole. Leave it alone.
That is the whole routine. You don't need to soak it or put anything on it. More cleaning is not better.
What not to use
- Saline, sprays and soaks: not needed, water does the job
- Dettol, Savlon, Betadine, hydrogen peroxide, iodine: too harsh for a healing piercing
- Tea tree oil: often suggested on NZ forums, and an irritant
- Alcohol wipes, soap and creams: they dry and irritate it
The healing timeline
A helix takes about 9 months to heal fully. It can look healed months before it is.
Weeks 1 to 3: first response
Expect tenderness, a little swelling, and clear to pale yellow fluid that dries to a crust around the jewellery. This is normal. The post is a little long on purpose, to allow for swelling. Don't try to take it out.
Don't sleep on the pierced side. If you are a side sleeper, a travel pillow lets your ear sit in the hole without pressure.
About four weeks: the checkup
Come back at about four weeks. We swap the longer post for a shorter one that sits flush. This is the most useful appointment in your aftercare: the longer post has done its job, and from here it catches on hair, gets pushed in sleep, and moves in the hole. Later than four weeks is fine. The checkup is free for everyone pierced here.
Months 1 to 6: settling
Swelling goes down and crust gets less. The piercing starts to feel steady. This is when many people think it has healed. It hasn't: the surface looks settled while the inside is still healing. It may go better, then worse, then better again. Keep the routine going.
Months 6 to 12: finishing
By around 9 months most helix piercings have healed. Keep the same jewellery in until at least 12 months before changing to a new style, including BVLA rings and other pieces. Rushing this with cartilage can set healing back.
Sleeping with a helix piercing
Pressure while sleeping is the number one cause of helix problems. Your head presses the jewellery into the pillow at an angle, for hours, every night.
What helps:
- Travel pillow: sleep with your ear in the hole. Cheap and it works.
- Sleep on the other side: if you have only pierced one ear, train yourself to sleep on the other one.
- Come to the four-week checkup: a short post that sits flush is much easier to sleep near than the longer first post.
Helix bumps
Bumps beside a helix are very common and often misunderstood online. Here is some plain background.
Irritation bumps
Small bumps that appear beside the hole. They usually come from something pushing on the piercing: sleeping on it, a post that is still long, changing the jewellery too early, or products like tea tree oil. They can look alarming.
The things that help are the basics: come to your checkup if you haven't, keep to warm water only, and keep pressure off it.
Firmer bumps and scars
Some bumps are firmer and build slowly over months. These need to be seen in person. If you have a history of raised scars or keloids, tell us before you are pierced.
Worried about a bump?
Don't guess, and don't treat it at home. Come in for a look: free if we pierced it, $30 if it was pierced elsewhere. Or call Tom on 09 949 0940.
Hair, headphones and other hazards
A few things that come up all the time:
Hair. Long hair catching on a helix post is a big source of irritation. Tie your hair back on that side, at least until your four-week checkup.
Headphones. No headphone cups on a healing helix. Over-ear and on-ear headphones that press on it wait until it has healed. Earbuds usually don't touch a helix.
Swimming. No pools, hot tubs, rivers or the sea until it is fully healed. A shower is fine.
Hats and helmets. Beanies catch on jewellery, and helmet pads can press on the ear. A short, flush post after your checkup helps.
Phones. Holding your phone against a healing helix presses on it. Use speaker or earbuds for calls.
Products. Makeup, skincare, hairspray, perfume and sunscreen go around it, not on it.
Jewellery for a healing helix
At Platinum Point a helix is pierced with implant-grade titanium (ASTM F136) or solid 14k BVLA gold. Gold is pierced fresh: you choose the piece first, we find the spot, and it goes straight in.
Why titanium? It is light, which matters in cartilage, and it doesn't tarnish. Implant grade means it meets the ASTM F136 standard for surgical use. It is a specific grade, not a marketing phrase.
Why a flat back? The disc on the back sits flush against the ear. There is nothing to snag and less movement than a ball back or butterfly.
Why not a ring straight away? A ring moves in the hole every time you move your head, and that keeps a healing helix irritated. Rings look beautiful in a healed helix. They belong at the end of healing, not the start.
The four-week checkup
Come back at about four weeks. It is free for everyone pierced here.
At the checkup we swap the longer post for a shorter one that sits flush. The shorter post takes away the extra length that catches, moves and pushes on the piercing. It usually feels more comfortable straight away.
Don't change the jewellery yourself. Keep the same jewellery in until it is fully healed, at least 12 months for cartilage, before moving to a new style.
When to tell us, and when to see a doctor
Normal: clear, straw or white-yellow crust; tenderness for the first week or two; a little redness right around it early on; itching; a small white blister beside the hole; better, then worse, then better again in the first months.
Tell us if:
- There is thick green or yellow pus (not crust)
- Heat and swelling are getting worse after the first week
- Pain is growing, not easing
- A bump appears and you are worried about it
- You want to change jewellery and aren't sure it has healed
See a doctor if:
- You have a fever, chills or swollen glands
- Redness is spreading away from the piercing
A fever, or redness spreading away from the piercing, means seeing a GP or after-hours clinic that day. Tell them it is a healing piercing, then let us know. For anything else, don't self-treat: come in for a look first.
- Heal time
- About 9 months
- Clean
- Warm water, once a day
- Checkup
- About 4 weeks (free)
- New style
- At least 12 months
- No swimming
- Until fully healed
Helix aftercare questions
How long does a helix piercing take to heal?
About 9 months. It can feel comfortable and look healed months before the inside has finished. Keep the same jewellery in until at least 12 months before changing to a new style.
How do I clean my helix piercing?
Once a day in the shower, let warm, not hot, running water run over it for 30 to 60 seconds. If there is crust, use a damp cotton bud while it is still wet and take only what comes away easily. Pat dry with a clean paper towel. Don't turn the jewellery, and don't use saline, sprays, soap or creams.
Is soreness at 3 to 4 months normal?
Some tenderness at 3 to 4 months can be normal, because cartilage heals slowly and a helix often goes better, then worse, then better again. Tell your piercer if pain is growing rather than easing, or there is thick pus. A fever, or redness spreading away from the piercing, means seeing a GP or after-hours clinic that day.
I have a bump next to my helix piercing. What should I do?
Don't squeeze it or put anything on it. Bumps often come from pressure, sleeping on it, or a post that is still long. Come in for a look at Platinum Point: it is free if we pierced it and $30 if it was pierced elsewhere, or call 09 949 0940.
Can I sleep on my helix?
Try not to. Pressure while sleeping is a main cause of bumps and slow healing. A travel pillow lets you sleep on your side with your ear in the hole. After the four-week checkup, the shorter post makes sleeping easier.
When can I change my helix jewellery?
The first change is the checkup at about four weeks, when the longer post is swapped for a shorter one. It is done by us, and free if we pierced you. Changing to a new style waits until it is fully healed, at least 12 months.
Can I use tea tree oil on my helix?
No. Tea tree oil is an irritant, despite what NZ forums often suggest. Use warm running water once a day and nothing else: no saline, Dettol, Savlon, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol wipes or any other product.