Weekly Recap: Helix Healing

Just a very quick recap of the healing process the past week of my new Helix piercing:

Pain level: 3 on a scale of 1 to 10

I practically forget that I have a fresh piercing.  I have experienced no pain other than when someone accidentally bumped into my ear the third day after I got pierced (I thought I was going to vomit from the surge of pain), and the fifth day when my ear inexplicably throbbed in discomfort.  The pain immediately subsided after submerging my ear in a salt water soak for ten minutes and I took one Advil.

Maintenance level: 2 on a scale of 1 to 10

The Helix, thus far, is the easiest out of any of the other piercings I have gotten.  Unlike my previous piercings, I am not using an antibacterial soap.  Firstly, finding a dye and fragrance free antimicrobial soap in stores is damn near impossible.  Secondly, antibacterial and antimicrobial tend to be too harsh for new cells.  You need the good bacteria to help your piercing heal properly with the least amount of complications and in the shortest amount of time.  I used sea salt soaks heavily the first three days.  I sea salt soak when my ear is feeling a bit sore, but otherwise I use H2Ocean once every four hours. Lysozyme is an antibacterial property found in tears and egg whites.  Lysozyme is present in H2Ocean, alongside the healing properties of natural sea salt.  I have used H2Ocean on a few piercings and I love it because of its natural properties.  There are no harsh chemicals, dyes, or fragrances to irritate and prolong healing of your new piercing.  I look forward to using this spray because it is so soothing.

Inconveniences: 4 on a scale of 1 to 10

1. Getting your shirt over your ear is tricky, but not exactly challenging.

2. Bumping into it in the slightest the first week was excruciating.

3. I'm a side sleeper, and sleeping on one side numbs my body after a few hours.  I've had to compensate by sleeping on my back, which is not very comfortable for me. 

4. Keeping my hair up to speed up healing time.  This isn't something that NEEDS to be done, but it's ideal.  Think about it, we wash our hair, put product in it, it soaks up all kinds of stuff during the day that can irritate a new piercing.  It's easiest to put my hair up to make sure it stays as clean as possible.

I think my Helix piercing is my favorite by far.  It has been the easiest to care for and I find myself looking at it often.  I heard horror stories about how painful the Helix piercing is, and I personally had no problems with the actual piercing itself.  Aftercare has been easier than my ear lobes as well.  If you've been thinking about getting a Helix piercing, don't hesitate!  You'll love it!