Laura Ljaze
Body Piercing

The Rook piercing is between the fold of cartilage between the inner and outer conch, or anti-helix. Unfortunately, not everyone's ears have a pronounced enough ridge so not everyone can get this particular piercing its based on your anatomy.  If you spend a lot of time with a phone or headphones pressed against your ear, you will find that this is not a practical piercing for you, due to the pressure that is applied to the piercing.  

Will it hurt? Rook piercings can be one of the most painful in the ear area due to the thickness and sensitivity of cartilage in that area that the needle passes through. However, individual pain tolerances vary greatly so it really depends on the person.

Healing:  Rook piercings usually take between 6-12 months to heal, but can sometimes take longer. It is widely recognised that rook piercings are one of the most susceptible to infection due to their location. They can easily be contaminated from daily activities like talking on the telephone or simply sleeping even when proper aftercare is undertaken.  Therefore it is wise to plan ahead before getting the rook piercing done. 

When caring for your Rook piercing, ensure that you:

• Refrain from touching the piercing to allow the tender tissue to heal and to reduce the risk of inflammation and pain.
• Sleep on your back to reduce pressure on your ears.
• Avoid applying lotions, moisturisers, perfumes to the area.
• Avoid swimming until after your piercing has healed.
• Try to keep your hair tied up and away from the piercing wherever possible during initial healing.
• Clean both exit holes of your piercing twice a day.
• You should not remove your jewellery during the healing process. The jewellery must be kept in at all times or you can risk the piercing closing over.

You can dramatically reduce your risk of any problems by following this advice.

Jewellery:  The jewellery used for a rook piercing is a curved barbell, once healed this piercing can accommodate a range of different jewellery styles.  When you are first pierced you will be pierced with Titanium Jewellery, this jewellery is a lot bigger than needed. This is to accommodate any swelling you may encounter post piercing, however rare it happens its always best to play it safe to ensure a stunning healthy healed piercing. All of Our Titanium Body Jewellery is made from Ti6-Al4-V ELI Medical Grade Titanium, the only grade conforming to ISO 5832-3:1996 and comes from UK suppliers direct, only the best available for our clients. 

DISCLAIMER: Each body is unique and healing times vary considerably. If you have any questions, please contact your Piercer. These guidelines are based on a combination of vast professional experience, common sense, research and extensive clinical practice. This is not to be considered a substitute for medical advice from a doctor.