A few months ago on my blog we discussed helix piercings, one of the most popular ear piercings most studios offer. Today, I want to discuss another very fun helix placement- the forward helix piercing! As we reviewed in Helix Piercing 101, the helix is the entire rim of cartilage around the ear. Where it curves forward along the side of the head- this portion of the helix is what we refer to as the forward helix. Named for the way the tissue, and subsequent piercings through it face forward, this placement has grown in popularity over recent years. In no small part thanks to the phenomenal Christina Schull, who owns and piercers out of Integrity body piercing in Wenatchee, Washington. She popularized the triple forward helix piercing with a black and white image that made thr rounds across pintrest, Instagram, and studios far and wide. This really put forward helixes on the map. Now they are common placements that are often seen adorning ear curations, as centerpieces themselves, or even solo. There is a lot to consider with anatomy and placement for these piercings, so let’s dive in!
Anatomy
Anatomy is very important for virtually every piercing, but particularly when we discuss forward helix piercings. This portion of the helix ridge wraps forward over the rook and eventually swoops downward to form the portion of the ear where daith piercings are located. On some ears, there is a ton of space in this area where we can place piercings. On others, this ridge is nearly touching the flat of the ear, and there’s no room for us to do piercings. Some folk’s forward helix ridge is very very small, with barely any room for a piercing. Others have large, wide ridges that could support the largest, most decorative pieces of jewelry. Some folk’s rook ridges are smaller or have lots of space between the forward helix and rook, and it doesn’t impact their piercings at all. Other’s rooks touch the back of their forward helix, and it limits our placement for forward helix piercings.
Forward helixes are so anatomy dependent, and this is an area of the ear with huge variation between different people. It’s important to see the ear in person to determine what is actually viable for piercing. Most folks can get at least one forward helix, but some folks can get two or three, even four or five! And some folks can’t safely get any forward helixes at all. So anatomy plays a major role in this piercing.
It also plays a factor in what jewelry you can wear- how large it can be, what backing styles are comfortable, and how pieces lay against your ear. When you go in to get a forward helix a piercer should take a look at your anatomy and discuss what is suitable for your ear, and what the limitations may be.
Placement
Now placement is very anatomy dependent with a forward helix. Like we discussed with anatomy, the shape of your ear very much determines how many forward helix piercings, if any, your ear can support. But it also determines where on the ear you can be pierced.
Take for example this ear. We’ve tucked this placement around the rook ridge. If it had been placed higher/lower and directly over the ridge, there would be limited space for the back of the piercing to rest, and this could cause irritation bumps, and issues. So we had to go above/below where that ridge sat in order for things to be viable.
Some folks may have enough space with their forward helix that it’s all piercable, and get the treat of choosing a placement purely based on aesthetic goals. And it’s awesome when this is the case! However, if you are planning on a forward helix piercing, understand that placement may be largely impacted by your anatomy, and come to your appointment with realistic expectations for that.
Other factors that can affect placement are future goals for this piercing. Definitely let your piercer know if you are hoping to eventually do multiple forward helixes like a double or triple, so we can map things out accordingly. Also, if you know your goal jewelry is a dainty hoop and charms, or big bold ends, let us know that as well! What you want to wear in it and how you choose to style it can also impact what placement on your ear will work best.
I can’t talk about forward helix placement without also talking about daith piercings. See, there is an unfortunate trend of less experienced or educated piercers not understanding the difference in these two piercings and confusing them for one another, or even placing them incorrectly like one another. Here is an example of this occurring- this client wanted a daith piercing but was given essentially a very low forward helix instead.
Don’t hesitate to ask to check marks or ask piercers to see examples of forward helixes they have done in the past to ensure they know how to correctly place things. And if things feel Orr or wrong, remember your consent is what matters most. You do not have to get a piercing if you feel uncomfortable, or you have doubts about placement and angles.
Initial Jewelry
For forward helix piercings, straight barbells or labrets are going to be your best option for initial jewelry. Straight pieces sit perpendicular to the tissue and allow things to rest comfortably for healing. The backing style will be determined by your piercer, and there are pros and cons to both bead backs and flatbacks.
On some folk’s ears, bead backs are easier to keep clean, more comfortable, and can counterbalance large ends. On others, flat backs fit far more comfortably, allow us to work around the structures of the ear better, and are nice and secure. I would trust your piercer to make that call and select the style that’s best for you.
However, we can’t talk about forward helixes without discussing curved barbells. Unfortunately, I see these done initially all the time with curves- usually because I am correcting them and removing them. Curves don’t pass perpendicularly through the tissue here and often end up hooking above or below the ridge of the rook and causing issues.* These are notorious for causing migration, and can pretty severely shift the angles of these piercings. The curves also usually hang entirely out the front of the ear and get caught on everything, or sit back in the ear and can have a lot of pressure.
And we of course need to talk about ends for initial jewelry as well! The anatomy of your ear not only determines viability and placement but also the size of the initial jewelry we can start with! For many folks, very large or decorative ends won’t be the best idea for an initial piercing. This placement is more delicate and can be trickier to heal. Very large pieces can be difficult to clean, allowing a lot of crust and debris to build up. They can also be more prone to catching or snagging, especially if they don’t lay perfectly flat. Sometimes this is due to anatomy- and the curvature of the ear in this placement. Your piercer may limit you to smaller or simpler ends for initial piercing, and encourage you to wait for full healing before wearing large pieces. This is because we want your piercing to heal well! And we know that large pieces won’t be for everyone. That said, sometimes we get the perfect anatomy, with a perfect range of flat tissue that can easily support piercing and healing with something fancy, and that’s always a great time.
Healing Expectations
So we understand that there is a range of placements that work for this piercing, almost all determined by anatomy and that different anatomy may be harder or easier to heal. We know what jewelry we might get, and that jewelry choice and style will also likely affect the healing process. But what is that healing process going to look like? And what about those awful bumps people get? Let’s talk about it.
Forward Helix piercings, like most cartilage, take on average take about 6-9 months to heal, up to a year. Some folks, due to anatomy medical conditions, lifestyle, climate, or jewelry choice may find that it takes a full year or even a little longer for this piercing to be fully healed and comfortable. This is pretty normal and if you are someone who is a slower healer when it comes to your forward helix piercing don’t be discouraged- a lot of us are. Side sleepers, people who wear headsets at work, clients with long sideburns, and folks who are just clumsy and catch and snag things easier are all going to probably have a trickier time healing this.
I have a blog post here that discusses how healing actually occurs in piercings which is very helpful when it comes to helix piercings if you are curious about specifics of the actual healing. I have another here that discusses aftercare methods.
Many clients will have a fairly uneventful healing process for their helix. They’ll get them pierced, probably snag them a few times on pillowcases and shirts and glasses while you adjust to having it there, and then before you know it it’s healed and you are changing it in and out without issue. We love to see it!
But, many clients (myself included) will have a bit of a …bumpier ride.
That’s right- the bump. Almost everyone either has experienced this or knows someone who has- getting a little bump or irritation on your piercing at some point during the healing process. I actually have an entire very in-depth article on these bumps and how and why they happen here that I strongly suggest you read. But, I wanna give you some forward helix-specific tips in this blog post.
The first is to consider the basics. Are you sleeping on this side? See, we don’t often realize it but the human head weighs about 8-10 lbs. So when we sleep on our healing piercing that’s 8-10 lbs of pressure all night long. That is a ton of pressure and in forward helix piercings, this can cause irritation, but it can also cause the piercing to migrate.
All that pressure usually pushes the forward helix at an angle when you lay on that side, for hours and hours all night long. Eventually, the jewelry shifts through the skin and begins to lay at that angle. This migration is often permanent and can result in some pretty nasty bumps. Not sleeping on your ear and downsizing it when it's ready to prevent extra length from getting torqued like that can help prevent this migration. My favorite trick is using a travel pillow like folks use at the airport, and putting my ear in the little space. That way I can still side sleep without crushing my poor piercing all night long. One of the most common reasons we see irritation in helixes is from being slept on, and this is the culprit for dozens and dozens of bumps.
The next most common issue is with keeping these clean. The natural crust and secretion that forms on healing piercings is usually fairly easy to clean away. But forward helixes are tricky for two reasons- the first is that they are hard to see! They rest very close to where your ear meets your head, and can be quite tricky to catch a good look at in the mirror. The other is the narrow, tight space these rest in. The forward helix ridge is very close to the rook and the flat, and this small space is full of creases and creases for debris and crust to build up. Combine a tight, tricky to clean area with also being hard to see, and many clients struggle with getting and keeping these piercings clean. My favorite trick for this is using a pointy q-tip.
These have fine, delicate pointed ends originally designed for precision makeup cleanup around your eyes. They are more tightly woven than your average tip and less likely to leave fibers behind. You can soak them in saline and use them to gently clean around the back of your forward helix. The key word there is gentle- you want to remove that crust and debris, not bash your piercing around with it. Be mindful of the q-tip getting caught or snagged on any ping or gem ends, and try not to disrupt the jewelry too much during cleaning.
Have you caught or snagged this recently? Forward Helixes are a pretty high-traffic area that can get a good bonk or snag somewhat often- especially tucking our hair back, taking glasses on and off, and taking shirts off. These can absolutely cause the piercing to become irritated. If you did, and that’s the cause of your bump, then some extra TLC and care & some time, and patience are all this needs to heal right up. What about being sick recently? A cold or the flu? Maybe seasonal allergies, or even seasonal weather change? When you are sick, and your whole body is sick, then your piercing understandably is going to be all grumpy too. Focus on getting yourself feeling better- your piercing can’t recover until you have recovered first!
And then consider some other factors. What jewelry were you pierced with- Did you opt for something ideal for healing like a high-quality implant-grade titanium labret post, or did you get the “one size fits all” piercing gun earring….maybe steel? Did you decide on the extra large and sparkly gem that gets snagged a bit more often or did you play it safe with something smaller and less likely to catch? As we discussed above some jewelry styles can affect how this piercing heals, and you may be experiencing a bump as a side effect of this jewelry style, material, and quality.
Perhaps there is an issue with aftercare that could be causing this irritation. Often clients, accidentally, end up getting products like hair spray, gel, or dye into their forward helix piercings that can cause the piercing to become very irritated. Sometimes it's an external factor like wearing a mask, headphones, or a scarf.
Whatever the cause, if you have a bump or an issue with your piercing it’s important to get back in touch with your piercer so they can help you determine the cause of the irritation and how to treat it. If it’s grumpy because you snagged it, it likely just needs some patience and time to recover. If it’s irritated because you have a low-quality, “one size fits all” butterfly back, you likely need to get better-quality jewelry. And if it's becoming irritated from being slept on, you may need to get a travel pillow and change your routine to allow it to recover. Your piercer's job isn’t over just because they did your piercing- a huge part of our job is then helping you heal that piercing!
A Note on the Triple Forward Helix
Perhaps the most popular iteration of the forward helix, and the design that really put these on the map, the triple forward is a classic, quintessential showing of piercer skill, angles, and jewelry, as well as perfect anatomy. While I know there are many folks out there who dream of a perfect triple forward, I want to note just how anatomy-dependent these are. You need enough space on the front of your forward helix to support at least 3 ends, with some room between them. And this can be tough, depending on how much your forward helix ridge curves, or how shallow it is. But the hardest part of the anatomy of these is on the backside- is there room for 3 piercings to fit. Sadly, the answer for some folks is no. For others it may be yes- but not all at once.
There are some perfect ears out there, ears that were just made for forward helixes with enough room to park a car back there, and plenty of space for three (or more) glittering ends. And if you have that ear- amazing! You can walk out of your studio with a triple forward any day of the week. But not everyone has that ear- most people actually don’t. This may mean your piercer encourages you to start with just 1 or 2 piercings, allow them to heal some, and then get the second or third of the set. And this isn’t to be rude or make you keep coming back. New piercings can have swelling, initial healing can be difficult, and some ear anatomy is just too small to safely support all three piercings at once and heal well. So, if a triple is your goal, come prepared to space the piercings out if that’s what’s safest for your ear.
And some folks may not have the anatomy to do all three at all. This is always a difficult situation for us a piercers as we never want to disappoint clients, but we also don’t want to do unsafe piercings or piercings that won’t heal. If you don’t have the anatomy to support all three, these can migrate, have irritation, or even leave serious scarring. So if your piercer tells you no to all three, please know it’s because we want you to heal well and be safe!
There you have it folks, a comprehensive breakdown of all of the things to consider when getting your forward helix pierced! These anatomy-dependent piercings are super fun, super unique, and I think they are the perfect stand-alone or compliment to an existing setup. I hope this blog post can help you prepare and make some informed choices about placement, jewelry, and aftercare. Happy healing!
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