Orbital Piercing: Jewellery, FAQs & Guide

Orbital piercings can be performed in a range of positions. The most common orbital piercing is on the rim of the upper ear. The orbital is generally a cartilage piercing and can be a cute and quirky addition to your ear piercing collection. The orbital is a popular choice for those looking to get multiple ear piercings but is still considered one of the less common ear piercings. We have answered some of your FAQs to help you decide whether to get an orbital piercing or help you look after your new piercing.

Where is the orbital piercing?

The helix orbital piercing is the position you are most likely to recognise. The orbital helix piercing is on the upper rim of the ear. However, you can also have orbital piercings in other positions such as the conch orbital ear piercing or the orbital lobe piercing. The meaning of orbital piercing is a piercing featuring two holes that are joined with a single hoop (not to be confused with the industrial piercing). Other common misconceptions include the regular conch piercing and helix piercings.

How are orbital piercings done?

The orbital piercing may look complicated but is easy to do if you are in the hands of an experienced piercer. The piercer will pass a sterilized gauge needle through the piercing site, after marking it with a pen to check the position with you and will then use jewellery such as a labret in the new piercing. They will repeat this process at the second piercing site and then you will need to wait until the individual piercings are fully healed before placing a ring between the two holes to create the orbital. Make sure you tell your peircer that you would like an orbital piercing as this may affect the distance that they place the two holes.

How painful are orbital piercings?

How much does an orbital piercing hurt? Bear in mind that it is usually a cartilage piercing so you will definitely experience some orbital piercing pain during piercing and often some swelling and discomfort after. However, this piercing is not thought of as being the most painful cartilage piercing. Most people rate the pain at about a 4 out of 10 on the pain scale. Remember, everyone experiences pain differently.

How long does it take for a orbital piercing to heal?

Orbital piercing healing time usually takes 3-4 months. This piercing is placed through cartilage which takes longer to heal than the flesh of an ear lobe. This is because the cartilage does not have its own blood vessels. If you follow the aftercare advice and tips then it should heal completely by 3-4 months but everybody is different. If you would like advice on your piercing then please talk to your piercer who will be happy to help.

How much do orbital piercings cost?

The orbital piercing costs £30 - £35 in our UK Blue Banana stores. The prices will vary depending on the jewellery you choose. Often the price of a piercing will reflect the experience needed from your piercer in order to perform it. This cost is worth it for getting a certified piercer to safely carry out the procedure.

What gauge is an orbital piercing?

An orbital piercing that goes through cartilage is usually pierced with a 16ga or 1.2mm piece of jewellery. If you have an orbital lobe piercing you may find the gauge is slightly smaller to match the typical lobe piercing gauge of 0.8mm however some piercers will still pierce this area with a 16ga (it is down to personal preference).

Is the orbital piercing dangerous?

Like all piercings, the orbital piercing has some risks but with the correct aftercare, you should have no problems in healing and caring for your new piercing. This piercing is usually through cartilage which takes longer to heal so care needs to be taken not to knock the piercing. You should expect to feel some pain and discomfort but if the piercing becomes very painful or you notice signs of infection then you should seek medical advice or talk to your piercer.

Can you get your orbital pierced with a hoop?

Since orbital piercing refers to piercings where two holes are joined with a hoop, some piercers will use a ring straight away. This is usually not advised but some piercers believe that in order to reduce potential movement, the orbital piercing should be pierced with a hoop to ensure it heals in the correct position. Your piercer will choose jewellery of a suitable size to allow for swelling but also minimise the chance of knocking your new piercing. At Blue Banana, we find the piercing heals much more successfully if allowed to heal with a labret before switching to a hoop because hoops cause tension on the piercing holes.

Is a conch piercing the same as an orbital piercing?

A conch piercing with a hoop is often confused for an orbital piercing however it only goes through one piercing hole. You can get an orbital conch piercing which is the opposite orientation to a classic conch. This pierces the ‘shell’ of the ear in two places to allow the jewellery to ‘orbit’ the ear.

As you can see there are plenty of ways to customise an orbital ear piercing from location to jewellery. If you would like to know more about the different locations you can get an ear piercing then be sure to check out more of our Piercing Guides.

Orbital Piercing Procedure

Decided on getting your orbital piercing? Use our store locator to find your local Blue Banana Studio. There’s no need to book an appointment; you can simply go to the store of your choice and be pierced on the day.

Please ensure that you have checked the ear piercing age restriction before coming to store. In a Blue Banana studio, the orbital piercing age restriction is 16 (ID may be required) or 13 with parental consent from a parent or guardian who is present.

Once you’re all booked in, you will have some forms to fill out. A member of Blue Banana staff will go through the steps and can help you pick out jewellery. Then the piercer will give you a quick consultation and briefing before discussing the piercing location.

The orbital piercing can be performed in a variety of places. All orbital piercings will be performed with a piercing needle and will involve creating two piercings. After performing the first piercings, the piercer may use a plastic retainer or jewellery while piercing the second. The piercing site is cleaned thoroughly and marked with a pen first so you can check that you are happy with the location. Your piercer may recommend that you start with two labrets in your fresh piercings and then change to a ring to create the orbital effect once it has healed. This allows for quicker and smoother healing.

Orbital Piercing Aftercare Advice

The orbital piercing will vary depending on where you have your piercing. Most orbital piercings are through cartilage which typically takes 3 – 4 months to heal.

During the healing process, there are some activities you will want to avoid such as sleeping on your new piercing and swimming. Knocking or putting pressure on a cartilage piercing can cause the angle to change and the healing process to take longer so be sure to take extra care not to catch your new piercing jewellery and to keep up with your aftercare.

Clean your orbital piercing twice a day with salt water solution or Tea Tree Oil by gently bathing it using cotton wool.

While it is important to ensure your general ear hygiene is first rate, it is also advisable to avoid using soap on your new piercing so be sure to take extra care while washing your ears and removing ear wax.

If you would like further information, make sure to read our full Piercing Aftercare Guides to learn about side effects to look out for.

Choosing Orbital Piercing Jewellery

There’s plenty of options when it comes to orbital piercing jewellery from Blue Banana. Some popular styles include:

BCRs
Orbital Piercing Hoop
Orbital Piercing Jewellery

The orbital piercing is one of a few piercings that are usually pierced with a hoop straight away. This is because it connects two piercings. Your piercer will make sure your hoop (typically a BCR) is a snug fit to reduce the chance of you catching it. It is vital for the healing process that you remain patient and don’t change your jewellery until your piercer has advised you to do so.

When choosing your piercing jewellery there are a few things you should consider:

Jewellery Size – everyone’s ears are different sizes, so make sure to pick jewellery that sits just right in your ear. If you are wearing a ring in your ear you will want to make sure it fits snugly. Make sure you also find out what gauge you have been pierced with.
Jewellery Material – piercing materials differ not only through their look but also how they could react to your skin. Titanium jewellery is a popular choice due to the hypoallergenic and non-corrosive qualities.
Gauge – this is the thickness of the jewellery itself.

We generally recommend that for new piercings you choose jewellery with a wider diameter or length. This can allow for extra room in case of any swelling. Make sure to check out the tips from our piercing guides for information about changing and removing piercing jewellery.

Other Guides & Ranges

Please Note: Blue Banana piercing information is based on knowledge from our experiences as one of the UK's top piercing studios. All details provided should be read alongside professional advice. Please see our full Piercing Articles Disclaimer, here.