HISTORY
The ear-lobe was probably man's first attempt at body piercing due to the ease with which it can be pierced. The oldest mummified body in the world was found frozen in an Austrian Glacier in 1991, tests showed the body to be over 5,000 years old. The body had pierced ears and the holes had been enlarged to 7-11mm diameter.
Ears were probably first pierced for magical purposes, very many primitive tribes believe that demons can enter the body through the ear, because demons and spirits are supposed to be repelled by metal, ear-piercing prevents them entering the body. Sailors used to have an ear pierced to improve eyesight, and if the bodies washed up somewhere it would pay for a Christian burial. In many societies ear piercing is done as a puberty ritual, in Borneo the Mother and Father each pierce one ear as a symbol of the child's dependence on their parents.
Ear piercing is an almost universal practice for men and women, it's only in western society that it's deemed effeminate. At various times in history men wore elaborate earrings; during the Elizabethan era many famous men such as Shakespeare, Sir Walter Raleigh and Francis Drake wore gold rings in their ears.
"As the Roman Republic grew more effeminate with wealth and luxury, earrings were more popular among men than women; no less a he-man than Julius Caesar brought back to repute and fashion the use of rings in the ears of men."
"Jewels & Women; The Romance, Magic and Art of Feminine Adornment" Marianne Ostier, Horizon Press, New York, 1958
HEALING
The ear-lobe and the Helix are some of the fastest parts of the body to heal, it usually takes 6-10 weeks to heal and problems are very rare. Cartilage piercings however, are more prone to problems, this is because it doesn't heal in the same way as flesh. The most common problem is small lumps which form around the piercing, these are called granulomas and usually occur because the piercing has been knocked or the jewelry has been taken out and re-inserted damaging the wound.
The best course of action to heal Granulomas is to apply hot compresses to the wound once or twice a day. Put a clean paper towel under hot tap water, make sure that it's not hot enough to burn the skin, but hot enough to penetrate the wound. Leave on till the heat dissipates, do this twice a day. If that doesn't work the best course of action is to remove the jewelry for a short period of time to allow the wound to heal. when the lump goes down (usually 4-5 days) the jewelry may be reinserted, however, if the lump starts to come back it's best to leave it heal and have it re-pierced at a later date.
Another problem are "Keloids" these are lumps which come from excessive scar tissue formation, this problem is genetic and people with black or dark skin are especially prone to it. If a Keloid develops it's best to remove the jewelry as they can be very hard to treat, the best treatment is the application of "Cortisone" cream which you must get on prescription from a physician. It has been noted that keloids tend to form more often around the exit hole, due to the action of the needle, which slices a crescent-shaped opening.
PLACEMENT
Antitragus: A piercing is made through the extrusive ridge of cartilage opposite the tragus. In most cases, a straight or curved barbell is advisable over a ring.
Bridge, Industrial, Ladder: A barbell pierced through the two sides of the upper pinna so that it looks like a bridge. Conch: Piercings made straight through the shell of the ear cartilage. The Conch piercings are sometimes described as either "lower" and "upper", the dividing line being the Crus helix. The piercing is usually done initially with a barbell, but once it's healed a large ball-closure ring may be inserted, spiked labret studs are sometimes worn as well
"Daith": A piercing made through the Crus helix, the inner-most ridge of cartilage above the Tragus. Of the interior ear cartilage piercings the Daith is usually the most successful as it is not subject to pressure from sleeping and irritation from daily activities.
Helix: Piercings made through or around the upper, curled edge of the ear, including the curled edge towards the face. If the curl is extreme or wide, a piercing made parallel to the plane of the head through the apex of the curl will be more comfortable. In this instance, a piercing made perpendicular to the plane of the head would require a large diameter ring to allow for proper healing which would be too large to comfortably fit between the ear and head.
Lobe: The most common piercing of the ear, can be pierced several times depending on it's size. One of the fastest of all piercings to heal.
Orbital: A ring through the upper conch so that the ring comes out either side.
"Rook": A piercing made through the antihelix, the ridge above the "Daith" ridge. More prone to rejection/migration.
"Snug": A horizontal piercing of the antihelix, across from the tragus. This piercing isn't suitable for all people.
Top-Ear "Pinna": The outer rim of the ear extending from the top of the Helix to the Daith. The second most common piercing, it has become quite popular because it's novel without being to extreme. Usually takes 12 months to heal and is more prone to Granulomas because of hair pulling on it and lying on it during sleep.
Tragus: The prominence of cartilage in front of the opening of the ear canal. This piercing is a little bit more painful than other cartilage piercings because it's very thick, usually takes at least 12 months to heal.
Tranverse: A horizontal piercing through the lobe with a barbell.
JEWELRY
Ear piercing studs aren't really suitable for initial piercing because they can't be cleaned properly which can lead to infections. Sleepers are also unsuitable because they have tiny sharp hinges which tear the inside of the piercing causing inflammation and delaying healing. Use a ball closure rings (a ring with a ball on it) because they don't come out and have no sharp edges. The only metals which should be used for the healing period are 18ct Gold, Niobium, Titanium or Surgical Stainless Steel.
THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF INFECTION IS TOUCHING AND PLAYING WITH THE PIERCING, ONLY TOUCH IT WHEN CLEANING!.
DO clean the piercing once a day in the shower. Make some salt water by dissolving Sea salt or table salt in warm water, or use Saline solution (available at any chemist). Soak the piercing for 2-3 minutes using a cotton wool ball soaked in salt water. Make sure when cleaning to remove all the crusting (dead white blood cells) or it can concrete on the ring and tear the inside of the wound. Once the crusting is removed rotate the ring very gently to remove any residual crusting.
DO use Lavender oil as it promotes healing and lubricates the wound reducing tenderness. Apply a small amount with a cotton-wool bud after cleaning then move the jewelry gently so it gets into the wound. Remove any excess with a tissue as leaving it on can cause the skin to become irritated. It may be purchased at supermarkets (medicine section) or at chemists and must be marked (BP) or medicinal grade.
DO check the piercing every morning to ensure that your hair hasn't become entangled in the jewelry. If you have long hair it's advisable to use a bobby pin to keep your hair of the piercing until it's healed. With Top-ear piercings it's advisable to get your hair cut a little shorter to keep it of the piercing as the hair aggravates the piercing and increases the likelihood of infection.
DO be careful when brushing your hair not to catch the jewelry in the brush as this can tear the wound and cause inflammation.
DO make sure that you use clean pillowcases and bedding to reduce the likelihood of bacteria getting into the wound.
DO use B-vitamins with a Zinc supplement as these promote healing.
DON'T turn the ring in the wound for the first 2-3 weeks as this aggravates the wound, after that you may turn the ring gently once it's been cleaned to allow the lavender oil to penetrate the wound.
DON'T remove the jewelry during the healing phase, pulling it in and out can increase the likelihood of infection. Leaving the jewelry out during the healing ophase can lead to the hole closing up.
DON'T replace the jewelry with sleepers as they have tiny sharp hinges which aggravate the piercing and cause inflammation. Silver sleepers are especially dangerous as the silver oxidizes in the wound and can lead "Argyria" a permanent black mark in the skin.
DON'T put mentholated spirits, Tea Tree Oil, Peroxide, Betadine or Alcohol onto the wound as they are too astringent or damage the cells which form the scar tissue.
DON'T put the head piece of the phone on the ear that's pierced, be especially careful of this with public phones. If both ears are pierced make sure to clean the earpiece of the phone with disinfectant.
DON'T get hairspray or cosmetics on the piercing during the healing phase. When washing your hair make sure to wash the piercing carefully.