Should You Get a Snug Piercing?

What is a snug piercing?

A ‘sung piercing’ is a type of piercing through the ear’s cartilage, in this case through the ridge between the inner and outer parts of the ear, known as the antihelix or antihelical fold. The exact location varies person by person, as the best place to put a snug piercing will be different depending on the shape of the individual ear. It is usually about halfway down the ear, and a little way away from the outer edge of the ear. A lower down snug piercing is sometimes instead called a ‘rook piercing’.

Is a snug piercing a good idea?

A snug piercing is one of the more unusual and striking ear piercings, and a fantastic way to add to an existing collection of piercings. However, it is also one of the most difficult ear piercings, and has quite a long healing period. You should never have a snug piercing done by anyone who is not a professional, and ensure that the piercing salon follows all necessary sterilization practices.

Even when well cared for, a snug piercing can take up to six months to heal, and sometimes even longer. This is because of the thickness of the cartilage tissue which the piercing has to pass through. The piercing is also curved, putting  extra pressure on the area as it heals. A snug piercing is also near the outside of the ear, which makes it harder to protect, and more likely to get bumped and knocked in the course of everyday life.

A snug piercing looks fantastic, but you have to be prepared for a long and difficult healing process. A lot of people give up and abandon  their snug before it is fully healed. Make sure you talk the process through with your piercer before committing to anything! One alternative is to have two separate cartilage piercings instead of the single snug piercing, to create a faux snug piercing.

Does a snug piercing hurt?

A snug piercing is generally considered to be one of the more painful types of piercing, because of the thickness of the cartilage and the sensitivity of the area. As with any piercing, pain threshold is obviously a very individual thing, so how much a snug piercing actually hurts will vary hugely from person to person. A lot of people say that the actual piercing did not hurt at all, but having the jewelry slid into the piercing did hurt a little. It should also be remembered that the healing process may well be quite painful. To avoid unnecessary pain, look for a piercer who has a lot of experience in snug piercings particularly.

How should a snug piercing be cared for?

A snug piercing must be looked after very careful in order to prevent infection.Touching the newly pierced site should be avoided at all costs, especially with unwashed hands. The piercing should also be kept clean. A reputable piercer should provide you with a suitable cleaning solution, which you should use every day, probably in the shower. You should also use a sea salt wash every day. This will reduce the chances of infection. For an ear piercing such as a snug piercing, soaking a cotton wool ball in the solution and holding it gently to the piercing may be the best way to apply the sea salt solution.

Be very careful to stop the snug piercing from coming into contact with anything potentially dirty. Your phone can be a big risk here – try not to let it touch the pierced area! You will also have to be careful how you sleep, as the piercing can be damaged during the night.

Snug piercing jewelry

The jewelry used is extremely important for snug piercing, because the final shape of the piercing depends on the jewelry used. Either a straight bar or a curved ring can be used for a snug piercing. It is very important to think carefully about which kind you would prefer before getting the piercing, because you can’t change your mind once it’s done! Ensure that your piercer knows what they are doing

Once you have chosen which kind of piercing you would like, there are a lot of different types of jewelry to choose from. Different colored gemstones are popular, or you could decide to have a bar shaped like an arrow or key. Just remember that it must be in a very high quality material to prevent infection (preferably stainless steel) and that, because of the long healing time, you must be willing to keep your initial jewellery unchanged for potentially over six months. In some cases, you may not ever be able to change the jewelry at all, so you must be very sure that you like it!

What does a snug piercing look like?

A basic snug piercing looks like two small silver studs either side of the antihelix ridge, but it can be adapted to lots of other looks. Different decorated bars can be put in to the piercing for a variety of looks, or a ring can be used for a very striking appearance. It is even possible to get two snug piercings side by side for a double snug piercing.