30 Interesting Rook Piercing Designs for 2013

If you are looking for a more diverse form of body piercing, a rook piercing may be exactly what you need. Located along the inner ridge of the ear cartilage, alongside the tragus, has become a pretty popular place - especially for multiple piercings. This downward area of cartilage that moves toward the center of the ear, parallel to the outer rim of the ear canal, accents the perfect anatomy of your ear, in terms of places to sport some studs or hoops. While many people opt for this type of piercing because they have a extremely defined ridges of cartilage, making it much easier to pierce, others tend to shy away from the rook because it does require the piercer to work through a decent amount of flesh.

If you have smaller rook ridges, this does not necessarily mean that you don't have enough cartilage to pierce, however you may find it a bit more painful and difficult. The actual procedure for rook piercings are pretty simple, compared to other forms of piercing. In fact, when properly done, it should not take longer than a few minutes from start to finish.

Rook Piercing Care

Since it is a cartilage piercing, you may find that caring for your new look may be a bit different than a simple ear or lip piercing. Follow the instructions given by your piercer very carefully and precisely. This will reduce or eliminate the risk of infection and reduce the swelling associated with rook piercings. For women, you will notice that any type of perfume, hairspray and certain makeup may irritate the area some. It is also a good idea to change your pillowcase on a daily basis after cleansing your rook piercing. This will keep dirt and bacteria from building up around the piercing.

While you are able to maintain a rook piercing with different gauges, depending on the jewelry you want to use, you should always let the professional decide what is best for your specific type of rook. Using the proper gauge will be essential in the healing process.

The most common type of rook piercing uses a curved barbell, however your choice selection will be far from limited as there are so many different types of body jewelry that are manufactured for rook piercings.

As you research the different types of rook piercings that you can get, you'll notice that almost every type requires a 4-6 week healing period for the cartilage to return to normal size and adjust to the body jewelry in your ear. If you opt for multiple rook piercings, you may need a bit longer to heal. It is recommended to handle the first rook separately to ensure you do not react to the process or jewelry before getting any others. However, most individuals experience at least one side effect after a rook piercing is complete - mainly excessive swelling.

Caring for any type of cartilage piercing may take some getting used to as the surface area is not quite the same as other piercings. You will not have much room to turn the jewelry or may be uncomfortable using liquid solutions to cleanse your rook, since you will undoubtedly get some liquid in your ear. Give yourself about 3-6 months to get used to it and you will probably just forget that you even have a rook piercing in.

Here are some amazing ways that both men and women choose to sport their rook piercings to express their own personality traits, individuality and of course, self-expression. After a few months it is not uncommon or unsafe to consistently change your jewelry. Some people keep extra sets on hand to match their outfits or holiday decor!