25 NOVEMBER 2022 - ELLEN MADDEN | JEWELLERY WRITER

ICYMI: selected H. Samuel concept stores offer free ear piercing with any purchase of a set of piercing earrings. We’re talking about the lobe and lower cartilage area, the outside part of your ear (don’t worry, we’ll explain more below).

With the ear curation trend hotter than ever right, we wanted to see what the hype was all about. And my work bestie came along for the ride. We choose our earrings, the spot we wanted the piercing and then admired our decorated ears after it was all over. Spoiler: I am still admiring them, and it was totally worth it.

We speak with Milton Keynes’ piercer and style expert, Sarah. She answers all of our questions, from the price to the process to the hottest ear curation trends – to make sure you’re ready to start perfecting your piercing stack.

If your keen on starting your ear curation or want to know the best piercing aftercare, you’ve come to the right place. Take it from our piercing expert and the two girls who just got the ear curation ON.

Does H.Samuel Do Ear Piercing?

Yes, we sure do. It’s free when you purchase any set of piercing earrings. However, it’s only available at selected stores. And we only pierce the lobe area up to the helix or upper cartilage region.

What's The Process of Getting Your Ears Pierced?

When you’re ready to start your ear stack, simply come into any selected H. Samuel store. There’s no need to book an appointment, just visit the link above for the specifics.

Your ear will be cleaned and the spot where you’d like your piercing to be is marked. We use the Inverness Ear Piercing System to pierce the ear with the selected set of earrings. Once completed, a piercing expert will talk you through the aftercare. Sarah, our piercing expert talks us through the process.

Check out our Guide to Getting your Ears Pierced for more information on the ear piercing process.

DOES IT HURT TO GET YOUR EARS PIERCED?

This is subjective and dependent on a lot of factors. For me and my work bestie, getting our lower ear and outer cartilage pierced felt like a quick pinch. It hurt for about five seconds afterwards and then we were totally fine. It’s also not uncommon for your ear to feel hot afterwards and to get a little red. The pain should not persist.

WHAT EARRINGS DO H. SAMUEL HAVE FOR PIERCINGS?

At the perfect piercing station in selected stores, they have a cabinet of all the earrings made for piercings. The options? Gold, titanium, silver and diamonds studs for some added sparkle. There really is something for everyone with the selection of different sized studs all at different prices.

We decided to mix and match our studs. We went for a gold stud in the lobe and a diamond stud in the helix region.

Note: Once your piercings have healed (scroll down for healing time), you can put any kind of earring in. Huggies, hoops, pearl studs, big or small. You name it, we’ve got it at H. Samuel.

HOW MUCH ARE EAR PIERCINGS?

As mentioned, ear piercing is free at H. Samuel with the purchase of any set of piercing earrings.

Sarah explains the specifics: “It ranges depending on metals. We’ve got stainless steel studs which start at £12.99 for a single or we go all the way up to diamond studs which are £199 per pair”, she says.

HOW MANY EAR PIERCINGS CAN YOU GET AT ONCE?

At H. Samuel you can get two piercings on both ears in the same appointment. Whether you’re starting your stack or getting your first piercing, there’s plenty of options to play with. Our pick? Seconds and upper cartilage.

We only do two piercings per ear on the same day. BUT no one is stopping you from going wild with the ear curation and getting your ear fully stacked, eventually. Just give it some time between appointments.

WHAT’S THE AFTERCARE?

Although it may be a little boring, the aftercare of a new piercing is super important. After all, it does have the potential of getting infected or even being rejected by your body. So, we’ve got a few little steps to make sure you’re piercing heals PERFECTLY.

After your appointment, the in-store piercer will provide you with a bottle of solution. It’s like a little bottle of magic potion and, when used three times daily, this solution will help to heal the piercing hole. Our hot take? Put a little bit onto a cotton pad or bud and dab it around the piercing. Just make sure you wash your hands before using.

For more in-depth info on aftercare, check out our blog on How to Care for Newly Pierced Ears.

HOW LONG DOES AN EAR-PIERCING TAKE TO HEAL?

“It depends on which part of the ear you get pierced. If a lobe piercing, it takes six weeks. If it is for your cartilage, it does take nine to 12 weeks”, Sarah says./p>

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR EAR PIERCINGS TO CLOSE?

You need to be extra careful when taking your earrings out if it’s inside of the healing time.

“They don’t usually close up, but you do have 24 hours once you take the piercing out for it to not fully close up after”, Sarah says.

In short, it totally depends on how long your ears have been pierced and which area the piercing is in. As a general rule, if your piercing is new (less than a year old) it can take a few days to fully close up. If your piercing is old (several years old) it can take a few weeks.

Our top tip? Be careful when changing your earrings and don’t leave your piercing without earrings for more than a few hours.

HOW DO YOU STACK YOUR EARRINGS?

You might have heard it being called the curated ear or a multiple ear stack but whatever you call it – there’s no denying that it’s one of the hottest trends. So how do you curate an ear stack?

The short answer? There are no rules. Our favourite curated ear looks are a combination of earrings, including hoops, huggies, studs and statement earrings. Kind of like an earring party.

If you’re really unsure on how to start, we do have a little guide.

Step 1: Go from biggest to smallest.

Start with your chunkiest earring in the front lobe and then graduate to your smaller earrings – from statement earring, to hoops, to huggies and then a stud or studs in the cartilage region.

Step 2: Play with textures.

The best ear stacks are the ones that have variety. A huggie with gemstones, a smooth or shiny hoop and a sparkling diamond stud. Go wild with the textures.

Step 3: Remember: There really are no rules.

The world is your oyster when it comes to ear stacking. DO whatever you want and rock your look with confidence. You’ve got this!

EAR PIERCING PARTY

If you’ve read this far: you’re officially ear piercing ready. Go get your ear stack ON. And don’t forget: more is more and we are here for it. For more information on the A-Z of ear piercing including health and safety and frequently asked questions, visit our Ear Piercing Guide or chat to an in-store piercing expert.