A cartilage piercing can refer to any area of cartilage on the body with a perforation created for the purpose of wearing jewelry. The two most common areas with cartilage piercings are the ear and the

nose A nose is a protuberance in vertebrates that houses the nostrils, or nares, which receive and expel air for respiration alongside the mouth. Behind the nose are the olfactory mucosa and the sinuses. Behind the nasal cavity, air next pass ...

. Many people outside of the body modification community often informally use the term "cartilage piercing" to refer a helix piercing. The cartilage ear piercing is known to be more sore than the lobe as in the cartilage there is less blood so it takes longer to heal (typically anywhere from 4-12 months).

Types of Ear Cartilage Piercings

Helix A helix () is a shape like a corkscrew or spiral staircase. It is a type of smooth space curve with tangent lines at a constant angle to a fixed axis. Helices are important in biology, as the DNA molecule is formed as two intertwined hel ...

: The outer rim of cartilage on the ear, extending from just above the lobe to its apex and then curving down slightly to meet the hea

** Forward helix piercing, Forward Helix: The area of the helix closest to the head; generally any piercing between the apex of the helix and where the helix joins the head. ** Industrial: Two piercings joined by a single piece of jewelry, usually a

barbell A barbell is a piece of exercise equipment used in weight training, bodybuilding, weightlifting, powerlifting and strongman, consisting of a long bar, usually with weights attached at each end. Barbells range in length from to above , alth ...

, commonly with one piercing in the helix and the other in the forward helix, though other multiple-piercing placements may still be termed industrials. *

Antihelix The antihelix (anthelix) is a part of the visible ear; the pinna (anatomy), pinna. The antihelix is a curved prominence of cartilage parallel with and in front of the Helix (ear), helix on the pinna. The antihelix divides above into two ''legs'' o ...

: The raised ridge of cartilage between the helix and ear canal. **

Rook Rook (''Corvus frugilegus'') is a bird of the corvid family. Rook or rooks may also refer to: Games *Rook (chess), a piece in chess * Rook (card game), a trick-taking card game Military * Sukhoi Su-25 or Rook, a close air support aircraft * US ...

: The upper ridge of cartilage of the antihelix; between the tragus and apex of the helix. For most people, a rook piercing through a prominent ridge of cartilage will give the jewelry a vertical appearance as the piercing goes from top to bottom of the surface. **

Snug Snug may refer to: * Snug (A Midsummer Night's Dream), a character in Shakespeare's ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' * Snug (piercing), a type of piercing * Snug, Tasmania, a small town on the D'Entrecasteaux Channel, in the municipality of Kingborou ...

: The lower ridge of cartilage of the antihelix. A snug piercing also has a unique appearance as the cartilage is pierced from one side to the other, rather than from front to back. *

Conch Conch () is a common name of a number of different medium-to-large-sized sea snails. Conch shells typically have a high spire and a noticeable siphonal canal (in other words, the shell comes to a noticeable point at both ends). In North Am ...

: Can refer to a piercing of either the inner or outer conch. **Inner Conch: The cup-shaped portion of the ear directly in front of the ear canal, used for capturing sound. **Outer Conch: The relatively flat area between the rim that forms the helix and the ridge that defines the antihelix. * Daith: The small flap of cartilage just above the ear canal. With a correctly placed daith, the entrance and exit holes will be unseen and the jewelry will appear to be coming out of the ear canal itself. It will rest in the inner conch. * Tragus: The small, thick flap of cartilage directly over the ear canal, connected to the head. *

Antitragus The antitragus is a feature of mammalian ear anatomy. In humans, it is a small tubercle on the visible part of the ear, the pinna. The antitragus is located just above the earlobe and points anteriorly. It is separated from the tragus by the ...

: A small knub of cartilage just above the earlobe and across from the tragus.

Types of Nose Cartilage Piercings

Nostril A nostril (or naris , plural ''nares'' ) is either of the two orifices of the nose. They enable the entry and exit of air and other gasses through the nasal cavities. In birds and mammals, they contain branched bones or cartilages called t ...

: A piercing passing through the nostril on either side and ending in the inside of the nose. **High Nostril: A piercing placed further towards the top of the nose, much closer to the bone than a standard nostril piercing. *Nose Tip: A piercing that begins within either nostril and exits at the tip of the nose. *Nasallang: A set of three piercings connected by one piece of jewelry, usually a barbell. Both nostrils are pierced, as well as the septum. Depending on anatomy, the piercer, and the preference of the client, the septum piercing may or may not go through cartilage. *

Septum In biology, a septum (Latin for ''something that encloses''; plural septa) is a wall, dividing a cavity or structure into smaller ones. A cavity or structure divided in this way may be referred to as septate. Examples Human anatomy * Interat ...

: The piece of tissue in the middle of the nose separating the two nostrils. A septum piercing is often incorrectly regarded as a cartilage piercing. While some people do have septum piercings which pass through cartilage, most septum piercings pass through the small bit of tissue directly beneath the cartilage and above the skin. {{Body Piercing Body piercing