Rook ear piercing-- UPDATE post 10, with pic

lauraloo · 02-03-2012, 10:40 AM

Considering getting this today. I have wanted one for a long time but haven't gotten around to it yet...

Can anyone share their experiences with this piercing? My little sister had hers done but ended up taking it out after 6-12 months because it was painful and never healed well. She also said it was by far the worst piercing she has had pain-wise, and she's had several!

Pain- during the piercing and aftercare?
Did it heal well? How long?
Able to take it out/wear a spacer for professional situations?

I have three holes in each lobe (pain negligible), cartilage on the right which I did myself (bad idea, hurt then and still hurts occasionally), left nostril (hurt but not horrible, has healed beautifully), and navel (hurt pretty bad-- piercer said I had "exceptionally tough skin" but is healed now).

FYI, here is a pic of a rook piercing:

curlybran · 02-03-2012, 11:59 AM

I have my rook done. I've had it nearly 6 years now. Mine never bothers me unless I sleep with it twisted. Mine wasn't that painful and I had a few problems with healing but shortly after I got mine done I got in a motorcycle wreck and ripped it some. But that was all. I love it bc not many ppl have em and every1 is amazed by it. I can put curved spacers in mine if needed.... Normally I just leave it out

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itsiliii · 02-03-2012, 03:37 PM

Umm let's see, during the actual piercing process it was actually the piercing that's most hurt for me. After that it hasn't give me much of a problem.

As initial jewelry definitely go with a barbell because rings can really mess with it. Mines only 3 months old, so it still gets occasionally irritated if I lay on it or hit it. But as long as you keep it from getting irritated so much you should be fine.

You won't be able to wear a retainer in it until its at least a year old, cartilage piercings take a really long time to heal!

Aside from that it's a great piercing and I think you'll love it if you get it done!

Amneris · 02-03-2012, 05:15 PM

Is it you that wants to go to law school, or am I confusing you with someone else?

If it is you, I don't think you should get any more stuff like this until you find out if you got in or not. Your nose piercing and three ear holes could already be an issue. My law friends who have that kind of stuff have mostly all removed it or are contemplating it or are constantly having people tell them it should. There are very few offices where it would be considered acceptable (mine being one of them) and you really wouldn't want to be going on interviews with metal bars sticking out of your orifices. Some judges might even comment negatively on it in front of your clients. And your clients themselves might not like it (in our office, it would make you more real to them, but we're such a tiny minority in the profession.) Plus it could cause you hassles going through the metal detectors at court or the jails.

Nessy · 02-03-2012, 07:23 PM

I have one - had it for 9 yrs now. It took a very LONG time to heal. It was at least a year. I didn't sleep on it or use the phone on that ear for over a year. But after it healed it didn't give me any trouble. And I love the way it looks.

It's the most painful piercing I've had, but as long as you clean it properly and avoid irritating it, it's worth it.

Post pics if you get it!

lauraloo · 02-03-2012, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amneris

Is it you that wants to go to law school, or am I confusing you with someone else?

If it is you, I don't think you should get any more stuff like this until you find out if you got in or not. Your nose piercing and three ear holes could already be an issue. My law friends who have that kind of stuff have mostly all removed it or are contemplating it or are constantly having people tell them it should. There are very few offices where it would be considered acceptable (mine being one of them) and you really wouldn't want to be going on interviews with metal bars sticking out of your orifices. Some judges might even comment negatively on it in front of your clients. And your clients themselves might not like it (in our office, it would make you more real to them, but we're such a tiny minority in the profession.) Plus it could cause you hassles going through the metal detectors at court or the jails.

Hi Amneris-

You must be confusing me with another poster. I just graduated with my doctoral degree in physical therapy and am finalizing a job with a local company that staffs skilled nursing facilities.

I have managed to get through grad school, internships, and securing a job with my 9 piercings, I don't think one more is going to cause any problems. It is very easy to take them in and out based on who does not find them appropriate. Thanks for your concern though.

Everyone, thanks for the info. I called my fav piercing place today and apparently the piercers are on vacation until next week so I will have to wait until then. I am nervous about the pain but that is a part of the piercing process, I guess. My biggest concern is that the piercing is healed well enough that changing it to a spacer in a few months will not be totally excruciating.

Nej · 02-03-2012, 09:29 PM

I have had one for 6 years. Hurt a little but took a few months to heal. Hurt to sleep on that side for a few weeks. I like it and you don't even know its there unless I point it out!

Sent from my iPhone - blame autocorrect for everything strange

Amneris · 02-04-2012, 09:58 AM

Oops, my mistake - someone else must have a similar name to you.

Springcurl · 02-04-2012, 10:37 AM

I don't have a rook but I can tell you it took a full year for my tragus to heal. Six months is the MINIMUM for a lot of people with cartilage piercings. I always wanted a daith but finally decided against it because, like the rook, it's kind of double cartilage. Too much healing time.

lauraloo · 02-07-2012, 10:09 PM

Went tonight to get my rook pierced... it was surprisingly not bad at all! I was geared up for the worst but it was really not so bad-- my navel was definitely more painful than this.

Here's a pic: (please excuse my roots-needing-color and messy hair)

CurlyEyes · 02-07-2012, 11:28 PM

It looks great!

Springcurl · 02-08-2012, 03:29 AM

Looks SO pretty!

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lauraloo · 02-08-2012, 09:51 AM

Thanks guys! I made it through the night without sleeping on my left side... of course that's my favorite sleeping position.

I am having a bit of difficulty with cleaning. The piercing is in such a tight spot and I guess the swelling is causing the ring to be pretty stiff to move. I want to make sure I am getting the saline around the piercing thoroughly but not totally aggravate it. Any tips/suggestions? Tell me it gets easier to move the ring once the swelling goes down...

Nej · 02-08-2012, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lauraloo

Thanks guys! I made it through the night without sleeping on my left side... of course that's my favorite sleeping position.

I am having a bit of difficulty with cleaning. The piercing is in such a tight spot and I guess the swelling is causing the ring to be pretty stiff to move. I want to make sure I am getting the saline around the piercing thoroughly but not totally aggravate it. Any tips/suggestions? Tell me it gets easier to move the ring once the swelling goes down...

It gets super easy to move once it heals

promise!

Sent from my iPhone - blame autocorrect for everything strange

Nallia · 02-08-2012, 11:00 AM

Love it!

itsiliii · 02-08-2012, 02:24 PM

You could fill a glass of water with warm saline solute and dip your ear into it :3 that's how I've cleaned all my piercings!

curlybran · 02-08-2012, 03:46 PM

It gets a lot easier to move! I have never used saline to clean piercings but I would soak a cotton ball in the sea salt mixture then lay it on the ring and surrounding area... Let a lot of the juice sit move the cotton ball and attempt moving the ring as much as possible. You may need a qtip or tooth pick if u have dried blood or skin pieces keeping it from moving

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lauraloo · 02-08-2012, 04:26 PM

Thanks for the suggestions. I just cleaned it with sea salt/warm water mix using a cotton ball to cover the entire area of the piercing. (This is what I did for my nostril and it worked pretty well... I just tore the cotton ball in half, got it pretty well soaked, and put one half inside my nostril and the other half outside.) Once I got the piercing wet it was easier to move the ring-- not painless, but it moved a little!

My piercer recommends cleaning with sea salt/warm water mix, then rinsing with regular water, then finishing with a normal saline solution. This method has worked beautifully for all my other piercings, it's just that this one is a bit more difficult to get to!

Yow... it is definitely sore today. Off to take some Aleve...

jenny curl · 02-08-2012, 05:58 PM

I got my rook pierced last year and it is still healing. But since that was my 3rd cartilage piercing, I know from experience that they take forever to heal. Right now it is in that stage where it doesn't hurt regularly, but if I mess with it too much it will swell and bleed a little bit.

When I first got it done, the girl who pierced it told me that placing a warm tea bag on your ear helps calm the swelling. Apparently the tea helps to circulate the blood and aids with the pain. I tried it and it definitely worked, so there's a little tip for ya

I love the piercing, and I have my tragus done on the same ear so I always get tons of compliments on them! Enjoy!

jenny curl · 02-08-2012, 05:59 PM

double post ... oops!