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Use Helix when you need a specific answer right now. Use the hub pages when you want the full guide, comparison, or buying context.
Start with Helix when you need a direct answer. Use the guides and hub pages below when you want the full explanation, comparison, or next-step plan.
Choose an area to explore piercing types, healing times, pain levels, and jewelry recommendations.
Every gauge, length, and diameter explained clearly so you can buy jewelry that actually fits.
Read guide →Most piercing problems are not infections. Here is exactly how to tell them apart and what to do.
Read guide →The most skipped step in aftercare. Exact timing, right length, and what goes wrong if you skip it.
Read guide →The most invisible retainer for each piercing type. What materials are safe and what actually disappears.
Read guide →Answered honestly. Or ask Helix directly for your specific situation.
See all body jewelry FAQs →Standard earlobes are typically 20G or 18G. Cartilage piercings (helix, tragus, daith) are 16G. Industrial piercings are 14G. Confirm with your piercer before buying replacement jewelry.
Implant-grade titanium is the most common first choice for new piercings because it is lightweight and nickel-free. Solid 14k or 18k gold can also work when it is made for body jewelry and sourced from a reputable piercer.
A helix takes 6–12 months to fully heal internally. It may look fine externally after 2–3 months but the tissue keeps healing. Never change jewelry based on how it looks.
Sterile saline wound wash (NeilMed, Briotech) twice daily: that is the entire protocol. Avoid alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, Bactine, and tea tree oil. All damage healing tissue.