When you read stories of people getting their rooks pierced, it's either.. it hurt like a bitch, or I didn't feel any pain. Well in my case, it hurt like a bitch.
At A Glance Author Lauren When A year ago Studio Pin Cushion Location Plymouth, MA After having 10 other ear piercings, and a navel piercing, I wasn't really into getting anything else pierced (back then). But I decided I wanted to get another ear piercing that no one else I knew had. So I went on BME and started looking through the galleries, and I fell in love with the rook piercing and decided I had to have it.
I had contemplated on getting my tragus or daith pierced, but I decided not too for no real reasons. I have my tragus pierced now, by the same studio, but I have to admit that my like for it doesn't even compare to my rook. Everyone has their tragus pierced so it's nothing special. And there's always other time for my daith, which I definately plan on getting in the near future.
As soon as I got the time, I went to my studio and asked to have it done. My piercer said that he had not done that piercing many times, or had he said none at all?.. ah well I don't remember but that's no big deal. He also said that the rook is an accupuncture point and that people believed that you could lose weight if you had it done. I asked him if it was true and he just laughed, and after I got it done I realized that that claim was bullshit. Anyways, I went into the back room without having to wait! that's always a plus. He had me lie down on my side and he told me about the procedure. Truthfully, whenever they tell you about the procedure, are you really paying attention? I mean, who really cares.. all you're worried about at that moment is the metal spike that's going to be shoved through your body. So he started with the procedure, me, having no idea what he was doing, but then again I didn't care too much. The cartilage on my ear was so thick that he had a hard ti me getting the needle to go right through without forcing it and hurting me, but I knew I was going to have to deal with it and I trusted him because he had pierced me before. I told him to do what he had to do, and so after a couple of tries, it was successful. When the needle went through however, it hurt like hell. And I have a pretty high pain tolerance. He put in the jewelry, which was just a 18g captive ring, and I was done. It bled a lot, or a little.. I don't really know, I hate blood so I didn't ask. I looked in the mirror and I absolutely loved it! On the ride home, I peeked in my rear view mirror any change I got, admiring the piercing (suprised I didn't crash). Afterwards, it hurt a little to sleep on that ear, but only for a couple of days and it looked so good so good that I didn't care.
I cleaned it every day with water and a little bit of antibacterial soap on a q-tip. That worked best, because there was a little bit of crust when you turned it. That was kind of gross but totally normal and expected. Surprisingly, it healed so well. Better then my other ear piercings, even my lobes! and by far better then my navel which was a bit for so long.
Today, it's my favorite ear piercing and my least painful! I get so many comments on it, because where I live no one really has any ears piercings except regular cartilage and lobes. It's so easy to change the jewelry.. right now I have a 16g silver barbell, and it doesn't hurt AT ALL. It's worth the few seconds of bad pain, but after that who cares? It looks so good in the end and it's totally worth it.
So if you read other experiences, and you have second thoughts about how bad it's going to hurt.. just go ahead and do it anyways. Like I said, it's only a short pain and you'll love the results. What's better, hurting for a minute or so, or getting compliments like "That's so cute!", "I can't believe you got that done!".. and besides, there's so many more painfil piercings out there, and other people have those! So you'll survive this one.. trust me.
Like I said earlier, I had not wanted any other piercings at the time. That's changed however, and since my rook experience, I have had my tongue and labret done, which I love! Even though I know I'll take them out in years to come, but for right now I wouldn't change them for the world.