Orbital Piercings

The orbital piercing can be explained simply enough as any piercing where two holes are made in the same part of the body, usually so they can be connected by a captive bead ring. While the basic concept may sound straightforward, orbital piercings are easily one of the most versatile styles out there.

The general idea is that it looks like the ring is circling around in an orbit (think Saturn’s big lovely rings), going in and out of the body in different places. The most popular place for orbital piercings is generally in the helix or anti-helix areas, where a ring or a similar piece is wrapped around the rim of the ear. In this way, they can be mistaken for a conch piercing. While both require delicate needlework from the piercer, the orbital can be considered a more complex task, as it requires carefully linking up two pierced holes rather than running a ring
through one.

The process involves one hole being made with a hollow gauge needle, which is kept in place until the first piece of jewelry is inserted. A second hole is then made and instead of running a new ring through this, the original one is fitted into its place, completing a loop between the two.
Keep in mind, it’s often a better idea to leave studs in the two separate pierced spots to support the healing process and prevent risk of infection. Recently, orbitals are also being done on the lobe, which can look even more striking. As the angle an orbital piercing pops out at is immediately distinctive – it takes the most conventional placement area for piercings and spins the norm on its head!

Healing time will vary depending on where you get these done – if it’s the lobe, you’re only looking at a matter of a few weeks before it’s fully healed; if it’s going through cartilage, there are some extra aftercare steps and a longer healing time. Take heed of the aftercare advice the piercer gives you and pretty soon you’ll be rockin this fresh look.