ROOK PIERCING GUIDE
what is a rook piercing?
A rook piercing is another cartilage piercing that many love to add to their earring stacks. Whether it’s a faux rook or the real deal, these piercings are sure to get heads turning!
A rook piercing is located above the tragus in the uppermost ridge of your inner ear. This piercing is typically pierced with either a ring or a barbell that suits the curvature of the ear.
In this guide we are going to talk about what a rook piercing is, the types of rook piercings, the cost, the process, aftercare and styling tips.
single rook
A single rook piercing is where the ear is pierced through the fold in the cartilage and a barbell or a ring is placed through.
faux rook
A faux rook piercing is where the piercing will go straight through the tissue that is right above the ridge of the rook. This is done with a stud instead of a curved barbell or a ring. This is a great option for those whose rook isn’t large enough to be pierced but want the look of a rook piercing.
cost of a rook piercing
At Covetear, we don’t charge extra for specialty ear piercings with the cost of your piercing being universal across all piercing types.
We charge per piercing with the price of your jewellery of choice added on top.
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Single
1 Piercing - $60
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Double
2 Piercings - $80
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Curation
3-4 Piercings - $100
rook piercing procedure
First, your piercer will start with sterilising your ear with a medical-grade alcohol swab. Next, we will mark up the site of the piercing taking into consideration your age, the type of jewellery you intend to wear in the future, and most importantly, to make sure that you are happy with the placement. When two piercings are being done, both need to be symmetrical and aligned with each other.
Your piercer will then clamp the area using Pennington forceps and insert the piercing needle through. This process is done by one of our qualified piercers with an 18-gauge piercing needle. We do not use piercing guns or piercing pressure devices, as these instruments can cause trauma and spread bacteria. A piercing needle allows for increased precision and less trauma as well as the risk of infection to the ear regardless of the piercings location.
Then, the earring of your choice will be installed. We have specifically engineered our piercing jewellery to be safe and stylish so that you can use them whilst your piercing is healing and after.
And just like that, your new piercing is ready to be shown off!
Pain and healing time
Pain Guide: 10/10
A rook piercing is not for the faint of heart. These piercings tend to be regarded as one of the most painful as they go through a thicker area of cartilage and require the needle to be hooked through the area so the appropriate jewellery can be installed.
The healing time for a rook piercing is between 3 to 6 months. For the first 72 hours localised swelling, redness, a warm pulsing sensation and a small amount of bleeding are all completely normal.
During the 2 to 4 week mark you may still feel some faint pulsing and you can also still expect a fluid-like substance to expel from the ear and form a crust - especially at night as this is when most healing happens. It is extremely important to treat your piercing with care and do not touch it unless you are cleaning the area.
Between the 5 to 12 week mark although you may not be feeling any discomfort it is important to remember that the piercing channel will not be fully healed so we strongly advise that you avoid friction and irritation. Do not twist, push or pull the earring if possible. This is also the stage where it can be considered to downsize your post to promote faster healing.
The three month mark and beyond is where you must be patient and where most piercings are known to cause trouble. Although you may think that the piercing is fully healed and go ahead and change your jewellery early, it can cause infection and keloid style scarring if changed too early. That is why our number 1 recommendation is to choose a piece of jewellery that you love for your initial piercing, downsize your post at the right time and wait the full recommended period before changing your stack. For a rook piercing it is recommended that you wait 16 weeks/4 months before you change your piercing jewellery over.
If you remove your jewellery from your piercing with out replacing it your piercings can close over in just a few hours so it is essential that you keep jewellery in the piercing at all times.
Aftercare
The aftercare for a rook piercing is fairly simple and easy. Our simple-to-follow tips have been developed in line with professional piercing and healthcare standards, ensuring your piercings heal as easily and quickly as possible. We offer unlimited, complimentary Aftercare Appointments to help you achieve optimum healing time by providing expert advice on demand. There are 4 essential steps to cleaning your new piercing.
The first and most important piece of care advice is DO NOT TOUCH. If you must touch the piercing, wash your hands. Never, ever, touch your new piercing with unwashed hands.
Second, we use the NeilMed™ piercing aftercare spray which does all the work for you! By aiming the pressurised can at a distance of 3cm - 6cm from the affected area, it is able to clean away any dirt or unwanted objects from the area without irritation. Spray both the front and the back of the piercing and then using a cotton tip, remove any discharge or dried blood.
The third step is to gently pat dry the entire area. For this, we suggest avoiding the use of toilet paper, cotton buds, Q-Tips and cotton wool on and around the newly pierced area(s) as the material from the fibres can irritate the skin and cause infection. Make sure the area is completely dry. Moisture can encourage bacteria to grow, and negatively affect your healing process.
Lastly, we recommend cleaning your piercings twice a day for at least 6-8 weeks, then this can be reduced to once daily.
Pro-tip; when washing your hair, if you have access to a removable shower head, hold it near your piercing and allow the water to wash over the piercing lightly to remove any build-up of product. Any built-up shampoo or conditioner will increase the risk of infection and irritation so ensuring its removal is essential before spraying the piercing with the aftercare spray!
is your piercing infected?
Here's what to do - The serious stuff
The success rate of piercing healing is very dependent on you, and how committed you are to your aftercare. If you neglect aftercare and interfere with your fresh piercing (playing with it and touching it) then the likelihood of complications is going to be much higher and your piercing is going to take much longer to heal.
If you experience sudden swelling that you feel is outside of ‘normal’ post-piercing healing, you must contact us immediately for professional advice. Piercing infections can become serious, very quickly. Do not delay seeking assistance. We are contactable 7 days a week for piercing aftercare advice - however we are not medical professionals, and as such, our recommendation will always be to see a doctor if there is any chance you have a bacterial infection.
Things to watch out for are the sudden onset of excessive swelling, excessive bleeding, discharge of bright yellow, green, or dark fluids. and/or red stripes coming from the piercing site. These symptoms are indicative of serious problems. Fever, upset stomach, dizziness, or vomiting may also be signs of infection.
TIME TO STYLE!
A rook piercing is a unique piercing to style as there are so many options depending on your personal preference and the location of the piercing. You can go for something like our 14K Solid Gold Petit Diamond Barbell or go for a classic look with our 14K Solid Gold Pave Diamond Clicker Ring. Whatever your style, we have the perfect piece for you! Check out some of our favourite pieces below.
Unsure on what jewellery to add into your Rook piercing?
Check out our curated Rook Piercing Collection for our favourites!
rook Collection
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Petite Clicker Ring
14 Karat Yellow Gold / Single or PairRegular price From $130.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Petite Clicker Ring
14 Karat White Gold / Single or PairRegular price From $135.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Dot Dash Clicker Ring
14 Karat Yellow Gold / Single or PairRegular price From $170.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Classic Piercing Hoop
14 Karat White Gold / Single or PairRegular price From $310.00Regular priceUnit price per -
Classic Piercing Hoop
14 Karat Yellow Gold / Single or PairRegular price From $300.00Regular priceUnit price per
WANT MORE?
Looking to get some more piercings but not sure where to start? Here are our favourite piercing combos for a Rook piercing!
piercing and styling appointments
Ready to commit to your next piercing? Book in at one of our locations and one of our expert piercers will help you to achieve your new look! If you're not totally confident in the pieces you're after, that's ok! You can book in for either our deluxe piercing experience or ear curation experience where our experts will work with you to create a bespoke design with the highest level of artistry.