The first thing you should consider is where to place your piercing.

Here are some popular options:

• Earlobe. This is the go-to ear piercing spot at the bottom of your ear. This piercing is easy to clean and take care of, and it heals much faster than other ear piercings.
• Helix. This is the curvy tissue at the very top of the ear. It falls into second place after the lobe piercing in popularity. It heals a little more slowly than a lobe piercing but is still easy to keep clean.
• Tragus. Right above your earlobe, this harder section of your ear is on the edge of your face and right in front of your ear canal. It’s not as common as the lobe or helix for piercing, and is a little more difficult to take care of. There is some anecdotal evidence that a tragus piercing^[1] may have benefits for anxiety^[2] and migraines^[3].

Once you figure out what kind of piercing you want, do some research on piercing studios^[4]. Here’s a brief checklist of what to look for:

• Are there licensed piercers on staff? They should be certified by the Association of Professional Piercers^[5].
• Is the shop reputable? Do they have good reviews on Yelp or other sites? Do they specialize in piercings? Avoid retail stores that offer piercings, as they may not be clean, safe, or even licensed. You may want to look at tattoo shops, too. Many of them have licensed piercers and are highly regulated by state and local health agencies.
• Do the piercers take proper safety precautions? Do they wash their hands, wear a new pair of medical-grade gloves for each piercing, and use new, sterile needles for each piercing?

Now that you’ve gotten your piercing, it’s important to take care of it. The first few weeks are crucial to making sure it heals properly. Here are our top 10 tips for cleaning an ear piercing to avoid infection.