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To Snug Or Not To Snug by Saint Sabrina's
There's no question one of the most unique, striking and interesting ear piercings is the Snug piercing. A quick bit of anatomical background: a Snug piercing goes somewhere along the ridge created by the antihelix and the antihelical fold.
While usually done in the area of the antihelical fold, snug piercings can also be done on the anithelix
In the picture below you can see a double snug piercing, even less common than a single snug piercing. This piercing was done at the Saint Sabrina's and ultimately, ended up not working out for the young lady wearing it:
Double snug piercing with curved barbells
The main "problem" with snug piercings is the prolonged healing time. They typically take 6 months, sometimes longer, to heal even when well cared for. They usually stay swollen and sore during much of the healing time also. Snug piercings are so challenging to heal for a number of reasons:
- A snug piercing goes through cartilage which is simply a harder type of tissue to heal.
- The fold the piecing goes through tends to be fairly thick. This means the piecing goes through a lot of tissue which takes longer to heal.
- The shape of the fold the piercing goes through is rounded/curved. This results in a bit of constant pressure on the piercing from the jewelry, which prolongs the healing.
- The piercing is on the outer part of the ear, meaning it is more likely to get bumped, snagged and knocked around in the course of daily life.
All of these factors combine to make snug piercings very tough for many people to heal. A large percentage of people who get snug piercings end up abandoning them due to the prolonged and uncomfortable healing.
Because snug piercings are so great-looking, I really wanted to find a way to make them a more viable option for my clients.
While I can't claim to have invented it, I (and the other piercers at Saint Sabrina's) have become very big fans of an alternative to the snug. Maybe there is already some whacky, animal-related name for it like Panda Nibbles, Rhino Cuddles or Tadpole Hugs, but we prefer to just call it the Faux Snug.
A faux snug made up of a helix piercing and a conch piercing
A Faux Snug is a helix piercing and a conch piercing placed in such a way that they look just like a snug piercing. While healing two cartilage piercings at the same time isn't always easy, it tends to be significantly easier than trying to heal a snug piercing. With the faux snug, healing time is typically around 2-4 months and the healing period tends to be much more comfortable than a standard snug.
The one potential "downside" to the a faux snug is that it's two piercings and two pieces of jewelry, so the cost is a bit more than a standard snug piercing. However, all the piercers at Saint Sabrina's are such big believers in the faux snug, we have chosen to waive the second piercing fee. You will still have to purchase a second piece of jewelry, but we truly believe the time, effort and pain you will miss out on will more than make up for a little extra money spent on the jewelry.
So if you're looking for a unique new piercing, definitely keep the faux snug in mind.
