A spiral piercing is a unique type of piercing that involves more than one hole and a spiral-shaped piece of jewelry. Most of the time, this type of piercing is done on either the lips or the ears because these areas tend to better accommodate the spiral jewelry. The number of holes that are pierced is typically either two or three, but more than three is not uncommon. The chances of infection for this type of piercing are slightly greater because more than one hole is pierced at a time, but if proper care is taken of the piercings during the healing period there are usually no problems.
When a spiral piercing is done, the piercer will typically pierce two or three holes in a person's ear or lip. These holes must line up perfectly with each other in order for the spiral jewelry to fit the area and look like it is supposed to. The spiral jewelry is usually not worn immediately after piercing, and instead regular studs or retainers are typically put into place until the holes heal. Once the piercing site has healed, a person can select a piece of spiral jewelry to wear. The spiral jewelry is carefully threaded, or screwed, through the piercing holes.
The risks regarding a spiral piercing are not normally any different than risks involving any other type of ear or lip piercing. A person who decides to get this type of piercing just needs to take proper care of the pierced areas until they are healed. With a spiral piercing, there are more holes to take care of at once, so it is important to pay equal attention to all of them. Cartilage damage and infection are the two primary risks, but these can usually be avoided with proper aftercare.
When taking care of a spiral piercing, a person should be diligent about using an antibacterial soap on the pierced areas every day. This will help to ward off infection. The studs or other jewelry that are placed in the holes just after piercing shouldn't be taken out, and it might be best for a person to avoid tugging or pulling on her jewelry too much because this could cause further irritation. When a spiral piercing is done on the ear, it might take up to three months to heal completely. Spiral piercings on other parts of the body, such as the lips, typically heal faster and may be completely healed in about a month.