The rook is quite possibly one of the coolest piercings you can get, mostly because you probably wouldn't notice or pay attention to the area without the piercing. The rook is an upper ear piercing and it's not nearly as common as the tragus piercing. It can be totally versatile, depending on what jewelry you choose to wear, and it's in such an unusual location — think of it as two cool steps up from your tragus. It could probably even start a conversation.
I got my rook pierced in 2003 before an Avenged Sevenfold show in Philly. I was killing time, roaming around, and stopped at the popular Inferno body piercing parlor and decided I wanted a "different" ear piercing to go with my lobe and cartilage earrings. The piercer suggested the rook and I was like, "Wow, I never even thought of piercing that area," since I am not exactly examining my ear real estate.
Twenty minutes later, I had a pierced rook. I still have it to this very day. The rook piercing doesn't hurt other than minimally yet it's worth it since it just looks so freaking cool. It's also insanely easy to care for.
This is pretty much everything you need to know about getting that little ridge, which shows the top and bottom and back and front of the jewelry, pierced.
1. Where Is It, Exactly?
It's a part of your ear that's above the tragus in the anti-helix, which is ridge in between the outer and inner conch shaped part of the ear. If those words mean literally nothing to you, the photo of me above is where my rook is at!
2. How Much Does It Hurt?
It pinches, but it is not agonizing. If you have low pain tolerance, you might not love it, but it's not going to have you sobbing in a corner, either.
3. Is There A Risk For Hearing Damage?
As always, you have to be careful and go pro. Don't try it yourself. This piercing is best left to the artistry of a professional. It may be "just an ear piercing" but it's actually a modification of your body so treat it like the temple it is, ladies.
4. How Much Post-Piercing Care Is Required?
The aftercare is pretty standard for all piercings. Clean it carefully with solution, after washing your hands, of course, and then gently run the jewelry through the piercing until it heals. Don't remove it, even temporarily, until it is fully healed, a process which will depend on your body and your personal constitution. Clean it after using cell phones or touching it and try to keep it free of irritants, like cosmetic or hair products.
5. What's The Best Earring For A Rook?
You can see both the top and bottom of the jewelry that you wear as both are on display, so you can go with a hoop with a ball or a post, or even something that looks like an arrow, Kartniss Everdeen style.
Images: Amy Sciarretto/Instagram (1); Baileys Junk, mlcollins, rebaa, nicoleversetwo, Porphyria/Flickr
