My Experience With Daith Piercing For Migraine
Recently, my teenage daughter and I (we both live with migraine) decided to give the daith piercing a shot. Or rather, she convinced me that I was cool enough to get the piercing so that I would go along with her plan! A few weeks ago, I wrote about daith piercing as an unconventional remedy for migraine. The piercing is believed to correspond to an acupuncture point that is said to target migraine relief. You can read more about its supposed benefits here: Daith Piercing for Migraine Relief. Here is a look at how our experience went, along with our honest thoughts on its effectiveness.
We Did Our Research
We began by doing a lot of research and finding a reputable, professional piercer with experience in daith piercings. The piercing is done in a location in the ear cartilage that carries some risks, such as infection, scarring, and prolonged discomfort. So finding a reputable piercer is essential.
The Piercing Experience
Once we decided where we would have the piercing done, it was time. I was super nervous, but the clean and professional environment, along with the friendly piercing staff, somewhat put me at ease.
Upon arriving, our piercer immediately asked us, “Are you doing this for migraine relief?” We said yes, but we knew there was little evidence to support it. She was glad to hear that we had done our research and was very upfront with us about the fact that there is not enough scientific research yet to show that the piercing is an effective migraine treatment. She said, “If there were, doctors would be doing it all the time!” We said we understood and that we were ready to take our chances. We figured in the end we’d have a cute piercing if nothing else!
Our piercer moved us into the piercing room, which consisted of a hospital-style bed, super bright lights, and all of her piercing tools. We decided it was best if I went first so that I would be less likely to chicken out.
The piercer first fitted my ear with a fake, plastic earring to ensure the placement was correct. Once she had it where we wanted it, she had me lie down on the bed. I did my best to breathe and relax while the piercer explained exactly what to expect as she was preparing.
She warned my daughter that if she didn’t like the sight of blood, it was probably best for her to step out. Hearing that required a few more very deep breaths on my part! Then the piercer told me to hold my breath and breathe out hard when she gave me the word, which was the moment she was piercing the cartilage. It was quick, maybe a minute at most. Then she secured the jewelry and made sure I sat up very slowly, taking my time before getting out of bed. It was quick and over in just a few minutes. She repeated the process for my daughter, and we were done.
Care Instructions
The piercer gave us detailed care instructions. She advised us that the best way to clean it was with plain water or saline solution several times a day, and recommended that we avoid sleeping on our sides for a while. And no swimming for 5 weeks! She also made sure we were aware that this type of piercing can get infected easily and what to look for should that happen.
So… Did It Hurt?
Well, I won’t sugar coat it—it did. But I expected it to be much worse. The piercer said we must have pretty high pain tolerances because we both took it well. We thought, well, that is what living with migraine will do for you! It was sore for the rest of the night and a bit painful for the next few days. The piercer warned us that it could be sore for up to 4 days and might swell a little, too, but we were just fine by the next day.
It has been about 6 weeks at this point, and we both still have some discomfort when the earring is touched or if we accidentally sleep on our sides. For the most part, though, we have not had any real issues so far.
Did It Help With Migraine?
Unfortunately, it did not. I had a pretty bad migraine attack the very next day and have had several since. My daughter has also had a few. I would not say our attacks decreased in severity at all either.
Looking back, 0ur piercing experience was relatively quick and simple, and our ears have healed up just fine. We may not have enjoyed any migraine relief, but we did come away with some pretty neat-looking jewelry and a fun memory of something we did together over summer break!
We hope this experience provides you with some insight into whether daith piercing is something you may want to try.