The Homme Rock Guide To Men's Earrings
If you’re trying to persuade your other-half to let you get pierced, or you’re wondering if earrings might be… err… a bit girly?... then this Guide is essential reading. From world history to Western trends, it covers everything you need to know about men's earrings. Time to geek up.
New to men’s earrings?
Piercings have been popular among men all over the world for centuries. In Western society, it can seem that women have a monopoly on earrings – but it’s a modern phenomenon, and it’s shifting fast.
Earrings are attached to the ear through the earlobe or by piercing any other external part of one's ear (excluding the clip earrings that normally clip onto one’s lobe). Common piercing locations include the tragus, rook, and across the Helix. ‘Cartilage piercing’ refers to the upper part of the ear being pierced. Because of the type of tissue, this type of piercing is more complex, and slower to heal, than standard ear piercing.
Modern earrings are produced from a wide range of materials, including glass, metal, precious stones, plastic, and beads. Their sizes are limited by the holding capacity of the earlobe: they must be of a manageable weight to avoid any form of tearing or injury to the ear. For this reason, if you’re choosing heavyweight earrings, you’d be well advised to avoid wearing them for long periods – unless you like the stretched-earlobe look.
A potted history of men’s earrings (and ear piercings)
Despite what the women would have us think, earrings have always belonged to men. Throughout history they’ve been worn by soldiers, sailors, native Indians and tribesmen. So pin that gold into your ear with pride.
With an earring in your ear, you’re in very distinguished company. Ear piercing is one of the oldest forms of body enhancement known to mankind: written and artistic references from all over the world reveal a universal obsession with body bling. The earliest evidence can be found on the walls of Persepolis, where carved images depict earring-wearing soldiers from all over the Persian empire. On the other side of the world, their Aussie comrades-in-fashion were wearing earrings too: in 1991, archaeologists unearthed a mummified corpse of a man wearing large earrings. Primitive Indian tribes were also fans of body-piercing, incorporating facial piercing in rituals and initiations. Body modification was (and still is) a symbol of wealth, status, age, and standing within the tribe.
By comparison, the United Kingdom and United States were slow to arrive at the piercing studio. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that British people started sticking pins in their ears. By the early 1920s, clip-ons became more popular among women (cowards), although the pierced types were selling out to sailors. In the sailing community, a pierced earlobe came to symbolise the fact that the wearer had crossed the equator or sailed around the world. A non-service sailor who played some role in the survival of a sinking ship was also entitled to wear an earring in his left ear. Body jewellery also had a practical role for these men, who risked their lives on a day-to-day basis. Superstitious sailors invested in luxurious gold earrings that would (they hoped) serve as payment for the person who found, and buried, their shipwrecked body.
Returning to more shallow motives, men all over Europe were latching on to the use of earrings as a fashion statement. Musicians catalyzed this trend in countries like Denmark, Brazil, and Singapore. Despite its growing popularity, ear piercing was still mostly carried out at home. The infamous gay and hippy communities of the swinging 60s, and the safety-pin-wearing punk rockers of the 1970s, gave the trend the momentum it needed to come to the attention of the medical profession. Physicians started to offer piercing services in the 1970s – something that started in Manhattan and quickly spread all over the Western world.
It was round about this time that some bright spark decided that an ear piercing in the left or right ear was a symbol for sexual orientation. Even more un-PC was the sayings that accompanied this knowledge: “left is right” and “right is wrong” – suggesting that men with piercing in their left ears were straight, while those with their right ears pierced were gay.
By 1980, music performers in all genres were showing off their newly pierced ears, cementing the trend for men’s earrings. Professional athletes, Mr T, and George Michael were all pierced and proud - and Mr. T can be credited with starting the practice of wearing earrings in both ears. While it became a rage in the celebrity circles in United States, ear piercing took a bit longer to penetrate the mainstream American audience (who didn’t catch on until the 1990s).
Partly thanks to Mr T, multiple piercings started gaining popularity in the 1970s – with most men having double piercings on just one ear. Asymmetric, multiple piercings eventually became popular, and when earlobe space ran out, men started piercing cartilage too. Cartilage piercings included the rook piercing, helix piercing, antitragus piercing, tragus piercing, conch piercing, industrial piercing, daith piercing and orbital piercing. Even this wasn’t enough for some men. Inspired by primitive cultures, earlobe stretching came to Western prominence in the 1990s. These extreme versions of ear piercing have become common sights; but standard ear piercing remains the most popular.
Types of men’s earrings
So you’ve settled which side to wear your earring. What type should you choose?
Stud earrings: From the front, stud earrings have an invisible fastening, giving them a ‘floating’ appearance. Studs are held in place by a post with a removable friction clutch or back that pushes or screws onto the back of the earlobe. Sometimes the post is threaded, with a screw-on back - a more secure method that’s considered particularly useful for expensive earrings with precious metals or stones.
Hoop earrings: Usually semicircular or circular in design and from metal tubing, with a thin wire attachment that penetrates the ear. The thin wire is permanently attached to the hollow tubing at the front side of the ear, and slips comfortably into the tubing on the rear side of the ear. The tension between tubing and wire holds the hoop in place. Semicircular hoop designs are usually fastened with a screw-on or push-on back (like a stud earring). Sleeper earrings and continuous hoop earrings are more popular among women.
Huggie Earrings: Forget the nappies. Popularised by celebs and rap stars, huggies are becoming the urban earring of choice – especially if they’re lined with uber-bling rocks. The name is derived from the setting, which actually hugs the wearer’s earlobe. Huggies are available in different sizes and shapes, including rectangles, circles and semicircles.
Other pierced earrings: Dangle earrings, slave earrings, ear spikes and ear thread earrings are mostly popular among the fairer sex.
Piercing techniques
When planning an ear piercing, you have two options:
a) Get in an emergency stash of beers, get busy with needle and potato, and try your hardest not to scream like a girl. (= great blackmail material, forever, for your mates.)
b) The more ‘sterile’ route: comfy recliner, clean needle, and a stapler-wielding professional in attendance.
While it’s perfectly possible to pierce ears using household implements, this is only suitable for those who are brave, stupid, or drunk enough. But you’re in good company. For years, men and women have pierced their own ears (and other unmentionables) using ice (anaesthesia), a sewing needle, vodka (disinfectant), and a rubber, cork or potato behind the earlobe. Sometimes a sewing thread is drawn through the piercing and then tied up to keep the piercing open while the ear heals. Alternatively, you can insert a pioneering or gold stud into the fresh piercing to retain the pierced ear.
In the 1960s, the ‘self-piercer’ became fashionable. It wasn’t a torture instrument – no, in fact this was a spring-loaded earring with a sharp point, designed to gradually push through the earlobe. (Sounds a bit drawn-out for our liking.) Initially popular, the ‘self-piercer’ lost favour when people realised that it could slip from its original position, and sometimes didn’t even make it through the entire earlobe. Ouch.
If you don’t trust yourself (or your dearest mate) with a needle this close to your precious visage, don’t abandon hope. Professional piercing is inexpensive and quick.
After the failure of the ‘self-piercer’, ear piercing guns were introduced. Originally designed for medics, they were modified for use in retail settings, making professional piercing supremely fast and easy. After the worldwide success of the gun, companies began developing disposable ear piercing guns that can be used at home – far less painful than attempting to stab your way through with a mending needle. (Retail blurb claimed that the piercing gun causes a pain that’s like having a rubber band snapped against your arm. We wouldn’t quite be so cocky, but it certainly doesn’t cause any lasting distress. You could still tell the Mrs you need a cuppa and a cushion afterwards, though.)
There are alternatives to the ear-piercing gun: the hollow needle (favourite with body-piercers) and tribal-style tools (made from plant and animal materials).
Piercing Ears: the Aftermath
A prick of pain and plenty of sympathy later, your ear piercing is done. (Was that it?) It normally takes around 6 to 8 weeks of time to heal naturally (if pierced by piercing gun). You’ll be advised to keep the ear clean and wear the same earring(s) until after that time. Be warned: if the hole is left empty, either immediately after the piercing or during the 6-8 week period, it can completely close up again. To avoid this scenario, piercing professionals recommend that you should keep the earrings in newly-pierced ears for a period of at least 6 to 8 months, and in some cases a year.
Cartilage piercings require more care and a longer healing time. Once the piercings are healed, they have a tendency to shrink if left empty over a period of time. In most cases they would completely disappear if left vacant for an extended period of time.
Ear piercings – what are the health risks?
Conventional earlobe piercing methods are relatively safe: the health risks are minor and almost negligible, assuming a reasonable level of hygiene. One recent study showed that 35% of people with pierced ears had suffered with one or more complication. These included allergic reaction (which accounted for 43 % of those reporting a complication), traumatic tearing (2.5%), keyloids (2.5%), and minor infection (77%).
Of these complications, most are manageable. Allergic reactions are usually caused by nickel, a metal type that’s commonly present in modern jewellery (but can be avoided). Earlobe tearing requires a recovery period – you’ll be asked to avoid wearing earrings and especially wire-based earrings, which can easily be snagged during day-to-day activities (such as field sport). Cartilage trauma, though accompanied by a longer recovery time, is less likely when a hollow needle is used. Cartilage trauma can become a serious problem – sometimes requiring corrective surgery or antibiotics to heal.
Bacterial infection can be a dangerous complication, although the risk is minimized when a sterilized, hollow needle is used (less trauma to the ear tissue and lower chances of contracting infection). Just like any invasive procedure, ear piercing can cause infection from blood-borne pathogens like HIV and Hepatitis. Of course, modern-day piercing methods eliminate this risk almost completely. In fact it’s the piercer who is at greater risk, due to potential blood contact. So far, there’s not a single documented case of HIV transmitted by ear piercing – to piercer or’ piercee’.
Now we’ve allayed some of your health concerns, we hope you’re feeling confident about going under the needle. Advances in the medical technology are making body-modification more and more widespread, and men are asserting their right to participate: is it time you joined the revolting masses? The only thing left to do is convince your better half it’s a good idea – and choose yourself some manly new equipment. Then off you go to the studio. Those screams will stay between you and your piercer…
© 2009 Homme Rock - Men's Jewellery Emporium, specializing in quality, designer jewellery and | Shop for men's earrings.
New to men’s earrings?
Piercings have been popular among men all over the world for centuries. In Western society, it can seem that women have a monopoly on earrings – but it’s a modern phenomenon, and it’s shifting fast.
Earrings are attached to the ear through the earlobe or by piercing any other external part of one's ear (excluding the clip earrings that normally clip onto one’s lobe). Common piercing locations include the tragus, rook, and across the Helix. ‘Cartilage piercing’ refers to the upper part of the ear being pierced. Because of the type of tissue, this type of piercing is more complex, and slower to heal, than standard ear piercing.
Modern earrings are produced from a wide range of materials, including glass, metal, precious stones, plastic, and beads. Their sizes are limited by the holding capacity of the earlobe: they must be of a manageable weight to avoid any form of tearing or injury to the ear. For this reason, if you’re choosing heavyweight earrings, you’d be well advised to avoid wearing them for long periods – unless you like the stretched-earlobe look.
A potted history of men’s earrings (and ear piercings)
Despite what the women would have us think, earrings have always belonged to men. Throughout history they’ve been worn by soldiers, sailors, native Indians and tribesmen. So pin that gold into your ear with pride.
With an earring in your ear, you’re in very distinguished company. Ear piercing is one of the oldest forms of body enhancement known to mankind: written and artistic references from all over the world reveal a universal obsession with body bling. The earliest evidence can be found on the walls of Persepolis, where carved images depict earring-wearing soldiers from all over the Persian empire. On the other side of the world, their Aussie comrades-in-fashion were wearing earrings too: in 1991, archaeologists unearthed a mummified corpse of a man wearing large earrings. Primitive Indian tribes were also fans of body-piercing, incorporating facial piercing in rituals and initiations. Body modification was (and still is) a symbol of wealth, status, age, and standing within the tribe.
By comparison, the United Kingdom and United States were slow to arrive at the piercing studio. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that British people started sticking pins in their ears. By the early 1920s, clip-ons became more popular among women (cowards), although the pierced types were selling out to sailors. In the sailing community, a pierced earlobe came to symbolise the fact that the wearer had crossed the equator or sailed around the world. A non-service sailor who played some role in the survival of a sinking ship was also entitled to wear an earring in his left ear. Body jewellery also had a practical role for these men, who risked their lives on a day-to-day basis. Superstitious sailors invested in luxurious gold earrings that would (they hoped) serve as payment for the person who found, and buried, their shipwrecked body.
Returning to more shallow motives, men all over Europe were latching on to the use of earrings as a fashion statement. Musicians catalyzed this trend in countries like Denmark, Brazil, and Singapore. Despite its growing popularity, ear piercing was still mostly carried out at home. The infamous gay and hippy communities of the swinging 60s, and the safety-pin-wearing punk rockers of the 1970s, gave the trend the momentum it needed to come to the attention of the medical profession. Physicians started to offer piercing services in the 1970s – something that started in Manhattan and quickly spread all over the Western world.
It was round about this time that some bright spark decided that an ear piercing in the left or right ear was a symbol for sexual orientation. Even more un-PC was the sayings that accompanied this knowledge: “left is right” and “right is wrong” – suggesting that men with piercing in their left ears were straight, while those with their right ears pierced were gay.
By 1980, music performers in all genres were showing off their newly pierced ears, cementing the trend for men’s earrings. Professional athletes, Mr T, and George Michael were all pierced and proud - and Mr. T can be credited with starting the practice of wearing earrings in both ears. While it became a rage in the celebrity circles in United States, ear piercing took a bit longer to penetrate the mainstream American audience (who didn’t catch on until the 1990s).
Partly thanks to Mr T, multiple piercings started gaining popularity in the 1970s – with most men having double piercings on just one ear. Asymmetric, multiple piercings eventually became popular, and when earlobe space ran out, men started piercing cartilage too. Cartilage piercings included the rook piercing, helix piercing, antitragus piercing, tragus piercing, conch piercing, industrial piercing, daith piercing and orbital piercing. Even this wasn’t enough for some men. Inspired by primitive cultures, earlobe stretching came to Western prominence in the 1990s. These extreme versions of ear piercing have become common sights; but standard ear piercing remains the most popular.
Types of men’s earrings
So you’ve settled which side to wear your earring. What type should you choose?
Stud earrings: From the front, stud earrings have an invisible fastening, giving them a ‘floating’ appearance. Studs are held in place by a post with a removable friction clutch or back that pushes or screws onto the back of the earlobe. Sometimes the post is threaded, with a screw-on back - a more secure method that’s considered particularly useful for expensive earrings with precious metals or stones.
Hoop earrings: Usually semicircular or circular in design and from metal tubing, with a thin wire attachment that penetrates the ear. The thin wire is permanently attached to the hollow tubing at the front side of the ear, and slips comfortably into the tubing on the rear side of the ear. The tension between tubing and wire holds the hoop in place. Semicircular hoop designs are usually fastened with a screw-on or push-on back (like a stud earring). Sleeper earrings and continuous hoop earrings are more popular among women.
Huggie Earrings: Forget the nappies. Popularised by celebs and rap stars, huggies are becoming the urban earring of choice – especially if they’re lined with uber-bling rocks. The name is derived from the setting, which actually hugs the wearer’s earlobe. Huggies are available in different sizes and shapes, including rectangles, circles and semicircles.
Other pierced earrings: Dangle earrings, slave earrings, ear spikes and ear thread earrings are mostly popular among the fairer sex.
Piercing techniques
When planning an ear piercing, you have two options:
a) Get in an emergency stash of beers, get busy with needle and potato, and try your hardest not to scream like a girl. (= great blackmail material, forever, for your mates.)
b) The more ‘sterile’ route: comfy recliner, clean needle, and a stapler-wielding professional in attendance.
While it’s perfectly possible to pierce ears using household implements, this is only suitable for those who are brave, stupid, or drunk enough. But you’re in good company. For years, men and women have pierced their own ears (and other unmentionables) using ice (anaesthesia), a sewing needle, vodka (disinfectant), and a rubber, cork or potato behind the earlobe. Sometimes a sewing thread is drawn through the piercing and then tied up to keep the piercing open while the ear heals. Alternatively, you can insert a pioneering or gold stud into the fresh piercing to retain the pierced ear.
In the 1960s, the ‘self-piercer’ became fashionable. It wasn’t a torture instrument – no, in fact this was a spring-loaded earring with a sharp point, designed to gradually push through the earlobe. (Sounds a bit drawn-out for our liking.) Initially popular, the ‘self-piercer’ lost favour when people realised that it could slip from its original position, and sometimes didn’t even make it through the entire earlobe. Ouch.
If you don’t trust yourself (or your dearest mate) with a needle this close to your precious visage, don’t abandon hope. Professional piercing is inexpensive and quick.
After the failure of the ‘self-piercer’, ear piercing guns were introduced. Originally designed for medics, they were modified for use in retail settings, making professional piercing supremely fast and easy. After the worldwide success of the gun, companies began developing disposable ear piercing guns that can be used at home – far less painful than attempting to stab your way through with a mending needle. (Retail blurb claimed that the piercing gun causes a pain that’s like having a rubber band snapped against your arm. We wouldn’t quite be so cocky, but it certainly doesn’t cause any lasting distress. You could still tell the Mrs you need a cuppa and a cushion afterwards, though.)
There are alternatives to the ear-piercing gun: the hollow needle (favourite with body-piercers) and tribal-style tools (made from plant and animal materials).
Piercing Ears: the Aftermath
A prick of pain and plenty of sympathy later, your ear piercing is done. (Was that it?) It normally takes around 6 to 8 weeks of time to heal naturally (if pierced by piercing gun). You’ll be advised to keep the ear clean and wear the same earring(s) until after that time. Be warned: if the hole is left empty, either immediately after the piercing or during the 6-8 week period, it can completely close up again. To avoid this scenario, piercing professionals recommend that you should keep the earrings in newly-pierced ears for a period of at least 6 to 8 months, and in some cases a year.
Cartilage piercings require more care and a longer healing time. Once the piercings are healed, they have a tendency to shrink if left empty over a period of time. In most cases they would completely disappear if left vacant for an extended period of time.
Ear piercings – what are the health risks?
Conventional earlobe piercing methods are relatively safe: the health risks are minor and almost negligible, assuming a reasonable level of hygiene. One recent study showed that 35% of people with pierced ears had suffered with one or more complication. These included allergic reaction (which accounted for 43 % of those reporting a complication), traumatic tearing (2.5%), keyloids (2.5%), and minor infection (77%).
Of these complications, most are manageable. Allergic reactions are usually caused by nickel, a metal type that’s commonly present in modern jewellery (but can be avoided). Earlobe tearing requires a recovery period – you’ll be asked to avoid wearing earrings and especially wire-based earrings, which can easily be snagged during day-to-day activities (such as field sport). Cartilage trauma, though accompanied by a longer recovery time, is less likely when a hollow needle is used. Cartilage trauma can become a serious problem – sometimes requiring corrective surgery or antibiotics to heal.
Bacterial infection can be a dangerous complication, although the risk is minimized when a sterilized, hollow needle is used (less trauma to the ear tissue and lower chances of contracting infection). Just like any invasive procedure, ear piercing can cause infection from blood-borne pathogens like HIV and Hepatitis. Of course, modern-day piercing methods eliminate this risk almost completely. In fact it’s the piercer who is at greater risk, due to potential blood contact. So far, there’s not a single documented case of HIV transmitted by ear piercing – to piercer or’ piercee’.
Now we’ve allayed some of your health concerns, we hope you’re feeling confident about going under the needle. Advances in the medical technology are making body-modification more and more widespread, and men are asserting their right to participate: is it time you joined the revolting masses? The only thing left to do is convince your better half it’s a good idea – and choose yourself some manly new equipment. Then off you go to the studio. Those screams will stay between you and your piercer…
© 2009 Homme Rock - Men's Jewellery Emporium, specializing in quality, designer jewellery and | Shop for men's earrings.
