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Like nearly every piercing, rook piercings are anatomy dependent. Luckily, faux piercings are a great alternative for people who want a specific look but don’t have the anatomy to support the piercing. Faux rook piercings are actually two piercings designed to look like a single rook piercing. Although the healing can take a bit longer, faux rook piercings can look very similar to a traditional rook and are an amazing alternative for those that need it.
Faux Rook Piercing vs Rook Piercing
A traditional rook piercing is a single piercing that goes through the inner upper ridge of cartilage. If your rook is not very defined or if it is too thin, you may not be able to support a traditional rook piercing. In this case, you may be interested in a faux rook piercing.
A faux rook consists of a flat piercing placed above the rook as well as a conch piercing placed just below the rook. With studs in these two places, the piercings look like a single curved barbell placed through the rook. Because two piercings are placed and heal during the same period, the faux rook can take longer to heal. Some people decide to only go with the upper flat piercing because of this reason.
Benefits of a Faux Rook Piercing
While most people opt for the faux rook piercing because they don’t have the anatomy to support a traditional rook piercing, some people choose a faux rook for the other benefits. A traditional rook piercing can’t be customized in placement very much, however a faux rook piercing can be tweaked and each piercing can be placed exactly where you want it. With a faux rook piercing, you can choose the gauge and jewelry for each individual piercing.
While the common jewelry in a traditional rook piercing is a curved barbell, some people opt for a ring. It’s important to note that faux rook piercings can only support labrets and you will likely never be able to swap out for a hoop. If you are interested in a hoop connecting two piercings, you may want to look into orbital piercings.
Faux Rook Piercing Pain
Most people will agree that a faux rook piercing hurts more than a traditional rook piercing. Any piercing that consists of two piercings performed at the same time will hurt more than a singular piercing. This is because adrenaline helps to protect you from the pain, but your amount of adrenaline drops after the initial piercing. The pain of piercing a faux rook piercing can be estimated at around a 7, but this of course varies per person. If you choose to get the top (flat) piercing first, and then get the bottom (conch) piercing at a later time, this would significantly lower the pain.
Faux Rook Piercing Healing Time
One of the biggest cons of a faux rook piercing is the length of healing time. Any cartilage piercing can take 6 months – 1 year to heal. Because a faux rook piercing consists of two cartilage piercings, this delays the healing period. When healing two cartilage piercings at the same time, you shouldn’t expect to fully heal either piercing before a year. Luckily the locations of the piercings aren’t in areas that typically get bumped, so the pain during the healing process is minimal.
Rook Piercings for Anxiety
You may have heard that daith piercings help with migraines. Similarly, some people believe that rook piercings (and some other cartilage piercings) may help with anxiety. Currently, there is no such evidence to support that any piercings can assist with anxiety. However, anxiety as a whole is difficult to study and doesn’t help someone else may still help you. You should only get a piercing because you like the look of it, and any additional benefits you may receive will be a bonus.
Conclusion
If you don’t have the anatomy to support a rook piercing, a faux rook piercing is a fantastic alternative. A faux rook piercing consists of two piercings: a flat and a conch. Flat back labrets are worn in both piercings, which simulates a curved barbell. Because you will be healing two piercings at the same time, the pain will likely be a bit worse and the healing time will take longer. To get around this, you may consider getting only the flat piercing at the top.
