Lobe trotting
We test-drove the galaxy’s coolest trend: the constellation earring
Of all the Instagram-born trends that have flowed through our feeds, very few have staying power (ahem, glitter butt cheeks). Finally, there’s one we decided to make permanent — really, permanent: the constellation ear piercings, also known as curated earrings. The trend involves bedecking lobes in a smattering of earrings, usually tiny ones, with each lobe intentionally mismatched.
Eager to up our ornamentation, The Kit’s digital director Caitlin Kenny and I made our way to Toronto’s Black Line Studio, a tattoo and piercing parlour that’s known for being ahead of the curve (its new Don Mills location has 360-degree cameras that customers can use to livestream their tattoo progress).
Here’s how owner Ion Nicolae helped us make the curated piercing trend our own.
Jillian’s piercings
“Before making my way to Black Line, the most I’d dabbled in the constellation trend was a single second earring in the eighth grade (like the total and utter badass I wasn’t) and a pair of piercings last year to test my serious needle phobia (update: It hasn’t gone away.) Because I didn’t feel like the prime candidate for a smattering of fresh piercings, Nicolae suggested I stick to the lobe for comfort’s sake. We plotted out two studs that travelled up the ear, but lay on the same plane.
“After two quick pinches (maybe I am getting over my fear?), I’m obsessed with the dainty trail of little mismatched piercings crawling along my ears. Perhaps there’s a daith in my future?”
Caitlin’s piercings
“Sensitive ears have long forced me to watch the statement-earring trend from the sidelines (most fanciful pairs are made with plated gold, which can cause a reaction), but the idea of wearing tons of tiny studs and hoops — which are far easier to find in hypoallergenic options — now offers me the chance to have artful ears.
“To start, I sifted through Instagram for inspiration and quickly decided I wanted a triangle of studs. On the other side, I kept it simple with another hoop. I love the asymmetry of the final look, but if I ever want to be more symmetrical with double hoops, we kept the lowest point of the triangle in line with the second hole on my oth- er ear. For now though, I’m enjoying the playfulness the constellation finally affords me.” Ion Nicolae on piercing intel
What is the constellation ear piercing trend?
“It’s multiple piercings within the ear arranged based on ear shape.
“Nobody has similar ears and even from one ear to another it will vary. Some people have a longer lobe, so we can fit three or four on the lower lobe, but their cartilage could be really bent over, so it doesn’t really make sense to put anything in the cartilage.
“Fine jewelry is really popular in the curated ear piercing space.”
How many piercings should you get in one sitting?
“I don’t like to do more than two or three piercings at once, depending on where they are. The more holes you put through the body, the higher the chance of infection. If it’s the earlobe, you can do three, but I prefer not to do three cartilages all at once. Some customers tell me that they want do it anyway, and I say OK. But I always recommend not to.” What does the healing process look like when you’re doing multiple piercings? “For a fresh piercing, you have to leave the jewelry in for at least six to eight weeks. If not, your hole is definitely going to close. If you’re getting a fresh piercing on each ear, you have to consider on which side will you sleep. Things like good diet, exercise and sleep habits will help you heal faster. If you’re not really taking care of the piercings and you’re always touching it with unclean hands, chances are it’s going to get infected. If it gets infected, you have to fight twice as hard to let it heal.”
What advice do you have for people wanting to try curated ear piercing?
“Avoid cutting corners when it comes to jewelry. Sometimes customers come in and will ask, ‘Can you pierce me with my own jewelry?’ And I say no, because I know the manufacturer of my jewelry and know they’re hypoallergenic. You have to know that the gold is actually 14 karat and nickel-free versus something that’s plated. Another example is thinking about 24 karat, which is a pure gold, but it’s too soft and not ideal for body jewelry.”