Pronounced “doth” (rhyming with “moth”), this cartilage piercing was introduced and popularized by Erik Dakota in the early 90s. It was first showcased in Body Play magazine, in the same issue that also showcased both the rook and industrial piercing. Erik says he named the piercing after the Hebrew word for “knowledge.”
This piercing is an especially striking one. Done correctly, the rest of the ear creates a perfect frame around the piercing. Daith piercings are usually done with a 16 or 14 gauge ring, with the ring of a small enough diameter that it fits comfortably in the conch of the ear. Curved barbells are sometimes used for this piercing, but rings are much more common—and much more visible.
If you’re considering this piercing, make sure you go to an experienced, professional piercer. Done properly, this makes for an eye-catching piercing, but it can be a tricky one to perform. As with other ear cartilage piercings, healing is six months or longer. While many people want to get matching piercings in each ear, we will not do cartilage piercings in both ears at the same time. You need one ear to sleep on, use to talk on the phone, etc., and will need to wait until one ear is fully healed before getting a cartilage piercing in the other ear.