If we’re talking about timeless piercing styles, one can’t help but think about the good ol’ ear piercing. And for good reason--ear piercings have been part of human culture for thousands of years. It is one of the oldest forms of body modification, likely because the ear lobe is easy to pierce through, and the healing is fairly speedy.

Here are the Hall of Famers in the arena of classic piercing:

Lobe Piercing

This involves simple holes in the lobes, from which you can wear anything from a tiny stud to big chandelier style jewels.

Double or Triple Lobe Piercing

Consider this an “upgrade” to the normal lobe piercing. These are equally as safe as regular lobe ear piercings, but they lend a bit of a punk edge to your lobe. Most people can’t fit more than three piercings on their lobe, before having to move up to the cartilage. Most commonly you will see studs or small hoops in the second and third holes.

Gauging

Ear gauging is a unique take on lobe ear piercings. This requires progressively increasing the size of your piercing by wearing increasingly thicker earrings. Ear gauging has been done by different cultures for thousands of years, but nowadays it is most closely associated with alternative subcultures in Europe and the US, and some tribes from central and eastern Africa.

Helix

Most popularly done on the top part of the ear, this type of piercing take longer to heal, but also totally worth it. A row of helix piercings, along with a row of lobe piercings can have a really beautiful flow.

Daith

The daith piercing is a bit complex compared to the others. This one is done between the rook and the ear canal, and is not easily visible.

What kind of timeless ear piercing do you currently have? What type are you planning to get anytime soon?