Everyone wants to know how long a piercing will take to heal. They get told so many different things by many different people. Why is this? Why is there such a huge difference in healing times?

Well the first answer is that there are two types of healing times; initial healing and full healing. Initial healing time refers to the time it takes for the piercing to become stable, stop hurting, and for the wearer to be able to change the jewelry. Full healing refers to when the piercing is completely healed. Piercings heal from the outside to the inside, the resulting structure is called a fistula.

There are also a number of factors that contribute to how quickly or slowly a piercing will heal. Blood supply is a big one. If a part of the body has a better blood supply than others, it will heal a piercing much more quickly. This is why an ear lobe piercing will heal so much faster than the ear cartilage. Movement is another big factor. Navel piercings can take a very long time to heal because the piercing gets moved every time you sit down.

So here's the list (not an exhaustive list, but these are approximate healing times for the more common piercings)

Piercing: Ear Lobe
Initial Healing Time: 6 - 8 Weeks
Full Healing Time: 6 - 8 Months

Piercing: Ear Cartilage (Rook, Daith, Snug, Helix, etc.)
Initial Healing Time: 10 - 12 Weeks
Full Healing Time: Up to 1 year

Piercing: Eyebrow (Standard)
Initial Healing Time: 8 - 10 Weeks
Full Healing Time: 8 Months - 1 year

Piercing: Nostril
Initial Healing Time: 8 - 10 Weeks
Full Healing Time: Up to 1 Year

Piercing: Septum
Initial Healing Time: 8 - 10 Weeks
Full Healing Time: 8 Months - 1 Year

Piercing: Lip (Labret, Vertical Labret, Monroe, etc)
Initial Healing Time: 6 - 8 Weeks
Full Healing Time: 8 - 10 Months

Piercing: Tongue (Standard)
Initial Healing Time: 6 - 8 Weeks
Full Healing Time: 8 - 10 Months

Piercing: Nipples (Veritcal, Horizontal)
Initial Healing Time: 10 - 12 Weeks
Full Healing Time: Up to 1 Year

Piercing: Navel (Standard)
Initial Healing Time: 10 - 12 Weeks
Full Healing Time: Up to 1 year

Piercing: Female Genital (Most)
Initial Healing Time: 6 - 8 Weeks
Full Healing Time: 6 - 10 Months

Piercing: Male Genital (Most)
Initial Healing Time: 6 - 8 Weeks
Full Healing Time: 6 - 10 Months

Piercing: Surface (Sternum, Anti-eyebrow, etc)
Initial Healing Time: 10 - 12 Weeks
Full Healing Time: 1 Year or more