Piercings
Orbital Piercing in Los Angeles
Two holes, one ring — helix, lobe, and conch orbitals from Fakir-certified piercers in Santa Monica. How it differs from an industrial, the honest healing timeline, ring jewelry, and aftercare.
Book a consultationWhat an orbital is
Two holes, one ring, a small window of open skin.
An orbital piercing is two piercing holes joined by a single ring, so the jewelry appears to orbit a captured section of ear. It is often confused with an industrial piercing — but an industrial joins two holes with a straight barbell, while an orbital joins them with a ring. That one difference changes the placement, the jewelry, and how it heals.
Helix orbital
Upper-ear cartilage · most requested
Two closely spaced holes through the upper helix cartilage, connected by one ring that loops through both. The most common orbital at Apollo. Cartilage heals slowly and holds a grudge, so spacing and ring diameter are planned before the first pass.
Lobe orbital
Soft lobe tissue · gentlest option
Two holes through the fleshy lobe joined by a ring. The easiest orbital to heal because the lobe is soft, vascular tissue rather than cartilage. A good first orbital, and a common way to give an existing lobe piercing a partner.
Conch orbital
Inner-bowl cartilage · advanced
Two holes through the conch — the large inner bowl of the ear — captured by a wider ring. A striking placement, but the thickest cartilage on the ear and the slowest to settle. Best for clients who have healed cartilage before and understand the timeline.
Orbital vs. industrial
The distinction clients ask about
Both are two holes worked as one piece. An orbital uses a ring and sits within a single ear zone; an industrial uses a straight barbell spanning two zones (usually helix to forward-helix). If you want the barbell look, read our industrial piercing page instead.
An orbital is two fresh cartilage piercings healing at the same time on the same ring. We plan it as two wounds, not one piece of jewelry.
Ring diameter is the whole game. Too small and the two holes are pulled together; too large and the ring snags. We size it to your anatomy at the chair.
Every Apollo piercer is Fakir-certified. Cartilage orbitals are a placement where that training shows — in the angle, the spacing, and the honesty about healing time.
Pain & healing
Honest timeline: you are healing two holes at once.
The pain of an orbital is the pain of two piercings back to back — a firm cartilage pop for each pass. Most clients rate a helix orbital a 5 – 6 out of 10. Healing is where an orbital demands patience, because both holes and the connecting ring have to settle together.
Jewelry
The ring is the piercing. Choose it carefully.
An orbital lives or dies on the connecting ring — its metal, its gauge, and above all its diameter. Everything below is implant-grade or it does not go in a fresh Apollo piercing.
Implant-grade titanium (ASTM F-136)
The default install metal — biocompatible, nickel-free, and safe for reactive skin. See our sensitive-skin jewelry notes if you have reacted to earrings before.
Fixed-bead & seamless rings
A captive-bead or fixed-bead ring is the standard orbital install: a smooth, continuous loop with no threads to irritate the two channels as they heal. Clean lines, easy to keep clean.
Solid 14k / 18k gold
Nickel-free solid gold, available at install when stocked and a common post-heal upgrade. Never gold-plated over a base metal.
Ring diameter, sized to you
Diameter sets how far apart the two holes sit and how the ring hangs. We measure your ear and mark both points before piercing so the finished orbit sits true rather than pinched or gaping.
Gauge that holds the span
Orbitals are typically pierced at 16g or 14g. A ring thick enough to bridge two holes without flexing keeps the geometry stable through the long cartilage heal.
What Apollo never installs fresh
Sterling silver, surgical steel with nickel content, externally threaded pieces, or unmarked "hypoallergenic" jewelry. None of it belongs in a healing cartilage channel.
Aftercare
Two channels, one routine.
Orbital aftercare is standard cartilage aftercare done for both holes, every time. The ring makes it easy to skip the back opening — do not.
Sterile saline, twice a day
Spray or soak both entry and exit points morning and night. Sterile wound-wash saline only — no alcohol, no peroxide, no ear-care solutions from the drugstore counter.
Do not rotate the ring
The old advice to turn jewelry is wrong and it tears healing tissue. Leave the ring alone. Clean around it and let it sit still.
Sleep off the ear
Pressure on a healing cartilage orbital is the number-one cause of bumps and lopsided healing. Sleep on the other side or use a pillow with a cut-out for the ear.
Watch both holes
Normal: mild swelling, light crust, tenderness that eases week over week. Not normal: spreading redness, heat, green or yellow discharge, or fever. We do not diagnose — we refer you to a physician promptly.
Why Apollo
Fakir-certified piercers in Santa Monica.
Apollo Tattoo & Piercing sits on Main Street in Santa Monica, a short drive from Venice, Culver City, and the greater LA Westside. An orbital is a planning piercing, and planning is what our team is trained for.
Fakir-certified training
Every Apollo piercer holds Fakir Intensives certification — the recognized standard in body piercing education. For paired cartilage work like an orbital, that training governs the angle, spacing, and jewelry sizing that decide whether it heals straight.
Single-use sterile needles
Both passes of your orbital are made with fresh single-use hollow needles — never a piercing gun, which crushes cartilage. Jewelry is sealed, sterile, and opened at the chair in front of you.
Marked and consented in the mirror
You approve both dots and the ring diameter in a mirror before anything happens. Symmetry on an orbital is set at the marking stage, so we take the time to get it right.
California Safe Body Art Act
All Apollo piercers are registered with LA County. Autoclave sterilization, sealed sterile jewelry, sharps-containered disposal, full documentation — the compliance baseline, met every time.
Pricing
What an orbital costs at Apollo.
Because an orbital is two piercings and one ring, pricing reflects both the piercing work and the jewelry you choose. We quote it at consultation rather than as a flat rate.
FAQ
The questions every orbital consultation surfaces.
Cost, the industrial comparison, pain, healing, placement, and jewelry.
How much does an orbital piercing cost in LA?
Apollo quotes orbitals at consultation because the price combines two piercing passes with the connecting ring you choose. Implant-grade titanium is the accessible default install; solid 14k or 18k gold is the upgrade. We give you the exact number after we mark the placement and size the ring, not as a flat online rate.
What is the difference between an orbital and an industrial piercing?
Both are two holes worked as a single piece. An orbital joins the two holes with a ring that loops through both and sits within one ear zone. An industrial joins two holes — usually helix and forward-helix — with a straight barbell that spans across the ear. If you want the ring-and-orbit look, that is an orbital; if you want the bar spanning the top of the ear, that is an industrial.
Does an orbital piercing hurt?
You are getting two piercings in one sitting, so you feel two firm cartilage pops for a helix or conch orbital, and two quicker pinches for a lobe orbital. Most clients rate a helix orbital about 5 – 6 out of 10. The sensation is brief; the aftercare is where the real commitment lives.
How long does an orbital take to heal?
It depends on the tissue. A lobe orbital heals in roughly 8 – 10 weeks. A cartilage orbital — helix or conch — takes 6 to 12 months or longer, because two cartilage channels and the connecting ring all have to settle together. Do not change the ring until an Apollo piercer confirms full healing.
Can any ear take an orbital?
Not automatically. An orbital needs enough flat, healthy tissue to hold two holes at a workable ring diameter. Some ears suit a helix orbital beautifully; others are better served by a single piercing or an industrial. We assess your specific anatomy at the consultation and will tell you honestly if the placement is not viable rather than force it.
What jewelry is used for an orbital?
A single fixed-bead, captive-bead, or seamless ring in implant-grade titanium (ASTM F-136), typically 16g or 14g, sized in diameter to your ear. Solid 14k or 18k gold is available. We never install sterling silver, gold-plated, externally threaded, or unmarked "hypoallergenic" jewelry in a fresh orbital.
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