4 Piercing Trends That Will Be Heating Up This Summer, According to a Pro

Maria Tash
Maria Tash

Some people sprint like Usain Bolt to the nearest European Wax Center or bathe in self-tanner to get ready for Summer. Others — especially the ones who happen to also own a leather jacket or live by the conviction that jodhpurs are underrated — take an edgier approach to the start of a new season: they get a cool piercing.

"We've definitely noticed an uptick of certain piercings in the studio in anticipation of Summer," said Ben Tauber, a piercer at Maria Tash in NYC. "Ear work is still the reigning queen of all piercings, and specific piercings inside the ear, like the daith and tash rook, have definitely been standing out."

Ahead, he's walking us through some of the raddest piercing trends to try this Summer, which may not be nearly as good for your cardiovascular system as running (but can make you look just as hot).

Daith Piercing

For the uninitiated, the daith is a small piece of cartilage in the inner ear. Piercing the area has been linked to fewer migraines, but Tauber says it's been picking up steam for other reasons as of late: "We've been noticing it being requested with more frequency than in previous months," he said. "Daith piercings have a certain mystique that has always followed them, and I think that is part of the reason they have always captured people's eyes."

Daith Piercing

"They are definitely a little more unique — something that can be a real statement piece in your ear," he said.

Daith Piercing

Tauber continued: "It is one of those piercings where if you have nothing in your ear, or several piercings in your ear, it can really tie it all together."

Daith Piercing

"It also allows for a lot of flexibility in terms of personal aesthetic and expression," he said. "Wearing some larger jewelry pieces in it really allows you to showcase your ear — curated or not — and almost act like a crown to really top off your personal style."

Tash Rook Piercing

The tash rook area is a piercing that floats in the center of the cartilage of your ear. "If the daith piercing is a crown for your ear, I'd call the tash rook piercing a tiara," Tauber said. "Maria [Tash, who owns a piercing studio in NYC] originally came up with this idea many years ago, and we've definitely noticed it becoming a staple in piercing aesthetic. The coolest part now though is that the aesthetic has been pulling back more toward her original spot and idea."

Tash Rook Piercing

The newest iteration of the trend is what makes it especially cool: "With the original idea to do a stud directly above the rook, instead of piercing through the rook itself, it gives you more room to play with your own personal expression and style," he said.

Tash Rook Piercing

"The tash rook is one of those places where you can wear a large diamond without it being overpowering or wear a simple little ornate beaded design and it still has the same level of impact."

Chain Piercings

Just like you've been seeing chains woven into braids and ponytails, the style is making its way to your ears. "I absolutely love chains as a styling element and always have — the way they drape, the way they shape, the movement and flow," Tauber said. "They're just such an awesome and beautiful way to accent your piercings."

Chain Piercings

"Personally, I have always looked at the way a chain drapes over an ear as the same way fabric can drape over a figure. The flow is unique and ever-changing but constantly moving in the same direction — it's just such a fun and beautiful take on it."

Chain Piercings

"[At Maria Tash], we have been using them as ways to finish off the top of an ear or as an accent to hang off the lobe and just create this whole new visual," he said.

Chain Piercings

That said, this is a look that lends itself to experimentation: "There are so many options here, and it's just such a fresh and rad approach to these piercings."

Stacked Piercings

"Stacked piercings are definitely showing a staying power that is just grabbing traction," Tauber said. (For reference, this is when a smaller stud is placed higher on the lob, stacked atop another piercing.) "In the studio, I know we've had a lot of people come in who are unsatisfied with their original earlobe piercings, or even their second earlobe piercings. To rectify and remedy these, we can occasionally do a piercing either directly above or slightly offset from those original piercings to really change up the ear."

Stacked Piercings

"We've really been loving helping people style these piercings in addition to seeing the visions they come in with when they see the stacked piercings. The reason we love it so much is because it's a way to accent what you already have without changing up your personal ear vision that you already have established."

Stacked Piercings

Better yet, there are plenty of ways to do it: "Some people have even gone so far as to wear a ring between their stacked piercings to create these really unique and awesome orbitals," Tauber said.

Stacked Piercings

"It's just such a fun and sweet way to add a little something extra to your ear." (Which, hello, we concur.)