About TheHelixHive
We built the resource we wished existed when we got our first helix piercings — honest, experience-first, and medically grounded.
🎯 Our Mission
To be the most honest, experience-based, and thoroughly researched helix piercing resource on the internet — so that nobody has to make the painful, costly mistakes we made when we first started.
Our Story
TheHelixHive was born from frustration. When our founder Sarah Mitchell got her first helix piercing in 2021, she spent hours searching for clear, trustworthy aftercare information — and found mostly vague forum posts, outdated advice, and conflicting recommendations that left her more confused than when she started.
She made mistakes. She used tea tree oil. She rotated her jewelry. She switched to a hoop at three months. The result was an irritation bump, a delayed healing timeline, and months of unnecessary stress that could have been avoided with one clear, well-researched guide.
So she wrote it. Then she wrote another. By 2022, she had built a small but growing library of guides that prioritised honesty over optimism, experience over theory, and practical advice over vague generalities. TheHelixHive launched publicly in mid-2022 and has been growing steadily ever since.
Today, TheHelixHive serves over 100,000 readers every month — people at every stage of the helix journey, from nervous first-timers to experienced collectors building elaborate ear stacks. Our mission has never changed: give people the information they actually need, written the way we wish someone had written it for us.
What Makes Us Different
There is no shortage of piercing content online. What there is a shortage of is content that is genuinely honest, grounded in real experience, and written with the reader’s best interests — rather than quick traffic or affiliate commissions — as the primary goal.
Meet the Team
TheHelixHive is a small, independent team of piercing enthusiasts, researchers, and writers. We are not a media company, a chain store, or an advertising vehicle. We are people who care about getting this right.
Four helix piercings and counting. Sarah founded TheHelixHive after her own difficult first helix experience. She researches, writes, and edits the majority of our content — with a policy of never publishing advice she hasn’t personally tested or verified with a professional piercer.
Jamie reviews our medical and anatomical content to ensure accuracy. With a background in health communications and a particular interest in dermatology, Jamie ensures that our infection, healing, and complication guides are held to a higher standard than typical web content.
Our Editorial Standards
Every article published on TheHelixHive is held to the following standards before it goes live:
- Accuracy check: All factual claims are verified against published professional piercing guidance (APP standards) or primary medical sources where relevant.
- Experience verification: Aftercare advice is checked against the real-world experience of our team and the collective feedback of our reader community.
- No sponsored content without disclosure: If any content is sponsored or includes affiliate links, it is clearly disclosed. Our editorial voice is not for sale.
- Regular review cycle: Articles are reviewed at least annually and updated whenever practices or recommendations change in the professional piercing community.
- Honest about uncertainty: We clearly note where evidence is limited, where individual variation is high, and where you should consult a professional rather than relying on our guide.
What We Are Not
In the interests of complete transparency:
- We are not medical professionals. Our content is informational, not medical advice. Anything involving infection, unusual symptoms, or medical concerns should be assessed by a qualified doctor.
- We are not professional piercers. We rely on APP guidelines and professional piercers we consult, but we cannot replace the in-person assessment of a qualified piercing professional.
- We are not affiliated with any piercing brand or studio. Our recommendations are based on our honest assessment, not commercial relationships.
- We are not a substitute for APP member piercers. For placement, jewelry sizing, and complications, please see a professional in person.
Have a Question We Haven’t Answered?
We genuinely want to hear from readers. If there’s something you’re struggling to find clear information about, get in touch — your question might become our next guide.
Contact Us →