I got my orbital done on my lower cartilage. My friend paid for it as a birthday present, so long as I got it done at a 6 gauge. I don't think at that time I realized just exactally how big of a chunk a 6 gauge needle would take out of my ear. The upper hole was painful, but not too bad. I had a stream of blood running down my ear, but I was ok. By the time he got the needle through the second time, I was gripping the chairand ready to stab my friend with a 6 gauge needle. They took a picture of the big, huge, long needle sticking out from my ear, all bloody, and put it in their photo album.