Everything You Need to Know About Conch Piercings
If you're ready to add a new piercing to your collection and another lobe piercing just won't do it (or if you're already out of space), listen up, because we're talking about everything you need to know about conch piercings.
Pronounced like "konk," conch piercings are placed in the delicate curved area of cartilage at the innermost part of your ear. Interested in getting one of your own? Don't head to the shop without first checking out everything you need to know about conch piercings here in our handy guide.
Also Read About: Everything You Should Know About Ear Piercings
1. How Much Does a Conch Piercing Hurt?
Since it's done through cartilage rather than soft tissue, you can count on a conch piercing to hurt more than your average lobe piercing. However, the actual pain level will depend on your own personal pain tolerance level as well as if your conch is pierced with a needle or a dermal punch. The needle is definitely the recommended method, and you can count on your conch piercing if done this way to hurt far less than something like a snug or industrial piercing would.
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2. What Does the Healing Process Entail for a Conch Piercing?
Like most cartilage piercings, a conch piercing can take anywhere from six to 12 months to heal fully. You can help promote healing by following proper aftercare as recommended by your piercer, as well doing things like being careful to avoid touching the area or changing the earrings too soon. Like all piercings, conch piercings can get infected, so taking proper care is best to prevent this from happening.
3. What Kind of Jewelry Can You Wear?
Be sure to check with your piercer what size needle they use for your conch piercing, but they will likely use the 16 gauge needle that is standard for most cartilage piercings. If this is the case, you'll want to look for earrings that fir this 16 gauge sizing. Other than that, though, you have the freedom to wear whatever kind of earrings you want once your conch piercing is healed enough to switch out your jewelry! From small studs to the cutest of tiny hoops, the world is your oyster when it comes to conch piercings.
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Also Read About: 6 Non-Traditional Ear Piercing Styles to Consider
4. Is It a Good Style For Me?
In the end, only you can answer the question of whether or not a conch piercing is right for you. However, now that you know everything you need to about them (well, the basics anyway), you might want to consider that this style is both flattering and doesn't much interfere with the placement of your other ear piercings. So, if you can handle a little pain and want to go for a style that's a little more unique, go for it.
(via Shutterstock)
Looking for something a little less out of the box for your next piercing? No worries, we can help. Click HERE to read about everything you need to know about daith piercings.