Conch Piercing - Types, Pain, Healing, Jewelry, Cost, Aftercare

Conch piercing is a type of ear piercing which involves cartilage. It is performed for the purpose of wearing jewelry. Conch piercing is derived from a name which resembles sea creature shell. Conch is the outer part of ear cartilage and looks like sea creature shell. It is a simple process as compared to other body piercings. Conch piercing is considered non-invasive. Piercer should clean ear cartilage with disinfectant to avoid any infection and then pierce the needle right through the cartilage. There are two main types of conch piercing i.e. inner conch piercing and outer conch piercing.


Conch Piercing - Types, Pain, Healing, Jewelry, Cost, Aftercare

Inner Conch Piercing


Inner conch piercing is performed at the center of the ear. The exact location for piercing is cup shaped area which is present adjacent to ear canal. A professional is required to do it correctly. Inner conch piercing is less common as compared to outer conch piercing. Jewelry for both the types are same but inner conch piercing prefer rings upon studs and barbells. Rings look cooler. Person have to follow aftercare instructions to avoid infections. It is all up to person whether he is comfortable with inner conch or outer conch piercing. Pain level differs in both types.

Outer Conch Piercing

     
Outer conch piercing involves outer conch area which is flat. Located exactly between the edge i.e. helix part and ridge i.e. antihelix part of ear. Both types of conch piercing is performed the same way as other cartilage piercings are performed. There is an open space for outer conch piercing as compared to inner conch piercing. So marking is required before piercing. Mostly people prefer studs and rings than barbells. Aftercare instructions are same for both types of conch piercing. People with outer conch piercing rate less pain on pain scale as compared to inner conch piercing.

Double Conch Piercing


People with conch piercing do not find it painful so there are greater chances that they will go for double conch piercing. 2nd conch piercing is performed exactly the way it was performed 1st time. Person can have double conch piercing only after complete healing of 1st conch piercing. Pain level remains the same. Double conch piercing can be performed in both types i.e. inner and outer conch piercing. Outer double conch piercing is more common as compare to inner double conch piercing. Men and women are equally taking interest in having double conch piercing.

Triple Conch Piercing


Triple conch piercing is all like double conch piercing. A person can have multiple conch piercing one after the other. All three conch piercing cannot be performed at a time because person will not be able to bear pain and soreness and there will be great chances of infection. 2nd or 3rd conch piercing require complete healing of previous conch piercing. Triple conch piercing can be performed in both regions i.e. inner conch and outer conch. But inner conch is more common with triple conch piercing. Triple conch piercing will only become successful if proper care is provided to them.


Rook and Conch Piercing

     
Rook and conch piercing both involve cartilage but their locations are different. Rook piercing is performed on anti-helix part of ear which is present between inner and outer conch area whereas conch piercing is performed on conch which resembles sea creature shell. Rook piercing do not involve front and back surface piercing but it is performed vertically. In conch piercing, needle is passed right through cartilage and picked out from back surface. Pain level in both piercing is different. Cost factor and healing time will also vary according to type of piercing.

Conch Orbital Piercing


Conch orbital piercing is a type of conch piercing but it is performed perpendicular to regular conch piercing. In orbital conch piercing, two holes are made through which single piece of jewelry is passed. It most likely resembles industrial piercing in which jewelry is passed through two piercing holes. Main difference which separates it from industrial piercing is the type of jewelry. It is named as orbital piercing because of the orbital shape made by jewelry. Rings are common in it because rings can easily pass from both holes. It is the rarest type of ear piercing seen.


Conch Piercing Healing Stages and Time

     
Conch piercing takes about 6 months to 1 year for complete healing. It is a longer duration as compared to ear lobe piercing because there is less vascular network in cartilage. As blood circulation is considered the main factor behind fast healing, so less vascular network may be the reason behind that longer duration of healing. Healing time also depend upon infection (if occurs), skin type and aftercare of piercing. If proper care is provided to piercing, then healing time may become short i.e. less than 6 months. As healing time pass, pain and soreness also decreases.

Conch Piercing Pain Level and Scale

     
Conch piercing is a painful process but not more than other types of ear piercing. Inner conch piercing hurts more as compared to outer conch piercing. Soreness also persist for many days after piercing. Pain level or intensity can be reduced by using dermal punch for conch piercing. Dermal punch works by sudden piercing of jewelry right through the cartilage. Pain and soreness become less in dermal punch. Pain level also depends upon person stamina. Some people do not feel much pain but just a punch, but some reported unbearable pain regarding conch piercing.

Conch Piercing Cost


Conch piercing requires a professional to do it correctly. So conch piercing cost varies according to area, professional and jewelry used for piercing. Average cost of conch piercing is 45$ to 75$. Type of conch piercing also effect cost. 75$ is not the upper most cost limit because it may go higher. Elite class parlor will have different rate list as compared to a standard parlor. Type of jewelry and material of jewelry also effects cost of conch piercing. People should visit nearby parlor to get information about conch piercing cost.

Conch Piercing Aftercare


Conch piercing require special care after piercing to avoid occurrence of infection. Some of the aftercare instructions are as follows:

  • People should avoid touching ear frequently.
  • People have to avoid sleeping on the side of piercing.
  • Any kind of scratch may lead to soreness and swelling so, people have to protect ear piercing from any scratch.
  • If any injury occurs, people should visit doctor immediately, and apply ointment over it for faster recovery.
  • 2 to 6 months are required for complete healing so care should be continued for that time period.
  • Cleanliness is required with a mild soap and after every wash, dry it with a clean paper towel.
Conch Piercing - Types, Pain, Healing, Jewelry, Cost, Aftercare Conch Piercing - Types, Pain, Healing, Jewelry, Cost, Aftercare Reviewed by Simon Albert on February 26, 2016 Rating: 5
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