Inner Vs Outer Conch Piercing: Which One Is Better?
Conch piercing has been a fashionable way of expressing yourself for thousands of years. Conch piercing allows you to wear different jewelry and set your fashion statement. So, no doubt, conch piercing has become more popular every day.
There’re two main types of conch piercing, inner and outer conch piercing. Each comes with its unique advantages. However, you need to find the pain, healing and aftercare ways to choose between inner and outer conch piercing.
Technically, outer conch piercing can be done at any angle. So, it allows you to wear different types of jewelry in various sizes. Conversely, inner conch piercing is done at the inner side of your ear that doesn’t allow you to wear jewelry at any angle. So, you may only wear standard jewelry such as hoops and studs with it.
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What Is Conch Piercing?
There’re many types of piercing of your ear. It depends where you perform the piercing task. So, where is conch piercing performed?
As you look at the physical structure of your ear, you will see an inner cup part of the ear. It has a strict resemblance with the natural conch and its shapes from where it gets its name.
The inner conch is located higher up above the outer conch. Usually, you will find it above the ear canal and is a cartilage fold. On the other side, the outer conch is located near the antihelix and below the inner conch.
As you see the exterior structure of the ear, you will find two ridges there. These ridges make the outer contours of a human ear. The lower ridge is known as the outer conch, and the upper ridge is known as the inner conch.
You can perform both inner and outer conch simultaneously. However, you must consider the pain of piercing the conch and the type of jewelry you may wear with the inner and outer conch piercing. Also, you must understand the treatment procedure and aftercare of these two piercings.
Inner vs Outer Conch Piercing
Are you planning for a new piercing at some point in your ear? Then, a conch piercing can be a perfect idea to express your latest fashion statement. You can either choose inner or outer conch piercing or both.
Inner Conch Piercing
Inner conch piercing is performed at the upper ridges of your ear located outside the outer contours. Moreover, inner conch piercing is the most popular way of piercing your conch. When no actual location is suggested for conch piercing, almost every piercing specialist will choose the inner conch piercing.
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Therefore, it is the more established medium of piercing your ear. For the inner conch piercing, the piercing specialist will mostly choose the part of the cartilage. It is right at the center of a human ear. Also, it is close to the ear canal.
You will get the inner conch piercing at the small cup-shaped area. You may choose between large or small gauge inner conch piercing. However, you may choose the large gauge piercing only if your inner conch is large enough.
For this, you will need a dermal punch mechanism. Otherwise, you can’t perform the larger inner conch piercing. It happens because the central part of the cartilage isn’t easily stretchable.
Pros of inner conch piercing:
- A more common way of ear piercing
- Choose-able between larger or smaller inner conch piercing
- You may way choose various jewelry for it
Cons of inner conch piercing:
- Extremely painful, which can be more than an outer conch punch
- Needs regular aftercare for maintenance
Outer Conch Piercing
The outer conch piercing is more unusual than the inner conch piercing. An ear piercing specialist will perform the outer conch piercing at the flat part of the cartilage of the human ear. The exact location is between the helix and antihelix of a human ear.
It is a pretty tricking piercing because of the location itself. The piercing must be performed at the specific location of the flat cartilage. Otherwise, it won’t be an outer conch piercing. Yes, even if there is one to two centimeters of misplacement of the piercing, people will call it either helix or antihelix piercing.
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Also, the location must be strictly precise when performing outer conch piercing. It must be on the flatter part of the cartilage. But it should be away from the rim or edge of your ear. So, the location is tricky, so many people avoid outer conch piercing.
Also, many speak that outer conch piercing is highly painful. So, when performing the outer conch piercing, you must be careful. Otherwise, it may cause pain and damage the cartilage too. Also, like inner conch piercing, dermal punching is the right way to go for this. Dermal punch permits you to perform the piercing task precisely and with less pain.
Pros of outer conch piercing:
- Perfect for wearing various types of jewelry
- If you want an unusual piercing, it is for you
- More of a fashionable statement than other piercings
Cons of outer conch piercing:
- Unusual piercing location
- It needs a highly precise piercing technique
Related: Second Ear Piercing Pros and Cons
Types of jewelry you can wear for inner and outer conch piercing
One of the concerning differences in choosing between inner or outer conch piercing is to know the type of jewelry you can wear. Outer conch piercing is perfect if you wish for more freedom and like to experiment with various jewelry and accessories. For a fashionable look, you may wear bead rings, metal, or stud jewelry.
On the other side, inner conch piercing doesn’t offer you as much freedom as outer conch piercing. You will mostly choose studs for it. However, you may still experiment with inner conch piercing, but it isn’t highly suggestive.
Henceforth, you should choose outer conch piercing if you plan for a more fashionable statement. It gives you the chance to experiment better. Conversely, you may choose inner conch piercing for those who prefer a simpler but engaging look.
Should You Choose Conch Piercing?
Before piercing your conch, you must consider the other type of ear piercing you have. It is crucial because conch piercing may not go well with a certain type of ear piercing and jewelry. For instance, you may wear a metal or stone stud with the conch piercing.
On the other side, with conventional ear piercing, you will mostly use regular golden jewelry and accessories. Does combining the golden jewelry with silver-colored stone studs a great idea?
Of course, you can experiment with piercing and jewelry. However, most specialists don’t prefer getting regular and conch piercing simultaneously because the accessories don’t match. So, be aware before selecting the conch piercing.
Treatment Tips for Conch Piercing
Conch piercing is infamous for causing extreme pain to your entire ears. So, you must take care of the piercing to avoid infections and other inconsequence. Even if you don’t experience any pain, you will still have difficulty forgetting the initial trauma.
- Often you will experience redness around the ear and conch after piercing. It happens because of harsh cleaning products people use as a cleaner. So, avoid harsh cleansers.
- You should clean the piercing twice a day for the next 7 days. While cleaning, use a mild cleanser with a piece of clean cotton. The best cleanser for ear piercing is sterile saline.
- You should also skip using the ointment. The ointment works much like a lubricating agent and collects dust. It may cause infection too.
The better aftercare you can take of the conch piercing, the faster it will heal.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How painful is an inner conch piercing?
On a pain scale of 10, inner conch piercing is considered to have a 6 rating. So, it is a little over light to medium pain. However, it can be more painful if not done correctly.
2. What does the conch piercing symbolize?
Experts say conch piercing performs a type of acupuncture. It helps in relieving pain and allows the muscle to relax. However, there’s no scientific proof of it.
Conclusion
Conch piercing has become a bold and fashionable statement these days. You may perform inner or outer conch piercing for a unique look. To choose between inner & outer conch piercing, you must be careful. For a simpler look, you can choose inner conch piercing. On the other side, for the freedom to wear various jewelry, you should wear prefer outer conch piercing.