Does It Hurt to Sleep on a Conch Piercing?

Before getting a conch piercing, make sure to find a certified, experienced piercer at a salon that is clean and uses sanitized equipment. Conch piercings are done in one of two ways:

• Needle piercing
• Dermal punch

For both procedures, the piercer will make you sit on the chair and evaluate your ear to determine whether you are an ideal candidate for a conch piercing. Make sure to tell the piercer about any significant medical history you may have, such as diabetes mellitus, tendency to bleed, or tendency to form keloids.

The piercer will mark a spot with the marker and check with you if the position is acceptable. Next, they will clean your ear with cotton dipped in a disinfectant, such as betadine or iodine.

In a needle piercing, the piercer punctures the concha with a needle and inserts the starter jewelry, which may be the most painful part of the process. You need to wear starter jewelry for the first few months while the area heals.

If you want a bigger hole, the piercer will use dermal punching, where a small dermal punching machine tool will create a hole by removing a small portion of cartilage. The hole created in the concha is permanent and does not close easily.

The healing process may take about 6-9 months. Dermal punch piercings can take up to a year to fully heal, as the holes are larger. 

Conch piercings carry the risk of slow recovery and severe infection because cartilage lacks blood vessels and are thicker than other areas of the body.

Since the pierced area is sensitive and prone to infection, aftercare instructions include the following: 

• Avoid unnecessarily touching the piercing. Even a slight movement of the jewelry can irritate the pierced area.
• Use a saline solution or spray at least twice a day to clean the area and pat dry.
• Wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap before touching or cleaning the pierced area.
• When taking a bath, gently clean the pierced area with mild soap and water.
• Use a clean paper towel or washcloth to dry the pierced area if it gets wet.
• Do not remove your jewelry unless a doctor tells you otherwise.

Avoid doing the following things to prevent the chance of infection:

• Swimming for the first 24 hours after getting the piercing
• Picking any crusting that forms
• Using cotton balls to clean the piercing
• Using a towel to dry the piercing
• Twisting or turning jewelry when the piercing is dry

Seek medical help immediately if you have the following symptoms:

• Severe pain
• Fever
• Nausea or vomiting
• Persistent or worsening inflammation
• Swelling that lasts more than 48 hours
• Excessive bleeding
• Warmth from the piercing
• Bump at the piercing site
• Thickening or flaking around the piercing
• Thick, smelly discharge or pus