Pronounced with the final
consonant vocalized (the "tch" sound as opposed to the "shh" sound), it refers to the big, flat open area inside the ear, behind the
aural opening. It is tempting to get
large gauge piercings in the conch, because it is a
wide open field of possibility, without having to dramatically alter the shape of the ear (as sometimes must happen to get large
lobe piercings). Unfortunately, the conch is composed of very brittle
cartilage, so
stretching in the conch can be dangerous and may result in shattering.
Dermal punching is a convenient way to create a large hole without stretching, but it can be extremely
painful and is sometimes regarded as
cheating by
piercing afficianados.
If a left ear looks something like this, the conch is the area denoted by the asterisks:
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