This is not a post about a problem with a piercing. Posting this as a discussion point rather than asking for troubleshooting.
My lower conch was pierced with a hoop. I slept on it, didn’t baby it much, and it healed fast and perfectly. No bumps, no pain, zero issues.
Several years later, my upper conch was pierced with a stud/flatback labret and was consistently irritated. I had run through the usual variables like titanium vs gold, downsizing, different lengths, different aftercare approaches, leaving it alone, avoiding pressure, etc., and it was a completely different experience.
Interesting contrast considering the standard advice favors studs for cartilage healing, yet my outcome was the opposite.
Curious to hear thoughts or similar experiences where outcomes didn’t match typical expectations.