A big reason that some people are wary of cartilage piercings is because of the stigma that their cartilage may "shatter". We're going to dive deep into this phenomenon and find out if this is a real concern or just an old wives tale!
First things first- WHAT exactly is shattered cartilage anyway?
According to the Medical Dictionary, shattered cartilage is just what you'd assume- the cartilage breaks up into pieces and is no longer a solid piece. For the ear, this would mean that the structure of the ear could be completely deformed.
You can think of the ear cartilage as a piece of hard plastic- if you were to try to shove a solid, pointed, not very sharp object through it (like the earrings used in piercing guns) the plastic would cave in and crack from the impact around the place where the object was pushed in. If you took the same plastic and used a drill (equivalent to a careful professional piercer using a hollow needle, since hollow needles remove a place for the jewelry instead of using blunt force!) the surrounding plastic would remain whole and intact, leaving just the hole you made.
So, it makes sense that it IS possible for your cartilage to shatter. Again, this is the importance of finding a professional piercer!
With that being said, it is rare that this actually happens. Some people's ear cartilage is naturally softer than others, so these people will have a much lower risk of shattering their cartilage.
In conclusion, shattered cartilage is only something you will need to worry about tif you do not research your piercer, and go to someone who is piercing with a gun or using other unsafe methods of piercing. This includes doing it yourself at home! A pro is always the best choice for your health 👍🏻
Hopefully this has shed some light on an otherwise not talked about subject for you all!
Until next week,
Kourtney 🖤