An industrial piercing is a unique type of body modification consisting of two separate cartilage perforations connected by a single, straight piece of jewelry, typically located in the upper ear. This double-puncture procedure creates a channel that requires a long healing period. An industrial piercing can close, but the speed and completeness of this process are highly dependent on the piercing’s age and the body’s natural response to tissue repair.
The Biological Mechanism of Piercing Closure
A healed piercing is a fistula, a channel lined with epithelial tissue, essentially a tube of scar tissue that runs through the skin and cartilage. When the jewelry is removed, the body identifies the fistula as an unnecessary wound and begins the process of tissue regression. The body attempts to collapse this channel and fill the space with new tissue.
For a new or immature piercing, this process occurs rapidly because the epithelial lining is fragile and has not yet fully matured. Specialized cells work to break down the newly formed fistula, allowing the surrounding tissue to contract and close the channel. The two separate channels of an industrial piercing, both passing through dense cartilage, are particularly prone to rapid shrinkage during the initial healing phase. Cartilage has a lower blood supply compared to fleshy areas, making its healing process slower and its closure more immediate if the jewelry is removed.
Factors That Determine How Quickly It Closes
The most significant factor determining the speed of closure is the age or maturity of the fistula.
Piercing Age
An industrial piercing that is only a few months old and still within its initial healing phase may begin to shrink noticeably within hours of jewelry removal. Since the channel is still perceived as an open wound, the body acts quickly to close the two points, often making re-insertion impossible within a day or two. A mature industrial piercing, which has been consistently worn for a year or more, has a robust, fully formed epithelial lining. While the tissue surrounding the channel will still contract, the established fistula makes complete closure much slower and often incomplete. The two holes may only shrink to a smaller gauge rather than sealing entirely.
Gauge Size and Location
Industrial piercings utilize a larger gauge size, such as 14-gauge (1.6mm) or 16-gauge (1.2mm), compared to standard earlobe piercings. A larger channel requires more tissue to fill the void, meaning the closure process is physically slower than for a smaller, standard-sized piercing. However, this effect is often outweighed by the location, as cartilage piercings generally close faster than soft tissue piercings of the same size.
Individual Biology
Individual biological factors, including overall health and genetic predisposition for scarring, also play a role in the closure timeline. A person with a fast healing rate may find their industrial piercing closes more quickly than someone with a slower healing tendency. The body’s efficiency in producing and remodeling collagen fibers directly impacts how quickly the two separate piercing tracts can be drawn together and sealed.
What Remains When an Industrial Piercing Closes
When the two channels of an industrial piercing close completely, the skin at the entry and exit points will often show a visible remnant. For a piercing that was left open for a long time, the remnants are typically small, hypopigmented (white) spots that resemble enlarged pores or small indentations. These are the final layer of scar tissue that has sealed the original epithelialized channel.
Since an industrial piercing consists of two distinct holes, the final outcome will be two separate scar remnants on the ear cartilage. The overall appearance is not a single line but two small, isolated points of healed tissue. In some cases, particularly if the piercing experienced significant irritation or trauma during its lifetime, the closure can result in a more raised and noticeable scar, such as hypertrophic scarring. This is an excessive, but localized, production of collagen during the healing process, and it leaves a small, firm bump at one or both of the former piercing sites.