When You Get Your Ears Pierced Where Does the Little Piece of Ear Go?

There is no “little piece of ear” that goes missing when you get a standard ear piercing. Whether using a needle or a piercing gun, the tissue is simply moved aside to make room for the jewelry. 

How the piercing method affects the tissue

• Needle piercing: A sterile, hollow needle creates a clean incision through the tissue. It does not “punch out” a section of skin, but rather displaces the tissue to the side, creating an opening for the jewelry. This method causes less trauma, leading to quicker, cleaner healing.
• Piercing gun: A gun uses blunt force to push a relatively dull earring post through the tissue. Instead of making a precise incision, it tears and crushes the skin and cartilage. The torn tissue is just shoved to the sides of the hole. This method is more traumatic, can displace cartilage, and increases the risk of complications. 

What happens to the tissue over time

After the piercing, the surrounding tissue, now a wound, will begin to heal around the jewelry. The skin will repair itself and form a permanent, healed channel of new skin (a fistula) around the jewelry

The Piercing Process

• Needle method: A hollow piercing needle is used to make a small hole. The needle pushes through the skin and creates a channel for the earring, but it doesn’t cut out or remove a chunk of tissue. The tissue is simply displaced to the sides.
• Piercing gun (at malls/jewelry shops): A spring-loaded stud forces its way through the ear. It essentially pushes apart the skin and cartilage (if cartilage is pierced) to make room for the stud. Again, nothing is cut out or taken away.

What Happens to the “Hole”

The “hole” is basically just a very thin tunnel created through the tissue. Your body’s skin and cartilage heal around the jewelry, holding it in place. That’s why proper aftercare is important—without cleaning, bacteria could settle in that new wound.

Why It Seems Like Something Should Be Removed

It might feel like there should be a little “plug” of skin or cartilage that pops out, like with a hole punch. But that’s not the case—your tissue is just parted, not cut out. Some people may see a tiny drop of blood or clear fluid, but no solid piece is removed.

👉 So, the short answer: nothing is cut out—the ear tissue is just parted to make a passage for the earring.