Why will piercings close up if you don’t wear them for a while if they are newer, but won’t if they are older?

Question

I’ve had my ears pierced for over 20 years and I went without wearing earrings for around 10 of those. I’ve recently started wearing them again and I can fit earrings through no problem. Wondering why this is the case but someone who had only had them pierced for a couple of years wouldn’t be able to do this?

In: Biology

Answer 1

The body wants to fix the hole, because the body thinks that the piercing is an injury.

But after a while, the body gives up on trying to repair it.