Tragus Piercing
Tragus piercing, what is it? Well of course it’s a piecing but this type of piercing specifically targets the part of the ear called the tragus. When we think of ears we think just that, ears, but the ear is actually an intricate organ not only responsible for hearing, but also responsible or a multitude of other things too. Balance being the primary other.
As such the ear actually consists of a number of areas named differently and determined by function. You’ve no doubt heard of some of them before, helix, anti-helix, concha, tragus etc. Obviously we’re going to concentrating on the tragus and piercing of the tragus.
The tragus is the small part of your ear (made of cartilage) that protrudes just outside the ear canal, if you feel it with your finger; it feels like a small hill on its side, at least to me anyway. Its function is to direct air carrying sound and protect the canal.
How is a tragus piercing done? First things first, make sure you find a reputable piercer in your area before even considering a piercing. You can normally find reviews online for your local piercing shop, or even word of mouth if your friends have had it done. You’re about to have a hollow needle inserted through part of your ear, so make sure you use someone reputable. Another tip is, if the piercer attempts to use a gun. Flee and don’t look back.
Anyway…the piercer will go through with you what he’s about to do, he’ll also thoroughly examine the ear and give you some tips on healing and keeping the area clean. Next he (or she of course) will disinfect the area and mark the tragus. Next the puncture, a small hollow needle will be pushed through the tragus and if you haven’t selected a piece of jewelry beforehand the piercer will give you a small section based on his experience.
Pain
Another common question asked, is having the tragus pierced painful? Hell yeah! Hehe, no it depends on a lot really, your personal pain threshold, some people have a low intolerance. Experience of the piercer, size of needle etc. Really most people feel a mild pain that doesn’t normally last, there will of course be a small amount of bleeding so expect that.
Tragus piercing healing time
So you’re probably looking at all that fancy jewelry you can wear and can’t wait! Well I’m afraid you’ll have too, this particular area of the ear takes a fair bit of time to heal, and many will say you can change out the original jewelry from the piercing within three months, but you’d be better advice to wait at least six to eight months. Some people even take up to a full year before the area is fully healed, something to keep in mind if you’re thinking about getting this done.
Tragus piercing Aftercare
Aftercare is really just a hands off job, no prodding and no poking, we mentioned earlier about the healing time. Don’t prolong it any longer than need be. Remember to clean the area once a day. This is done by buying a pack of regular cotton buds and buying a cleaning saline solution. Use two cotton buds, one for the back and one for the front. You need these not only for cleaning, but to make sure you dry the area thoroughly, leaving it wet can cause bacteria to multiply and cause an infection, not something you want to see happen, it’s not nice!
Tragus jewelry
So we’ve fast forwarded however long it took your piercing to heal, and we’re now thinking about jewelry. The tragus might be a small area but it lends itself well to a wide array of jewelry.
Barbells are exactly what you would expect, ball on each end of a straight pole, straight out of a strongman book form the fifties. The barbell is very common piece of jewelry for piercings, and is simply used by screwing the end of the ball to the pole. A variety of length and thickness’s are available and come in a large selection of materials and colors.
Captive bead rings, one of the most common pieces of jewelry use in tragus piercings. These rings as the name suggests are circular and have a small ball at the bottom to close the ring. These too come in a wide assortment of colors and materials gold, silver titanium etc. I would class the as beginner friendly.
Labrets are another common piece used for tragus piercings; labrets like the others mentioned above lend themselves well to all sorts’ piercings and are also suited for the tragus. The labret is different in that it has a back plate that can lie flush with the back of the tragus. Labrets also a wide range of pieces available too.
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