Are you trying to find a new form of self-expression through body art? If so, think about a tragus piercing. This stylish piercing has grown in popularity in recent years, especially among individuals who enjoy experimenting with various looks and accessories. One of its best features is customizing a tragus piercing to practically any taste or fashion sense. A tragus piercing can be customized to match your personality and taste, whether you like a superficial appearance or a more daring, edgy style. It’s also a fantastic technique to make yourself stand out from the crowd and add originality to your outfit.
It’s crucial to conduct research and select a reputable piercer who adheres to strict cleanliness and safety procedures, as with any piercing. However, a tragus piercing may be the ideal method to show off your uniqueness and express your particular style if you’re willing to take the risk and try it.
Where is Tragus Located?
The tragus is a little skin flap coated in cartilage located immediately in front of the ear canal. However, it may appear like a small area to pierce, but a talented piercer can make it look chic and fashionable. Tragus piercings can be embellished with accessories, including delicate chains, bold hoops, and inconspicuous studs.
What is Tragus Piercing?
The tiny piece of cartilage that partially encloses your ear canal is where a tragus piercing is located. The outer ear’s anatomy consists of cartilage and skin. While the fleshy lobe continues to be the primary option for traditionalists seeking piercing, sections of cartilage, such as the tragus, may intrigue individuals interested in something slightly different from or in addition to their already pierced lobe. As piercers, we seek out a small, flat spot that can support being punctured, claims Lewis. Most people look wonderful with tragus piercings, provided their ear is compatible.
Types of Tragus Piercing
Despite this region’s tiny size, tragus piercings come in various styles. Finding a unique location for a piercing is always exciting, but ensuring that the jewelry you wear and the piercing you have done complement your style is crucial! Here is a quick overview of the various tragus piercing types that can be performed.
Surface Tragus Piercing
Tragus piercings are said to be highly painful. Thus, people who want the appearance but not the pain may opt for a surface tragus piercing. This kind of piercing, frequently called a “fake” tragus, involves making a hole in the skin above the cartilage and placing jewelry there. This is a fantastic option for those who want to obtain the look of a tragus piercing without the trouble of a protracted healing period because it heals considerably more quickly than the typical tragus piercing! One of the biggest problems with this type of piercing is that because it passes through the skin rather than the cartilage, the body can mistake it for an object that belongs outside of it and force it out. To prevent this, keep it clean and wait till it has fully healed before switching out the jewelry.
Anti-Tragus Piercing
The anti-tragus is a cartilage segment located directly across from the tragus portion of your ear. This protruding piece of cartilage on the other end of the tragus is frequently also a fantastic location for a piercing! These uncommon tragus piercings provide a unique technique to give the jewelry you wear in your ears an additional appearance. The healing process and pain are incredibly similar because this cartilage fragment is equally thick as the tragus!
Double Tragus Piercing
Even though this tiny portion of cartilage is tiny, a double tragus piercing is possible, provided the piercer utilizes small jewelry and correctly distances out the piercing. For this kind of tragus piercing, spacing is crucial because if the holes are too far apart, some forms of jewelry might not fit in one of the holes. You can ensure that your double tragus piercing is done precisely by working with your piercer to determine the optimal spacing options that permit using various types of jewelry! As you do not want them to appear as though one of the piercings is too close or too distant from the other, it is also crucial that the space be calculated according to the size of the tragus piercing you want.
Vertical Tragus Piercing
You might choose a more unusual tragus piercing than the traditional one, where the jewelry is inserted directly through the cartilage. Vertical tragus piercing entails only piercing the front side of the tragus and doing it at a perpendicular angle. Studs are rarely used with this type of piercing since you can see the back of the jewelry. A curved barbell is one of the most popular types of earrings for this piercing.
Pain Level of Tragus Piercing
A thin layer of malleable cartilage makes up the tragus of the ear. This indicates that compared to other ear parts, there isn’t as much dense tissue filled with painful nerves. You usually experience less pain, the fewer nerves. However, because cartilage is more challenging to pierce than typical skin, a piercer will need more pressure to push the needle through, which could be painful if the piercer is inexperienced. Additionally, each person experiences pain differently after getting a piercing. But the piercing usually hurts the most for most people after the needle is inserted. This results from the needle penetrating the outermost layer of skin and nerves.
As the needle passes through the tragus, you could also experience a pinching sensation. The discomfort brought about by getting a tragus piercing is typically brief and may go away on its own shortly after the treatment.
Healing Time of Tragus Piercing
The healing process for tragus piercings often takes three to six months, depending on how well the area is cared for. You do face the risk of delaying the healing process if the piercing gets infected or the jewelry is removed too soon. Due to this, you must adhere to the aftercare instructions provided by your piercing artist and wait until the piercing has fully healed before removing or switching out the jewelry.
Aftercare Instructions for Tragus Piercing
For the first few weeks after getting a piercing, don’t be surprised if you experience any of the following expected side effects:
- Redness, warmth, or light or yellowish crusts around the piercing, along with discomfort or sensitivity in the surrounding area
- The followings are some dos and don’ts for the aftercare of tragus piercings:
- Wait to touch the piercing until you’ve washed your hands to avoid spreading bacteria to the area.
- Avoid washing the region with soap, shampoo, or disinfectants for the first day after the piercing.
- Avoid removing or handling the jewelry cruelly for three months or until the piercing has completely healed.
- Use non-alcohol cleaning agents on the piercing.
- Only use natural ingredients when applying scented lotions, powders, or creams.
- Please wait at least three weeks after obtaining the piercing before putting it in the water. Showering is safe, but you should avoid swimming.
- After cleaning the piercing, please do not rub it dry. To avoid damaging the tissue, gently blot it dry with a clean cloth or paper towel.
- Rinse any crust off carefully using warm, clean water and mild, unscented soap.
- At least once every day, but after the first day, soak the piercing in warm salt water or saline solution and pat dry with a clean cloth.
Risk Factors for Tragus Piercing
Tragus piercings are no different from others in that they all carry some risk. What to look out for includes:
Infection
A tragus piercing that is infected will hurt. Additionally, you might detect heat, redness, and uncontrollable bleeding. Fever and black or foul-smelling pus are additional possible symptoms.
Blood borne Infections
If you see a skilled, experienced piercer, you shouldn’t worry too much about this. However, having a piercing performed with a used or unsterilized needle can put you at risk for contracting diseases, including hepatitis B and C and HIV.
Bumps
The possibility of developing lumps and bumps, such as keloids, abscesses, and granulomas, is associated with cartilage piercings.
Allergic Reactions
Nickel allergies are particularly prevalent in specific metals. Many pieces of body jewelry have nickel, which can trigger allergic reactions. Blisters, redness, and itching are some of the symptoms. Your piercer can offer advice on selecting jewelry with a low likelihood of triggering an allergic reaction.
Rejection
Rarely may your body attempt to push the jewelry out of your piercing by treating it as a foreign body. We refer to this as a rejection. If it occurs, you might notice the hole growing larger or the skin around it hardens or flakes.
Catching & Tearing
Think of wearing a shirt, using the phone, or donning a hat. These activities all involve a lot of contact with the ear. After receiving a tragus piercing, exercise extreme caution to prevent catching the jewelry on anything.
To prevent further difficulties, seek medical help when you experience any of these problems.
Cost of Tragus Piercing
A tragus piercing can cost between $20 and $50, depending on the piercer’s experience, the reputation and location of the studio, and the jewelry used. Remember that this price range does not include the cost of aftercare products or a tip for your piercer. Additionally, the cost of jewelry might vary widely, which could drastically raise the price.
Procedure to do Tragus Piercing
It is not your job to do it, but it will be a plus if you know the exact method to do this ear piercing. The piercer will do the following steps to perform tragus piercing:
- Use distilled water and a medical-grade disinfectant to clean your tragus.
- Use a nontoxic pen or marker to outline the region that will be punctured.
- Use a sterilized needle to pass through the tragus’ marked location and out the other side.
- Insert jewelry in the piercing you’ve chosen in advance.
- Stop the bleeding from the piercing.
- To ensure the area is immaculate, clean it again with water and disinfectant.
Jewelry for Tragus Piercing
Jewelry for tragus piercings is typically more petite. It’s crucial to consider practicality when selecting jewelry in this situation. A massive piece of jewelry may obstruct the conversation when speaking on the phone. Rings, studs, and barbells are the most popular tragus jewelry items.
Ring
A ring is a stylish, discreet piece of jewelry that won’t get in the way.
Barbell
Contrarily, a barbell attracts more attention and draws focus to the piercing. Most barbell jewelry won’t interfere with using a phone, either.
Stud
A stud can be understated or make a statement depending on its adornment. More straightforward stud earrings with a gold or titanium ball are available. A creative design or a statement-making statement earring can finish off a look or show some personality. Wearing a stud is safe as long as you talk to your piercer before making your decision. Jewelry that is too tiny or tight might inflame the skin.
Conclusion
Finally, getting a tragus piercing can be an exciting and fashionable way to express oneself. Although it might initially appear scary, with the proper aftercare and a trained piercer, the procedure can be relatively painless and produce a stunning addition to your collection of ear jewelry. Do your homework on piercers and aftercare techniques, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Your tragus piercing procedure can be pleasant and memorable if you approach it with the appropriate attitude and preparation. Happy piercing!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. Does piercing the tragus hurt?
Yes, it can be painful because it requires piercing the tragus, which is made of tough ear cartilage. But everyone’s tolerance for pain is different; some people may find it easier to tolerate than others.
Q. What is a tragus piercing gauge?
The standard tragus piercing gauge is 16 or 18 gauge, although some piercers may use a slightly larger or smaller size depending on the individual’s ear anatomy and preference.
Q. What is tragus piercing size?
The size of the typical tragus piercing ranges from 1.2 to 1.6 millimeters or 16 to 14 gauge. Depending on the person’s ear anatomy and the type of jewelry selected, the length of the jewelry used for the piercing may change.
Q. What are tragus-piercing earrings?
Some common types of tragus piercing earrings include:
- Labret studs
- Captive bead rings
- Barbells
- Hoops
- Thread less jewelry
- Push pin jewelry
- Hinged rings
- Clickers
- Seamless rings
- Curved barbells
However, the most used jewelry is discussed above in detail.
