Do you like to do piercings or want something more original than a simple pair of earrings and a little less showy than a helix piercing? Then, a tragus piercing could please you! Want to know more ? Here is a complete guide to tragus piercing.
What is a tragus piercing?
The tragus is the part just in front of your ear canal, the one that sticks out slightly. Therefore, a tragus piercing refers to the jewelry that you can make there, in the cartilage.
It is possible to do one or two, according to your desires, but also according to what the piercer will agree to do, often according to the size of the area.
How and where to make a tragus piercing?
In order to have a tragus piercing, it is imperative to go to a professional piercer.
Nevertheless, always make sure to choose a good piercer and, in any case, to inspect the state of the salon and check that the employees always disinfect all their equipment.
Procedure of the appointment for a tragus piercing
First, your piercer will ask what kind of piercing you want done and offer you to choose a piece of jewelry from a more or less extensive range. Preferably, take a titanium or surgical steel piercing as your first jewel, because you risk no allergic reaction with these materials.
Piercers will make one or two marks in order to pierce in the right place, before settling on a seat or chair. He will then disinfect the area in order to avoid contamination of the wound which could lead to complications. In addition, in some cases, the piercer may also put an earplug on you to avoid damaging the inside of the ear.
Finally, using a fine hollow needle, the piercer will pierce the tragus before quickly placing the jewel. It is possible that during the piercing, or right after, you bleed a little. Don’t worry about this, it’s normal and the bleeding will stop soon enough.
Be careful though, if you are too thin, the tragus may also be too thin to support the weight of jewelry. In this case, your piercer will advise you, but it is also possible that you cannot get pierced in this area.
Does it hurt?
The tragus piercing does not particularly hurt because there are very few nerve endings in this area. As a result, most people don’t feel much except for a very brief, mild pain from the pressure exerted to puncture the tragus. And for those who unfortunately feel more pain, know that it is much less than for a skin piercing or even the piercing of the earlobe.
Tragus piercing: diameter, prices and models
For the tragus piercing, know that the diameter is standard that is to say 1.2 mm. You can therefore choose from a large selection of jewelry, but it is generally a classic piece of jewelry or a ring that is placed. In any case, choose your model carefully, because you will have to wear it for several months in a row without changing it.
As for the price, it depends on the model chosen as well as the materials that compose it. On average, it takes between 25 and 50 Euros for a tragus piercing, plus the price of the piercing.
What material for his tragus piercing?
When you go to get pierced, you will have no other choice but to make your selection among the jewels of the professional piercer. This is also the case for any piercing you do. These jewels must be made with a material that promotes healing, such as:
- gold
- titanium
- niobium
- surgical steel
- biocompatible polymers
- glass
Please note that gold must not contain nickel.
Once you have healed, you can purchase the tragus piercing of your choice. Nevertheless, to avoid any risk of allergy, you can continue to make your choice among these materials.
You should know that contact dermatitis is often linked to metal ions in jewelry, which end up breaking through your skin barrier. It is therefore better to avoid nickel, copper and gold-plated metals. Even if at first it does not present any problem, as it goes, it will deteriorate.
For the design of your jewel, it will be up to you to see according to your tastes and your style. Whatever happens, you should find a model that you like. It’s up to you, for example, to select a jewel with an arrow, a cross or a flower.
Tragus Piercing Healing and Maintenance
Just like the helix piercing or other areas where there is cartilage, the tragus piercing takes between 3 and 6 months to fully heal. This time depends on the maintenance and cleaning of the wound, but also on possible illnesses, such as diabetes, which can slow healing or possible complications.
In all cases, do what is necessary to avoid any risk of contamination and do not change jewelry before the complete healing of the wound.
Are infections and complications possible with the tragus piercing?
As with any other piercing, complications such as infection can occur. It is therefore important to carefully follow the instructions given by your piercer. Nevertheless, it still happens in rare cases that you can have a reaction following the piercing of the tragus, so here are some signs to watch out for:
- Redness: Pronounced redness around the piercing area or the entire ear combined with a feeling of warmth can be an indicator of infection.
- Pain: abnormal and continuous pain can mean infection or contamination of the scar.
- Swelling: Swelling that lasts or gets worse is often a sign of infection or an allergy to the materials your piercing is made of.
- Pus: pus is the most obvious sign of an infection and you should be concerned as soon as it is yellowish in color and smells bad.
- Fever: Fever may accompany an infection. In case you have a fever and have any of the above symptoms, go to your doctor as soon as possible.
However, note that redness, pain or even slight swelling is completely normal in the days following the placement of the piercing.
So don’t worry too soon but watch your ear because if these symptoms continue or get worse then you will probably need to go to a doctor to check for infection and get the necessary for it. ‘Stop.
How to take good care of your tragus piercing?
Clean your tragus piercing is not difficult, far from it. Nevertheless, even if pain may be present for the first few days, it is important to do it twice a day.
Here are the steps to clean a tragus piercing:
- Start by washing your hands to avoid any risk of contamination, and therefore the risk of infection.
- Gently twist your piercing to loosen any scabs.
- Take a cotton swab that you have moistened with warm water and gently clean the wound. This will also allow you to remove the pieces of crusts that may appear in the first few weeks. Be careful; never add soap or other products of this type to clean the wound.
In case of mild infection, you can apply an antiseptic solution or Neobacitracin to get rid of it. However, if it is more important, go to your doctor.
You can use an aqueous saline solution or special products sold in piercers and specialized stores to accelerate healing. These usually work well, but it’s best to let the wound heal at its own pace.
In case you decide to use this type of product, always do it after cleaning the area and avoid mixing it with antiseptic or other product.
What are the things to watch out for after a tragus piercing?
After having your piercing done, your piercer will give you some tips on how to take care of it and avoid painful moments. If he forgets, here are some tips to avoid irritation, pain or infection:
- Avoid any risk of contamination by washing your hands every time you touch your piercing, even briefly.
- Avoid playing with your piercing and rotating it more than 2 or 3 times a day to avoid irritation, but also to get into the habit of touching it, because you will end up forgetting to wash your hands before and contaminate the scar.
- When brushing your hair or applying hair products, be sure to cover and protect your piercing to avoid going against, which can be very painful, or contaminating the wound.
- Avoid sleeping by resting your head on the side where you made the piercing. This will cause you significant pain at night or when you wake up.
- During healing, or at least the first month, it is strongly discouraged to wear headphones or earphones, as these can press on the piercing or cause it to move.
