What do I need to know before getting a tragus piercing? If you are looking for a new and trendy accessory, you may want to consider a tragus piercing. A tragus piercing is the puncturing or piercing of the tragus, which projects immediately in front of the ear canal, to insert and wear a piece of jewelry for adornment.
The popularity of tragus piercing is on the increase and so we have taken time to research it.
This article reveals the pain level of tragus piercing, what to do before opting for it, its procedure, and effective aftercare tips to avoid infections that impede healing.
Types of Tragus Piercing
If you decide to get a tragus piercing, there are four different types to choose from.
The following are the four different types of tragus piercing:
1. Standard Tragus.
2. Antitragus
3. Surface Tragus.
4. Vertical Tragus
Let’s get to understand them one after the other.
Standard Tragus
This is one single-hole pierced on the tracks, which you can adorn with a piece of jewelry.
Antitragus
This is a type of tragus piercing that is located on the triangular-shaped piece of cartilage above the ear lobe, which you adorn with a small piece of jewelry.
Surface Tragus.
For this type of tragus piercing, the cartilage is not pierced; rather, the skin close to the tragus is pierced for a piece of the ring to be inserted.
Vertical Tragus
In this type of tragus piercing, the cartilage is pierced straight and a curved ring with two ends is inserted.
How Painful is Tragus Piercing?
Tragus piercing is very painful because the cartilage is harder to pierce than normal flesh. The piercer will have to apply pressure to get the needle through, which can make the pain intense, especially if the piercer is inexperienced.
You’ll likely feel a pinching sensation as the needle goes through the tragus, so be prepared for this.
Just like other forms of piercing, the amount of pain varies from person to person. For some people, the piercing will sting the most as the needle goes through, while others won’t really feel it.
Tragus piercing pain tends to be temporal and may resolve on its own in a very short time after the piercing.
How to prepare for a Tragus Piercing
Having made up your mind to have a tragus piercing,
- Look for a professional piercer who is highly experienced in tragus piercing to avoid complications and ugly-looking piercing.
- Choose your preferred jewelry making sure you get a quality one to avoid rejection swelling after your piercing.
- Piercing guns don’t work well for piercing cartilage since they can lead to scarring and additional pain. So, before your piercing day, make sure you discuss this with your piercer. If she wants to use a piercing gun on your tragus, consider looking for another piercer.
- Get all aftercare requirements ready before your piercing. Get things like antimicrobial soap, liquid disinfectant, methylated spirit, gauze, and saline solution among others.
Procedures involved in Tragus piercing
- After you have discussed all the details with your piercer and picked your jewelry, your instruments will be sterilized and your piercer will prepare for the procedure. You’ll lie flat on your back so your piercer can clean and moisten the area.
- To avoid inner ear damage, a cork will be placed into the ear canal. This helps to protect all parts of your ear from the force used on your thick ear cartilage to pierce it.
- You’re the piercer will then mark the piercing location with a surgical pen then confirm if that’s your preferred spot.
- After confirming with you and clamping down, the needle will then be forced through your cartilage to make a hole.
- The piece of jewelry will be threaded through the piercing needle and secured instantly for a tight fit.
- Then, your piercer will clean the spot with water and disinfectant to reduce the chances of infection.
- And finally, she will discuss necessary aftercare tips with you and answer any other questions you may have.
Aftercare Tips for Tragus Piercing.
How long does tragus piercing pain last? Unlike other types of piercing, it takes a very long time before a tragus piercing completely heals.
It takes from 3-9 months for complete healing to take place after a tragus piercing, so the piercing site should be properly cared for.
The following are effective ways of caring for tragus piercing;
- Keep the piercing site as clean as possible always to stop germs from inhabiting there and to avoid swelling too.
- Ensure you always wash your hands before touching the piercing and the jewelry.
- Avoid holding your phone or any other thing over your piercing site for prolonged periods until the wound heals completely.
- Do not sleep on the wound to avoid irritation as this may prolong the healing process.
- Do not touch the piercing site for touching sake. The only time you have to touch is when you are cleaning it, so don’t ever touch it unnecessarily.
- At any time when you think you have an ear bump or your body is rejecting the jewelry, contact your piercer immediately.
- In the first two weeks, you can rub some methylated spirit on both sides twice a day to kill germs and switch to the saline solution after two weeks till the wound completely heals to relieve inflammation and facilitate healing.
- Use gauze in cleaning the piercing site since cotton ball fibers can get caught up in the wound or piercing and make the wound more susceptible to germs.
- Ensure you keep the site dry, especially in the first 24 hours to avoid infection.
- Do not twist or fiddle the piercing so as not to irritate the wound and impede the healing process.
Conclusion
Although every piercing is different, there is something interesting about tragus piercings. A snug-fitting tragus hoop or a standout stud always complements existing piercings and provides an exciting and unusual look. So, having been well-informed about tragus piercing, you may want to consider opting for it.
References:
Featured image: https://www.healthline.com/health/tragus-piercing-pain