Tragus Piercing – Types, Methods, Pains, Dangers And Maintenance

The portion of the ear that extends into the centre of the ear and connects to the side of the face is called the tragus; it partially encloses the ear canal. The tiny patch of cartilage that partially encloses your ear canal is where a tragus piercing is placed. The outer ear is composed of cartilage and skin in terms of anatomy. Although traditionalists who choose to get pierced still prefer to have their fleshy lobe pierced, people who are interested in something a little different or in addition to their already pierced lobe may find sections of cartilage, such as the tragus, to be appealing.

Another type of tragus piercing that is similar to the tragus piercing but only punctures the skin rather than the cartilage is the surface tragus piercing. But since the jewellery is under the skin, there’s a chance the body will reject it and think it’s an alien thing that has to be forced out.

The Various Methods for Piercing the Tragus

An expert states that one can pierce the tragus using forceps, receiving tubes, or no devices. While some piercers pierce back to front, others pierce front to back. Needles can be customised, O needles, or regular piercing needles. They could be curved as well.

A straight piece of jewellery, often termed a stud, with a flat disc backing that closely matches the size of the decorative end in the front is more likely to help tragus piercings heal,” the expert says. “It’s essential that the position is horizontal to the ground and that the spot is outside the fold that separates the tragus from the face.”

How hurtful is a piercing of the tragus?

Naturally, this is the first thing that everyone wants to know before committing to any kind of needle-based procedure. Even though this is a tragus piercing—which is notoriously more painful than a lobe—it’s not nearly as frightening as you might expect.

Contrary to popular belief, tragus piercings do not cause pain; instead, the lack of nerve endings in the area causes solely a pressure sensation. There can be some little stiffness and swelling following the piercing, but these will go away in a few days. Since cartilage tends to close quickly and the piercing may disappear, it is imperative to keep the earring in place during the entire healing process.

What dangers come with having a tragus piercing?

 Although all piercings carry some danger, we usually advise caution when it comes to this one because it is so close to the face. Anders cautions “We are piercing all the way through, so every piercing will be a puncture wound: We are inserting a foreign item and thoroughly piercing the ear. Scarring, rejection, excessive swelling, and catching or tearing the piercing are all possible side effects, but infection is the main danger associated with piercings in general. Since tragus piercings, such as the tragus, have substantially less blood flow than other parts of the body, white blood cells that fight infection are less common there. Although the majority of infections we treat are confined to the ear, infections can be extremely severe because they can cause tissue necrosis and reach the circulation, which can result in sepsis. What’s the finest advice she could give? “You must conduct thorough research, select a reliable studio, and adhere to all aftercare instructions provided by your piercer.”

If the piercer tries to pierce the tragus with a gun instead of a needle—which should never be done—you should be wary if the shop is not sufficiently respected. This is because using a pistol could cause harm to the cartilage.

How should a tragus piercing be maintained?

The technique we learned about getting our initial piercings in our early teens—which involved rotating the earring and immersing it in salt water—does not work for the tragus. That’s the exact opposite of what you ought to be doing. “Never twist, turn, or touch your piercing,” suggests Stephanie. The majority of bacteria on our bodies reside on our hands. Never, ever submerge the piercing in water—especially public or natural water sources. It’s amazing how frequently a spot emerges on your face when you touch it, therefore you can only imagine how horrible it would be to do this while having an open wound. Steer clear of at all costs.

Be cautious of replacing your pillowcases, keeping anything like hats or scarves clean if they come into contact with your piercing is an excellent action to take. Refrain from using headphones or earphones or making phone calls while sporting a new piercing. Avoid using any kind of oil, cream, or lotion, and make sure children and dogs are kept away from a healed piercing.

Any piercing could become troublesome if you don’t pay strict attention to the maintenance instructions. You shouldn’t sleep on a freshly placed piercing because this could lead to difficulties. Avoiding cosmetics in the piercing region and exercising caution while wearing in-ear headphones too soon are two effective ways to make sure your tragus piercing heals nicely.