Getting your tragus pierced

I’ve had my tragus pierced since I was 19 (so roughly 11 years ago now), and I still have people ask questions about it. Especially this time of year when I wear my hair up or pulled back so my ears are showing!

They’ll ask when I got it done and where, whether it hurt and how to take care of it., so I thought I’d talk about my experience and give a little insight into getting your tragus pierced.

A little piercing history

As soon as I left school (when I was 16) I got my helix pierced. It was something I’d always wanted to do but my school were very strict on body piercings, so I left it until after our leavers ball. There wasn’t any pain, but sadly it didn’t heal properly. 🙁

After that initial piercing I wanted to learn more about the different piercings you could get, and my mum’s friend bought me a book on body piercing.

My initial reaction was to get my belly button pierced as that was the piercing everyone seemed to be getting at the time (~2009). But I wasn’t comfortable with my midriff and wanted something visible. So I chose my tragus which is the area located in front of your ear canal, right above you ear lobe (see below).

My mum’s friend recommended The Trinket Box in Swindon where she’d had all her ear piercings done and I popped down there with her the followimg weekend. Along with my mum my sister.

The staff there were very friendly and knowledgeable, which put me right at ease. My piercer even took a look at my helix piercing for me and advised it had been piercerd incorrectly, but it would heal in a year or so. He even offered to check on it for me when it was time to get my tragus piercing changed.

My sister came in with me for moral support, lol. We talked through colours with the piercer and ultimately decided on a green BCR (ball closure ring) with a purple ball to compliment the purple BCR in my helix.

Tip: Wear a loose necked top as your ear may be sore after the piercing and tie your hair back.

Getting your tragus pierced

The tragus piercing is done through cartilage with a needle and your piercer will first check whether or not yours is thick enough for the piercing. Lucikly mine was 🙂 After this initial assessment my pierced cleaned the area (above and behind the tragus) with alcohol wipes.

Once he’d cleaned me up, he held my ear near my helix piercing and gently pushed the needle straight through. There was a little blood which he needed to apply pressure on before putting the BCR through the hole. But that’s normal.

It hurt a little when the needle went through, and I do remember mouthing ‘ow’ to my sister at the time. My ear trobbed throughout the day and was tender when I touched it, but it eased off the following day.

Aftercare

Like with any piercing, it’s important to look after it. I cleaned mine two to three timese a day (or three times to be extra cautious) with a saline or salt water solution applied with cotton wool. My piercer advised to turn the piercing gently to ensure the solution covered the whole area.

It is important to avoid playing with it and note that headphones could also irritate it. You will also need to be careful not to snag the piercing on your hair brush and avoid shampoo, conditioners or other hair care products getting into the hole while it’s healing. The tragus can take anywhere between two to six months to heal completely, depending on the person. Mine took four months.

So, how do I feel about it over 10 years later?

Honestly, I still love it and it’s my favourite piercing to date. I’m so glad I chose it over my belly button! I can easily hide it for work (or similar business events) with my hair and show it off if / when I want too.

Sadly The Trinket Box closed earlier this year. 🙁 So I’m looking for alternative piercers for the others I have planned.

What piercings do you have? Would you ever consider getting your tragus pierced? Let me know in the comments. 😊