Tragus Piercing
The Tragus Piercing is decent, but at the same time extraordinary. Here you can learn everything about the tragus piercing, the pain of piercing, the right tragus jewelry for you and the different variants.
What is a Tragus Piercing?
The tragus is a part of the ear that consists of thick cartilage tissue. It is the protruding cartilage that covers the opening to the ear canal. The tragus has a rounded triangular shape and is different for everyone. Before piercing, it must therefore be checked whether the cartilage tissue is thick enough for a piercing.
More Tragus Piercing Variations
Besides the classic tragus piercing, there are other variations. Here you can find out exactly where these variations are located and what they look like.
Surface Tragus Piercing
With the Surface Tragus Piercing, only the upper layer of skin is pierced instead of penetrating the cartilage. A barbell or a banana bar is used here.
Anti Tragus Piercing
The Anti Tragus Piercing pierces a small piece of cartilage above the earlobe. As with the classic tragus, an ear Stud or a small clicker ring can be worn.
Double Tragus Piercing
With the Double Tragus Piercing, not just one, but two holes are pierced through the tragus.
Vertical Tragus Piercing
The Vertical Tragus Piercing is a surface piercing that lies on the inside of the tragus. A barbell or a banana bar is also used here.
How painful is the Piercing?
Although the tragus piercing is done through thick cartilage, it is less painful than other cartilage piercings because there are few nerve pathways in this area. The pain is approximately 5/10, but can vary depending on individual pain tolerance.
The ideal Tragus Piercing Jewelry
Classic stud earrings or small clicker rings can be worn in the tragus piercing. A stud earring with a marquise crystal, for example, is particularly suitable as it adapts beautifully to the shape of the tragus. For a more unusual look, a small ring can be combined with a pendant.
The right size
The tragus is pierced with a straight needle, so the initial jewelry is always a Stud and not a ring. The Stud length is between 6mm and 10mm. When piercing, a longer Stud length is initially used, which is usually reduced after the swelling has subsided. If you want to switch to a ring after healing, you should choose an inner diameter of 6mm-8mm depending on the individual cartilage thickness.
The bar thickness of the earring for a tragus piercing should be 1.2mm, as cartilage piercings are always pierced with a 1.2mm thick piercing needle. A smaller thickness could cause the hole to shrink.
Materials
The material is crucial for piercings. Incorrect material can cause irritation or inflammation during healing. Therefore, only hypoallergenic and sterile materials should be used for freshly pierced piercings.
Materials such as titanium, gold, white gold or stainless steel are particularly suitable. These materials are well tolerated by most people. Solid gold earrings are particularly durable because they are very resistant to everyday wear and tear and retain their shine without having to be removed.
While silver is also popular because it is very affordable, it is not hypoallergenic. Therefore, it should never be worn in freshly pierced piercings, as it can cause inflammation and, in the worst case, lead to blood poisoning.
How long does it take to heal a Tragus Piercing?
The complete healing of a tragus piercing takes about 3 to 8 months. To avoid infection, proper care of the piercing is essential. In the summer, healing can be delayed due to heat and contact with water, so we advise against getting a piercing in the summer. The tragus piercing should not be changed during the healing phase under any circumstances.