Laura Ljaze
Body Piercing

The tragus piercing has really grown in popularity, first pictured in the 1980's in a piercing fan magazine marking the beginning of its rise in popularity, with many men and women sporting this subtle body modification. Historically there is no know documentation of this piercing and so it is considered a modern piercing. Tragus comes from the Greek word for 'Goat' or the Latin word for 'Swallow'.  So Random.  Despite it's popularity, not many people actually know where a tragus piercing is situated, the piercing is placed through the peninsula of cartilage that sits directly in front of the ear canal. (In other words, the hard little flap that helps keep your earphones in!). 

Will it hurt? The tragus is an area of cartilage which has very little blood flow or nerve endings which fortunately means that the pain experienced is usually fairly mild and does not last long.  The piercing procedure itself will include some discomfort and a feeling of pressure as the hole is created as well as soreness after the jewellery is inserted and during the initial healing stages.  Of course, the pain experienced from a tragus piercing, as with any piercing, will vary between individuals and a variety of other factors. Generally, though, tragus piercings are very tolerable and over quickly.

Healing: Because the tragus piercing goes through a thick piece of cartilage, the healing time is approximately 3-9 months, which is longer than other ear piercings. It is important to wait at least two months before changing your jewellery to reduce the risk of any irritation or infection. It is advisable to visit a professional piercer and ask them to assist you with changing your tragus piercing jewellery, as there is an increased risk of damage to the ear or infection by trying to do it yourself at home. Infection rates can be slightly higher for the tragus piercing because of the fact that it is close to the hair and can come into contact with oils, ear wax and dirt from the scalp.

When caring for your Tragus piercing, ensure that you:

• Refrain from touching the piercing to allow the tender tissue to heal and to reduce the risk of inflammation and pain.
• Don't use in earphones/buds during healing.  This is possible later when the jewellery is downsized.
• Sleep on your back to reduce pressure on your ears.
• Avoid applying lotions, moisturisers, perfumes to the area.
• Avoid swimming until after your piercing has healed.
• Try to keep your hair tied up and away from the piercing wherever possible during initial healing.
• Clean both exit holes of your piercing twice a day.
• You should not remove your jewellery during the healing process. The jewellery must be kept in at all times or you can risk the piercing closing over.
• Regularly remove any build up of ear wax from the opening of the ear canal

You can dramatically reduce your risk of any problems by following this advice.

Jewellery:  There are plenty of jewellery options for your new Tragus, we recommend a labret for the healing process then it can be changed later to a ring, barbell, curved barbell etc.  When you are first pierced you will be pierced with Titanium Jewellery, this jewellery is a lot bigger than needed. This is to accommodate any swelling you may encounter post piercing, however rare it happens its always best to play it safe to ensure a stunning healthy healed piercing. All of Our Titanium Body Jewellery is made from Ti6-Al4-V ELI Medical Grade Titanium, the only grade conforming to ISO 5832-3:1996 and comes from UK suppliers direct, only the best available for our clients. 

DISCLAIMER: Each body is unique and healing times vary considerably. If you have any questions, please contact your Piercer. These guidelines are based on a combination of vast professional experience, common sense, research and extensive clinical practice. This is not to be considered a substitute for medical advice from a doctor.