[Sarah_Sarah]

I really want to get my tragus pierced, I have had both lobes pierced once and my belly. People say that the belly button hurts but mine didn't does any one know how the tragus is going to compare??
So how exactly do they pierce it iv'e herd you should deffinatly get it pierced with a needle not a gun is this true?
And also what should I get it pierced with I definitely don't want a ring but what types of bars are there? I want the type where I can have just a small little diamond.
And also any tips on aftercare as I think its in a spot to get easily infected?
And if anyone has any more information they think would be helpful I would be grateful!
THANKS!

[wilddog27]

The pain caused by the piercing and the application of its jewelry varies from person to person. The needle is driven through very little skin and thicker cartilage than that found in the helix (another common piercing site), but less than that of the conch. Although the tragus itself has no nerve endings, some piercees experience pain. The application of the piercee's chosen jewelry can amplify the pain due to the enclosed space in which the piercer works. Typical tragus piercings use a 16g captive bead ring, though stretching to larger gauge jewelry is not unheard of. Bleeding is typically low when the tragus is pierced due mostly to the lack of flesh on the tragus, but can sometimes bleed for an hour or so, depending on the person. An easy solution for this is to wipe it with a tissue or paper towel, never a fabric towel, as they contain high levels of bacteria which can affect the healing process of the piercing. Use a disposable tissueA pierced tragus can take anywhere from two months to one year to fully heal. Like any other external piercing, it should be cleaned several times daily with a solution of warm water and non-iodized sea salt or a pre-mixed saline solution, and a mild antibacterial or antimicrobial soap. Harsh sterilizers like hydrogen peroxide, iodine, betadine and rubbing alcohol should be avoided as they promote scarring. Many piercers instead recommend applying diluted tea tree oil to the site with a cotton swab; doing so can also help treat and prevent the formation of keloids. Be aware that tea tree oil can cause allergic reactions, and its application may also carry a higher risk of infection when drying off after a shower, and while showering, it is recommended to use an anti-bacterial soap to clean any excess discharge built up on the skin or piercing... A pierced tragus can take anywhere from two months to one year to fully heal. Like any other external piercing, it should be cleaned several times daily with a solution of warm water and non-iodized sea salt or a pre-mixed saline solution, and a mild antibacterial or antimicrobial soap. Harsh sterilizers like hydrogen peroxide, iodine, betadine and rubbing alcohol should be avoided as they promote scarring. Many piercers instead recommend applying diluted tea tree oil to the site with a cotton swab; doing so can also help treat and prevent the formation of keloids. Be aware that tea tree oil can cause allergic reactions, and its application may also carry a higher risk of infection

[nauticalstar420]

Whether piercings hurt you is all dependent on your tolerance for pain. If you have a high tolerance for pain, it may not hurt you as much as it would for someone that has a low tolerance for pain. I will tell you though, that piercings through cartilage are a bit more of a shock than other piercings.

Always get ANY piercing with a needle, never a gun. Guns are unsterile and potentially harmful. You cannot get your tragus pierced with a gun anyway.

You should get it pierced with a ring. A ring will allow room for swelling. It will be very uncomfortable if you use something besides a ring and your ear does not have room to swell. After having the original ring in for 6 weeks, you can change it to whatever you want.

Clean it with anti-bacterial soap twice a day for the first week that you have it, then reduce to once per day. Cleaning your piercings more than needed will cause irritation which can lead to infection. I do not personally recommend salt soaks, saline, H2Ocean, or any such product. Anything containing salt is very drying to the piercing and the skin around it. It will peel, swell, and get very irritated if overused. I don't use anything containing salt on my piercings, but if you feel you must, keep its use to a minimum.

Cartilage piercings are prone to infection, so don't put anything that you don't need on it, like tea tree oil. Tea tree oil does not promote the healing of piercings and is not needed. Some say it will reduce keloid scarring, but that is a myth.

Cartilage piercings can take up to a year to heal, so don't lose patience if it does not heal within the amount of time that you want it to. Care for it properly, and it will heal as fast as your body allows it to.

Good luck! :)

[PrettyLady]

:: Moved to Body Art forum ::

[anqelface41]

- a qun is wayyy better I got it done about 2 weeks aqo and I qot it with the gun it goes much quicker and it doesn't hurt at all! With the needle it will hurt 10 times worse I promise

[ramona_]

hi sarah, I'm not going to lie to you and say it doesn't hurt that much because it does, me and a number of my friends agreed that it was the worst piercing we've all gotten and I have my tongue, nose, belly button x2, monroe, wrist, helix and three in each lobe. I thought it wouldn't be so bad but when the needle went through I heard a crunching noise because that area is quite thick, but the pain doesn't come in until after the jewellery is in because you feel an odd pressure on it and it does hurt to lay on it or get your hair caught in it like I did. My jewellery is a labret stud (usually used for lip piercings) which is good because I can change the balls on the top to whatever I like and the back is flat so it doesn't particularly dig in anywhere. For cleaning I used the solution that my piercer gave me, twice to three times a day , make sure you really get in where the jewellery comes out and don't touch it with unclean fingers. Oh and by the way, a needle is always the safest bet with all piercings except your lobes. Good luck!

[sararaynae]

I got my tragus done about 2 weeks ago and it didn't hurt while the actual needle was piercing, the only thing that hurt me was when she was putting the jewellery in. the place I went to did a topical anesthetic which helped a lot. I have a semi mild pain tolerance, I've got 3 tattoos and those hurt more than my piercings. I was told to not use salt water or alcohol to clean it though. While it was healing I did the hole rotation thing and followed the rules and the only time it hurt was when my friend accidentally hit it while we were clubbing later that day (she thought I too, had gotten my nose pierced like the 2 other girls that went with us did) but that pain wasn't all that bad. Whatever you do, go to a professional place, make sure they use sterilized and clean needles, I found it easier to handle while the piercer was talking me through everything, and make sure you follow all the guild-lines that they tell you at the end of your process like not touching it with dirty hands and cleaning it properly, you should be fine. Unlike ramona_ I didn't hear anything except the piercer talking.

[mugger]

No self-respecting piercer will pierce with anything but a needle. Piercing guns jam a piece of jewelry through your skin. Piercing needles create a scalpel-sharp incision making the piercing smoother and safer. Piercing guns tend to malfunction and are single use instruments (meaning one piercing only per gun). Our shop uses single use needles and are destroyed after every piercing.
Aftercare will vary from shop to shop (please tell me you are getting this professionally done). It is very simple to take care of. Wash with antibacterial hand soap, making sure to thoroughly rinse all the soap away. Do a 2-3 minute sea salt soak a few times a day. Healing time with a needle can be around 2-3 months, while a gun will be at least 6 months. Never turn your jewelry. The ONLY time to touch a piercing is when you are cleaning it.

[beautyxruin]

I got my Tragus done today, so the pain is fresh in my mind. To me, it wasn't excruciatingly painful. You SHOULD get it done with a needle. Guns shatter your cartilage, and everyone who's ever gotten their cartilage pierced with a gun got an infection. My piercer told me to use soap and water. He said bactine also works, except if it gets in your ear you'll hear a sizzling noise because it will clean the earwax and its kind of annoying. So I would stick with soap. As far as the pain goes, make sure you breathe. The part that hurt the most was when he pulled the needle through. As far as the actually piercing of the cartilage, it did not hurt as much as I was expecting since everyone always says cartilage hurts the most. (And I have a VERY low tolerance for pain). Right now mine has a ring with a ball in it, I want a little stud to but he told me to wait a month-6 weeks until it stops producing a lot of crust. (They have really pretty and CHEEAAAP ones on Amazon ) As for tea tree oil I'm not sure, I've heard it heals quicker, and I've heard it delays healing. I would ask your piercer. Other then that, I recommend it! I love it and even with the ring in it, it looks really cute.

BTW, if you aren't sure about getting it done, consider a vertical Tragus! Those are really cute too.

[Tammyzee]

I got my Tragus done yesterday and it wasn't sore atall, everyone's pain tolerance is different but the nipple is supposed to be the worst and I got that done and didn't think it was sore either. The only thing I'm finding difficult is getting into the back of mt tragus to clean it properly, I'm really paranoid about it getting infected... any tips would be helpful!I'm using a cotton bud but I can't be sure the back of it is cleaned properly

[nenaforever]

I got mine don't with a cylinder type thing, the put the earing in the cylinder and pushed it through I didn't think it hurt that bad concerting I have only my ear lobe done. Its hard to take care of at first but it gets easyr

[chelchenton]

I had my tragus pierced by a gun a week ago and have now taken it out to heal - the swelling in my ear is horrific and the pain is excrutiating. The whole of that side of my face looks swollen and feels very bruised. Once this has close up and fully healed I will go and get it pierced again but willdeffo choose the gun method no matter how much the pain hurts because they will do it with a bigger surgical steal bar that bacteria finds hard to grip to, it will also allow extra room fro swelling. Please also be careful when getting changed etc as I knocked mine and it didn't help the swelling and pain one bit.

[NicoleeB]

Hi, I really want to get my tragus pierced but I'm too scared it will hurt loads, and is it better to get a ring or a bar when you first get it done because I wanted a little diamond but people ate saying it's better to get a ring? Also can you tell me what the rate in pain would be from 1-10? Thanks x

[mrsbieberxoxo94]

A gun is easier to use. And it depends on how much pain u can handle. I got mine done and it hurt a little but not to bad

[LucyMc]

Whether or not piercings hurt you is all dependent on your tolerance for pain. If you have a high tolerance for pain, it may not hurt you as much as it would for someone that has a low tolerance for pain. I will tell you though, that piercings through cartilage are a bit more of a shock than other piercings.

Always get ANY piercing with a needle, never a gun. Guns are unsterile and potentially harmful. You cannot get your tragus pierced with a gun anyways.

You should get it pierced with a ring. A ring will allow room for swelling. It will be very uncomfortable if you use something besides a ring and your ear does not have room to swell. After having the original ring in for 6 weeks, you can change it to whatever you want.

Clean it with anti-bacterial soap twice a day for the first week that you have it, then reduce to once per day. Cleaning your piercings more than needed will cause irritation which can lead to infection. I do not personally recommend salt soaks, saline, H2Ocean, or any such product. Anything containing salt is very drying to the piercing and the skin around it. It will peel, swell, and get very irritated if overused. I don't use anything containing salt on my piercings, but if you feel you must, keep its use to a minimum.

Cartilage piercings are prone to infection, so don't put anything that you don't need on it, like tea tree oil. Tea tree oil does not promote the healing of piercings and is not needed. Some say it will reduce keloid scarring, but that is a myth.

Cartilage piercings can take up to a year to heal, so don't lose patience if it does not heal within the amount of time that you want it to. Care for it properly, and it will heal as fast as your body allows it to.

Good luck! :)

You should never get anything

[LucyMc]

Whether or not piercings hurt you is all dependent on your tolerance for pain. If you have a high tolerance for pain, it may not hurt you as much as it would for someone that has a low tolerance for pain. I will tell you though, that piercings through cartilage are a bit more of a shock than other piercings.

Always get ANY piercing with a needle, never a gun. Guns are unsterile and potentially harmful. You cannot get your tragus pierced with a gun anyways.

You should get it pierced with a ring. A ring will allow room for swelling. It will be very uncomfortable if you use something besides a ring and your ear does not have room to swell. After having the original ring in for 6 weeks, you can change it to whatever you want.

Clean it with anti-bacterial soap twice a day for the first week that you have it, then reduce to once per day. Cleaning your piercings more than needed will cause irritation which can lead to infection. I do not personally recommend salt soaks, saline, H2Ocean, or any such product. Anything containing salt is very drying to the piercing and the skin around it. It will peel, swell, and get very irritated if overused. I don't use anything containing salt on my piercings, but if you feel you must, keep its use to a minimum.

Cartilage piercings are prone to infection, so don't put anything that you don't need on it, like tea tree oil. Tea tree oil does not promote the healing of piercings and is not needed. Some say it will reduce keloid scarring, but that is a myth.

Cartilage piercings can take up to a year to heal, so don't lose patience if it does not heal within the amount of time that you want it to. Care for it properly, and it will heal as fast as your body allows it to.

Good luck! :)

Oops I pushed submit but anyway you should never get anything pierced with a ring, you should wait until its healed before inserting a ring. This is because the hole will heal on a curve and it is easier to get infected inside it. If the hole heals on a curve it cannot weep very well so this causes more infection. Within the ear piercing. I had my nipple done with a ring and it now has to scar tissue lumps on either side . So any experienced piercer should know not to pierce with a ring/keeper

[LucyMc]

1. Never use a gun it can shatter your cartiledge.
2. Doesn't really hurt much but can depend on the person
3. Make sure it's with a bar not a ring, I've explained why in a previous reply to a comment.
4. Make sure you don't clean it with alcohol/peroxide because it dries it out and over cleans it.

[kpvbgleek]

I don't have a tragus piercing but just for the record, I have 2 cartilage piercings both done with a gun and they are perfectly fine. No problems, no infections, no pain. I have heard it is extremely painful to get cartilage done with a needle, so might as well get it done with a gun as it doesn't hurt at all!

[LucyMc]

I dont have a tragus piercing but just for the record, i have 2 cartilage piercings both done with a gun and they are perfectly fine. No problems, no infections, no pain. I have heard it is extremely painful to get cartilage done with a needle, so might as well get it done with a gun as it doesnt hurt at all!

You can't really compare tragus to a normal cartiledge piercing, apart from that they are both cartiledge lol. Because the tragus is a lot thicker and smaller it is harder to do with a gun and if they Clip the side it can shatter and be very painfull. I know where you are coming from though I have friends who have had a gun used like you and there's are fine, but the tragus is not good when done with a gun.

[kpvbgleek]

I didn't mean to compare to a tragus. I was just putting those people with negative attitudes about getting cartilage done with a gun, straight. Sorry if I confused you lol