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Original poster

To be nervous about getting tragus pierced

55 replies

Alice190720 · 21/12/2020 15:32

I have been wanting to get my tragus pierced since I was 11 (I am now 21) and my partner has said he will pay for me to get it done as part of my Christmas present but now he has said this I am very nervous as the only other piercing I have are my ear lobes. Please give me your piercing experiences

OP posts:
Queenoftheashes · 21/12/2020 16:28

I’ve had mine done three times.

  1. Was fine but teacher made me take it out and then I ended up sticking it in wrong and making a new hole and it fell off. I still have an indent that side.
  2. Did the other one at a festival. They put a stud in and told me to change to a ring which I couldn’t get in so it healed up.
  3. Got it pierced again and a huge lump appeared on it. Took it out and stopped bothering.
My rook piercing is good though.
Wynston · 21/12/2020 16:32

I had it done years ago i did wonder if it would be possible as there wasnt much there.
I dont remember it being particularly painful but it did take a little while to heal.
I found it awkward to change the bar.
The only thing I would be mindful of is I used a telephone handset at work and that was painful and also headphones never went in that ear.
Mine was taken out before surgery and I just never got round to putting it back in which is a shame.

mumpleasemayi · 21/12/2020 16:33

I had mine done 2 years ago at the age of 42, it was fine, didn't really hurt at all.Smile

Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 21/12/2020 16:37

I've had it done for about 15 years. Never had any problems with it. Healed fine. I've had loads of piercings and don't even remember getting it done, so it couldn't have been bad. If you're that nervous, just don't get it done.

MitziK · 21/12/2020 16:40

It was more uncomfortable having the bead done up than having the piercing.

Oh, and stay off alcohol for about 3-4 days beforehand, as it's a piercing that is more likely to bleed (painlessly, I'd add) if you've had a couple of drinks in the days leading up to it.

Other than that, if you have a labret put in, they can accumulate crud on the ear canal side - once it's healed, changing to a ring helps. And don't get both sides done at once, as it can be a little tender to sleep on for a few days.

Follow the care instructions (assuming you've gone to a proper piercer), the odds are they'll tell you to clean it with sterile saline. Dettol and that sort of nonsense doesn't help them heal and can lead to infection, as they do nothing to deal with any potential bacteria inside.

Other than that, I think they've been the least trouble of any piercings I've ever had - and definitely not painful at all.

Mylittleturkeysandwich · 21/12/2020 17:06

@Waxonwaxoff0 do nipple piercings really take 2 years to heal! I had mine done last week and I'm glad I got them done but 2 years feels like a long time.

PeachesBright · 21/12/2020 17:09

I had my tragus pierced about 10 years ago. It hurt.. a lot. More than my nipple piercing. I ended up having to remove the tragus piercing as it just would not heal.

Original poster
Alice190720 · 21/12/2020 17:14

I’m booked in for tomorrow Grin

OP posts:
AutumnColours9 · 21/12/2020 17:16

I've had several cartilage piercings and they all hurt when they pull it through. Throbbing pain for a few hours after. Daiths harder to clean as hard to access and see them but they get caught less. I can still wear headphones in ear but have to move the rings around. I would go for it as it is only sore for a short time.

Planty13 · 21/12/2020 17:18

Let us know how it goes op! I really want mine done but have my earphones in constantly atm with WFH so that’s the only thing putting me off

shitinmyhandsandclap · 21/12/2020 17:22

I've had my nose pierced at the beginning of the month, was very surprised how non painful the piercing was...getting the ring in was another matter though lol, eyes were watering like mad but I was very, very bwave

Original poster
Alice190720 · 21/12/2020 17:40

Am I best asking if they do it with a pantry cause I don’t want a ball falling into my ear canal lol

OP posts:
Original poster
Alice190720 · 21/12/2020 17:41

A labret*

OP posts:
Sick · 21/12/2020 17:48

A labret is best for the initial piercing, absolutely. It's the best way to accomodate the swelling and the lymph crust. When it's time to downsize you can always switch to a hinged segment ring instead.

MitziK · 21/12/2020 17:51

@Alice190720

A labret*
If one fell off (unlikely) and then went into your ear (even less likely) rather than coming out on your pillow, it would come back out again. Labrets can be more difficult to keep clean, depending upon the length. But listen to your piercer and take their advice about which of the two is most appropriate for your particular ear.
SailorKerry · 21/12/2020 18:47

I don't know if it's been mentioned, but make sure to eat 1-2 hours before you go! Keeps your blood sugars up and can help prevent a faint or a wobbly feeling. Good luck!

Waxonwaxoff0 · 21/12/2020 18:48

@Mylittleturkeysandwich they take a LONG time to heal and they also close up very quickly if you take them out. Happened to one of mine, I lost the barbell while I was sleeping and it healed up overnight!

Original poster
Alice190720 · 21/12/2020 19:34

I’m just not good with needles but have put ALOT of thought into it the past ten years and it’s definitely something I want lol

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 21/12/2020 21:00

Alice my DD is the worst with needles and she was fine .

She was relaxed (as much as she could) in the chair with her eyes shut . They put a clamp on to hold onto ...
She was just saying " the worst but is when they put the jewellry in.." and he was already putting the back on - which was fiddly as she has little ears .

I am Envy that you can have it done , everywhere here would be shut and I keep promising myself a piercing after last year !

OoohTheStatsDontLie · 21/12/2020 21:08

Got my helix pierced recently. Healed well initially but after 8 weeks I slept on it badly and it got infected and long story short I ended up in out of hours and they said they are seeing loads of people with infected cartilage piercings at the moment.

I wish I'd known that it due to reduced blood flow in cartilage compared to lobes it takes a lot longer to heal. Like 6-12 months instead of 6-12 weeks. And that means that 1. The chances of infection are much higher and 2. You cant sleep on that side for a looooong time.

Disclaimer: I dont know how similar tragus is to helix in this respect

Bluebell878275 · 21/12/2020 21:13

I've had my Tragus done. It's pretty and didn't hurt much but it's a bitch to change, I always worry about dropping the bits into my ear.

Leeds3 · 22/12/2020 17:23

I had my tragus done and initially developed a small fleshy lump on it, apparently fairly common in cartilage piercings. Went back to the piercer and she rubbed it fairly briskly with a cotton bud and it dropped off. Have had no problems since. In my opinion, it's one of the prettiest piercings.

Yaty · 22/12/2020 17:25

One of the least painful piercings I've had done. I found my helix piercing stung a lot more and took much longer to heal up. Get some salt water spray for aftercare.

secular89 · 22/12/2020 17:26

I have an anti tragus. The piercing wasn't bad... the healing is. I had it done over two years ago and it's still healing!!!! I'm never going to get a cartilage piercing again.

secular89 · 22/12/2020 17:28

Also get a doughnut pillow

I wish someone told me this years ago. I'm now off to Amazon to get such pillows

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