Tragus piercing is a process wherein the tragus is perforated to put in an adornment. Tragus is in fact a small protruded structure which is located in the anterior of the ‘concha’ of the ear. This part of the ear is punctured to enable the person to wear different aesthetic jewelries. The tragus is a cartilage which is elevated and located outside the ear canal. Since this cartilage is pointing outwards it becomes one of the suitable places for piercing. This is not the case in other kind of piercing such as microdermal implant, etc. Some people may have smaller tragus which makes it difficult to pierce the cartilage. In normal cases the perforation is done through a small hollow needle which is especially used for piercing purpose.
Tragus piercing Types
There are not many types of ear piercing for this kind; in fact there are only two known types of piercing of the tragus. Both of these types of piercing are associated with puncture of the area. There is a conventional type of piercing which is normal piercing of the tragi. But another kind of perforation is also known as anti-tragus piercing. In this case the anti-tragus portion of the ear is perforated. This region is located right opposite to the tragus. This region is another small elevated cartilage. This protruded anti-tragus is located at the inner edge between anti-helix and earlobe and is pointed at the anterior direction.
Tragus Piercing Cost
Cost of the procedure is one major consideration of people who plan to get their tragus pierced. The fee for the procedure greatly depends and varies on the location and professional who is performing the operation. The other factor that influences cost of this type of piercing is the type of the jewelry that needs to be inserted in the puncture. Example, if you are going for tragus piercing in United States the cost of the piercing would range from $30 to $45, depending on the city or region. In Europe the average cost of the same procedure would range between €30 and €40. Some piercing parlors may charge more money depending on the jewelry you select.
Infection of Tragus Piercing
There are chances of infection in case of tragus piercing as it is commonly recorded. The risk of infection in case of this type of piercing is high as the cartilage is small and exposed. If a person is affected with infection there may be symptoms associated with the condition. Some of the common symptoms are explained further in this section.
Swelling as well as pain may be experienced for few days in case if the pierced area develops infection. These complications may ebb away in around a week. In case these symptoms persist for more than a week then the condition should be checked by a doctor.
The punctured area may also be surrounded with inflammation and redness due to prevalence of infection. In this case intense pain may also be felt along with other symptoms. The puncture may also be affected with pustules that appear exactly on the puncture or around it. In severe cases some individuals may also experience greenish or yellowish discharge from the puncture sometimes accompanied with bad odor.
Occurrence of infection does not happen spontaneously but may take place due to several other factors. For example, complications may occur due to improper aftercare methods that makes the puncture susceptible to infection. It is crucial to clean the spot at least twice or thrice a day to ensure hygiene and avoid infection. But this is not the case in other types of piercing, such as in dermal piercing you should not disturb the perforation too much.
Tragus piercing healing time
There is no specifically set time for the piercing to heal; the time taken for healing may vary significantly. In some cases the puncture may take approximately 2 months while in other cases it may take even up to six months. The average healing time required for tragus puncture to heal is anyway between 2 months and 4 months. The pace of healing of the puncture is also depended on the aftercare techniques used to heal the puncture. However, it is a better choice to consult a doctor in order to learn about methods to speed-up the way for healing the pierced region. This will also help in avoiding and dealing with infection.
Though it needs around 6 months for the piercing to be completely healed in some people it may also take approximately 8 months to 9 months for even mildest pain to stop. Irrespective of the time the piercing need to heal it is essential to follow appropriate aftercare techniques. This will not only avoid infection but may also help in speeding up the process of healing.
Tragus piercing is one of the highly adopted types of body piercing methods. There are various types of jewelry that can be used with tragus piercing ranging from barbell to arrow. If you are keen on getting your tragus pierced then ensure that you go for a professional piercer.