TRAGUS PIERCING GUIDE
what is a tragus piercing?
The tragus piercing is a beautiful way to add sparkle to your ear without the intensity of some other cartilage piercings. This piercing is minimalistic, classy and is a Covetear favourite!
The tragus is the small, thick piece of cartilage that covers the opening of the ear canal. It is usually a rounded triangular shape but can vary from person to person. So, a tragus piercing goes through this part of the skin. This can only be pierced with a stud, however, after 6+ months this can be swapped over to a ring.
In this guide we are going to talk about what a tragus piercing is, the types of tragus piercings, the cost, the process, aftercare and styling tips.
Singular Tragus
The most popular type of piercing for a tragus is a singular piercing. This is because the size of a tragus varies on every person so the space available changes. For the majority of people, a singular tragus is the best option and still taps into your inner rebel!
double tragus
The double tragus piercing is another popular type of tragus piercing, however, it is not very common due to the average size of the tragus. The majority of people do not have the space to fit this piercing, however, if you are lucky enough to have enough ear realestate, this piercing is sure to be the perfect fit for you!
cost of a Tragus piercing
At Covetear, we don’t charge extra for specialty ear piercings with the cost of your piercing being universal across all piercing types.
We charge per piercing with the price of your jewellery of choice added on top.
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Single
1 Piercing - $60
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Double
2 Piercings - $80
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Curation
3-4 Piercings - $100
tragus piercing procedure
First, your piercer will start with sterilising your ear with a medical-grade alcohol swab. Next, we will mark up the site of the piercing taking into consideration your age, the type of jewellery you intend to wear in the future, and most importantly, to make sure that you are happy with the placement. When two piercings are being done, both need to be symmetrical and aligned with each other.
Your piercer will then clamp the area using Pennington forceps and insert the piercing needle through. This process is done by one of our qualified piercers with an 18-gauge piercing needle. We do not use piercing guns or piercing pressure devices, as these instruments can cause trauma and spread bacteria. A piercing needle allows for increased precision and less trauma as well as the risk of infection to the ear regardless of the piercings location.
Then, the earring of your choice will be installed. We have specifically engineered our piercing jewellery to be safe and stylish so that you can use them whilst your piercing is healing and after.
And just like that, your new piercing is ready to be shown off!
Pain and healing time
Pain Guide: 8/10
For the majority of people, a tragus piercing is on the more painful side of piercings due to the location and the technique use to pierce. However, this pain is short-lived and will quickly be replaced by excitement over your new piercing.
The healing time for a tragus piercing is between 6 to 12 months. For the first 72 hours localised swelling, redness, a warm pulsing sensation and a small amount of bleeding are all completely normal.
During the 2 to 4-week mark you may still feel some faint pulsing and you can also still expect a fluid-like substance to expel from the ear and form a crust - especially at night as this is when most healing happens. It is extremely important to treat your piercing with care and do not touch it unless you are cleaning the area.
Between the 5 to 12-week mark although you may not be feeling any discomfort it is important to remember that the piercing channel will not be fully healed so we strongly advise that you avoid friction and irritation. Do not twist, push or pull the earring if possible. This is also the stage where it can be considered to downsize your post to promote faster healing.
The 3-month mark and beyond is where you must be patient and where most piercings are known to cause trouble. Although you may think that the piercing is fully healed and go ahead and change your jewellery early, it can cause infection and keloid-style scarring if changed too early. That is why our number 1 recommendation is to choose a piece of jewellery that you love for your initial piercing, downsize your post at the right time and wait the full recommended period before changing your stack. For a tragus piercing it is recommended that you wait a minimum of 9 months before you change your piercing jewellery over.
If you remove your jewellery from your piercing with out replacing it your piercings can close over in just a few hours so it is essential that you keep jewellery in the piercing at all times.
Aftercare
The aftercare for a tragus piercing is fairly simple and easy. Our simple-to-follow tips have been developed in line with professional piercing and healthcare standards, ensuring your piercings heal as easily and quickly as possible. We offer unlimited, complimentary Aftercare Appointments to help you achieve optimum healing time by providing expert advice on demand. There are 4 essential steps to cleaning your new piercing.
The first and most important piece of care advice is DO NOT TOUCH. If you must touch the piercing, wash your hands. Never, ever, touch your new piercing with unwashed hands.
Second, we use the NeilMed™ piercing aftercare spray which does all the work for you! By aiming the pressurised can at a distance of 3cm - 6cm from the affected area, it is able to clean away any dirt or unwanted objects from the area without irritation. Spray both the front and the back of the piercing and then using a cotton tip, remove any discharge or dried blood.
The third step is to gently pat dry the entire area. For this, we suggest avoiding the use of toilet paper, cotton buds, Q-Tips and cotton wool on and around the newly pierced area(s) as the material from the fibres can irritate the skin and cause infection. Make sure the area is completely dry. Moisture can encourage bacteria to grow, and negatively affect your healing process.
Lastly, we recommend cleaning your piercings twice a day for at least 6-8 weeks, then this can be reduced to once daily.
Pro-tip; when washing your hair, if you have access to a removable shower head, hold it near your piercing and allow the water to wash over the piercing lightly to remove any build-up of product. Any built-up shampoo or conditioner will increase the risk of infection and irritation so ensuring its removal is essential before spraying the piercing with the aftercare spray!
is your piercing infected?
Here's what to do - The serious stuff
The success rate of piercing healing is very dependent on you, and how committed you are to your aftercare. If you neglect aftercare and interfere with your fresh piercing (playing with it and touching it) then the likelihood of complications is going to be much higher and your piercing is going to take much longer to heal.
If you experience sudden swelling that you feel is outside of ‘normal’ post-piercing healing, you must contact us immediately for professional advice. Piercing infections can become serious, very quickly. Do not delay seeking assistance. We are contactable 7 days a week for piercing aftercare advice - however we are not medical professionals, and as such, our recommendation will always be to see a doctor if there is any chance you have a bacterial infection.
Things to watch out for are the sudden onset of excessive swelling, excessive bleeding, discharge of bright yellow, green, or dark fluids. and/or red stripes coming from the piercing site. These symptoms are indicative of serious problems. Fever, upset stomach, dizziness, or vomiting may also be signs of infection.
TIME TO STYLE!
Whether you prefer subtle elegance or daring statements, a tragus piercing allows you to showcase your style in countless ways. Elevate your style with our 14K Solid Gold Diamond Petit Duo Earring, blending minimalism with timelessness, or opt for a touch of rebelliousness with our 14K Solid Gold Starlight Diamond Earring. Regardless of your aesthetic, we've curated a selection that's sure to have the perfect fit for you! Take a peek at some of our favourite pieces below.
Unsure on what jewellery to add into your Tragus piercing? We have curated our Tragus Piercing Collection with all of our favourites!
Tragus Collection
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Diamond Petit Solitaire Earring
14 Karat Yellow Gold / Lab-Grown Diamond / Single or PairPrix habituel $140.00Prix habituelPrix unitaire par -
Diamond Petit Solitaire Earring
14 Karat White Gold / Lab-Grown Diamond / Single or PairPrix habituel $145.00Prix habituelPrix unitaire par -
Piccolo Diamond Earring
14 Karat Yellow Gold / Lab-Grown Diamond / Single or PairPrix habituel $125.00Prix habituelPrix unitaire par -
Petite Clicker Ring
14 Karat Yellow Gold / Single or PairPrix habituel Du $130.00Prix habituelPrix unitaire par -
Diamond Petit Duo Earring
14 Karat White Gold / Lab-Grown Diamond / Single or PairPrix habituel $200.00Prix habituelPrix unitaire par
WANT MORE?
Looking to get some more piercings but not sure where to start? Here are our favourite piercing combos for a tragus piercing!
piercing and styling appointments
Ready to commit to your next piercing? Book in at one of our locations and one of our expert piercers will help you to achieve your new look! If you're not totally confident in the pieces you're after, that's ok! You can book in for either our deluxe piercing experience or ear curation experience where our experts will work with you to create a bespoke design with the highest level of artistry.