In recent years, there has been a huge rise in popularity of alternative piercings. From daith to tragus piercings, there’s nothing more on trend at the moment than a carefully curated ear stack. Tragus piercings are one of those that has become extremely popular, so we have put together some key points that you may want to consider before you bejewel your tragus, based on commonly asked questions.
Can you wear a regular earring in your tragus?
Generally speaking, you technically can wear a regular earring in your tragus once your piercing has fully healed and is ready for you to change, but it’s not recommended. Like daith earrings, tragus piercings tend to be a different size to regular earrings that are meant for your lobe, with a typical tragus earring being 16 gauge compared to a lobe earring’s 18 gauge. This size difference means that if you put a lobe earring in your tragus piercing, the hole is likely to shrink to the size of the smaller earring. It’s then extremely difficult and painful to go back to a specialist tragus earring at a later date.
Do tragus piercings help with anxiety?
There is some evidence to support the claim that tragus piercings help alleviate symptoms of anxiety and other ailments such as migraines, depression and even epilepsy. This comes down to the cause of the ailment in the first place. A common cause of migraines and anxiety is malfunctions in the vagus nerve – a long nerve that extends throughout the outer ear area – piercing the tragus is often an alternative way to treat symptoms since the piercing stimulates the nerve.
Is a hoop or a stud better for a tragus piercing?
Usually, its best practice to pierce a tragus with a stud and most professional piercers will not pierce your tragus with a hoop. This is due to hoops being known to hinder the healing process as they are constantly moving around, whereas a stud remains in place for the duration of time it takes to fully heal. That being said, when the piercing is fully healed you can change it to a hoop, or whichever style of earring you prefer.
Will my tragus piercing close if I take it out?
Yes, a tragus piercing hole can close really quickly, so it will likely close up if you take it out for any prolonged length of time. Usually, it takes between 3 and 6 months for a tragus piercing to fully heal, so you should also not change tragus earrings before this point either as you will be at risk of irritation, infection or a reaction. If the piercing becomes inflamed due to irritation, you may be forced to take it out and let it heal over depending on the circumstances, so if you want to keep it then it’s best to leave it alone until it’s fully healed.
There is so much more that could be said about tragus piercings, and it’s best to do your research thoroughly prior to making any form of body modification, including piercings, no matter how minor they may seem. If you’re unsure or have any further questions, you may want to speak to a professional piercer prior to having a tragus piercing done.