There’s no denying that cartilage earrings have transcended the trend cycle to become a serious forever investment – just look to the likes of Rihanna, Scarlett Johansson and Zoë Kravitz for proof. We’ve come a long way since the days of the high street's big purple chair (if you know, you know) and getting your ears pierced can now be a wholly luxe experience. The slickest new piercing locations are here to help you curate a constellation of sparkling piercings that reflects your personal style and lifts your every look.
From the helix to the daith, you're spoilt for choice when it comes to piercing placement these days – but if you're new to the ear party, it's likely the tragus is first on your list. Here, we've asked the experts everything you might want to know before taking the plunge, from the pain factor to the all-important aftercare.
What You Need To Know Before Getting A Tragus Piercing
What is a tragus piercing?
Piercing specialist Stephanie Anders, who has pierced everyone from Jennifer Aniston to Jessica Alba, explains: ‘The tragus is the part of the ear that attaches to the side of the face and protrudes into the centre of the ear, partially covering the ear canal.'
With every piercing location, there's always a scary rumour to go with it. The horror story that comes with the tragus is that a substandard piercing can cause nerve damage, but Anders says that's not the case. ‘While it is true that veins, arteries and nerves run up and branch into the side of the face, piercing one in the ear is a very wide-spread myth.' In short, there's no need to panic.'
ELLE Edit: Best Tragus Jewellery
Astrid & Miyu Solid Gold Cosmic Star Piercing Stud
Maria Tash White Gold Invisible Set Diamond Stud
Eternity 9k solid white gold 8mm crystal single huggie hoop earring
Lark & Berry Trio Stone Diamond Crawler Stud
Monica Vinader Diamond Marquise Single Labret Piercing
Lark and Berry Modernist Diamond Dot Stud
How painful is a tragus piercing?
This is of course the main question we all want to know before we make any kind of needle-based commitment, and although this is a cartilage piercing (known for being more painful than the lobe) it’s not quite as scary as you may be thinking.
Lead stylist at Lark & Berry, Svetlana Hristova, advises that, ‘despite the myth that tragus piercings are painful, they are actually only associated with a pressure sensation rather than pain, due to the lack of nerve endings in the area. After the piercing, a slight swelling and soreness may occur, but this will subside after a few days. It is essential to keep the earring in place during the entire healing period, as cartilage has a tendency to close quickly and the piercing may be lost.’
What are the risks when getting a tragus piercing?
No piercing is risk free, but this particular one is so close to the face, we tend to err on the side of caution. Anders warns that:
'All piercings are going to be puncture wounds: we are piercing completely through the ear and introducing a foreign object. This always comes with some risks like scarring, rejection, over swelling and catching or tearing the piercing, but the biggest risk concerning all piercings is infection. Cartilage piercings (like the tragus) are going to be much less vascular than other areas, so white blood cells aren’t as prominent in these areas to help fight infection. Most infections we see are localised to the ear but infections can be very dangerous, and lead to tissue necrosis and can enter the bloodstream leading to sepsis.’
Her best piece of advice? ‘I can not stress enough how important it is to do your research, find a reputable studio and follow all of your piercer's suggested aftercare.'
If you’re not sure if your piercing place is reputable enough, a red flag to look out for is if the piercer tries to pierce the tragus with a gun instead of a needle; it shouldn’t ever be done with a gun, as strong pressure could damage the cartilage.
How do you take care of a tragus piercing?
The method we were taught when you get your first piercings in your early teens (something involving salt water and turning the earring) does not apply to the tragus. In fact, it’s the opposite of what you should be doing.
Stephanie advises ‘to never twist, turn or touch your piercing. Our hands harbour the most bacteria on the body. Fully avoid submerging the piercing in any bodies of water, specifically anything communal or in nature.' If you think about how often when you touch your face a spot magically appears, we can only imagine how bad it would be to do this with an open wound. Avoid at all costs.
A good step to take is ‘being mindful of changing your pillowcases, keeping anything like hats or scarves clean if they come into contact with your piercing. Avoid talking of the phone on your fresh piercing or wearing headphones or earbuds. No oils, ointments or lotions, and be sure to keep pets and kids away from a healing piercing.'
Char Collins, Astrid & Miyu's piercing expert, says the best remedy for a healing piercing is keeping it clean. 'Any piercing has the potential to be problematic if you’re not closely following aftercare advice and no fresh piercing should be slept on as this will cause complications. A good way to ensure your tragus piercing heals smoothly is to avoid makeup in the area and to be cautious of wearing in-ear headphones too soon.’
What's more, don't go to bed with wet hair for the first couple of months, as the warmth and dampness can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Not fun.
What should you do if your tragus piercing gets infected?
It’s the fear everyone has when getting a fresh piercing but the key is not to panic, especially as everyone’s bodies will heal in different ways.
Hristova suggests that if you start to worry about what’s going on, head back to your piercer as soon as possible. They will advise on the best way of looking after it and will also treat the infection. In a more extreme case, which is very uncommon, the piercer would then advise you to consult a GP.
How long does a tragus piercing take to heal?
Obviously this is the answer that will vary the most, as everyone will heal differently. The experts suggest that the healing time for a tragus piercing can be anything from three months to a year, depending on your body.
When you originally get the piercing done, the earring inserted will be on the larger side, due to the ear swelling at first from the shock of the piercing. After a while this should calm down, which means you can put a prettier, smaller earring in. The fun begins...
Stephanie recommends waiting a minimum of eight weeks before changing up your jewellery – but in general, be careful about changing your earrings for the first six months , as it can slow down the healing process.
She recommends getting a stud for the initial piercing, ‘even for areas where healing with a ring is possible, I would rather go the route of a less problematic, and more predictable heal. With that being said, one of my absolute favourite things about tragus piercings is the versatility of the jewellery that can be worn here.
'Anatomy depending, of course, we are really able to use the jewellery to accentuate the shape of the tragus in a lot of different ways, whether it is a longer piece of jewellery or a triangle or cluster or multiple piercing and even a tiny hoop for a healed piercing. The tragus is something that we can make look really unique and beautiful.'
