A tragus piercing falls relatively low on the pain scale and is generally rated around a 4/10 – similar to a helix placement. During the healing process, keeping the tragus clean can be a bit tricky.
The tragus doesn't hold many nerve endings which means that, compared to other piercings, it's not very painful. That said, it's obviously subjective because everyone has a different pain threshold.
Tragus Piercing
It has about the same level of pain as the helix piercing. The tricky thing about tragus placements is keeping them clean during the healing process. You should avoid irritating the area, so you do not get an infection.
Infection and scarring: "Note that there is low blood supply to this area of the ear, which makes a tragus piercing at higher risk for infection or scarring," says Sobel. Getting the piercing done by a professional and practicing proper aftercare will lower the chances of these side effects.
"Tragus piercings hurt no more than any other cartilage piercings," Castillo says. This was my first-ever cartilage piercing, so I had nothing to compare it to.
So a tragus piercing can reject but it is quite unlikely, especially if you avoid putting pressure on the piercing while it is healing. Tragus piercing rejection can also be avoided by choosing high-quality, lightweight jewellery.
Tragus Piercing
Placed on the cartilage over the ear canal, the tragus is a popular ear piercing among trendsetting celebrities and is a stylish addition to a curated ear. A tragus piercing falls relatively low on the pain scale and is generally rated around a 4/10 – similar to a helix placement.
Conch Piercing
This stylish piercing punches directly through the inner shell of the ear. This particular part of the ear has much thicker cartilage and only a very thin layer of skin. The thicker cartilage can account for some intense pressure while getting pierced, making it land on the more painful end of the scale.
The tragus piercing may help stimulate the vagus nerve, the longest of the 12 cranial nerves. It carries tons of info from your brain to your organs and vice versa. According to the American Headache Society, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) may help with chronic headache conditions like migraine and cluster headaches.
Of all the body sites commonly pierced, the navel is the most likely to become infected because of its shape. Infections can often be treated with good skin hygiene and antibiotic medications. With this type of infection, jewelry generally does not have to be taken out.
Nose piercings are notoriously hard healers, as they are a very sensitive area due to the nerves that run though. They take at least 12 weeks before being able to be changed, and even then, may need more time.
Safest Piercings
Along with the nostrils and belly button, the earlobes are the safest and most common body part to be pierced. The flesh of the earlobe heals well when the area is cleaned regularly and the piercing is done at the proper angle.
The horror story that comes with the tragus is that in that particular location if pierced incorrectly you can cause nerve damage but Stephanie 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.
It is normal to bleed a little after a tragus piercing for a few minutes up to a few hours. The piercing requires a bit of force because it goes through cartilage and it it normal to hear a slight “pop” when that happens. It is not a particularly painful piercing when done properly using a piercing needle.
We recommend avoiding sleeping on your side with a new tragus piercing. The area will be quite painful during the initial healing process, so it will be best to wait until after this time before doing so. If you are a side sleeper and struggle sleeping on your back, you can try out a travel pillow!
Daith piercing might treat anxiety
Researchers² supporting daith piercing as migraine and anxiety treatment say that getting the Daith piercing puts constant pressure on the vagus nerve, which then stimulates parts of the brain linked to mood and anxiety.
The septum piercing (a.k.a. a piercing through the soft tissue in between your nostrils) is one of the fastest-healing and lowest-irritation piercing zones. Unlike the nostril, the septum is exposed to fewer bacteria and is known to be a quick healer.
Can you sleep on a tragus piercing? You will want to avoid sleeping on the tragus piercing for the first three to four months, while it heals. Side sleepers should consider getting a special pillow that has a cut-out section for your ear.
If your piercer uses a needle to get your conch pierced, the piercing will be about the same pain level as other cartilage piercings (helix, tragus, daith). However, if you choose to get it done with a dermal punch, which allows you to wear larger gauge earrings, it can be way more painful.
We recommend using Airpods pro 2nd generation as these come with soft silicone tips that don't put excessive pressure on tragus-piercing jewelry. If you have headphones while the piercing is healing, you can push forward these headphones so that they don't fall directly on the piercing and don't put excessive pressure.
Instead, the skin simply closes over the hole. Within the first 6 months this piercing can close in a matter of hours. After a year, it can take days or even weeks to close. If you've had the tragus piercing for three or four years the hole will generally close slowly, and may never fully close.
You should only use headphones when your tragus piercing is fully healed. If you use them too soon, your sensitive skin could tear. This can lead to infection, pain, and longer healing times. Even if your earbuds fit snugly around your tragus, it's best to not use the earbuds too frequently.