Hhhmmm....My little infatuation with the tragus piercing started about six years ago when I saw a woman who had to be in her mid-50's with this piercing. It looked so great, but being from Hickville, USA I had never seen an ear pierced here before. As I got older I became more familiar with body piercing and learned more about it. As much as I knew I wanted to have it done, the pain factor (I know it shouldn't) bothered me so much that it took me a few years to work up the courage to actually go through with the procedure.
At A Glance Author PsychoEcho13 Contact PsychoEcho13@AOL.com Artist Strawberry Studio Too Cool Piercing Location Abilene, Texas Previous to this, I had two tongues piercings, a navel piercing, an eyebrow piercing, three lobes (each ear), and a cartilage piercing in each ear. So this was not my first experience under the needle.
Around the area where I live, there aren't a great deal of piercing/tattoo studios, so I am sure you can imagine that most of them were not very good (reputable). I had inquired at the studio (which shall remain nameless) where my eyebrow was done about piercing my tragus. The guy there told me that mine were really small and they would be hard to pierce and clean afterward. I asked if he could still do them and he said he preferred not to do them. When I asked why he said that they were uncomfortable. This turned me off to that studio right away. The truth of the matter was probably that he didn't really know how to do one (placement, etc.). Needless to say, I didn't get pierced here.
A friend of mine had a few piercings done at a studio across town called Too Cool Piercings (inside Happy Dragon Tattoo). I had never been in here, but I trusted this friend. We went to check the place out.
When I entered the place, I felt like an inspector of some sort. I know this might sound strange, but I am super paranoid about cleanliness. It looked really clean. So far I was happy. Then I went to check out the jewelry in the display cases. It was all individually packaged. Good sign. Something that probably has nothing to do with the quality of the studio's work, but I noticed, was that they (unlike several places around here) didn't sell stuff unrelated to piercing/tats. (By this I mean cds, drug paraphernalia, movies, etc.) I saw found the autoclaves and a Texas Department of Health certification thing. Good.
Then Strawberry came and greeted us. She asked if she could help us and Candace (my friend) told her we were just looking at the moment. After I was satisfied with the appearance of the place, I asked Strawberry about piercing my tragus. She pulled back her hair to show me she had hers done. I told her that someone told me mine were too small to be pierced and other things the person had told me. She said mine were fine, but shouldn't be pierced with a 14 gauge (like I wanted), as they were rather small. I asked her what type of jewelry she would put in mine and she told me about an 18g surgical stainless steel CBR. She asked if I was allergic to SSS and I said no. I asked her about a 16g instead and she with mine it would be better for an 18g and I might stretch it later on, if I wanted.
I felt comfortable with her and the studio and decided to get it done there. I told her and she got the paper work ready for me to sign. I filled it out and she went to make a copy of my license. After that, she sterilized the chair and began to get the materials ready. She changed her gloves after everything she touched and that made me feel really good. She explained to me that everything was new and in sterile packaging.
Then I sat down. I must admit that I was really really scared. I was so worried about it hurting that I almost forgot that I had asked my friend to photograph the procedure. Strawberry said it would bother her. My friend asked if I needed her to hold my hand and I told her no, she should take the pictures instead. :)
Strawberry asked if I was allergic to iodine, and I am not. Then she cleaned and marked my tragus and gave me a mirror to check it out. It looked pretty good to me so I told her to go for it.
Then she stuck a cork in my ear to catch the needle as it came through to make sure that all I got pierced was my tragus. While she was doing this she explained that the pain would be much like what I experienced with my cartilage piercings, but it would take a little longer because she was working in a small area and had to be careful about removing the needle and cork.
I was REALLY scared now because I knew it was fixing to happen. She was explaining everything she did and I asked her not to tell me when she was fixing to pierce it. I don't guess she heard me because she said, "Here we go." And stuck the needle in. She went from the front to the back and caught the needle in the cork.
Right now I am sure you are wanting to know about the pain factor. I am going to be really honest--it hurt, of course it did. But it was NOTHING like I had expected. It hurt less than my cartilage, but that might be because those were done with a gun (I know, I know). I never heard a *pop* or whatever a lot of people hear. I am kind of glad of that.
Ok, after the needle was through it was time to pull it out while the CBR slid in behind it. She had told me before that I would feel a little pressure and I did. It felt like it took ten minutes ( I know it didn't) to get the jewelry in and the needle out. The next thing I knew she said she was going to put the ball in and I was down.
After she put the ball in she gave me a card with aftercare instructions. Those instructions were to clean it twice a day and she said she preferred Ivory soap. Make sure I touched it ONLY with clean hands, soak crusties off before I turn it, keep chemical products (hair spray, etc.) off it, the usual. The aftercare card had a long list of stuff NOT to use. She told me if I had any problems to call her and even if I didn't have problem, but a question or anything, don't hesitate to call.
I was so happy with the way it looked! My friend took care of some business she had in there and then we were on our way. We went out to eat afterwards and I had a compact in each hand admiring my lovely ear from every direction. I wanted to get the right one done also, but I am afraid too because I would like to have a side to sleep on. :) But I think I do have plans to do the other side. I am really scared to touch it to clean it, but I will be ok (I hope). I don't know about using that Ivory soap, but I might try and see what happens.