Well, it all started when my mother decided she would like to reward me for my grades this past year at school. I'd had a very tough college-level class and a math class with a demon teacher that I passed with flying colors, so she told me she'd allow me to get a piercing.
At A Glance Author Rikki Ann When Three months ago Artist Mother Studio Kitchen Location Tennessee I'd seen the tragus piercing on this lady who did my hair for my mom's wedding a couple months beforehand. I thought it was rather pretty, and very unique. I didn't know anyone else who had one. So finally after a week or so of going back and forth, she agreed to it. I told her at least I didn't want a lip ring or something of that nature (she hates facial piercings and would've ripped my old smiley out, had she found out about it).
So the day came, and I could hardly wait for her to get home from work. I spent virtually all day on this website, reading stories and looking at pictures. She got home with three needles of different gauges. She's a nurse and has an endless supply of sterilized needles, so she decided she'd just do it herself instead of spending the money on a professional. We went into the kitchen as soon as she got home. I soaked the ring I'd had for my smiley in alcohol while she got everything ready. I tried icing my ear, but it was more trouble than it was worth. So she took the middle-sized needle and held it up to my ear. She was really nervous and kept telling me it wasn't too late to back out. I told her I wasn't that big of a wimp. So she poking my ear once, and gasped. She was all upset and said, "You're bleeding!!" I said, "No kidding. You poked me with a sharp needle."
So she decided she wanted something to put behind the tragus to help it be stable. We found a bottle of wine and she stuck the corkscrew in to get the cork out. However, to add to her frustration, the corkscrew broke off, leaving us screw-less AND cork-less. So she went in the cupboard and I went in the fridge. I remembered seeing a movie in which they put a lemon behind the ear lobe. We had an apple, and I figured that was close enough.
So we got situated again. She told me to get ready. I took in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. She said, "Okay!" and I said, "What?". "It's done!" "It is?" I didn't remember feeling a thing. I told her it hurt worse when she poked me with the needle. She upset because I was bleeding, so I just went into the bathroom with the bowl of alcohol and the ring and locked the door behind me. I tried for a while to get the ring in, but it just wasn't being agreeable. I told her that the gauge was wrong, and we'd need to use the bigger needle. She re-pierced it, and this time it hurt pretty badly. Kind of a sharp pain, like I was trying to push something through a hole that was just too small, and the blood was making it hard to find the hole. It got through eventually though, and the ring slid through easily this time.
I moistened some tissue in rubbing alcohol, and held on the piercing until it stopped bleeding. Then I struggled for a couple minutes before getting the bead successfully in.
My tragus was sore for about 2 weeks or so. During that time, I couldn't sleep on my left side, or talk with the phone on that side. For the next week, it was still sort of sore, but I could use that ear again. It ached a bit, but nothing debilitating. For the first month after the piercing, I'd clean it every time I went by the bathroom with rubbing alcohol, then treated both holes with Neosporin, and then I'd rotate it a bit. It would sometimes weep and bleed during the night, but I'd just clean it the next morning, and it would be fine.
It's about two and a half months later now, and the piercing is doing great. I can fiddle with it, and people tug on it, and it doesn't hurt at all. It's gotten swollen once, after I went swimming. I guess it wasn't ready for all the water, chemicals, germs, and such. But I treated it with the alcohol and Neosporin, and it was fine after two days. I'm absolutely in love with it. I like the reactions of people who see it. They almost always like it. They're always impressed, and I get the age-old question: "Didn't that hurt?" My family wasn't shocked and appalled by it or anything. My stepsister has decided that she wants one now. So I would say that the homemade tragus was a complete success. I definitely recommend getting it, if you're considering it. It's very unique, and isn't too painful. However, it might be a better idea to get it professionally done, as opposed to your mother doing it. They tend to get rather stressed out.