I remember the first time that I had heard of the then unnamed piercing (at least to the people who had spoke of it). It had been back in 2001, a friend of mine told me that a friend of a friend of her's had gotten her 'little thingy' pierced only to have it 'just fall out' after a few days. And so, with my first encounter with the tragus piercing I had deemed it as just plain pointless, secretly swearing never to get it done. I was a very foolish and gullible girl, don't I know it...
At A Glance Author Bondage-Kit Contact maygin_nothing@hotmail.com IAM Bondage-Kit When A year ago Artist Eric Studio Soul Survivors Location Winnipeg A few years later, just beginning my venture into the world of body modification, but old enough to know better I came upon the tragus piercing once again. This time around I found the piercing to be named as all are, and that such an idea as one 'just falling out' was absurd (and the closest thing to it being rejection/migration). Thus began my interest in attaining a tragus piercing.
By the time December of '04 had rolled around and my first body piercing appointment was made I knew almost everything there was to know about getting my tragus done. I'd read experiences on BME, I'd looked at pictures, read procedures, read the myths- all of it. Some had gotten it done with piercing guns, others by a professional piercer, some couldn't bare the pain, some didn't feel a thing, one girl even had her face go numb. Some of my friends advised against me getting it (a friend's cousin had half his face get infected), and then of course there was the rumor about the artery that if punctured would cause you to die. I had read so many different things that I came to three conclusions- Don't believe everything that you hear/read, people react differently to piercings, and I would only learn with experience.
By the time that the morning of my first piercing rolled around I knew that I wanted my tragus pierced. Seeing as we all have two ears and two tragus, I figured why not?! I knew that I wanted both my left and right tragus pierced. Since I was 17 at the time and had already gotten my first piercing, with my mom saying that my first was to be the end (how could the beginning possibly be the end though??), I had to wait until June and my 18th birthday.
When my birthday finally rolled around I had made my appointment for one of my tragus. I figured that I would give one a shot for beginners, let it heal up and then go and get the other one done. If it hurt or if something went slightly wrong (infection, keloids, or the like), I would be too stubborn and get the other done anyway.
On the day of my birthday I skipped school with a friend and spent the day downtown. In the morning while we waited for Soul Survivors to open we went shopping for some birthday gifts and then went out for lunch to kill my nervousness.
After lunch we took the bus to Osbourne and hung out until my appointment. I filled out the appropriate forms and handed over my license to get photocopied (at times it seems like signing your life away...), with many nervous giggles and some help from my friend. With her help I resisted the urge to put the wrong date and that I was 17... what can I say, I was very excited and very nervous.
In no time Eric's apprentice BJ called me into the back room. I was pretty much speed talking at this point since it was a total head rush. The good thing about BJ is that he definitely has a way of making people comfortable when they're about to get pierced. He marked my ear for the piercing and talked about the music that was playing and the such... small talk might be pointless but it really is therapeutic. He showed me the marking in a hand mirror and went through the process and aftercare with me while I fell in love with the thought of replacing the small dot with a cbr.
BJ then went to get Eric and although it took him a few minutes it was well worth the wait. He checked over BJ's placement then asked him to find a smaller cbr for my tragus. I have rather small tragi so I had been expecting some sort of trouble. Eric ended up settling for the second smallest cbr (yes, sadly I don't pay attention when they talk of the jewelry size), but used the bead from the smallest one. I have to admit that I really like how he did that because it looks more delicate with the smaller bead than the clumsy look of the larger one in such a small ring.
Finally it was time for the clamping and piercing. I wasn't overly scared or the clamps, but they were after all clamping my tragus so one would assume it to feel awkward at least. The clamps didn't hurt, they did indeed feel strange though. What does it feel like? Well, basically clamps on your tragus. You can tell they're there and it adds a strange weight to the side of your face/ear, but nothing to get too worked up about. Eric got the needle out and told me he was going to count to three and for me to take a deep breath on the three and that he would tell me when to breathe out. I didn't feel the piercing though I did feel the weight of the needle once it was through. Eric told BJ some pointers about piercing (if it comes through one millimeter from the marking it is a successful piercing), and then said he was putting in the jewelry. That part didn't hurt either, but I could feel a light tugging at my tragus. It was at this point when the elastic on the clamp snapped and felt like someone YANKED my ear. I pictured myself wide-eyed and wondering what the hell just happened. Eric apologized and said that the elastic had snapped and almost ripped out my jewelry (oh what a pleasant thought).
This was followed by some dabbing of the fresh piercing, apparently there was a little spot of blood on it. And once again Eric was gone, saying that he would see me at the front counter when I paid. BJ went through the aftercare again with me and gave me a pamphlet with some antibacterial soap (soft-soap) and left me with the thought of how awkward it would be to rotate the jewelry for cleaning.
With my newly attained metal in my ear and soap in my pocket I quickly paid at the front desk and made my appointment for my other tragus for two months down the road.
If my story ended here I would feel as though I glorified my experience for you. Just as I predicted I was too stubborn and got the other tragus done after all. I went with two of my friends, one whom I went for the first with and another who turned out to know BJ from her childhood. Upon arrival I filled out the forms and once again handed over my license (goodbye cruel world) and we all waited for my date with pain.
BJ quickly took me into the room and marked my ear, aligning it with the other and shuffling through the jewelry for the same sized cbr and the smaller bead. Of course there was the usual small talk, clamps, and then needle. This time around when Eric told me to take a deep breath I did as I was asked, only to find that I had to take yet another. The needle hurt. I felt every movement of the short needle through my tragus. It burned and felt as though it would take forever to get to the other side and in all honesty I almost cried. The air seemed to burn my eyes until finally the needle was through to the other side. Putting the jewelry in didn't hurt, no elastic snapped and all was well. With another aftercare booklet and more soft-soap I paid and was off on my adventure in healing.
My first tragus was hell during its healing. After first getting it done it was stiff for several days, wouldn't turn when I tried to clean it (even in the shower) and sea salt soaks dried it out terribly so I stayed away from them as much as possible. I made sure to remove all the crusties and the small amount of crusty blood that was to the inside of the piercing and for the first little while put off cleaning. The healing didn't hurt so much as it was 'sore'. My whole tragus felt bruised and as though it had been bumped and I slept with my hand cupped against my tragus. When I thought that my piercing was finally healed I got a small bump on the front of the piercing. It got fairly big... no huge but big enough. I tried everything on it, but when I finally left it alone it healed really quick.
My second tragus healed really well. There was no bumps, although the piercing was stiff for the first few days, but everything after that was well.
I've had both tragus for almost a year now and still love them as much as I did before I got them done. No regrets!! If you're thinking about getting your tragus done I recommend you go for it, although I can't say if it'll hurt or not seeing as I got a bit of both worlds. If you're in the Winnipeg area I recommend either Eric or BJ at Soul Survivors!
Until next time,
Bondage-Kit