My freshman year of college was my first taste of freedom. I have always been enticed by tattoos and piercings but have never been able to get one. I decided that after I turn 18 I would get something pierced regardless of whether my parental unit agreed or not. Fortunately, she did. I searched for days through BMEzine searching for piercings I thought would compliment me. I decided on a Tragus piercing.
At A Glance Author Trace Fossils Contact wehavetime@gmail.com When Six months ago Studio Boca Body Art Location Boca Raton, FL My friend often frequented a local tattoo shop, Big Kahuna, inquiring about tattoos, so while I was there I asked about getting both of my tragus' pierced. After getting a quote and also taking in the general environment, I decided on visiting another shop. A few days later I went to Boca Body Art and discussed the same piercings' with them. The entire shop, to me, reeked of pure professionalism and all the artists were very nice and welcoming.
I had planned on getting the piercings done much sooner, but the circumstances caused me to deviate from this plan. Often, when I stopped by, the resident piercer would be absent or just leaving for lunch. I wasn't sure when I was going to get it done but I knew it would be before the summer.
One day, after perusing the local hardware shop for miscellaneous materials to use for slide gloves with some friends, I decided today was the day. On the ride there I wasn't nervous, I was excited! We headed to the shop and lo and behold the piercer was there. I signed the forms and then sat in the chair while he prepped all the materials. He put on his gloves and swabbed down my ears after marking them and making sure that I was happy with the placement. He removed the needle from its package and applied the clamp.
I have to say that the clamp and the general position I had to assume was the most uncomfortable/painful part of the entire experience. I heard he signature POP as the needle went through and was oddly surprised at how much it didn't hurt. He put in the jewelry and started in on the left side. Next thing I knew I was standing up checking out my brand new nifty piercings and listening to his aftercare instructions. I was charged the cost of the piercing, the jewelry, and these cotton swabs where you snap off the tip and cleaning solution soaks up one end. I felt pretty freaking fabulous.
I cleaned it religiously. Twice a day. Tried my best not to mess with the jewelry which is harder than it sounds! Once the swabs were done I figured I didn't need to clean them anymore, but I still kept dirty hands from them.
Now the complications. In June, I took a peek at my piercings. My right one healed perfectly. No scarring. No "crusties". No pain. It was beautiful. But I had noticed that my left had grown what my primary care physician identified as a granuloma, build up of scar tissue. This didn't bother me much. However, in July, it took a turn for the worse. I hadn't really been keeping an eye on my piercing and I admit to having futzed with it with dirty hands. Consequently, it became very sore. I chalked it up to me being sick and brushed it off. But after my flu-like symptoms, which lasted all of a day and a half, passed I realized it was becoming increasingly difficult to sleep on my left side.
Out of curiosity, I took my camera and snapped a photo of my piercing. Appalled, terrified, upset. That's how I felt when I saw the abscess that was causing my entire ear pain. It was big enough to completely prevent any movement of the labret stud. The day I found it, I freaked out. I didn't know what to do. I've never had any of my piercings get infected, granted the only other piercings I have are lobes and those were done when I was small. The next morning I went to my physician. She looked at it and then proceeded to grab a pair of scissors. She scraped lymph and blood from behind the piercing and prescribed me 875 MG of antibiotics as well as a topical antibiotic ointment. She also warned that if it isn't better in 10 days, I'll have to take the piercing out. I was really concerned about that because from what I've heard removing the piercing when it's infected it the LAST thing you want to do.
And so I took my horse pills and put on the ointment. After suffering through 10 days of nausea, fatigue, and diarrhea I went back and she gave me the all clear. I saved my Tragus! I couldn't have been any happier. She advised that I swab the granuloma with alcohol so that it could dry out, but I wasn't concerned about it because it never got bigger and didn't hurt. In early August, I was poking at my right Tragus piercing, rotating the jewelry and such. I pushed it forward. Previously, I could only get it to go about half way (the granuloma would prevent the back of the labret stud from laying flush with my tragus), but today it went all the way!
I was surprised. And so I pushed it all the way forward and felt the back of my tragus. I felt this odd, fleshy object in my ear and proceeded to attempt to remove it. I did and to this day I have no idea what it was. It was about the same size as my granuloma. It was the color of my skin and a part of it had a bunch of tiny hairs. I tore it apart in my hands and it was definitely some form of skin. Imagine it was my granuloma because now when I feel behind my tragus, it feels exactly like my perfect one on my right side.
Even though the infection was scary, I would definitely have it done again. I'm not sure I would get another ear cartilage piercing, but I will definitely be getting something else done. Maybe my Septum next time? Who knows. Both my Tragus piercings were worth the money I spent and I feel very fulfilled having them, eventually, become successful.