So, you have heard about the tragus piercing and you are ready to take the plunge into the world of stylish ear adornments. Awesome choice. But before you dive headfirst into the world of tragus pricing, do you know what gauge is a tragus piercing?
Cartilage piercing may not sound complicated but trust me, without a professional piercer and proper equipment, initial piercing can become a nightmare. The thickness of the needle or piercer gun is crucial, especially when you are getting a tragus piercing. So, setting the perfect needle length of the gauge is a must. But what gauge is for a tragus piercing you may ask? That is the topic of our today’s article. I will be providing detailed information regarding it in this piece.
Key Takeaways
- Generally, 16 gauge is perfect for tragus piercing in general.
- Factors that may influence the gauge size for tragus piercing are anatomy or the thickness of the tragus cartilage, client comfort, healing time, aesthetic and style, jewelry options, pain threshold, risk of complications, and subsequent jewelry changes.
- The importance of choosing a professional piercer is avoiding complications, hygiene and safety, appropriate tools and jewelry, and aftercare guidance.
Understanding Gauge
Before we dive into the specific part of gauge for a tragus piercing, it is crucial that you understand what gauge actually means in the piercing industry.
Gauge refers to the thickness of a piercing jewelry or piercing needle. To get a piercing you are required to get pierced by a sterilized needle or piercing gun. This needle has to have perfect thickness or else the pierced hole would be either too big or too small. The thing is, you may need various gauges or thicknesses of the needle for various body parts. So gauge may change if you want to get a piercing on various body parts.
Gauge for Tragus Piercing
As I said in the previous portion, different body parts may require different gauge piercings. So, what gauge is for tragus piercing?
For the tragus 16-gauge piercing is ideal. But it can vary, some may say 16 to 18 gauge is ideal for tragus piercing. This 16 gauge hits the perfect spot for better healing and ensures the comfort of the client.
You may say why not go for a less or more gauge for more comfort? Well, the thing is, gauge does not solely depend on comfort. Individual anatomy, including the thickness of your tragus cartilage also matters when deciding on the gauge for piercing. Choosing a gauge size that does not suit you will not only cause increased pain but also create complications during the healing time.
That is why choosing a professional and experienced piercer is so crucial. They can access your tragus and recommend which gauge is best for piercing in your particular case. They can ensure less pain and better healing by choosing the right gauge size.
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4 Types Of Tragus Piercing
There are 4 types of tragus piercing in general. Which are:
1. Captive bead ring
A simple ring with a ball or bead in the middle is called a ball closure ring or captive bead ring. It is such a simple and stylish ring that you can wear it pretty much anywhere you want. A few good placements for captive bead rings are conch, belly button, lips, septum, eyebrow, etc. But one of the most placements would be the tragus. You will see many people rocking a cool metal captive bead ring on their tragus.
2. Barbell earring
Do you know the barbell that fitness enthusiasts use to exercise? The barbell earring is of a similar shape. It has two beads on both ends which gives it a barbell look. Some barbell earning can be slightly curved and the beads are straight, which may give it a horseshoe look. It is like wearing a mini teeny-tiny barbell or horseshoe on your pierced area. There are a few placements for barbell earrings and among those, the tragus piercing is quite prominent.
3. Tragus flat back earrings
Flat back earrings may look like barbell earrings but they are two different types. The back of this earring is flat and the front side has a bead. You can rock tragus flat black earning on your tragus without any issue. Plus side of this type of earrings is they minimize the friction or rubbing on the skin.
4. Hoops
If you want something really small and simple for your tragus then go for a hoop-type ring. They are small and simple round ring-type jewelry that you can give an elegant vibe to your style.
8 Factors Influencing Gauge for A Tragus Piercing
16 gauge is ideal for tragus piercing but it may vary. I have listed a few crucial factors below.
1. Anatomy or the thickness of the tragus cartilage
Our ear anatomy is different, and so is the thickness of our tragus cartilage. Tragus being too thin or too thick may affect the gauge size for the earring that you want to get.
2. Client comfort
Getting pierced can be a bit painful and uncomfortable. That is why piercers do everything they can to ensure more client comfort or minimize pain during the procedure. Not to mention wrong wrong-sized gauge could cause issues during the healing time as well. So, piercers may choose a gauge size that provides more comfort to their client.
3. Healing time
Healing time may be affected because of the size of the earring gauge you choose. A thicker gauge would create a bigger hole and cause more trauma to the tragus tissue. And it will take more time for it to heal. On the other hand, a smaller earring gauge would create a smaller hole that would heal faster. So, healing time can be a factor when you choose a gauge for tragus piercing.
4. Aesthetic and style
Aesthetic and style is another crucial factor that could affect the gauge size. A bigger gauge is for a bolder earring that catches people’s eyes easily. On the other hand, a smaller gauge is perfect for more delicate piercing jewelry.
5. Jewelry options
The gauge size may limit the type of earring you can wear on your tragus. So, considering what sort of jewelry you want to go for can affect the gauge size.
6. Pain threshold
Not everybody has the same level of pain tolerance. Some folks may not feel much while getting their tragus pierced while some may start crying out of pain. Bigger the gauge size, the more pain it causes, and the smaller the gauge size, the less pain it causes, remember that. Clients’ pain thresholds can impact gauge size as well.
7. Risk of complications
The tragus is quite a delicate and small area. Choosing a bigger gauge increases the chance of complications. And going for a smaller gauge minimizes the risk of complications. To avoid complications many go for a smaller gauge for their tragus piercing.
8. Subsequent jewelry changes
If you plan to change jewelry in the future often, then going for a thicker gauge might be better. As it can provide more stability for you to change jewelry often.
Importance of Professional Tragus Piercing
Want to know the importance of professional tragus piercing? I got you covered. Check out all the reasons I have provided below:
1. Avoiding complication
Who wants their tragus piercing to get issues? Nobody! And only a professional piercer knows the techniques and the right gauge size to use to minimize or avoid tragus piercing complications.
2. Hygiene and safety
Choosing a cheap piercer who is not professional may end up infecting your tragus piercing. But a professional piercer would maintain proper hygiene and ensure safety measures for you to get a tragus piercing safely.
3. Appropriate tools and jewelry
A well-trained and professional piercer knows what tools to use for your tragus piercing. They are less likely to make a silly mistake and ruin your piercing experience.
4. Aftercare guidance
You can get proper and detailed aftercare guidance from a professional piercer. Remember, aftercare can make or break a piercing! What I mean is, not taking proper aftercare can ruin or infect even some of the finest tragus piercings. And you can learn about the proper aftercare regarding your tragus piercing from a professional piercer.
Aftercare & Healing of Tragus Piercing
In this portion, I have made a list of aftercare routines that you should follow after getting your tragus pierced.
1. Clean twice a day
Use your clean hands to wash and clean your tragus piercing twice a day. You can use saline solution or any high-quality piercing cleaning solution recommended by your piercer.
2. Avoid rotating the jewelry
Your tragus is a very delicate part of your body. After getting it pierced make sure not to rotate the jewelry. Rotating unnecessarily may cause irritation, disrupted healing, and eventually, it can lead to infection.
3. Avoid swimming
Avoid swimming while your tragus piercing heals. Introducing an open source of water to a healing tragus piercing will most likely cause an infection.
4. Avoid harsh product
Avoid using any product that contains harsh chemicals. Any soap, cleanser, lotion, or cream containing fragrance or any harsh component should be avoided.
5. Limit contact
Limit your contact to the tragus. As it heals, if you keep touching it with a dirty hand it may get infected. Even if you keep touching it with clean hands it can irritate the tragus piercing and cause swelling and disrupt the healing phase.
FAQs
How much does it hurt to get a tragus piercing?
The pain level of tragus piercing may vary from person to person. But in general tragus piercing pain level can be considered moderate.
How long a tragus piercing takes to heal?
A tragus piercing may take from 3 to 6 months to heal. But healing time depends on various factors, such as:
- Age.
- The gauge size of the piercing.
- Strength of the immune system.
- Lifestyle habit.
Can I change the jewelry while my tragus piercing is still healing?
No, it is highly recommended not to change the piercing jewelry while your tragus is still healing. It could irritate the tragus skin and may even lead to infection.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right sized gauge doe tragus piercing is very crucial. Imagine getting a fine jacket, but it is either too loose or too tight for you. Now, what would you do with this fine jacket that you can’t even wear? It will be of use to you. Likewise, if the gauge is too thick your piercing will be too loose and if the gauge is too narrow then your piercing will be too tight. Instead of going for a random gauge size, you should consult with a professional piercer. They can assess your tragus, hear what sort of jewelry you want to wear, and then recommend a gauge size perfect for your tragus piercing.
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