My tragus says 'crunch!

At A Glance Author Ma!denD!saster Contact smithk0@hartwick.edu Artist Lollipop Studio Lollipop's Body Piercing Location Oneonta, NY

I'm finally writing my experiences out, now that finals are over with and I've quit being a lazy bum. Since I'm home with not much to do, I'll be writing experiences with my tongue web rings, my industrial, my nipples, and assorted other things. This one, however (as you sit in trepid anticipation, I'm sure) is about my bizarre little tragus.

I'd known I had wanted my tragus pierced for quite awhile, I just wasn't sure when I would do it. I don't really have a problem with needles, I've never passed out, and I don't get *too* nervous before the actual piercing. For some reason, probably because I had heard that it was such a painful piercing, I kept putting off my tragus and doing other piercings I had decided on first. Finally, right after I returned to New York from Thanksgiving break, I decided to suck it up and just get it done. Finally.

I already had the jewelry when I walked into the studio, I'd read people's experiences, I'd seen the pictures...and pretty much knew exactly how I wanted the placement right when I got there. I hung around and talked with Lollipop for a bit beforehand (she's become a friend, since I've had all my work done by her...all 17 piercings, many stretchings, etc. Well, 18 piercings if you count my retired left eyebrow.) Finally, after a bit of stalling, talking about BME (hehe) and some candy, I layed down on the chair. I ended up curling up into the fetal position laying on my left side, hugging a big stuffed rabbit...this was so as to give Lollipop easier access to my tragus (I was having it pierced on my right side). Plus, it was comfortable, so I really didn't mind. My friend Jessyca was in the room with me, taking procedural pics (which I'll soon have posted on my IAM page, as well as BME), and I for some reason was shaking like leaf.

Lollipop had me relax for awhile, to stop me from shaking. I calmed down after a couple of minutes, and kind of laughed at myself for acting like such an ass over a tiny little 14ga CBR. She clamped my tragus and prepared the needle and jewelry, told me the needle was sterilized with an autoclave, only used once, etc. (all stuff that I obviously already knew, but she told everyone anyway, no matter how many times she'd pierced you.) Then, here came the piercing...

Lollipop used a 12ga needle, for a 14ga SS CBR piercing. As you may know, this makes for easier healing..and less risk of keloiding. She told me to take a deep breath in and out, and as I started to take the breath in, (good old distraction method..heheh..) she stuck the needle through. *crunch* OW. I've had a few other cartilege piercings, and I thought that my industrial piercing was painful...but my tragus beat it by far. It crunched so loud, that Lollipop heard it herself. It was so painful tht my legs actually started twitching a little bit. I don't really rememeber them doing that, but so I've been told...

The thing that really made this piercing bizarre was the healing. I normally have terrible trouble with cart piercings....my industrial stayed open for an insane amount of time, and gave me a bitch of trouble. My tragus, however, healed in record time...just using the sea salt soaks, warm compresses, and lavander oil. I know it's still not completely healed, although it feels it...but I was able to sleep on it within the week, I had no keloiding or infection whatsoever, and it stopped hurting completely withing a week and a half. All of my other cart piercings gave me trouble like you wouldn't believe...and hurt for months. I don't know why this one was different, perhaps it felt sorry for the initial pain it had put me through...either way, it was worth it.

My tragus has become one of my favorite piercings, although I will warn you it hurt like mad to get pierced initially. The aftercare went well, and it healed quickly, however...which I think was a better deal in the long run. I plan on getting my other one done as soon as I can, as well as many other piercings and mods. I'm very tired, very loopy, and it's Christmas Eve. Happy Holidays, and Happy Modding!

Questions? Feel free to email me. Here's a short summary... It hurt like crazy initially (the tragus was my most painful piercings so far...coming in second and third were my industrial and horizontal nipples), however the piercing healed very easily. The needle used was a gauge larger than the actual jewelry being inserted. This piercing made the loudest 'crunching' noise of any of my cart piercings. As always, make sure you eat something before you go in to get pierced...I can testify that getting pierced on an empty stomach definitely increases the pain factor. Enjoy. :)