Tragus piercings and earphones: are they really incompatible?
You've decided: you're getting your tragus pierced. You've been dreaming about it for months, and all your friends know.
There's no turning back!
But⊠you're worried you won't be able to wear earphones and listen to your favourite music any more. Sound familiar?
Or perhaps your piercing is already healing?
Either way, you've come to the right place!
At Solstice, ear piercing jewellery is our speciality. We live and breathe it, morning, noon and night. And we love it.
Let's explore whether you can wear earphones with a tragus piercing đ
Can you wear earphones with a tragus piercing?
Before we get into the details, let's have a quick anatomy refresher.
The tragus is the small flap of cartilage just in front of the ear canal. This rounded or triangular structure is made of cartilage covered with skin.
Subtle, distinctive and stylish, a tragus piercing adds a personal touch to your ear stack.
Healing times vary, and a tragus piercing can take time to settle comfortably.
So, avoid wearing earphones until a professional piercer has confirmed that your tragus piercing is healed. If you use headphones instead, make sure they do not press on your ear or catch your jewellery.
Wearing earphones can also make a healing tragus piercing more uncomfortable.
How can I tell whether my piercing has healed?
If the area still feels sore, irritated or sensitive to pressure, avoid earphones for now. If you're unsure, ask a professional piercer to assess whether it is fully healed.
Once your tragus has fully healed, you may be able to enjoy your music comfortably again đ
However, comfort still depends on your ear shape, your jewellery and the fit of your earphones. Start with a model that sits lightly and stop if it causes pressure or rubbing.
This video specifically addresses wearing earphones with a tragus piercing, distinguishing between the healing period and wearing them once the piercing has healed.
And what about caring for it while it heals?
There are ways to support healing, and we'll cover them in the next section.
Helping your tragus heal: what aftercare should you follow?
As you've seen, you need to wait until your tragus piercing has healed before using earphones.
Unfortunately, cartilage piercings can take time to settle.
Here are some simple aftercare tips to support the healing process.
1. Follow a daily aftercare routine
You should clean your piercing every day to support healing.
Keep your routine simple!
- Wash your hands with antibacterial soap and dry them thoroughly
- Gently dab the piercing with a gauze pad soaked in saline solution. See the APP's aftercare recommendations.
- Do not move or rotate your jewellery to work soap into the piercing
- Rinse with lukewarm water
- Do not use other products
This simple, quick routine can support your body's healing process, although it cannot guarantee that you'll be able to wear earphones sooner.
2. Visit a professional piercer
Yes! This may seem obvious, but choosing a good piercing studio really matters.
Even if the prices are tempting, avoid places that use unsterilised equipment or piercing guns.
Choose a professional, experienced piercer.
This is particularly important for a tragus piercing, which needs careful assessment. Some ear shapes need a professional opinion before piercing.
3. Watch out for knocks and snags!
To help your piercing heal well, especially a tragus piercing, avoid touching or playing with it.
Take care to avoid knocks, including during sport, and snags from clothing, hair and⊠earphones. Avoid sports that could knock your piercing while it heals.
If you really want to listen to music, choose headphones that do not put pressure on your ear.
4. Check medication advice
If you take medication or are unsure what pain relief is appropriate for you, ask a doctor or pharmacist before taking anything new. Do not stop or change prescribed medication without medical advice.
5. Do not change your jewellery too soon
Dreaming of wearing a cute little stud or hoop in your tragus?
You'll need to be patient!
Do not change your jewellery yourself before healing is complete. If it needs adjusting during healing, ask your piercer. Our catalogue jewellery is for healed piercings.
Changing it too soon can irritate the piercing and delay progress.
Once you can change your jewellery, its shape also affects the space available. This TikTok shows a hoop followed by a stud with a flat end in a tragus piercing.
Conclusion
As you've seen, you'll need to wait a little before wearing earphones if you've had your tragus pierced!
As the saying goes, patience pays off đ
The Solstice team hopes you've enjoyed this article! Thank you so much for reading it all đ
If you'd like to learn more about tragus piercings, download our practical guide by clicking below: