What type of earring is best for a tragus piercing?

Question

I had to take out my left tragus piercing as it became infected, inflamed and had the bump even though I cleaned it everyday and did the sea salt soaks ect ect.

I got it pierced with a blue curved bar which I'm thinking may have been to small or is it possible to be allergic to the colour??

My hairdresser and sister both got plain ones and DIDN'T clean theirs and had no problems!!

I'm wanting to get my right one pierced this time and will be going back to a different place.

I'm wondering if I should get the bar again or try a cbr (ring) this time round?

Which is best for faster healing ect..

Please help as I want this piercing to last!

Answer 1

You wouldn't be allergic to the color, you'd be allergic to the material the barbell was made of.  It's best to get it pierced with stainless steel or titanium.  Whether it's a cbr or a barbell shouldn't matter.  If you don't want a cbr you could try getting it pierced with a labret stud instead.  Let the piercer know about your previous problem.

Answer 2

you may have just had a bad reaction to the type of metal that was used.  just get a standard piece of jewelry to begin with, you can just get it changed when its healed.  there are both good and bad points when picking the jewelry, with a barbell its harder to clean, but heals quicker.  and with the CBR its easier to clean, but it takes longer to heal.  it all comes down to personal preference,  consideryin what happened last time i would try it with a CBR this time.  good luck, i hope it works out for you.

Answer 3

Any straight barbell, or labret stud in Titanium, Surgical Stainless Steel 316L (or 316 LVM), PTFE, Pyrex, or Tygon should be fine.

Rings can be very irritating, as they get knocked around a lot, which can prolong healing.

Try http://www.bodyartforms.com for really great quality jewelry.

Tragus piercings can be hard to heal for most people- they can take up to 6-12 months to fully heal.

Redness, swelling, irritation, a little bleeding every now and then, and a a light-colored discharge are totally normal.

You may be using too much sea salt as well.  You use 1/4 of a teaspoon of sea salt for every 8 ounces of hot water.  Rinsing with cool, clean water after a soak can help also.  Left over salt residue can be very irritating to some people.