Upping the Ante with Anti-Tragus Piercings

The tragus piercing is a piercing of that small nub of cartilage that extends out from the side of the face in front of the ear canal’s opening. An anti-tragus piercing is a piercing of the cartilaginous outcropping directly across from it, at the ear’s inner rim. A little bit rebellious, but it’s actually named “anti-tragus” after the portion of the ear anatomy that holds it.

Aside from a fun name though, the anti-tragus actually has a lot of other things going for it. This piercing heals well, can accommodate a variety of jewelry styles, and matches perfectly with its less feisty counterpart. It’s also pierced in much the same fashion as its cartilage-decorating cousins. Some piercers will pierce entirely freehand, while others will use a receiving tube, or more rarely, a pair of forceps.

As long as it’s cared for properly and avoids any knocks or scrapes, initial healing will occur around the eight to twelve week mark, with full healing taking approximately one year. During the first weeks it’s often recommended that wearers avoid submersion in pools or lakes, take care when pulling clothing off or on over the head, and limit the use of hair products, which can be potentially irritating.

Depending on individual ear anatomy, piercing the anti-tragus of some persons isn’t feasible, and others may be limited to specific types of jewelry. For the most part though, a variety of styles can be used including small curved barbells, straight barbells, tragus style studs, BCRs, and other circulars.

For more about ear piercings and anatomy, check out our Ear Piercings category, and don’t forget to hit us up on YouTube to see real piercings being performed close up.