Tragus Piercing for Anxiety (A comprehensive Guide)
By
PsychReel
In this brief guide, we will look at Tragus Piercing for anxiety, as well as other related topics.
Tragus Piercing for Anxiety
Many people like to get tragus piercings for anxiety, and though there is no medical science to back up the claim that tragus piercing helps with anxiety, people seeking alternative therapies for anxiety may often seek out this method.
Tragus piercings are done in the small inner cartilaginous fold of the ear, and they have been theorized to help with different problems, liek pain, stress or anxiety.
Because these reports are not scientifically validated, however, it is hard to say whether there is any merit to these claims.
Similar to tragus piercing for anxiety, there are also people who say that Daith piercings help with anxiety and stress, but again, because it is not a proven method of therapy, it is difficult to say with clear certainty whether there is any reality to it.
A possible reason why tragus piercing for anxiety works out in some cases might be because the person getting them experiences an increase in their confidence and their self-image changes every so slightly, because they have done something that changes their appearance.
Anxiety is often linked to problematic self-concepts and self-image issues, and in some cases of social anxiety, appearance may play a huge role in how anxious someone feels.
This means that when someone who experiences this type of anxiety does something for their appearance, they may experience a brief surge of hormones and neurotransmitters that come from feeling happy, and they may experience a reduction in their anxiety.
Of course, this is just a theory, and it is equally likely that the acupuncture theory of tragus piercings helping with a sensitive pressure point is true and that is why tragus piercing for anxiety is actually successful.
What to Expect with a Tragus Piercing?
If you are thinking of getting a tragus piercing for anxiety, you will need to know what to expect, so that you can make arrangements for aftercare accordingly and prepare yourself for any adverse reactions.
To begin with, you should expect it to hurt, because technically you are getting a piercing done in cartilage, which is much thicker than the loose and soft skin in your earlobe, which means that there is likely to be more pain.
Another thing you should be prepared for is potential risks and side effects, so that you are able to educate yourself accordingly and look out for any signs that the tragus piercing is leading to any problems or infections.
It is extremely important to keep a lookout for any possible infections in the tragus piercing because it can easily lead to ear issues and in some cases it can even lead to deafness if the infection gets too far, or too close to the eardrum.
When you go for a tragus piercing, the person doing it will likely explain what you have to do fairly well, and these are the steps they may follow when doing the piercing:
- They will clean the area using a medical-grade disinfectant.
- They may mark the exact area to be pierced with a nontoxic marker.
- Sometimes the piercer may also place a cork or other barrier in your ear canal to protect it from the needle.
- They will then insert the needle into the tragus.
- After this the jewelry will be inserted into the piercing.
- At this point the piercer may apply light pressure to stop any bleeding.
- They will then clean the area again.
- They will give you all the necessary instructions you need.
Tragus piercings can cost anywhere between $25 to $50, depending on the experience of the piercer as well as the popularity and location of their studio, and the type of jewelry and equipment they use.
Tragus Piercing Risks
Because it involves making a hole in your body, tragus piercing naturally has a few risks, which are given as follow:
Infection: This is the most common problem to consider when you get a piercing, and it doesn’t matter where you have gotten the piercing either, an infection is just as likely in the earlobe piercing as it is in a tragus piercing.
An open wound, which is technically what a piercing is, can allow bacteria to get in and cause infection, and some symptoms of infection in a piercing include:
- Redness
- Pain
- Inflammation
- Bleeding that doesn’t stop or gets worse.
- Dark or foul-smelling pus
- Fever.
Bloodborne infections: Another huge risk to consider when you are getting a tragus piercing, or any other piercing for that matter, is the risk of getting a bloodborne infection like hepatitis B, whcih may happen because of a contaminated needle, which is why it is always suggested that you get a piercing at a very reputable source.
Try to always go to the same person for your piercings so you are not in for a shock, and try to go to one that is recommended by friends or acquaintances.
Bumps: Bumps are also a possibility in tragus piercings, and they may be in the form of Keloids, pustules, and granulomas, which are all quite common in cartilage piercings.
Allergic reaction: This is another huge possibility with tragus piercings, and if you have an allergy to any of the metals used, like nickel, you could get symptoms like itching, redness, and blisters.
Rejection: Your body might also reject its tragus piercing, because sometimes our immune system becomes overactive towards a foreign threat and starts going into overdrive to correct the problem.
Catching or tearing: This is more likely to happen if you wear particularly exaggerated or elaborate jewelry in your tragus piercing, and it happens to many people, their tragus piercing gets caught on their clothes or hats and the tissue gets hurt, so just be careful about that too.
Tragus Piercing Infection and Complications
Tragus piercing can often get infected or have other complications, in which case you need to take immediate action.
Some signs and symptoms of a tragus piercing complication are:
- a bump at the piercing site
- fever
- swelling that lasts more than 48 hours
- thick, smelly discharge or pus
- severe pain
- persistent or worsening inflammation or redness
- excessive bleeding
- warmth from the piercing
- thickening or flaking around the piercing
Tragus Piercing for Anxiety: Reviews
There are many people who swear by piercings for anxiety, migraines, and other problems, and these are not just limited to tragus piercings for anxiety, but also to conch piercings, daith piercings and so on.
We have some reviews from people who got piercings to help with conditions, or know someone who did, and we can look at what they thought.
“From what I understand, most of that is a myth. It’s all the placebo effect.”
“I don’t think there has been any proper research, my google searches seem to show positive reviews about them working but I’m not sure. My friend got a daith and as soon as it was pierced, the migraine she had at the time immediately disappeared. So I don’t quite know whether it’s real or not. Possibly a mind over matter thing for the tragus helping with appetite control??”
“Acupuncture does help many people. I’m from Germany and we have many accomplished doctors perform acupuncture in their clinic. It’s taken rather seriously and paid for by our healthcare in most cases.
Migraines, orthopedic pain, appetite control and other things are treated very often and I’ve seen lots of times where it worked wonders for the patients. I don’t know if piercing is a substitute for acupuncture itself but I don’t see why it shouldn’t be.”
“I’ve read various things on acupuncture spots .. but don’t really put much stock into it. I’ve read conch is good for chronic pain, rook for stress/anxiety, and daith for migraines.”
“Yeah I don’t really believe it, as a psychology student the mind over matter thing intrigues me and acupuncture is just interesting, I read something about pirates getting ear piercings because it helped their vision, and Persian soldiers had their tragus’ pierced because the belief that it helped with appetite control meant that the soldiers would stay fit and healthy for battle. Tongue piercings were done by some tribes to create an altered state so shamans could communicate with God. Some have believed that demons enter the body through the ear and by piercing it the demons couldn’t get in. Lip piercings used to have a religious meaning in some places. I really should’ve worded my question better now that I think about it, I just wanted to know more common (and uncommon) beliefs about piercings.”
If you’re facing this, it may be a good idea to seek the help of a therapist or other mental health professional. You can find a therapist at BetterHelp who can help you learn how to cope and address it.
Conclusion
In this brief guide, we looked at Tragus Piercing for anxiety, as well as other related topics.
Tragus piercing for anxiety is hardly a proven method to alleviate this issue, but it is an alternative that many people turn to, and some people may get it for aesthetic reasons and realize that it is helping with their anxiety.
It would not be wise to depend on tragus piercing for anxiety and not much else, and if you are experiencing anxiety or stress you certainly need to see a physician.
If you have any other questions or comments about tragus piercing, please feel free to reach out to us at any time.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs): Tragus Piercing for Anxiety
Does tragus piercing help with anxiety?
Some people believe that tragus piercing helps with anxiety, but you should know that there isn’t any proven science behind this, and while some people have seen that tragus piercings can help with anxiety and migraine pain, these are few incidents and by no means a result of a scientific trial.
What piercing relieves anxiety?
It has been reported by some people that a daith piercing helps ease anxiety-related migraines and other symptoms, while some other people seem to think that a Tragus piercing helps with anxiety.
What does the tragus piercing help with?
Tragus piercing is said to help with pain because it stimulates the pressure points and nerve endings in a sensitive region that may play a role in the experience of pain.
The theory behind acupuncture indicates that the tragus part of the ear is associated with the vagus nerve, which extends from the base of your brain to the rest of your body and is associated with the experience of pain, which means that stimulation of this nerve should theoretically help with pain.
Do tragus piercings heal quickly?
No tragus piercings do not heal quickly, because they are done in a cartilaginous area, which is always considered one of the slower healing areas.
A piercing results in what is considered an open wound, which can take around 6 to 8 weeks to heal and cartilage piercings like the tragus can take much longer.
There can also be infection like symptoms which should be taken seriously if they persist for too long.
Citations
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/anxiety-piercing
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320799
https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/daith-piercing-for-anxiety
