Do lots of research first. I think many people have bad experiences because they just find whatever cheapo piercer is nearby and go there. Plus, they dont take care of their piercing afterwards. Infections, rejections, pus, and blood, oh my!

Look around the internet for piercing studios, not just tattoo shops, and definitely not the mall (Claire’s). Look for places that specialize in body piercing. Read reviews on yelp. Ask questions.

Know what you’re getting into. I watched A LOT of youtube videos- probably all the tragus piercing videos on youtube to get an idea of what they do. Depending on what type of person you are, this might deter you from getting one, or prepare yourself so you know what to expect. Honestly, I am afraid of needles and HATE getting blood drawn – I will not get blood drawn unless someone is with me. And this is why I say to do your research for a legit piercer, because once I stepped in there, I felt comfortable. I felt nervous as I was picking out my jewelry, but seeing that the studio was very clean, and the staff being friendly made me get over it. I actually went in just to see if the studio was sanitary and ask questions, not expecting to get my tragus pierced that day, but I told myself JUST DO IT! YOU’RE HERE ALREADY!

I won’t lie, yes, there is PAIN (mainly from the clamping) but it was not as bad as I thought, and I think it’s because I prepared myself for the worst to happen. In fact, everything happened so fast, I couldn’t even register if there was pain or not, mainly pressure and lots of throbbing after the jewelry was inserted.

Also:
-Know that earbuds may be uncomfortable to wear until it heals (4-6 months). I considered this but I dont really listen to my ipod that much, so it didn’t matter to me.
-Sleeping on the side of your piercing will hurt. I got mine on the right since I usually sleep on my left or back.
-Be careful when putting on or taking off your shirt. It can get caught on your jewelry – OUCH! Same with hair. Don’t let it snag.
-Don’t touch it!

So far, I haven’t had any problems. It’s been 3 days. No pain, redness, itchiness, swelling [crosses fingers]. I just make sure to clean it regularly as directed by my piercer. Will post updates if anything happens.

So if you’ve been wanting this forever, just do it already. I wasn’t serious about it until early April and wanted my boyfriend to go with me to hold my hand, but it’s been taking too long to find a time to go together, so I went by myself and survived!