Exploring the Top Tragus Piercings Trends

The piercing and body jewelry industry sees different piercings and jewelry styles go in and out of trend, with trends changing by the year, season, and month. As new jewelry styles and piercings come in and out of style, some older jewelry is deemed not as safe to wear anymore, and newer types of jewelry are introduced. This is why keeping up with the ever-evolving trends and latest styles in the piercing world is so important.

An example of this, specifically, is the tragus piercing. As the ability to make jewelry became more accessible through technology and machination, new jewelry styles developed for tragus piercings. A type of cartilage located on the tiny flap of cartilage above the ear canal, the tragus piercing has been around for a while. However, with the ability to make smaller and threadless jewelry, it emerged as a trendsetter.

In this article, we’ll discuss the tragus piercing trends for 2024, including gemstone embellishments, minimalist design, multi-piercings and stacking, and uniquely shaped jewelry.

Top Tragus Piercing Trends for 2024

Because of its location, the tragus piercing can be stand-out and flashy or a balancing piece, depending on the jewelry worn and whether a person has other piercings.

Here are the top four tragus piercing trends for 2024:

Gemstone Embellishments

In the last five years, I don’t think there’s been an instance where gemstone pieces have not made a top tragus jewelry trends list. They fit so nicely in the tiny triangular flap of cartilage and add dimension to a curated ear.

Our first recommendation for a gemstone embellished tragus piercing jewelry pick is our oval tiger’s eye threadless end. The oval shape works great for filling the surface area of the cartilage where a tragus piercing is. The amber color of the tiger’s eye gem also looks great with gold or silver jewelry.

If you’re looking for something with more bling, we can recommend our 14k gold oblong red CZ edge hinged segment ring or our 14k white gold clear CZ ball labret.

Our floral CZ threadless tops with various opalite colors are also famous for tragus-piercing placement.

Minimalist Designs

Because the tragus is parallel to the center of the ear and between the lobe and the helix, it can make an excellent balancing piece and add to the ear's symmetry. This works even better if you’re looking for a more minimalist aesthetic and already have your lobes and helix, rook, or flat pierced.

One minimalistic design that still allows for versatility and texture is a hammered 14k gold or rose gold flat disc end. Depending on how it was hammered, the disc will have a unique texture that draws the eye. The disc's round shape also contributes to any symmetrical patterns you want to create if you have other piercings.

Another good minimalist option is a tri-bead cluster threaded end in either silver, gold, or rose gold. The tri-bead's triangle shape mimics the cartilage's shape where the tragus piercing is located, contributing to a more symmetrical look.

Lastly, a single thin seamless hoop or a plain round end is a great way to add balance to the ear without having to do anything particularly fancy with jewelry.

A minimalist look is great for those who need to be more conservative with or entirely hide jewelry for work.

Multi-piercings and Stacking

Getting multiple piercings in one location, also known as stacking piercings, became popular towards the end of 2023 and has permanently become a trend now that we’re a quarter of the way through 2024. In 2023, we saw the rise of stacked lobes, but in 2024, it’s all about multiple forward helixes and tragus piercings.

Getting two tragus piercings done is known as the double tragus. Having space to get more than two is typically rare, considering it is a smaller area of cartilage than other places on the ear.

However, it is essential to know that the ability to get more than one tragus piercing depends significantly on your anatomy. You need enough cartilage to pierce through and for jewelry to sit comfortably. This is why it is essential to visit a professional piercer for a consultation.

If you have the proper anatomy, a popular choice among ear stylists and curators is to select a hoop for the bottom tragus piercing and a stud for the top. This uses the available wearable surface area for jewelry and allows you to be as versatile as possible regarding jewelry selection.

You could also opt for a more symmetrical look and choose the same two smaller prong-set gems or CZ ends.

If you do not have the proper anatomy, you can get the look of multiple tragus piercings by opting for a gem cluster end with one gem larger than the other. Alternatively, like our 14k gold multiple marquis CZ dangle-hinged segment ring, you can wear a hoop with dangling charms.

Unique Shapes

From moons to aliens, bugs to bats, storm clouds, and lightning bolts, body jewelry ends come in all shapes these days. The tragus is a great place to represent an interest or specific aesthetic with a shaped end. Due to its smaller space in terms of wearable surface for jewelry, uniquely shaped ends allow you to express your personality and interests in an easily framed and centered piercing location.

All our shaped ends are available in gold, titanium, steel, and rose gold, so you can opt for a monochromatic look or shake things up with mixed metal jewelry.

With spring in full bloom, we’re loving our assortment of bees, birds, and floral-shaped ends.

Tips for Choosing the Right Tragus Piercing Jewelry

When you first get your tragus pierced by a professional piercer, the jewelry should be implant-grade titanium, implant-grade steel, or 14k gold. Depending on your anatomy, such as how thick the cartilage is, your tragus piercing will be done anywhere from 18g to 14g.

Although you may want a hoop, it’s best to start with a stud. There’s less movement, and it’s not as easy to snag the jewelry on a towel or while brushing your hair. The initial jewelry you get will be longer to accommodate any swelling during the healing process.

In about 4-6 weeks, you can return to your piercer so they can downsize the jewelry. It’s important that you do this properly. Waiting too long or failing to do it can cause the angle your jewelry sits at to shift, irritating the piercing.

When you get your jewelry downsized, ask your piercer to write down not only the gauge of the jewelry you need but the length of a post or the width of a diameter of a hoop you’ll need so you can purchase other tragus-piercing jewelry options.

Aftercare and Maintenance

When it comes to proper aftercare and maintenance for your new tragus piercing, you should avoid touching it. If you do have to touch it, thoroughly wash your hands first.

To clean it, you will just need to spray saline wash on it, such as the pre-made version NeilMed or H2Ocean sell, one to two times daily. Pat it dry with a clean paper towel.

You do not need to put tea tree oil, alcohol, Bactine, or other ointments on the piercing. These can irritate the piercing because they’re too abrasive for the healing wound. You also do not need to twist or rotate the jewelry.

Instead, keep it clean and avoid snagging it while you dry off with a towel or brush your hair. If you wear headphones, try to use over-the-ear ones rather than earbuds, at least while the piercing heals.

To prevent infection, avoid public bodies of water, such as pools, hot tubs, jacuzzis, spas, lakes, or oceans.

All in all, the tragus piercing offers various jewelry options to match anyone’s style. From minimalistic to more maximalist with dangling charms and chains, the jewelry can make a statement or add to an ear curation by creating balance. And if you have the space for more than one, we say get as many as you can.