Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Preparing to remove the piercing
• Part 2 of 3: Removing different types of jewelry
• Part 3 of 3: Taking extra precautions
• Tips
• Warnings

A tragus piercing is a sophisticated piercing that is placed on the piece of skin just in front of your inner ear. Due to its location, it can be slightly more difficult to remove a tragus piercing than other piercings. However, it can be done! Start with a good preparation and then pull the jewelry out of your piercing hole, depending on what type of jewelry you have. If you are too nervous to do it yourself, don't be too scared to ask a professional for help.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Preparing to remove the piercing

1. Start with clean hands and jewelry. This step is particularly important if you are changing your piercing for the first time. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water; make sure to scrub them in warm water for at least 20 seconds. Dry them with a clean towel.
   • If you are exchanging your tragus jewelry for a new piece of jewelry, make sure to sterilize the new piece of jewelry. Wash it with soap and water, then soak it in rubbing alcohol for one or two minutes.
2. Pull your hair back. Your hair will get in the way when you try to exchange your jewelry. Better to pin your hair back out of the way to make the process easier on yourself. If you have short hair, this will of course not be a problem for you.
3. Expose the jewelry. When you take your jewelry out of the tragus, it helps to pull the skin away so that you can access the piercing more easily. Place your finger directly in front of the tragus and gently pull the skin forward. This should show more of the jewelry so that you have room to work.
4. Clean the area with alcohol to keep it clean. Wipe the piercing and the skin around it with rubbing alcohol to keep the skin environment sterile. This will prevent bacteria on your skin from causing an infection while you are working with the piercing.

Part 2 of 3: Removing different types of jewelry

1. Unscrew a piece of jewelry with a ball clasp. Unscrew the ball from the back of the stud. Be careful not to drop the ball as it can be hard to find. After you have unscrewed it, you can pull the stud out of your piercing hole.
2. Pull out a flat-back stud through the back of your ear. Press your finger against the back of your ear so that the stud is pushed forward. Unscrew the ball at the front. Once unscrewed, gently push it back and pull the flat back stud out of your piercing through the other side.
   • If you have trouble with this, use rubber gloves or even tweezers to hold the back of the jewelry.
3. Unclip a segment ring. A segment ring is a ring with a piece that opens and then snaps back into place. To take it out you have to find the place where it clicks out and open the ring. Pull it out through the back of your ear.
   • Be careful when you unclip the ring as the skin in this area is extra sensitive.
4. Pull a stud that is at the front out of your piercing hole from the front. With this type of jewelry there is a small rod in the stud that goes through your ear. Push the stick forward from the back. Pull the front stud out of the bar. Gently push the stud back and pull the stud out of the back of your ear.

Part 3 of 3: Taking extra precautions

1. Wait for the piercing to heal completely. You should never change a piercing that has not healed completely. Leakage and scabs indicate that the piercing has not yet healed. On top of that, it will still be painful if the piercing has not healed yet. Do not rush this process as it can lead to a piercing infection.
   • With a tragus piercing, the healing process can take several months.
   • Infected piercings, which can have redness, swelling, and extreme leakage (thick pus), should be examined by a doctor. Do not remove the piercing if you think you have an infection.
2. Put in your new jewelry quickly. The tragus piercing is particularly prone to closing. To prevent your piercing from closing, you should not leave it open without jewelry for too long. A few minutes is fine, but some people experience problems after even a few hours.
3. Ask a professional piercer for help. Professional piercers know exactly how to change jewelry, and they can do it with a lot more ease than you can. If you are concerned about changing your jewelry yourself, see your local piercer and ask them to do it for you.

Tips

• Choose a regular place to keep the ball and stud so you don't lose the pieces.

Warnings

• Don't swap out your jewelry over a sink, as you can get rid of pieces of it down the drain.