A tragus piercing is a body piercing that perforates the fold of cartilage that sticks out, near the ear canal entrance. Occasionally, the vertical tragus piercing is done as a surface piercing on the side of the face, further away from the ear (as shown in video). The type of needles used for a tragus piercing are either 18g or 16g needles. The types of body jewelry worn in the healed piercing can be captive bead rings, horseshoes, or straight or curved barbells.
A vertical tragus piercing is done so that the body jewelry is carried in a vertical position. For either type of tragus piercings, the same body jewelry and gauge of needles are used. Healing time for this piercing is generally between 8 and 16 weeks.