Can I Wear Earbuds With a Daith or Tragus Piercing?

Daith and tragus piercings are becoming popular as a fashion statement or as a migraine treatment. So, aside from the pain of having your daith or tragus punctured, what other sacrifices must you make? Will you be able to use your earbuds?

With a daith or tragus piercing, you can still wear headphones as long as the earring isn't large enough to obscure the earbud. But you must exercise the utmost caution to avoid infecting your ears. To avoid irritation, wait for the piercing to heal before using earbuds.

This article will delve deeper into the dangers of wearing earphones with a recently pierced daith or tragus. It will also go through the precautions you should take when using earbuds.

How Earbuds Affect a Daith or Tragus Piercing

A daith piercing goes through the cartilage of the outer ear, along the section that leads to the ear canal. On the other hand, the Tragus piercing goes through the small part of the ear that protrudes near the ear canal’s opening.

Both piercings are extremely sensitive and prone to irritation and infection, particularly after the procedure.

Daith or tragus piercings can take three to nine months to heal completely. It’s normal for someone with a new piercing to feel some pain or see bruising and redness in that area.

Touching your ears or using earbuds can prolong the healing process.

If you really can’t resist using your earbuds, wait at least a week after the piercing and use ones made of soft silicone. Earbuds such as the AirPods are made from hard plastic, which may cause further bruising, aside from being painful to wear.

Another risk of using earbuds while your piercing heals is getting an infection. Earbuds can build up excess wax, which increases the chances of bacteria appearing.

Getting your piercing wound infected will not only be painful but can lead to many health complications, such as ear infections.

Precautions To Take When Wearing Earbuds With a Daith or Tragus Piercing

Waiting 3 to 9 months for your piercing to heal may feel like ages, and not being able to use earbuds will make it seem like an eternity.

Fortunately, there are precautions you can take to prevent getting an infection while still using earbuds.

Wash Your Hands

Make sure to wash your hands with antibacterial soap before touching the earbuds. Our hands are prone to housing bacteria that could get passed on to the earbuds and eventually come into contact with your piercing, causing an infection.

Keep the Piercing Clean

You must also keep the piercing free from dirt by cleaning it with soap and water at least twice a day. Naturally, you should wash your hands before cleaning your ears.

Regularly treating the piercing with rubbing alcohol is also recommended to prevent bacteria and fluid accumulation in that area.

Clean Your Earbuds Before Using Them

Before using your earbuds, clean and disinfect them. The silicone tips can be removed and cleaned individually with dishwashing liquid. Simply use a blow dryer or a paper towel to dry them before re-applying them.

You can clean the mesh of the earphones with a brush and disinfect them with cotton balls soaked in rubbing alcohol.

Make sure not to soak the cotton balls too long to keep the interior components of the earphones dry.