When I was eight, the first piercing into my body was for a ritual, a gentle whisper of tradition inscribed on the skin. Or maybe these were the things little girls did, bearing a tiny badge of belonging. I didn’t question it, didn’t need to. It fell into the soft quilt of childhood.
At twenty, a sharper needle danced across my skin: a second lobe, a nose ring, a tragus. These weren’t whispered rites; they were restless proclamations. Boredom had seeped into my bones, and the sting of metal felt like a remedy, a spark against the dull ache of routine.
But the tragus rebelled, itching, and inflamed, and was eventually lost, snagged in the tangle of intimacy during a hug. A small casualty, nonetheless one that left its mark within memory memory of touch and unintentional loss.
Now, they hang silent companions. Some days, they feel like artifacts of whimsy I can’t quite justify. On other days, they’re ornaments of a self I’ve grown to understand. Mistakes? Maybe. Or maybe they are just chapters, stitched in by silver and steel, each adding texture to the story I wear.
Unruly Bodies 
Piercings, I hate how controversial this topic is to some people. Because why do people have opinions on what you decided to do to YOUR body?! I only have my ears and nose pierced because I am petrified of needles but if my fears didn’t overcome my wants I would totally have more. I got my nose done out of rage and rebellion and I do still love it but I always wonder why piercing are such a big deal to other people, when the only person they actually/ physically affect are the person who gets them…
I similarly also got my first piercing at a young age, I think I was literally like a baby maybe 2-3 years old 😭. I never even liked them when growing up and didn’t wear earrings often. But then when I was 18 and was at the mall with my cousin and I was like I wanna get my ears pierced lol. After that I was obsessed, now I currently have 3 lobe piercings on both my ears and 2 helix on one of them and I love them!! I do plan to get more just gotta decide on what to get. I feel so sad that your tragus didn’t end up surviving; I hear that they are painful and are annoying when it comes to the healing process
I relate to how some days my piercings stand out, while other days they just feel like they’re there. I believe piercings can add so much to a person’s look, and I find it really fun to change my jewelry from time to time and try out new styles
This is such a beautifully written post! I love the idea of piercings as words; rites, proclamations, whatever you want and need them to be. I am rather scared of losing my piercings, if only because of the time that’s gone into nurturing them — my helix was swollen and red for a good chunk of this semester, and when I got sick and my lymph nodes swelled, I was so scared somehow I ended up with a systemic infection from it. That’s all healed up now and I’m looking forward to future piercings! Tragus is on my list… hoping for the best.