I'd wanted my tragus pierced for years, but was (naively) put off by the using of a needle. Anyway, my mate wanted a tattoo doing and she agreed to finally get it done if I got my tragus done. Deal. I didn't know of any piercers in the local area, so trawled the yellow pages until we found one that could fit in both the tattoo and the piercing - probably not the best sign.

Anyway, we turned up at the studio and the attitude of the piercer was horrendous, treated us like a pair of silly little girls. I should have probably turned on my heels there and then, but I'd decided I wanted it doing, so there was no going back.

Anyway, he told me to lie on the bed and told me to turn my head and just started spraying. He told me it was numbing spray, but only after he'd done it. I'm a paramedic and get very uptight when it comes to consent, and that includes everything, and I felt he should have asked me if I'd wanted it.

Anyway, he did the piercing and I was really happy with it. It was a lot further towards my face than I was expecting, but I liked it.

It was fine for about 10 days, I adhered to the advised cleaning regime. Then one morning I woke up and it was really swollen and sore. About 2 days later I developed a bump above it. I assumed it would clear up within a few days so just continued with the adivsed cleaning.

After about 2 weeks, the bump was still there, getting no better, but not getting any worse either. I rang the piercer as I wasn't particularly happy with it. His attitude over the phone was disgusting. He told me to increase my cleaning regime. I explained that I was concerned that I was reacting to the metal, as I'd had some reactions previously. He was so dismissive and didn't even want to see it. He made me feel like a stupid little child. I have several piercings and I know what's normal.

A few weeks later I decided to have my VCH done, and went to a different piercer, who was absolutely fantastic. He looked at my tragus and told me to stop cleaning it, just ensure that I kept my hair off it, and could turn it once a day in the shower. About 2 weeks later it "popped" after I got out of the shower, and after a few weepy days it's been absolutely fine. The only problem I have with it, is that it's that far in I can't change it, I have to get someone else to do it, holding the jewellery with a pair of tweezers.

I would just say to people, it's a notoriously difficult and prolonged healer, try to keep hair off it, but most importantly, choose your piercer carefully! I can highly recommend Primitive Origins in Hammersmith, but steer well clear of Flesh Ideas in Stevenage