The ragnar piercing, also called a “deep snug,” is a modification of traditional snug piercing. This is a piercing of the ear cartilage at about the point where the lobe blends into the helix, but unlike a regular snug piercing, the ragnar extends from the traditional snug point and goes through the cartilage of the helix (the ear’s outer rim) coming out the other side. As a horizontal piercing, this makes it appear as though there is one ball at the inside ear rim and another resting on its outside edge.
Although modifications like the ragnar may have existed prior to its naming and exposure, the first formal photography of a deep snug piercing labeled with the name “ragnar” was published around 2002. The piercing was shown on a man named Thure Ragnar Stedt, whom it was undoubtedly named for.
Because a ragnar piercing passes through such a large amount of cartilage at one of the crucial structural points in the ear, it often takes several months to heal completely and must be looked after carefully to avoid the perils of infection. Some of the suggestions for aftercare when healing this piercing include not sleeping on your pierced side, sea salt soaks, and the avoidance of hair products for at least twelve weeks. The jewelry most fitting for a ragnar is a barbell made of movable biocompatible material like bioplast or bioflex, because they are hypoallergenic and apply less pressure to the curvature of the ear than heavier solid materials.
If you haven’t heard of the ragnar, it’s probably because of its rarity. Although ragnar piercings have been around for about a decade, very few professional piercers can say they’ve performed more than one or two. Almost everyone who sees one agrees though, that they love how interesting and different a ragnar looks, which probably makes it one of the coolest piercings you may have never heard of.
