Septum aftercare?
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Friday June 13th, 2008 @ 10:29 AM
Filed under: Nose
Hi everyone,
I just got my septum pierced on Saturday June 7th, so it has been 4 days now. Most of the time (or should I say, all the time) I wear it hidden. No comments here, it is work related. I only put it down when I need to clean up the jewelry.
I clean up the piercing 3 times a day : At morning, when I get back from work and when I got to sleep using q-tips and the product the studio sold me which is called Chlorexseptic. Anyway here’s how I clean :
I wash my hands everytime before cleaning !
1. I clean each side of the hole before taking down the jewelry
2. I unhide the jewelry by taking it down
3. I clean the jewelry and the holes
4. I “swap” the jewelry on one side (horseshoe), clean the side that is visible
5. I swap the jewelry the other side and clean it again
6. I swap few times the horseshoe from side to side
7. I clean everything and put it back hidden in my nose
Is that too much ? I do this 3 times a day. It has been 4 days now and I bleed less (nearly none), but I still have dried blood on the jewelry when cleaning it.
Is that normal ?
Thanks,
Guillaume
The cleaning product you are using is, I’m assuming, something unique to Europe? At any rate, I would probably stop using it. Cleaners, soaps, antiseptics etc., do nothing to help your piercing heal. They simply clean the area they are applied. What they also do is interfere with your body’s natural healing process, causing your piercing to take longer to heal. The only time you really need to use a product like that is if you actually get the piercing dirty.
Instead, I would suggest using a solution of warm water and sea salt, or a pre-packaged saline solution to clean the area a couple of times per day.
The bigger concern I have though is the fact that you are moving your jewelry so much. I would suggest moving your jewelry as little as absolutely possible. Flip it down, if needed and then clean using your salt water/saline, but don’t move the jewelry. Moving the jewelry simply irritates and destroys the delicate tissue your body is trying to form to heal the piercing. The more you move it, the more you irritate it…the longer it takes to heal. Moving it less should also help stop the bleeding.
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4 Responses to “Septum aftercare?”
Thank you for your answer Derek. Actually, I live in Canada, but I will get sea salt tonight
Other small question, can I clean my piercing while it’s up in my nose ? Only cleaning the actual holes ?
I was told that by moving the jewelry side ways and putting the cleaner on the jewelry, it would help cleaning inside the nose also.
From what I understand of your answer, I should use sea salt + water only on the holes of the piercing and even avoid flipping the jewelry down (so I could clean my piercing while the jewelry is upside).
Is that it ?
Again, thank you Derek.
Guillaume
Guillaume on June 13th, 2008 at 11:17 amIf you can avoid flipping the jewelry down, that is probably ideal. However, gently moving it downward is still going to be far less traumatic to the tissue than sliding it back and forth.
What you were told is correct…moving the jewelry from side-to-side will help get the cleaner into the piercing. Unfortunately, getting the cleaner into the piercing probably isn’t the thing we really want to do. And then there is the whole tissue irritation thing.
If you can do a sea salt soak/cleaning with your jewelry flipped up, great. If it needs to be flipped down, again…not the end of the world.
If you want good, fast healing…in addition to all the stuff we’ve already talked about you should drink lots of water, eat well and get plenty of rest. Your body is doing the healing. The better you take of it, the better and faster it will heal your piercing.
Derek Lowe on June 13th, 2008 at 3:57 pmi just got my septum pierced 3 days ago.
my friend did it for me.
i made sure that i bought sterile needles,, she wore sterile gloves and used all the proper tools. the jewlery was also sterilized.
to clean it i use this h2ocean salt water mist or it.
now the holes kinda are getting this crusty stuff around them and i was wondering if it is normal?
njess971 on November 6th, 2008 at 10:42 pmit is also red around only one side (not the side the needle first went through) and i was woundering if that salt wter solution will get rid of this? and if i should continue useing the spray stuff i have been using?
njess971-
im in the same boat as you, only i did mine myself with a sewing needle for the second time
stacie on January 26th, 2009 at 7:27 pmi do, however, have friends who do piercings professionally and h2ocean is sold in the parlors they work at
as far as i know, there is no problem with h2ocean, considering it is only sea salt water
the holes getting crusty is completely normal, thats why the h2ocean helps, its made to help get rid of the curst as well clean and help heal the piercing
the redness on one side of the piercing depends on how quick the person who pierced your nose went
im worried that if they did it slow then you damaged some carilege in your nose, but then again, im not sure because i cant actually see your nose
if i were you i would go to a parlor and just get the pro to look at it and tell you what happened, chances are they will know without a problem and not charge you
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