Saturday April 26th, 2008 @ 10:52 AM
Filed under: Nose
I am considering a nostril piercing. However, due to a very strict dress code in my future profession (lawyer), I will most definitely not be able to wear the piercing at work. Are there any images available of what a well-healed nostril piercing looks like with the jewelry taken out? And how long do such piercings usually take to heal to the point that they do not close up when the jewelry is taken out?
Also, are there any images available (or would anyone on BME be kind enough to show some) of what a scar from a nostril piercing looks like, if the piercing is allowed to close up? How noticeable are such scars, usually?
Thank you in advance for any responses.
To err on the side of caution I would allow between four and six months healing time, however, something to bear in mind with nostril piercings is that they do shrink up rather quickly upon removal of the jewellery. I have had mine for 18 years and still find that if I don’t have the jewellery in for a couple of days, it can be a stingy affair reinserting it.
As for scarring, well, it’s impossible to say for sure. If you follow good aftercare there’s every chance the hole will be barely noticeable once healed BUT everyone is different. If the piercing gets irritated during the healing time then the likelihood of visible scarring is increased. My advice? If you are seriously concerned about potential scarring, don’t get any visible piercing.
As for images - a good search should yield results.
+5 / 5 votes 
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Posted by Tiff Badhairdo | Permalink | 12 Comments
Wednesday February 13th, 2008 @ 4:22 AM
Filed under: Nose
Hi, I’ve had a 0-gauge stretched septum for perhaps half a year now, which I stretched over the course of about 2 years with little complication. However, I recently stretched up to a 00-ga, and though the stretch itself hurt less than many of the previous ones, my nose has been swollen for a few days and bled a lot when I cleaned it (the most my nose has acted up after a stretch is to be a little sore for maybe a couple hours, and has certainly never bled).
I’m worried that I might have torn the fistula, or worse, blown out my septum (I’m not even sure if that’s possible), but even with the aid of a flashlight I’m not sure what to look for. I also live in a small town where the resident piercing shops are rather shady, and it’ll be a couple weeks before I have the means to go to Toronto to visit my regular piercer. Is there any real way of telling if I’ve damaged my septum…or if it’s just because the 0 to 00-gauge jump is a bit bigger?
It could honestly be a few things to sort out. What I would honestly do is downsize back to the 0ga and do sterile saline solution soaks as if it was a fresh piercing. Then as soon as you make it to Toronto have your piercer look at it. (off-topic who is your regular piercer in Toronto and where are you currently?)
Also know that sometimes in certain sizes and in certain locations 6 months is still too soon to stretch and the body might require longer time. It’s weird that you did not feel any discomfort,etc yet you did the kind of damage that results in swelling and bleeding.
Definitely an interesting situation that I’d do as I said above, downsize to 0ga and mention it to your piercer.
0 / 0 votes 
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 2 Comments
Friday February 8th, 2008 @ 1:50 PM
Filed under: Nose
Roughly 1 month ago, I snagged my 1 month old nostril stud on my sheet, and developed ‘the bump’. I immediately began chamomile tea compresses 2-3 times a day and did that for 2 weeks without noticing any real change. 2 weeks after snagging it, I was at my piercing shop buying some jewelry and one of the piercers told me that I should be doing sea salt soaks for about 20 mins daily, so I started doing the sea salt soaks along with one chamomile tea soak a day, and washing my piercing once a day with Neutrogena soap. It started to get better at first, but then it actually got much bigger. After a full week of the sea salt soaks, after I got out of the shower one day the bump burst and started oozing pus, which I squeezed out and then cleaned. I kept doing the sea salt soaks for another week (2 weeks total) without noticing a change. I went to see my piercer again and they told me to try helichrysum water , which I have been using 3 times a day for 15 mins each time since Monday, and it would definitely clear up in 2 weeks. The bump got a hard covering on it which flaked off when I scratched my nose yesterday, but nothing else has changed. I’m going to keep doing the helichrysum water compresses for another week, but if nothing changes, what’s my next step?
Here’s a picture of the bump. I have a 14g nose elbow in it now.
Well, you’ve certainly been through a wide range of things you could try…and there are probably lots of other things you could try. However, my instinct is that none of the other things you are going to try would be the magical solution either.
You probably aren’t going to like my advice, but I would suggest you take out the jewelry, let things settle down, and have it re-pierced at a later time. While it’s true that “the bump” isn’t uncommon with nose piercings, yours is different in a couple of ways:
1) The sheer size of it. While I have seen a few larger than yours, it’s definitely larger than “average”
2) Yours seems to have obviously been caused directly by some trauma
Given the length of time you’ve been dealing with it, and the myriad of things you’ve tried, and nothing has produced much improvement, I think removing it is your best option. One you remove the jewelry, you will have gotten rid of the thing that is irritating your body and keeping it from healing the bump. Things should start to settle down quickly.
I have to admit, I’m not sure exactly what type of jewelry a “nose elbow” is…or at least I’m unfamiliar with that term.
+2 / 2 votes
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | 5 Comments
Thursday February 7th, 2008 @ 7:08 PM
Filed under: Nose
My question is multi-part. I have a septum piercing at 10 ga and I’ve always worn the same captive bead ring in it. The ring is pretty big, I’m thinking 1/2″ in diameter and I’m looking for something smaller that would look more balanced but I’m a little confused on a pretty obvious topic.
How is a 3/8″ 10ga+ captive bead ring possible? if there’s only 3/8th of an inch in the center diameter and the bead takes up part of that room what type of piercing could that possibly fit? How would one go about even getting the bead into such a small ring? Would a 3/8th inch ring be right for a septum piercing? I want small but it seems a little too small…
Thanks, I’m a bit clueless the only place I can get jewelry from is online and I’ve never seen a variety of CBRs with this size included before in person.
I’ll do my best to explain how the magical-ocity of the 10ga 3/8″ CBR works. The diameter of the CBR is measured by the diameter on the inside of the widest part of the ring. So, when a company makes the CBR, they have to decide what size bead they will put on the ring. With that decided, they make the ring 3/8″ (or whatever inner diameter), with the gap that will accommodate the size of bead they will put on it. The beads are typically available in 1/8″, 5/32″, 3/16″, 7/32″ 1/4″ etc. As long as the bead isn’t so large that it keeps the bead from remaining a circle, there isn’t an issue. Most commonly in 10ga 3/8″ captive, a 5/32″ or 3/16″ bead would be used. There is a bit of leeway to go with a bead that is bigger or smaller than the original bead and not misshape the ring. Doing so may alter the precise diameter of the ring, but it’s not often enough to make a significant difference.
It is very common to wear a 3/8″ diameter ring in septum piercings, so the 10ga 3/8″ would likely work well for you. In fact, some people wear even smaller jewelry. Keep in mind however, not every size is going to fit everyone. So, if you want to be sure the piece you are going to be will fit, you may want to stop into a shop and have a piercer take a quick look for you.
+1 / 1 votes
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | Comments
Sunday January 27th, 2008 @ 9:54 AM
Filed under: Nose
Help! I’ve had my nose pierced for 15 months. I love it, but I keep getting this blood filled growth right next to the piercing. If it’s infected why is there only a tiny amount of white gunk? It started like the 3rd month I had it. I’ve talked to the guy that pierced me a few times. He said that I was over cleaning my nose and that it would go away if I only cleaned it once a day and got lots of sleep. It’s been clear lately, but now it’s back! Is he right? Do I just need more sleep? Today I blew my nose and it opened. It took a minute or so to stop the bleeding. What do I need to do to stop this from happening? It doesn’t hurt, but it’s very ugly and annoying! Do I need to take it out and let it heal? I don’t want to, but if it stops this from repeating again, I will. Thanks for your help.
The “nose bump” happens to a large percentage of people when their nose is healing. Most commonly it shows up around the 1 month to 2 month mark, but it will sometimes show up later. The bump typically goes away after a bit of time, as your piercing heals up and becomes a little “tougher”.
The bump is not an infection…it is a build-up of fluids and skin cells that gather around the edge of the piercing. Most often, the bump is a sign of irritation…your body is unhappy with something that is going on with your piercing. Over-cleaning could be the source of irritation, but so could cleaning it with something too harsh and/or touching it too much and/or lots of other things. Getting plenty of sleep and taking good care of your body in general is a good idea when trying to heal a piercing, but I doubt that’s what’s going on in your case.
If you’ve had the piercing for 15 months, and you are still getting the bump occasionally, I would start to look at the jewelry as the potential problem. If you are wearing a nostril screw type of jewelry, it’s likely that the jewelry needs to be adjusted so it fits your nose better. If it’s too loose, it will move around which can irritate your piercing. It is also more likely to get caught on towels, shirts and bedding, which can irritate it. If the jewelry fits too tightly, that can cause a problem as well. Although, generally, if it was fitting to tightly, you would have more of a consistent problem. If you’re wearing a ring, they can be prone to getting knocked around, since they stick away from your nose, which can cause a problem. In that case, you may want to consider changing to a nostril screw/stud for a while.
It could also be that your body isn’t happy with the material the jewelry is made of and/or the quality of the jewelry. If you’re currently wearing jewelry made of stainless steel, you might want to consider changing to a titanium piece of jewelry. What you are describing isn’t a typical allergic reaction, but it could be that a slight nickel sensitivity is keeping the piercing from settling down. I’m not really sure how to advise you on the quality of the jewelry, but many piercing studios use low-quality, inexpensive jewelry that isn’t polished very well. That can definitely lead to prolonged healing and healing difficulties.
Hopefully some of this helps to at least put you in the right direction of trying to figure out what the problem is.
Good luck!
+4 / 4 votes
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | 1 Comment
Friday January 11th, 2008 @ 7:14 PM
Filed under: Nose
so i got my septum pierced a few weeks ago and it seems to be healing well. the thing about it is it’s a little low on the right side, this was done intentionally because my nose is a bit crooked on the inside, and in order for the piercing to lay proper it was pierced at a downward angle.
i’ve started to notice that there is a slight bump on the right side and looked into it and read that it’s most likely scar tissue, now i don’t want to have it redone as it seems to be completely fine other than the slight bump, it doesn’t hurt or look too strange (unless you’re holding my nose open and looking up at it).
my question is will it cause any other issues besides create a small bump, and will it be okay if it’s not bothering me? i just want to make sure it won’t continue to grow and take over my nose to the point i’ll need to have it surgically removed 
The bump shouldn’t cause any other problems. It’s also possible, once the piercing heals a bit more and “toughens up”, the bump may end up going away. Many bumps that show up during the initial healing phases of a piercing end up going away once the piercing heals a bit more and isn’t as easily irritated.
0 / 0 votes
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | Comments
Tuesday January 8th, 2008 @ 8:22 PM
Filed under: Nose
How big do you have to stretch a septum piercing before getting a septril piercing?
There isn’t necessarily a size you “have” to be at, but it obviously needs to be big enough to be able to get tools into. I would guess that 0ga or 00ga would be the minimum to make it reasonable to do the piercing.
0 / 0 votes
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | 2 Comments
Tuesday January 8th, 2008 @ 8:17 PM
Filed under: Nose
Haha, sorry for the awkward picture. I got my septum pierced about a month ago, and I’ve just been noticing this. I clean it usually with just water and a q-tip, and sometimes i dip it in saline. It still hurts when I accidentally hit the tip of my nose and whatnot. What would you guys recommend to help this?
Thank you some much askBME staff!
Some soreness when you bump/hit your piercing is pretty normal at this point, since it’s only a month old.
The bumps on your piercing are likely some scar tissue build-up. Based upon the picture you sent, it seems like your piercing might be a little on the low side. When I had my septum piercing done, it was done too low, and I have bumps on both sides that look very similar to the ones you have. Now, I’m making this judgment based off a low-quality picture, so I could be wrong about the placement.
If the piercing is done too low, the best option would be to remove it and have it done in a better spot.
It’s also possible that wearing your jewelry (looks like a circular barbell) flipped up in you nose may be putting extra pressure on the piercing, which could contribute to the scarring as well.
0 / 2 votes
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | Comments
Saturday January 5th, 2008 @ 1:42 PM
Filed under: Nose
Ok, so I just got my nostril pierced a few days ago, and the only aftercare I was told was to spray the outside with some H2Ocean and then just leave it alone. The outside is nice and clean, but I’m guessing there is some gunky stuff on the inside that probably shouldn’t be there…
What should I be doing to keep this as clean as possible? I would just sea-salt soak it, but I was told not to “dunk” it in water for a few weeks.
I tell my clients to mix up a sea salt solution in a clean glass, stick their nose in the glass, and blow bubbles. After soaking, blow your nose gently with your fingers on either side of the stud (not pressing directly on it) and clean the inside with the salt water and a cotton bud/q-tip. H2Ocean’s fine if that’s what you want to use, but you do need to clean the inside of the nostril as well!
+4 / 4 votes
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Posted by Lori St.Leone | Permalink | 2 Comments
Monday October 29th, 2007 @ 2:57 AM
Filed under: Nose
I want to get my nose pierced, and the place I was planning on getting it done at uses a gun to pierce it.
Some people have told me that it is better if the place uses a needle.
Does it make much of a difference?
For starters if you look into the Health Board Protocols that cover Body Piercing, in pretty much states that Piercing Guns should NOT be used on anything on the body, other than ear lobes. So not sure where you’re located but call your Health Department and ask if they allow this sort of invasive cosmetic procedure to be done with a piercing gun, chances are they’ll say no. To which if that’s how they answer, then gladly give up the name of the location that you know of that does nostril piercings with guns.
The facts of the matter have been mentioned many times before on BME here are some of the following articles done via BME
Do piercing guns suck? BME reviews the Studex System 75
Piercing guns are blasphemy!
Those two articles delve into the whole concept of body piercing with piercing guns.
For a quick short answer if you don’t want to read those Piercing Guns are: 1) Inaccurate 2) Often Jam 3) Dirty 4) Create A LOT of Blunt Force Trauma.
Not only that but quite often most individuals offering piercings with a piercing gun, have had virtually zero training (ok so some have a couple hours video training and playing on friends) when it comes to properly doing a piercing. Where as proper professional piercers often have anywhere from 6 months to 2 years of apprenticeship training. As well as proper experienced professional piercers will either use a custom bent nostril screw, that they bend to properly fit your nose. Or they will use a labret style piece of jewelry either internally threaded or threadless style.
+3 / 3 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 3 Comments
