Wednesday September 2nd, 2009 @ 1:13 PM
I ran out of sea salt today to do the soak for my navel (almost two months old) and the cotton ball compress for my nose (one week old). I don’t have any H2Ocean spray left, nor any tea tree oil. My bank account is at less than a dollar until next week (needed groceries and used the last of my money for that), so I can’t go buy anything.
So, what can I use for the next five days until my paycheck comes in? I know not to use peroxide, alcohol or iodized table salt. I have some kosher salt in my cabinet, but I don’t know if that’s acceptable and I don’t want to risk it without some expert opinions on the matter. My sister has some ear care solution left over from her Claire’s piercing a while back but I don’t know if I trust that either. The other sister has saline solution but it’s for her contacts, and I’m pretty sure one is NOT supposed to use saline for contacts as aftercare for a piercing.
Input would be very helpful, as my navel piercing has decided that TODAY, the day I inconveniently run out of the best aftercare stuff, is a good day to start acting up. It doesn’t have a bump and isn’t infected, but it’s acting like it did at three days old. Lots of lymph, a little blood, and a bit tender (I blame period hormones, sorry for TMI). Will warm water alone do me any good until I can afford a box of sea salt?
Short answer: yes, warm water in the shower is fine. Iodised table salt probably isn’t the end of the world, either. Kosher salt is almost certainly ok, too. I’d stay well away from the Claire’s stuff and everything else, though. And dang, how much is salt where you live? You can get, like, a kilo of plain sea salt (cooking salt) at Woolie’s here in Oz for, like, a dollar. 0_o
+9 / 13 votes 
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Posted by Lori St.Leone | Permalink | 6 Comments
Friday January 16th, 2009 @ 8:40 PM
Filed under: Nose
I got my nose pierced back in October with a stud. It had been a month and I had had no problems with it and I really wanted to put in a ring. So I went to a tattoo shop and asked the guy if it would be alright to change the jewelry now and he said it was fine, so I had him change it to a captive bead ring. It was fine, I didn’t have any problems after I changed until about two weeks later I got sick and was blowing my nose. the ring was being all twisted around in there and I developed a bump on the outside. I took antibiotics have been doing sea salt soaks on it and cleaning it with bactine and a month later the bump is still there. i want to change it back to a stud because the ring seems to get bumped around a lot more than the stud did. so should I go back in and have it changed to a stud and go back to a ring later or would that just make it worse? and any advice on how to make the bump go away?
Hooray for the Search function at the top right of the AskBME page!:
http://ask.bmezine.com/index.php?s=nose+bump
+6 / 6 votes 
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Posted by Lexci Million | Permalink | Comments
Thursday July 31st, 2008 @ 1:38 AM
Filed under: Nose
Two weeks ago I had my nose pierced at 16g with a screw post. I have been washing it with saline twice a day and doing sea salt soaks (only starting three days ago) once a day. My problem is, I believe the post is too short. The part of the post that comes through the inside of my nose, where it bends at a right angle and then spirals, the right angle is up inside my nose. I realize this could just be due to swelling, but when I clean and turn it, the ball on the outside of my nose goes into the hole almost to where I can’t see it and I have to push it back through. When my piercer was putting the needle through my nose, he did comment on how thick my nose was. I have also developed a bump next to the post on the outside of my nose, but I understand that is rather common. It is however pretty sore sill. Do I just need to keep doing my cleaning since it’s such a new piercing, or do I need to go to a shop and have a longer post put in?
Thanks!
Just off topic…I think I’m going to start dressing up like a clown and carrying around a stocking with a some sort of ball in it so I can occasionally shout: “HOMIE DON’T PLAY DAT!” and swing the stocking at the people.
Anyways back onto the subject matter at hand.
Original poster know that Saline and Sea Salt Soaks are the EXACT same thing, but there’s a big chance that your Sea Salt Soaks mixture of salt and water are not the same as the Saline you’re doing. Pick one or the other and do so only twice a day, not three times a day.
Also what the Nostril Screw jewelry that the piercer inserted, pre-bent? Or did they look at your nose and using tools take a straight piece of nostril jewelry and custom bend the ideal shape you required?
Chances are since they commented on how thick your nose was, and that the 90 degree bend is apparently inside the pierced pathway, I’ll call it safe to say he used a pre-bent one. These pre-bent nostril screws are a HUGE issue/problem as they cannot be guaranteed to fit each individuals nostril properly. Not only that most companies only bend the nostril screws in one direction, whereas sometimes you need the curl on the opposite side. ie: Left bend or right bend for left nostril or right nostril,etc.
You’re options are to locate a qualified piercer who knows how to custom bend nostril screws and have them insert one with a longer post passing thorugh the piercing. That or remove the nostril screw jewelry all together and instead insert a Labret Stud, measured the right length to fit properly.
I bet once you remove that crumby pre-bent nostril screw and put in a proper high quality (implant grade) piece of jewelry (custom bend nostril screw or labret stud) begin to start taking care of it properly. Then that bump will start going away and that piercing won’t be swollen or sore anymore,etc.
+9 / 13 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | Comments
Thursday July 24th, 2008 @ 3:19 AM
Filed under: Nose
I got my nose pierced about 2 weeks ago and I was cleaning it twice a day and it was healing well until last week. I think I may have accidentally irritated it and a bump and scab formed above my ring. I’ve continued to clean it 3-4 times a day with q-tips and watered down dial soap but it hasn’t seemed to help. A few times the whole scab just starts to bleed. After I’m done cleaning it, the scab has clear liquid coming from it and it’s sticky. Within about 10 minutes my ring gets stuck in the scab and won’t move until the next time I clean it.
I don’t know if there was any other cleaning methods I should try or if I should just go straight to my piercer.
Thanks! : )
1st Nit-Pick: Not a fan of CBR’s in most piercings, especially with Nostrils. The constant rotation of the ring irritates and drags bacteria in the wound thus prolonging the healing time. As well as increasing the chance of complications such as this one. Even though you might have aesthetically wanted a CBR right off the bat, I find often its best to overlook the aesthetic demand and instead go with the better/more efficient way to heal the piercing.
2nd Nit-Pick: Is it just me or does the CBR’s ends not line up when they meet the ball *squints* it sure looks like they don’t.
3rd: Dial Soap is far too harsh for a piercing and should not be used. Nor should you be “watering it down” on qtips. As you’re essentially getting the dial soap inside the piercing and causing it to be further irritated.
Proper Aftercare: The ideal way you should be cleaning this piercing is either using a 0.9% sodium chloride wound wash/irrigation saline roughly twice a day. Or you can purchase Distilled Water and measure out a ratio of 1 cup water to 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. You fill up a clean cup/glass (clean and dry right before you put contents into cup/glass) and literally stick your nose into the cup. Soak the piercing for roughly 5-10 minutes as under 5 minutes you are not flushing the wound out enough and after 10 minutes, you’re just standing there with your nose in a cup. If you feel uncomfortable you can relax and then go back to soaking your piercing this way,etc.
Then and ONLY then after you’re done soaking, you can take some q-tips and gently wipe away the piercings discharge on the entry and exit point.
If you do a search on AskBME I’m POSITIVE you’ll find a lot of information on Aftercare and how to properly care for your piercing.
Also another helpful hint if you’re not allergic, spring time allergies,etc you can try chamomile tea bag compresses. You buy 100% all natural chamomile tea and steep the tea bag in boiled water for a couple minutes. Remove the tea bag from the boiled water and allow it to cool down just enough that you can tolerate the warmth. Then compress the chamomile tea bag against the piercing until it no longer has any moisture to it. The chamomile tea bag has been known to help sooth and relax and reduce problems similar to what you’ve been displaying….But so has making sure you are not pierced with a ring initially 
+11 / 23 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 2 Comments
Wednesday March 5th, 2008 @ 12:51 AM
Filed under: Nipple
I have 3 questions. 
In order of importance;
**** 1)It’s been 3 weeks since I had both my nipples pierced. They’re doing great and I haven’t had any problems so far,other than the ball almost coming off the end at one time. How long until my husband can :ahem: play with them and such?
2)Should I keep cleaning them everyday forever or just watch then and see if they need a cleaning?
3)I had a little stud put in the side of my nose at the same visit. That hurt worse!! I have a small bump near the ‘fake diamond’. not sure if it’s a zit or something built up? Should I wait to see if it goes away? clean it with something else? or go see the piercer and have it checked out? Neosporin?
1) Wait until the aftercare protocol is complete, before engaging in playful light activities in that area. During the healing time you do not want to introduce foreign liquids (ie: his saliva,etc) to the wounds, nor do you want any stress/irritation/aggravation done. So wait for after the specified aftercare protocol period and then ease into the play.
If it hurts, instantly say so and make them stop. Speaking from experience I had nipple piercings and had a partner who enjoyed playing with them. Needless to say one night I went to the bathroom and found blood running down my body and a partially torn nipple piercing.
2) The piercer that did the piercing should have provided you with aftercare advice and an aftercare protocol sheet, as well as instructed you how long to clean them for. Normally I advise my clients to clean nipple piercings anywhere from 8-12 weeks and to make sure they understand everyones different and some heal more efficiently then others,etc. But I use the 8-12 week period as a basic timeline and encourage people to wait that long, as better to be safe than sorry.
3) The nose stud could be inferior jewelry quality. Did they custom bend the jewelry for you? What type of jewelry is it? Nose Bone? Nostril Screw? Nostril Stud (ie: a smaller labret stud design)? There’s a lot that could be leading to why this bump is occurring. You could try warm sea salt/saline compresses or even chamomile tea bag compresses to try and reduce the bump. But depending on if the jewelry is inferior quality or not, it might require a jewelry change. I would suggest to NOT use Neosporin and to visit a reputable/experienced studio and have them look at the piercing, even go to multiple shops and just get suggestions/opinions.
+2 / 2 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | Comments
Tuesday February 26th, 2008 @ 9:15 PM
Filed under: Nipple
hi, im 19, female, i self-pierced my nipple about 2 years ago. It got infected so i took it out about a month after i did it (i couldnt bear the pain). I noticed a while ago (around a year ago)that the entry holes are white and bumped up and when i squeeze it a thick white paste comes out. I think there use to be more, but now its barely a noticeable amount. I never noticed a smell. it does hurt sort of, but its like the nipple is sore, but so is the rest of my breast or below my breast. I think its related. I went to my doctor but he doesnt really know much of anything, i dont want to show him though. Its been worrying me because im getting married soon and having kids and want to breast feed, though since i did it myself im not sure if i screwed that up. anyway, i was worried that since its been like that for so long, can this “infection” spread, causing more problems? What should i do? If i got it pierced professionally would it drain?
thanks
The “white paste” is hard to say over the internet without physically analyzing the current sans-piercing location.. It sounds like there is potentially scar tissue formation at the entry and exit points due to performing the procedure yourself (potentially inaccurate techniques, jewelry,etc)…As for what’s occurring it could potentially just be skin cells,etc collecting within the potential pathway that USED to be your piercing, as you had that piercing for roughly a year or so.
What’s confusing me is where you state you went to your doctor but did not show him the problem, and claim he doesn’t know much. That’s weird to me because, well, since a doctor has to go through years of medical school,etc…Now granted there’s many that seem to make it through and then forget everything they were taught,etc…But the simple fact is without bringing it up and showing your doctor, how do you expect this problem to be solved?
If the problem is potentially a medical concern that will require the aid of medical professionals, I’d honestly suggest having them check it out.
Here is a suggestion for you to do:
1) Visit a qualified/reputable/knowledgeable piercer and have them look at the problem.
2) Visit your doctor and have him check out the problem. If he doesn’t know what he’s seeing he should suggest you visit another doctor who would know more about what’s going on (ie: ears, nose and throat doctors won’t know about urology, so they’ll suggest a urologist instead,etc).
I doubt its an “infection” because if it was, having it for 2 years, you’d not be typing this (ie: you’d be in serious medical condition)…Potentially re-piercing it might help the situation, but again best to have it checked by piercer(s) and a doctor(s) in person.
It doesn’t hurt to ask…and as much as online help can be of service some times, sometimes its just best to seek help in person.
0 / 0 votes 
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 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
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 @ 8:17 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
