“Depending on the area, most of our customers feel traditional nostril piercings a bit stronger than septum piercings, as long as the septum is well-performed,” says Perelmuter. Since the septum tissue is so thin, it will hurt briefly during the piercing but heal more quickly, resulting in less pain overall.
The level of pain associated with getting a septum piercing can vary from person to person, but generally falls between a level 3 and 7 on a pain scale of 1-10. The pain scale is subjective and depends on individual pain tolerance levels.
Call your doctor if you notice these signs of infection: Fever. Red, swollen, very painful, or tender skin around the piercing. Yellow or green gunk oozing from the site.
The initial period after the piercing can be very painful, and the nose can be tender to touch. This initial part of healing takes around 1-3 weeks. Septum piercings can take around 6-8 months to completely heal. The jewelry can be changed after 6-8 weeks, provided it has healed well.
Pain Scale: 5 on a scale of 1-10. The pain scale is 100% subjective and based on clients' feedback. Nostril piercings are said to be a bit more painful than lip or ear lobe piercings, but not as painful as septum piercings. Aftercare: Keep the area clean to avoid infection.
Because the cartilage is thinner on the upper ear, helix piercings tend to be the least painful cartilage piercing. They measure around a 4-5/10 on the pain scale and take around 3-6 months to fully heal.
However, it's not recommended on fresh piercings, as it's likely to irritate the tissue. You may also cause extra tearing or damage to the piercing site which can increase your risk of infection. Once your piercing has finished healing, you'll be able to flip your septum piercing up inside your nose.
A topical numbing cream can be used to numb the area before having the piercing done. You should be aware that this only numbs the top layers of skin so you will still feel the piercing being done, it will just take the edge off.
The most common complication of getting a nose ring is an infection. This can occur if the piercing is not done properly, or if the jewelry is not sterile. Other complications can include allergies to metals, scarring, and damage to the tissue around the piercing.
While risks are low if you get a septum piercing from a reputable piercer, there is still a risk of developing a infection, allergic reaction to the metals in the piercing, a septal hematoma (when the blood vessels break and blood collects in the septum), and scarring.
Other than the first initial days—during which your septum piercing will probably feel a little tender—you shouldn't expect any major pain or discomfort during the healing process (which, BTW, can take anywhere from six weeks to three months).
You will be hiding your septum piercing by flipping your piercing, so that the bull ring piercing is up inside your nose. This is a bit painful to do when your nose is freshly pierced, but you can do so two to three times a day, without it affected your healing time.
Many people come in with a particular idea of how they would like their nose piercing to look and which side they want pierced. There is no right or wrong side of the nose to get a piercing, it is up to you.
“Make sure you're reasonably hygienic and blow and clean your nose the day of. The piercer will do all the cleaning we need, we just don't want to be covered in snot.”
The reason a septum piercing hurts a lot for some people is usually because they are pierced in the wrong area. Either in the super thick bit you felt before, or way too far up through the cartilage—yikes! Of course it can still be painful even if pierced correctly—it's a needle breaking the skin, after all.
The tender and painful period
This is the first stage that comes right after you have your piercing done and jewelry inserted. You will experience pain during this period that lasts for between 1 to 8 weeks, especially whenever you have to touch your swollen nose.
Of all the body sites commonly pierced, the navel is the most likely to become infected because of its shape. Infections can often be treated with good skin hygiene and antibiotic medications. With this type of infection, jewelry generally does not have to be taken out.
As you can see your choice of piercing can influence how likely it is to reject. For example, there is less chance of a Daith piercing rejection or nose piercing rejection compared to an eyebrow piercing rejection or bridge piercing rejection.
Safest Piercings
Along with the nostrils and belly button, the earlobes are the safest and most common body part to be pierced. The flesh of the earlobe heals well when the area is cleaned regularly and the piercing is done at the proper angle.