If you've ever thought about getting your septum pierced, you've probably pinched yours before.) All the while, the pain felt incredibly intense for those couple of seconds. On a pain scale of 1 to 10, having my septum pierced earns a hard four.
“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.
Can I flip it up while healing? Yes! That's one of the best things about this piercing- it can be flipped up while healing. If you need to we suggest starting with either a circular barbell or a retainer.
You may have some blood, swelling, tenderness, or bruising at first. It may be sore, tender, and red for up to 3 weeks. Pierced nostrils heal completely in about 2 to 4 months. A pierced septum heals in about 3 to 4 months.
You should leave a new septum piercing alone for 6-8 weeks before changing or flipping up the jewelry. If you have to hide your piercing before then, we recommend visiting your piercer to have them help you move it or change to a retainer to help avoid irritation and infection.
It is recommended to wait until the initial healing process is complete before attempting to hide a new septum piercing.
“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.”
Swelling during the first few weeks can make the piercing appear to be crooked too. Siince the most common jewelry used is an expanded Circular Barbell, sometimes the jewelry itself will end up a little crooked. In some cases the pressure of the Septum cartilage can cause the jewelry to shift or move during healing.
One of the main benefits of a septum piercing is that it can be a visually appealing and unique form of body art. Septum piercings can also be a good choice for people who want a piercing that is not too visible, as the piercing can be easily hidden by turning the jewelry upwards inside the nose.
The quick answer is yes, you can certainly bathe, shower, swim, etc., with a newly pierced septum.
As with any piercing it is important to create a cleaning regime that you will complete every day, multiple times a day throughout the healing period. For around three months you will want to use a saline soak to clean the septum piercing. This soak should be done twice a day, once a day at the absolute minimum.
In general, tattoos tend to hurt more than piercings because the needles used for tattoos are larger and go deeper into the skin than the needles used for piercings. However, everyone experiences pain differently, so there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to how much pain you'll feel from a tattoo or piercing.
Septum piercings smell when healthy discharge from your piercing traps dead skin cells, bacteria, and other organic material. The smell is totally normal. Clean your piercing twice a day during healing and at least a few times a week after healing to prevent or get rid of sebum buildup and smell.
The piercings should be towards the front of the nose, and placed up at the nostrils. If a ring is oversized, it may have some hang, but there should be some that show a properly fitted placement. A red flag is all photos where the jewelry hangs down to the lip. Septum Correction!
Most North American Tribes see the ring as a rite of passage after a successful return from a soul-searching journey in the wilderness. The septum piercing was used to signify their success and show their rite of passage into manhood.
You can expect to take diligent care of your piercing until around three or four months after getting it. It's generally a pretty easy process, but be sure to keep in mind that climate can affect healing time, as well as how well you keep up with your aftercare, so healing time may vary.
It takes around 3-4 months to fully heal where you can change the jewelry so then you can flip it down. Flipping it back and forth is what can lead to irritation and possibly infection.
If you kiss someone, do it gently to avoid mashing your septum piercing against the person's face. Try to avoid any degree of trauma to your septum piercing so you don't delay the healing process.
You should avoid swimming for at least 24 hours after having a piercing, and ideally until it has healed properly. While it's still healing, it's important to keep the piercing dry as there's a risk of infection.
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.
Don't twist or flip the jewelry. If you must flip it, use warm water to loosen any crust first. Don't use harsh soaps, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or iodine on the septum. Use a saline solution for cleaning.