Septum piercings are still very much in style to the point that Jewellerybox stated that they are still the most popular type of piercing in the world so if you’re thinking of getting one, don’t worry about whether or not you’ll be cool wearing it.
In fact, over the years, many of the most well known celebrities have gotten them as well, and the topic has more than 160K searchers every month and more than 1 million hashtags on Instagram!
First of all, you should know that a septum piercing, just like the name suggests, is a piercing that goes through the nasal septum which is the cartilage partition in between your nostrils!
As for how it is done, a needle gets passed through the front part of the septum before the ring, bar or horseshoe is inserted.
The level of pain depends on the individual’s tolerance but it’s generally considered to be at least very uncomfortable since the needle pierces the skin in a very sensitive area that will most likely make you tear up involuntarily because of the strong pinch.
You will also most likely get the urge to sneeze but, hopefully, not much else as long as the piercing is done by someone who knows what they are doing.
Furthermore, after the piercing is inserted, the area will most likely continue to be quite painful and the nose becomes really tender to the touch.
Healing, at least the initial part of it can last between one and three weeks. However, septum piercings can take six to eight months to heal completely.
You can change the first jewelry inserted after six to eight weeks as long as the area seems to be healing well and there are no issues like an infection or extreme inflammation.
Even so, however, it is actually advisable to avoid changing it for as long as possible.
With that being said, if you are planning on getting a septum piercing, there are quite a few things you should be taking into consideration before actually browsing some jewelry to show off!
Just keep in mind that healing time is really important and so is aftercare.
With that being said, here are some of the best tips and other things you need to know that can make the process easy and efficient:
Healing
As mentioned before, it may take quite a few months for your septum piercing to heal completely, lasting between 2 to 3 months for some people and up to 8 months for others depending on a number of different factors.
The most key factor is getting it done by an experienced body piercer as piercing the correct area can be tricky.
If the expert misses the columella, which is the fleshy section right under your nose cartilage, the healing period will most likely extend much more, in addition to it being extremely painful.
In other words, there is nothing wrong with getting your cartilage pierced but since it’s such a tough texture, both the pain and the healing period are bound to significantly increase. It’s just how it works so if you want to avoid all that extra trouble, be careful where you’re getting it.
Furthermore, you should ask the professional to examine your nose first since most people don’t have a lot of flesh under the cartilage, in which case they would have no choice but to pierce the cartilage anyway.
As you might imagine, it is something you should know beforehand in case you don’t think that kind of pain and long healing process are worth it.
Aftercare
If you decide to get your septum pierced, having all the information you need to make the best choice for you, the next step is aftercare!
That’s right! As you may imagine, piercing your nose comes with some extra steps that you should take during the healing period.
Thankfully, this process is rather simple to follow but it’s important to be consistent as to avoid any unpleasant complications like swelling or even infections – not to mention it will speed up the healing process if you take good care of it!
- Clean the piercing
Always make sure to clean the area, including the jewelry, and also, don’t get the wound in contact with contaminants or dirt.
As mentioned before, the cleaning process is rather easy – all you need is some saline solution.
Squirt it on both sides of the piercing or you could also fill a cup or small bowl with the solution and dip the tip of your nose in it for a couple of seconds to disinfect the area.
The solution is supposed to help loosen up any crust that may be forming around the piercing in addition to reducing bacteria.
Saline can be bought at the piercing studio after you get your septum pierced or online.
An alternative is a DIY at home solution containing distilled water and sea salt.
Never remove your jewelry while you clean the area. Just leave it in place and maneuver around it carefully to minimize pain or discomfort.
- Don’t touch the piercing
In the past, a common piece of advice was to twist the jewelry to supposedly aid with the healing of the wound but in reality, this does nothing good and in fact, tends to irritate and even rip the affected tissue, making the healing time increase.
It is a well known fact that many people choose septum piercings due to the fact that they can be easy to hide inside the nose if you go for a horseshoe option.
However, this involves flipping it inside the nostrils whenever you don’t want the piercing to be seen, which, as we’ve established, comes with its own set of problems for the healing process.
Obviously, it’s not a huge problem and you can, indeed, flip the jewelry up and down from time to time but the main idea is the same – avoid doing it as much as possible if you don’t want to deal with extra irritation.
Touching and twisting the jewelry is also painful, making you tear up, and also introducing more bacteria to the sensitive wound, increasing the risk of developing an infection.
If you really have to flip it, leave it like that for a while before moving it down again.
In fact, if you are really that worried about it being seen, leave it flipped inside the nose for the entirety of the healing process before finally showing it off.
- Try to stay healthy
That’s right! It turns out that just by keeping your overall health in top shape, you can significantly reduce the healing time!
After all, a fresh piercing is just like any other wound which means that your body needs to be healthy in order to devote the appropriate amount of energy to heal the pierced area.
In other words, if you feel down, don’t eat right and are not getting enough sleep, your stress levels will spike up and will affect the healing process of your septum piercing!
Other Things that Can Affect Healing Times!
- Picking the scabs
It’s very tempting, we know! However, try your best to avoid picking or pulling at the crust or scabs that may form around the fresh wound as it’s healing.
This is because it can cause small tears in your skin which, naturally, will only increase the healing time.
Just soaking the area in some warm saline solution and then wiping the scabs or crust off gently should be more than enough.
- Submerging the septum piercing in water
Yes, as mentioned before, saline solution is very beneficial but pool or hot tub water – not so much!
Just avoid swimming when your piercing is still healing as there is a lot of bacteria in such bodies of water.
- Using any harsh disinfectants
Of course, disinfecting the wound is important in order to prevent any infections but that is not to say that you should be soaking your new piercing in anything as harsh as hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol.
This is because such substances are bound to damage the healthy cells in your skin that you actually need to heal your piercing the right way.
Instead, stick to salt water or specialized aftercare solutions.
- Catching your piercing on something
Obviously, this is not something you’d ever do on purpose but it does sometimes happen if you’re not careful.
In fact, no matter how careful you are, it’s most likely still something you can’t avoid forever.
It’s pretty common for people to catch their nose piercings on their tops as they get dressed or undressed or on their towel when drying their face after washing it.
As you can imagine, it hurts quite a lot but that’s not all – depending on how hard you pull on it, it also has the potential to damage the piercing!
Basically, all you can do is be as careful as possible, trying your best to avoid it.
If it does happen, it’s going to feel really tender and all you can do is give it some time to calm down again.
- Getting your nose sunburnt
As mentioned before, pretty much any injury or health problem is bound to take your body’s attention away from healing your piercing super fast, including a sunburn – especially if it’s right on the nose area!
Sunburns really irritate the skin and a lot of sun exposure can also increase the possibility of scarring.
- Your personal healing ability
In reality, no matter what steps you take and how correct they are, it’s still possible that your healing process will take more than usual.
After all, no two people go through the same experience with healing.
But, the general rule of thumb is that, if your body is healthy overall, your piercing will also heal quicker.
- Reaction to the jewelry
The type of jewelry you opt for can play a big role as well!
Any expert body piercer will advise you to choose a high quality piece made out of titanium or surgical steel.
Furthermore, make sure not to change it to something cheaper and lower quality before the piercing heals completely as you run the risk of infection that way.
Septum jewelry made out of cheap materials also often causes allergic reactions and a lot of painful and unsightly irritation that can lead to more serious problems like the aforementioned infections.
- Getting infected
Finally, the last reason is quite obvious – if you somehow get an infection, healing the piercing becomes secondary to your body as it needs to fight the infection first and foremost, just like with any other health problem that will distract your body from focusing on the piercing, slowing the healing process down significantly.
To help the situation in case your nose is running and building up a lot of crud on your piercing, just make sure you cleanse the area a bit more often than normally.
Now that you know pretty much all the basics when it comes to getting a septum piercing and taking care of it during the healing process, here are a few of the best septum jewelry you can opt for, in no particular order!
COCHARM 16 Gauge Silver Septum Rings Sparkling Septum Piercing Jewelry Earrings for Women
The first product on our list is a really durable ring piercing with a rather simple design that anyone would love.
It’s ideal for both women and men and is casual enough to be worn daily.
The gauge is 16 or 1.2 mm while the inner diameter is 8 mm.
It is made out of surgical steel, nickel and lead-free.
Furthermore, since it is also hypoallergenic, it is even suitable for the most sensitive skin.
SCERRING 12PCS 10-14mm Stainless Steel Nose Horseshoe Hoop Rings Septum Piercing Hanger Retainer
This product is a multifunctional piercing for eyebrow, ear cartilage, nose, helix, and, of course, septum as well!
It is made with surgical grade 316L Stainless Steel and it’s hypoallergenic, non-corrosive, durable, is free of any lead and nickel and resistant to alkali, acid, distortion and fading – basically indestructive!
The gauge size is 16G (1.2mm) while the inner diameter is 3/8″ (10mm) and the ball size is 3 mm.
This brand also promises 90 day exchange or full refund in case you are not happy with the product!
FUNLMO 16G Septum Jewelry Septum Ring Piercing Jewelry
This septum jewelry is designed with clicker closure which means it’s super easy to open and close and is made out of 316L stainless steel.
Furthermore, it does not contain any lead, cadmium or nickel, making it a really safe product that is totally harmless to the human body.
It comes in black and the measurements are: thickness 16 gauge (1.2 mm) and internal diameter of 10 mm.
This item is actually not only a great option for a septum piercing but also for nose, ear, daith, cartilage rook piercings which means it’s multifunctional!
It is totally suitable for both men and women and the alien hinged clinkers made it a really unique accessory you’ll love to show off.
OUFER 316L Surgical Steel Circular Earrings Two White Opals Surrounded by Dragon Claws Cartilage Earring
This jewelry from OUFER is made out of 16G surgical steel and features an amethyst opal surrounded by dragon claws.
The dragon is apparently a symbol of honor and is believed to bring success and luck to the wearer so if you want some good vibes, this might just be the piercing jewelry for you!
It can be used as a variety of piercings including septum.
The gauge is really comfortable, the bar being 16G/1.2 mm thick with an inner diameter of 10 mm.
It is made out of 316L surgical steel and is nickel and lead as well as allergy free.
Anicina 16G Septum Rings Hoop Nose Ring Horseshoe Stainless Steel Cartilage Earrings
This piercing jewelry from Anicina is made out of stainless steel and has a high polished, smooth surface which means it will undoubtedly speed up the healing process since the comfort it offers can significantly prevent irritation and other more serious damage in and around the new piercing.
The clicker gauge measures 16g=1.2mm while the inner diameter is 8 mm.
The fake nose ring gauge is 18g=1mm with an inner diameter: 8mm.
These measurements make it ideal to be worn as a nose, cartilage and septum piercing.
The design is more detailed than most, having a meticulous and stylish outward appearance that is bound to grab a lot of attention.
This set includes 6 pieces including 3 nose ring hoops, 3 horseshoe rings as well as a gift velvet bag.
Since it comes with a variety of jewelry pieces, it’s safe to say that you can wear more than just one at once, mixing and matching them based on your own preferences.
In other words, if you are looking for something that can offer you more options, this might just be the product for you.
EVISPOL 16G Septum Ring Cute Bat Halloween Nose Ring
Last but not least, this product from EVISPOL is designed with clicker closure, making it really easy to put on and take off.
What makes it unique is the cute bat design!
Furthermore, it comes in four color options including rose gold, black, silver and gold.
The bar thickness is 16g (1.2mm) while the inner diameter measures 8 mm.
It is made out of 316L Surgical Steel and is free of any lead or nickel as well as highly polished, comfortable, hypoallergenic and secure.
If you are not happy with your purchase, the manufacturer of this product promises to exchange it or give you your money back based on their 90 day return policy.
