How Long Should You Wait to Change a New Nose Piercing?

Is your nose piercing somewhat new, but you’re just dying to change it to a cute new ring? Well, this article will let you know if it’s too soon and the signs you should look out for when determining whether you should change your piercing or not.

How Long Should You Wait?

On average, about two to four months is the normal time to wait before changing jewelry, but you should honestly just wait until the piercing is completely healed. Changing your piercing too early can make your new piercing susceptible to infections, cause the hole to close, and prolong the healing process. Wait as long as you feel is necessary, but make sure it’s healed.

How Do You Know When a Nose Piercing is Healed?

So you’re supposed to wait until your piercing is healed to change it, but how do you know when it’s completely healed? The first sign that your piercing is well on its way to healing is if it doesn’t look red or swollen anymore. This means that your nose has adjusted to the new piercing in it, and it’ll be less likely to catch an infection.

Another sign of a healed piercing is if when you go to clean it, there’s no blood, crusties, or ooze coming from it. Once your piercing goes without these for a few days, it probably means that skin has formed around the edges of the hole and isn’t an open wound anymore. This sign goes hand in hand with you being able to move your jewelry around freely without pain or irritation. This is a sure-tell sign that your piercing is healed and able to be removed safely.

To air on the side of caution, make sure that there are no piercing bumps on or around the piercing site just to be sure there are no signs of an infection. Signs of an infection can include blisters, bubbles, or keloids, extreme inflammation ( even an engulfed piercing if it’s a stud), and green or yellow pus. If any of these signs occur with your piercing, it’s best to wait a week after all signs have passed to change your piercing.

Does it Hurt to Change Your Piercing for the First Time?

The answer to the question depends on what type of jewelry your piercer put in your new piercing. Speaking from personal experience, the first time I changed my piercing wasn’t the most pleasant. The stud that was initially installed in my nose was screwed in from the inside of my nose, so that made it harder to grip to get it out. Latex gloves ended up doing the trick grip-wise, but I tried pulling it out for the longest not knowing it was a twist-out.

Different kinds of jewelry, however, can make this process easier. For example, all you have to do for a nose bone is just pull it out from the outside. For an L-stud, all you have to do is maneuver it out in an L-shape. And, for a ring, just unclip the circle. In the end, the answer differs for everyone, and everyone’s experience is different. However, it helps to know what kind of piercing your piercer installed so you know how to go about removing it.

What are the Steps to Change a Nose Piercing?

You’ve made sure your piercing is healed, you’ve picked out your new jewelry, and now you’re ready to change your jewelry. For the most protection, soak your new piercing in a gentle disinfectant for about 24 hours before putting it into your nose. When changing your piercing, make sure you have clean hands. Gently remove the backing holding your current piercing in place and clean your piercing without the jewelry in it as you have been, inside and out.

Once you’ve cleaned the healed hole, either disinfect the new piercing or remove the new piercing from the disinfectant, dry it, and insert it into your piercing hole. Knowing the angle of your piercing makes it easier to insert new jewelry. If you are having trouble installing your new jewelry, try putting back in your old jewelry until you can see a professional who can help you. If you experience bleeding or signs of an unhealed piercing, insert the new jewelry as gently as possible and keep it in until the hole has had enough time to re-heal.

Should You Change Your Piercing if it Looks Infected?

You should not, by any means, try to change your piercing if it looks infected. This may further open the wound and make it vulnerable to an even worse infection. There are different reasons why your piercing may be infected. If it’s infected just because it’s an open wound, then I recommend leaving the piercing in, cleaning it at least 2-3 times per day, and waiting for the infection to go away and for the piercing to heal.

If your piercing is infected due to an allergic reaction to the jewelry, it’s best to remove the jewelry, wait for the infection to heal, and try getting it pierced again with a piece of different material jewelry. Whatever you do, do not try and replace the piercing if it’s infected. It’s best not to irritate an infected piercing even further.

Replacing a piece of infected jewelry can also cause the spread of bacteria and lead to sickness and skin break-outs. It’s best to just leave it in or take it out for good. To get rid of the infection, use aspirin paste to reduce inflammation and some of the other painful symptoms and apply lemon juice to the site. This may sting a bit, especially if the piercing is fairly new and hasn’t completely healed, but it will kill the bacteria causing the infection.

Do this process about two to three times a week to effectively remove the infection. Doing this too often can cause more irritation, but in the meantime, just be sure to keep your piercing as clean as possible. Cleaning the piercing two to three times per day with a gentle saline wash is ideal for cleaning piercings.

How Do You Properly Clean a Nose Piercing?

Knowing how to properly clean your piercing can lessen your chances of catching a piercing infection and cause the healing process to go faster and smoother. Typically, your piercer will recommend a cleanser to use on your new piercing; however, if they forget to mention one, I recommend purchasing a gentle saline rinse or making a salt rinse at home. For especially tender piercings, tea tree oil is a more gentle alternative that is just as effective.

Only touch your piercing with clean hands, so be sure to wash your hands before starting the cleaning process. Take a q-tip or cotton swab and use your cleansing solution to gently rub around your piercing. Do not remove the jewelry just work around it. Make sure you’re removing all dried blood, crust, or ooze from the piercing site. Leaving these on the new piercing can cause bacteria to grow and infect the piercing.

Do this at least two times a day until your piercing is completely healed. Once your piercing is fully healed, you’ll be able to decrease the number of times you clean your piercing per week. But, to limit infections and scarring from your open wound, cleaning it frequently is ideal.

I hope you were able to take away everything you needed to know about when’s the right time to change your nose piercing. Changing your jewelry for the first time is an exciting experience and makes you want to go out and buy a thousand more piercings to try. Well, now that you know the details about when and how to change your new nose piercing, give it a try! Experience a new look. Good luck on your piercing journey, and have a great day!