The septum is a popular piercing spot where more and more people have been getting these edgy piercings done, although these piercings have been part of cultures for thousands of years.
This septum piercing is through the cartilage in the nose, separating the left and right nostrils, which is called the septum. Professional piercers refer to the piercing site as the septum ‘sweet spot’ because the piercing goes in the small soft part of the cartilage right beneath the hard part.
Septum piercings are reasonably simple and have pretty straightforward care. When professionals pierce the septum, some may use clamps, and some will use a tube to catch their piercing needle once it has gone through the piercing site.
When getting pierced, it’s very normal for the tear ducts to release tear droplets. Just because some people tear up doesn’t mean anyone is crying. It’s a natural reflex for the body to react by activating the tear ducts when the nose gets pinched or hit.
Many people have deviated septums and need to ensure a professional piercer can account for their condition. Typically, you can expect to pay anywhere from $40 to $100 for a professionally done piercing, and prices range a lot depending on your location. Septum piercings heal semi-quickly. The piercing should heal entirely after six months, but it may take longer to heal if it doesn’t receive proper care.
The Healing Stages for Septum Piercings
Right after the piercing takes place, the septum begins its healing process. New piercings are open wounds, and they will need specific love and care to ensure they heal as fast as possible.
The septum piercing will be most sensitive the first three weeks after the piercing date. During this early period, it’s normal to feel a bit of warmth, pain, or swollenness in that affected area.
You may feel discomfort in your nose, and you might have some white pus expelled from your wound. Newly pierced people can expect some bleeding and crust to come out of their piercing. After some time, this piercing should become less painful, although it may be tender until eight weeks pass.
This piercing can heal very quickly, and most pain related to the piercing might be gone after one to two months. Even if this is the case, these piercings need at least four to six months to heal completely. Typically, piercers will tell their clients four to six months is the average healing time, but some of these piercings need more time to heal completely, and in rare cases, it can take an entire year.
Slacking in daily piercing cleaning care will cause the healing process to take longer and can lead to infection. If you don’t remember to clean your piercing twice every day you might be unwittingly raising the liklihood of infection. As long as you’re careful not to touch it without clean hands and only touch it when you’re cleaning it, then your piercing will likely take a little longer to heal without the risk of infection.
How Long do Piercing Crusties Last?
During the healing process of septum piercings, crusties will often form near the open wound. Any crusting that occurs is natural in the first two weeks, but crusties should appear less as the piercing heals. Fully healded piercings will not have crusties on them.
When crusties appear on the piercing, you should not touch them unless you are actively cleaning your piercing. You should handle your piercing as minimally as possible, and you should always make sure your hands are clean before you make contact with the piercing.
When cleaning your piercing, you can rub a saline-soaked cotton ball on your piercing and try to rub off any crusties gently. The easiest way to clean these crusties is in the shower, so you should consider purchasing a shower mirror to make cleaning easier.
Do Septum Piercings Get Infected Easily?
Because of their specific location between the upper lip and the eyebrows, septum piercings are more likely to get infected than many other piercings. There is a lot of bacteria in our noses, and that’s why infection is one of the main concerns for new septum piercings. The veins in your sinus cavity can be affected by any illnesses in the septum piercing, and this is why it’s so important to keep up with regular cleanings.
People need to avoid soaking their piercing in any water except for saline solution. This means you should be sure to avoid swimming pools, saunas, hot tubs, baths, or any similar places.
Septum Piercing Aftercare
All piercers should give their clients specific care instructions for however long it may take their piercing to heal, and it’s essential to follow your piercer’s advice.
Typically taking care of a septum piercing includes twice-daily saline washes. It’s vital to ensure your hands are always clean before touching your piercing. These piercings can become higher risks of infection whenever they get touched often, so you should not touch your piercing unless you’re cleaning it. You can use a cotton ball to scrub your piercing gently, but you should not twist, slide, spin, or pick your piercing in your nose at all.
If any scabs or boogers are near your piercing site, you should not scratch at them. If you have to flip your piercing up for work, make sure to wash your hands before doing so. If you do a skincare routine, you’ll have to ensure no facewash or moisturizer comes near the piercing.
Sometimes, piercings have an over-reaction to the healing process caused by an environmental issue or the jewelry, and this can cause a bump of tissue to form at the site of the nose piercing. If this happens, call your doctor to figure out if you need to remove the piercing.
Don’t ever use materials like hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, glycoside, or ear care solution on the piercing. These materials can irritate the piercing and make the healing time take longer.
How do You Know if Your Septum Piercing is Infected?
If you think your piercing is more irritated or swollen than it should be, you should call a physician. Typically infected septum piercings will have swelling, increased pain, and leaking pus. If you feel anything more than a minor annoyance, you should be concerned and on the lookout for other signs of infection.
A sign that infection is present is if the piercing site is bright red or unusually colored. Other symptoms of infection can be thick oozing yellow or green discharge or appear in the form of blisters. Sometimes, an infection may cause severe pain, increased itchiness, or a foul smell. Infected piercings can also cause fevers.
If you have severe allergies or might be prone to sinus infections, you may want to avoid getting a septum piercing because of how high your risk of infection can be.
What Should You do if it is?
If you are concerned your piercing is infected, you should keep a detailed track of your symptoms and contact your doctor. It’s best to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. If you aren’t sure your piercing is infected yet, you can also call the establishment that pierced you and ask them about your symptoms.
How do You Clean Snot Out of a Septum Piercing?
You should only clean your nose piercing twice a day with saline solution and wash your hands before touching the piercing. You can clean snot out of your piercing by gently rubbing it with a cotton ball that’s been soaked in saline solution. You should not pick anything off that doesn’t come off gently.
Can Snot Infect a Septum Piercing?
The nose has a lot of debris and bacteria, which makes septum piercings easily infected. The nose is likely to get a septum infection when it’s not cleaned correctly, so having snot or boogers in your septum piercing won’t cause infections as long as it is appropriately cleaned.
How to Change Your Septum Piercing Once it Has Healed
Even though the piercing should be finished healing between four and six months, you should wait a full year before changing your septum. Some people feel comfortable changing their piercing for the first time alone, but most find themselves returning to their piercer for help.
If you want to change your piercing yourself, you have to make sure you don’t have any discharge, pain, discomfort, or tenderness around your piercing area.
What are Piercings Made of?
Depending on your preference, there are different types of materials you can get for your piercing. Many people get stainless steel because it’s one of the safest and most hypoallergenic metals.
Some people choose titanium which also has a low likelihood of causing a reaction. Some septum rings are made of niobium which is an excellent choice for ultra-sensitive people. Another option is gold, but be sure to choose 14 karats or higher!
Conclusion
Septum piercings might be slightly painful at first, but overall the piercing experience is fairly easy-going. If you want to get a septum piercing, you need to make sure you’re ready to clean it regularly so you don’t get an infection.
These piercings are great choices for people who want bold jewelry, but you can also buy more subtle septum rings if bold isn’t quite your style. The septum ring is moldable to most styles.