If you have a brand new nose piercing, or are seriously considering getting one, there is a need to know the right way to maintain your new piercing while it heals to avoid painful setbacks.
If you've had other piercings before, you will find that the information is similar to other piercings, but there are some points that are specific to nose piercing specifically. It is a good idea to arm yourself with this additional knowledge, even if this is not your first time.
Cleaning and aftercare
Your piercing may have a noticeable discharge for several days while it heals, and this is completely normal. You will likely find that some of the discharge dries up and forms a crust around the piercing. It's annoying, but you shouldn't try to pick it up or move the jewelry.
Instead, use a cotton swab soaked in saline solution to wet the area where the crust will form. Don't force it. Also clean the underside of the piercing this way. Scabs may be easiest to remove after a warm shower.
Wash the jewelry yourself with a mild soap every day while taking a shower. This will remove bacteria and any crust that has gotten onto this jewelry.
Aftercare is all about hygiene. While your nose piercing is healing every day, you should soak it with a salt water solution for a few minutes twice a day.
Salt water or saline solution is a gentle antiseptic. It prevents bacteria from building up and infecting them without harming the healthy cells that are regenerating around your piercing.
Special aftercare products are also available to ensure your novelty Piercing heals as well and as quickly as possible (although this can easily add to the overall cost of your nose piercing).
The best aftercare product that I have personally used is the After Inked Piercing Aftercare Spray. It is not only vegan-friendly, but also completely free of alcohol and additives. The solution is suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin, and comes in a generous spray bottle for easy application. When used from the beginning, the spray will shorten healing times and aim to relieve persistent aches or pains.
What to do on the first day
Follow-up care should begin the same day you receive your nose piercing. It does not require any manipulation of the jewelry or piercing. All you have to do is keep the nose piercing clean.
Wash your hands before performing any piercing aftercare. To cleanse the fresh piercing, purchase a saline solution or make your own sea salt solution at home with a cup of warm water and a quarter teaspoon of fine sea salt.
You can use cotton balls or flower syringes to apply the saline solution to your piercing. Or you can simply dip your nose in a cup with the salt water solution.
You may experience pain and tenderness after the procedure. So be as careful as possible when cleaning the area.
That's it for the first day of care. Easy.
The rest of the aftercare phase
Nose piercing follow-up care should be performed until the piercing has completely healed. Once the piercing appears to have healed, it is good to continue follow-up care for about a week as it may not be completely healed, even if it looks like it.
Important nose piercing aftercare steps you take Got to Make sure you take
Some of our other incredibly helpful guides:Healing times for any type of nose piercing
When people talk about nose piercings, they are generally talking about a nostril piercing (as opposed to other forms like the septum piercing).
If you are thinking of getting your nose pierced, this is the most common type of nose piercing. It takes between 4 and 6 months for a nostril piercing to heal completely. That means you will need to do about 6 months of follow-up care to make sure your piercing stays healthy and looks good.
However, not all nose piercings take the same amount of time to heal. A septum piercing takes 6 to 8 weeks to heal if done correctly. There is a sweet spot under the nasal cartilage called a columella. If your piercer went straight through the columella, you will see a fairly quick and easy healing phase.
On the other hand, if you missed or you don't have a lot of Columella (some people don't) your healing period will be longer. In fact, if the piercing went through cartilage, you are more likely to see it after 6 to 8 months.
A rhinoceros piercing, or vertical nose piercing, is the longest nose piercing to be healed. It takes about 6 to 9 months. This in turn means that you should follow essential follow-up routines for up to 9 months.
The bridge of the nose is also an increasingly popular piercing. The healing time is about 8 to 12 weeks, which is exactly between the length of time a septum or nostril can heal.
Remember, these are general time frames. Each person's body heals at different rates. So, watch out for your piercing and how your body is handling it.
When can I stop cleaning my nose piercing?
When your piercing is completely healed, no more discharge will be released. At this point, you don't have to clean it with a cotton swab unless it gets torn or torn.
In that case, treat it like a new piercing and keep follow-up care for a few more weeks. Infection can occur after the healing phase if your piercing is torn.
After the healing phase is over, you no longer need to soak salt water. However, you should be careful not to play with or irritate your piercing.
For cleaning, you should occasionally (at least once a week or as often as with every shower) remove the jewelry and wash it with soap and water.
You can also wash the pierced area with mild soap and water at this point to prevent oil and dead skin cells from building up, which can create an odor.
It is also a good idea to apply some natural oil, such as coconut or jojoba oil, after cleansing, or you can purchase a moisturizing product made specifically for piercings.
Possible complications
While most nose piercings heal very successfully, there are cases where a problem or two can arise during the healing process.
First, infections can appear quickly if a proper cleaning routine is not followed or if the piercing studio is not as sterile as it should have been. Symptoms of infection include permanent redness, smelly or colored discharge from the piercing site, extreme swelling, chills, and fever-like symptoms. If any of these symptoms occur while your piercing is healing, it is best to speak to a doctor as soon as possible for further advice.
Second, in rare cases, allergic reactions can occur. This happens when the tissue around the piercing becomes irritated by the type of material the jewelry is made from. If you are experiencing redness and itching in the area, it may be worth going back to your piercer to ask about the jewelry you received. Materials like stainless steel, titanium and gold are usually safe bets when it comes to piercing jewelry.
What not to do while healing
There are several mistakes that can be made while healing a nose piercing. If you do things that irritate the piercing or bring additional bacteria to the area, you will increase the chance of developing a nose piercing infection.
Infections are no fun. They slow down the healing process so you have to wait even longer for a fully healed nose piercing. Not only that, but infection can cause scars and unsightly bumps - so watch out for these bad habits:
Play with your jewelry
Placing your hands over your jewelry is one of the most common ways for many bacteria to invade the piercing.
You touch many things throughout the day and any number of different bacteria get on your hands. Keep them away from your nose piercing to avoid infection.
Do not wash your hands
I've talked about touching your piercing with dirty hands being a problem, but sometimes you need to touch it, like when cleaning. Therefore, always wash your hands first before cleaning.
Use sharp products for piercing
Even cleaning products can be a problem for a delicate new piercing. Harsh ingredients can irritate the piercing and do the opposite of what you intended.
That said, no rubbing alcohol or peroxide to clean the piercing.
Apply makeup or cosmetic products to your nose piercing
Make-up, moisturizer, and other cosmetic products often contain bacteria or irritating chemicals. Keep them all away from your nose piercing.
Removal of jewelry during the healing phase
You need to keep your jewelry throughout the healing phase. If the jewelry you are wearing is not working for some reason, such as: For example, if it feels too tight or is in the way, return to the piercing studio and have them replace the jewelry with another suitable piece.
If you take out your nose piercing before it is fully healed, it can close in a day and you will have to open it again.
to go swimming
Going for a swim with a new piercing is a bad idea. If you absolutely can't stop yourself from getting into a pool, hot tub, or other body of water, make sure your nose is not in the water. These spots are full of bacteria that could infect your nose piercing.
When can I replace my nose piercing jewelry?
Never remove your nose piercing jewelry during the healing phase. After your piercing has completely healed according to the timeframe given above, you can replace the jewelry with another piece.
Just make sure that when you remove the jewelry, you put a piece of jewelry back on within a reasonable time. Even healed nose piercings can close if there is enough time with no jewelry in place.
Summary
How long it takes for a nose piercing to heal depends on several factors, including the part of the nose you pierce, how well you take care of your piercing, and your own body's individual healing ability.
Better to stay longer and continue nasal piercing care than to risk infection. Once you've successfully completed the healing phase, remember to keep cleaning the jewelry and piercing frequently to avoid funky smells and possible infections in the future.
Expect your piercing to take at least 6 weeks to heal, and usually closer to 6 months. You can speed things up by keeping dirty hands and other irritants away from the piercing and cleaning with a gentle salt water solution twice a day for the entire healing phase.