Ultimate Guide 101: The Basic Information of Septum Piercing

Those who did not know, septum piercing existed centuries ago. However, it resurfaced to the fashion trend by the year 2015 when Rihanna and Jessica Biel flaunted their looks. To achieve this look, the piercing needle went through the front of the nose and past the cartilage.

After ear piercing, the septum piercing is the second most common piercing most people have. The septum can accommodate larger things inserted, such as animal tusks, a piece of wood, or bones. Jade and gold used by the Incans, Mayans, and Aztecs enhance their septum piercing. These materials are rare and durable, which gave value to the worth of their worship rituals.

Centuries ago, the septum piercing connotes and differs on their usage based on the culture and the person. A bone through the septum makes the person fierce looking, this is popular on warrior cultures of Irian Jaya. The Australian Aboriginals use long bone through the septum a definition of beauty, it can flatten the nose. In North America, septum piercing connotes the rite of passage.

The septum piercings used today are the solid platinum, surgical steel, nickel-free silver, and nickel-free gold.

Did you know that other people do not have a columella?

The columella is the part of the nose bridge wherein a tissue separates the nostrils and links the nasal tip to the base. Some people refer the columella as the “sweet spot”. The columella can affect the anomalies of the traits and features of a person’s nose, it can vary the width and the shape or position of the nose. However, there are people that do not have a columella. Thus, their piercings are made through the cartilage, and this method is extremely painful.

What are the steps to have a septum piercing?

The process of piercings varies because of the method and area of the piercing. To have your septum piercing done perfectly, you have to go through these phases.

1.  Prepare yourself for the procedure that you are about to undergo. Do a little research of where and from whom, look for a professional artist that can provide a safe and excellent work.
2. Look for a reputable professional piercing studio. Septum piercing is different, it should be done in a piercing or tattoo parlor. Before settling with the studio, check for their reviews. If you cannot find any, ask friends with septum piercings for their recommendations.
3. Before you get a septum piercing, undergo a test for metal allergies. Skin allergies are common to titanium and nickel. Consult with a licensed dermatologist or doctor. To be sure, always choose a hypoallergenic piercing.
4. Consult and know whether septum piercing is compatible in your workplace or school. When your work requires labor works and bits of advice against septum piercing, do not get pierced.
5. Avoid getting pierced in holiday seasons. You have to wait until the seasonal allergies have passed or when you have colds, runny noses makes it difficult.
6. Do not pierce your septum at home! It is dangerous to self-pierce, especially at the septum because it can be prone to infection. Unlike a trained professional, their tools are sterilized and they have techniques that cannot be perfectly replicated at home.

Getting a Septum Piercing:

Most of the reputable piercing or tattoo studios require their clients to fill out a paperwork and bring a photo ID before their appointment. The paperwork includes the procedure, the potential risks, and the health history and current medical information of the patient. Thus, it is best to show up earlier for the appointment. Do not forget to let the piercing artist know any medications that you are currently taking, medications can change the healing time of the septum piercing.

1. Choose the stud for the septum piercing. The first septum pierces can be in a variety of style. It is best to know the type of stud and their differences, the popular options for the stud style are:
   Circular barbells
   Captive bead rings
   Septum clickers
   Septum retainers
2. Make sure that the piercing artist uses sterile equipment. Ask the artist whether they use the sterile or disposable equipment. Do not trust a piercer who reuse or use an unclean equipment.
3. Do not move as possible during the piercing session. Undesired or imprecise piercing can happen with sudden movements. Do not attempt to jerk nor turn your head until the piercing is finished. Practice deep breathing to ease nervousness or alleviate pain.
4. Prepare yourself to feel an excruciating pain. Pain is inevitable. This may not be the most painful piercing but it has an unpleasant sensation. Ask for a cold pack or a numbing cream from your piercing artist to soothe the pain.

How painful is a septum piercing?

Some say septum piercing is not the most painful piercing to experience, and there are others who say that septum piercing is the most painful they have experienced. The pain, tenderness, and discomfort will vary from one person to another, it depends on the pain tolerance and threshold of a person.

A septum piercing will definitely hurt, you can feel the needle and stud pass through the septum. Some people rate the pain at 2 on a scale of 1 to 10, and some rate the pain at 6 on a scale of 1 to 10. Septum piercing hurts more than the lip, tongue, navel, and earlobe piercings.

The pain will last depending on the technique and experience of the piercing artist. Skilled and professional piercing artists do the procedure quick which results in lesser pain. The initial pain is felt when the stud passed through the septum, but it will only be for a minute. When the body has adjusted, an intense tenderness and pain will be felt. However, after a couple of weeks, the pain will be gone.

What are the types of jewelry for septum piercing?

When choosing the type of jewelry for a septum piercing, the material options should be considered first. Those who have sensitive skin should choose surgical stainless steel or titanium. However, if you do not have a sensitive skin, you can confidently choose other material options like silver or gold jewelry.

The most popular type of jewelry for septum piercing is captive rings, septum pinchers, and circular barbells. If you have already an idea or choice of what type of jewelry you need, ask for the piercing artist about the gauge and length of the jewelry that you need.

Find the perfect style, material, and size combination for your septum piercing.

The types of jewelry are:

• Straight barbell: It has a straight bar with beads on its end. However, it has only one bead that can be used to remove the jewelry.
• Circular barbell: It is also called as the horseshoe barbell because of its shape. It is about 3/4 of the circle with spikes or balls that screw onto the end of the jewelry. There are different variations of its diameter and gauges that have a threaded spike or ball at the end.
• Curved barbell: It is also called navel curve, it is identical to the straight barbell, except for it being curved.
• Ball Closure Ring: This can be used in any body piercing. It can make you create any look that you want with the clip-in ball that can be replaced with a clip-in accessory.
• D-ring: It is suitable for nipple piercing and eyebrow piercing. It is comfortable and secure than any other types of piercing jewelry.
• Segment ring: This is the most comfortable piercing ring because of its smoothness. The segment ring can rotate for 360 degrees. It is perfect for septum piercings because it has less irritation and less healing time.
• Captive Bead Ring (CBR): It is quite similar to circular barbells. However, instead of having two endings the single ball is placed between the ends of the ring. It has no thread, but the bead can cause pain in the neck.

Most of the beads at the end of the piercing jewelry has a spherical design, but it varies from their appearance and design. The common alternative designs for beads are cones, cubes, cylinders, disks, and triangles.

How long does a septum piercing heal?

The septum piercing will take at least 6 months to heal, but the wound will remain tender for about 2 to 3 weeks. The septum piercing has fully healed when the tenderness is gone, and the hole does not close when you remove the piercing.

An average of length of a septum piercing to heal is about 6 to 8 weeks. It will be lucky if the septum piercing is pierced at the tough piece of the cartilage. If the pierce missed the right spot for quick healing, the healing period will take longer than 6 to 8 months.

It is best to have the nose and septum examined before piercing. But, if you were not examined, follow the proper care for piercing to promote a faster healing process without infections and irritations.

How to take care of a septum piercing:

1. Do not touch the septum piercing with your hands. Hands touch surfaces that you are not aware whether it is clean or not. Dirty hands can infect the septum piercing. Wash your hands with soap and water if you plan to touch your piercing. Do not frequently touch your piercing, it increases the risk of infection and delays the healing process.
2. Wash the piercing with salt water daily. Use a saline solution or salt water to kill off the bacteria that can possibly promote infection. Wet a cloth with saline solution and rub it on and around the piercing. Prepare a bowl of saltwater and submerge entirely your nose to thoroughly clean it.
3. Do not scrape off the crust, rinse the piercing with cold water to slough off the crust. Follow-up the saltwater cleaning with cold water directly to the nose. Clean it daily to prevent a crust build up.
4. Avoid cleaning your piercing with alcohol-based solutions, this is to prevent the skin to dry and become irritable. Check the soap and cleaning solution for alcohol labels.

What are the common complications of septum piercing?

A piercing is a hole from the body to insert a jewelry. The septum piercing made through the interior part of the septum and not on the nasal cartilage. When pierced on the cartilage, it can cause significant bleeding and formation of septal hematoma accompanied by infection. Before getting a septum piercing, you should know the possible health risks.

• Allergies results from the jewelry. The most commonly worn jewelry is nickel.
• It is a high risk for trauma and tears.
• Any type of body piercing has the potential to harbor blood-borne diseases from the piercing guns and needles used for the procedure. Prevent the possible health risks through getting a piercing from a reputable artist. A reputable artist will always use a sterile equipment. Blood-borne diseases include hepatitis B and hepatitis C, HIV and tetanus.
• Piercing can cause pain, redness, swelling, and pus on the piercing. Pain and infection is the common risk for those who have a septum piercing. Religiously practice the proper aftercare to prevent and minimize the risk of infection.
• Septum piercing can cause a nasal septum hematoma. It can lead to blood vessel disruption that can cause blood and fluid accumulation under the lining. Nasal septum hematoma can cause a hole in the septum which can lead to nasal congestion and pain when breathing.
• The collapse of the septum is a result of a severe case of nasal septal hematoma. It can result to saddle nose, a cosmetic deformity.

What are the signs and symptoms of complications?

Nasal piercings are at risk for aspiration or ingestion since the nose rings in the septum can migrate or pull out. Some people might need medications or other treatments with the developed complications.

It is best to learn the proper aftercare for a septum piercing. It can be difficult to differentiate the normal reaction of the body to septum piercing with its reaction from infection.

Redness and Tenderness: These are the normal signs and symptoms of septum piercing, it is experienced in the first two weeks after getting the piercing. If the redness and tenderness persist later than two weeks, this can be a sign of septum piercing infection.

Yellow Discharge: A pus or yellow discharges is a sign of septum piercing infection. Consult your doctor for antibacterial medications that can alleviate the pain and infection of the septum piercing.

Prolonged bleeding: This is a normal response to getting a piercing, and it should stop not later than an hour after the session. Call your doctor if bleeding continues few days after the session.

Excruciating pain: We all feel pain when our skin is pierced. However, it is a quick and non-agonizing pain. If you feel an excruciating pain, the piercing artist missed the soft spot of the septum.

Delayed healing time: The average healing time of septum piercing is about 6 to 8 weeks. However, if it has not healed after 6 to 8 weeks, it is best to visit the doctor.

Do not self-medicate, it is best to make a consultation with your doctor.

Do some preventive measures to reduce further complications

It is an agony to wait for the new piercing to heal. Religiously doing aftercare multiple times a day can be repetitively dull. To prevent the risks, keep it clean through religiously doing aftercare.

1. Always keep the septum piercing clean. There are two methods to keep your septum piercing clean, it is through cleaning the area and the piercing jewelry, and by not introducing contaminants or dirt to the piercing.
2. Do not touch the piercing. It is a misconception to twist the jewelry piercing to improve the healing process of the hole. However, this can cause irritation and tear to the tissue. Other than that, touching the piercing jewelry can introduce more bacteria to the pierced area.
3. Be healthy, stay healthy. The body focuses on regenerating the wound. When you lack sleep, eat unhealthy foods, or too stressed the healing process of your septum piercing gets delayed.
4. Minimize nicotine intake or do not smoke. The systemic effect of nicotine to the body can delay the healing process of the piercing. Instead, cut or quit smoking, or look for a substitution for your regular cigarettes.
5. It is simple to clean a septum piercing. You only need a saline solution or a mixture of sea salt and distilled water. To apply the cleaning solution, apply the solution on both ends of the piercing jewelry. The solution will disinfect and loosen the crust around the piercing.

What can delay the healing process of a septum piercing?

Who does not want their septum piercing heal as quickly? There are some habits that you are unaware that can affect the healing process of your septum piercing.

Sunburn on the nose: Sunburn can irritate the skin, the excessive exposure to the sun can increase the risk for scarring. Sunburn can delay the healing process of your septum piercing.

Do not pick or pull crust and scab: It is tempting to pick or pull the crust that forms around the septum piercing. Avoid picking or pulling the scabs or crusts, this can cause tears and irritation to your skin. It will result to a decreased healing process of your septum piercing. If you happen to have crusts and scabs, soak your nose into a warm saline solution.

Do not submerge the piercing into public water: When going out on a pool or beach trip, do not submerge your nose to the water. The public water contains millions of bacteria.

Do not play with your septum piercing.

Septum piercing aftercare: Religiously practicing septum piercing aftercare can promote the healing process. However, do not excessively clean the area, it can dry out and irritate the wound which can delay the process.

Ability to heal: Healing process differ from one person to another. When your general health is in a good condition, expect to have a shorter healing process.

Acquire an infection: The infection does not only limit to the piercing, but it also includes the illness your body can acquire.

Allergic reaction to the jewelry: There are jewelry piercings that are made from cheap materials that can possibly cause allergic reactions or irritations. Thus, do not change the jewelry piercing to a cheap one. However, a professional piercing artist will provide a high-quality jewelry.

Utilizing harsh disinfectants: Do not perform procedures or self-medicate. Disinfectants can cause dryness and damaged healthy cells in the skin.

Hypertophic scar and septum piercing

Hypertrophic scars is common to piercings, it can happen on any piercing hole. However, hypertrophic scars is common to septum piercings. There are treatments that can reduce the risk for hypertrophic scars.

Step 1: An inappropriate piercing jewelry can cause hypertrophic scarring. Thus, hire a reputable piercing artist.

Step 2: Cover the scar and the surrounding tissue with paper tape. Have a small cut of the tape and place it around the jewelry.

Step 3: Wear the tape for 2 to 3 months and constantly change the tape at least once a day.

Step 4: Soak the septum piercing into a saline solution that is recommended for aftercare. Soak the jewelry piercing into a mixture of 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt and a half cup of warm distilled water for 10 minutes.

Step 5: Massage the scar using a drop of tea tree oil and a tablespoon of carrier oil. Massage once or twice a day to aid in the breakdown of the collagen fibers.

If for an instance you want to stretch the gauge of your septum piercing, wait for 9 weeks or longer. Do not attempt to do it by yourself, this can irritate the fistula from the changes.

When changing the septum jewelry, ask help from the piercing artist. He or she will teach you techniques on how to change the jewelry piercing yourself. You can use a new septum jewelry to push the old jewelry out while inserting the new one, and the other techniques is with the use of a piercing taper.

After replacing the septum jewelry, restart the aftercare routine of your septum piercing until the tissue has healed.