You want a nose piercing, right? Who doesn't? They're cool as hell (Just ask Miley Cyrus, Lilly Singh, Demi Lovato, Mary J Blige or Jordin Sparks!)
But how to pick which one? There are many types of nose piercings to choose from, and the decision can be overwhelming. But don't worry, your Bodyartforms fam is here to help! In this blog post, we'll cover the most popular types of nose piercings, and some you may never have heard of.
When we're done, you'll have all the info you need to make the choice.
Nostril piercings are the most common type of nose piercing. They can be done on either side of the nostril. Nostril piercings are relatively easy to heal and care for, and they look great with a variety of jewelry styles. You can get these on both sides too, and wear chains between them, across the nose. It's super gorgeous, and you can check out what it looks like here.
You can also check out our nostril jewelry collection here and get an idea of what you'd like to wear!
Septum piercings are done just below the cartilage in the center of the nose. There's a little divot you can feel between where your skin is and the harder cartilage above it. It's called the sweet spot and it's super smooth to pierce. Septum jewelry is also some of the most popular and versatile jewelry you can buy. Septum clickers can easily be used in other piercings around the ear, like helix, daith and lobe piercings.
They're also really popular and entering the mainstream. Many people don't even consider septums to be all that wild anymore because of how popular they are with celebs. They're also the easiest piercing to hide. We have a whole selection of hiders you can wear that will make this piercing invisible.
We also have a huge selection of septum jewelry that stands out! Browse these styles and build your wishlist before heading to get pierced. Thinking about all that sweet bling makes the healing process even faster! (Okay, maybe not, but it does help you get through it, lol)
Bridge piercings are done through the soft fleshy part of the bridge of the nose, near the brow. Bridge piercings can be more painful than nostrils, but they heal relatively quickly and don't require much special care. Use a gentle cleanser daily. Also daily applying a saltwater rinse and then leaving it alone with those fingers will get you through it.
The bridge piercing can be prone to rejection. Esp after an injury, so if you snag it on a towel when drying your face or take a hard knock, your body can kick this one out. Typically rejection happens in the healing window, but on occasion it can occur down the road in a fully healed piercing.
This piercing looks stunning and is super notable because of its position on the brow. And don't worry about it drawing the eye. For a little while it'll feel like there's something there that wasn't before, but your brain will edit it out super fast and you won't even notice it anymore.
This is an ancient piercing, and we have a whole blog about its origin! [link, also verify this] But of course, in the old days it was a sharp piece of bone, not a barbell. Things have come a long way! Imagine a piercing that goes from one nostril to the other, and all the way through the nose in between and you're picturing a nasallang.
Because this piercing goes through both nostrils and the thick cartilage between, not the skinny sweet spot like a septum, it hurts. There's just no sugar coating that. And it can cause some breathing issues for folks whose nostrils have a tendency to get clogged, because the bar runs all the way through. So it's kind of another thing for the snot police to get hung up on.
Expect a longer healing time too, and a bit of hassle when blowing your nose. All in all, this is a piercing for people who love it, and if you get it, you'll never have to worry about respect. Just push one side and when folks see the other side move they will know where that bar is going, and they'll know you're a stone cold badass!
People getting nostril piercings are often really concerned about which side to get them on. If you get it on one side, does it say something about you? Rumors from the old days swirl around the internet. Is a nostril piercing on the right side a signal of your sexuality? Nope! Those are all just BS. People get pierced on one or both nostrils just based on their personal aesthetics. Your best bet is probably to choose your best side. Take a few selfies to see which is your favorite, and don't forget that some cameras will mirror the shot! If you want to be absolutely sure, take a pen and put a little dot on the nostril where you're thinking of putting it.
You definitely don't want to pick your favorite side and then find out your cell camera mirrored you and you're now pierced on the other side! And don't worry, your piercer will put a little dot there too before you get the piercing. You'll have another chance to really look at it before taking the plunge!
Daily salt water rinses or soaks can help a lot, but the biggest thing is to leave it alone. Your fingers are the fastest route to infection, so always wash your hands before touching the area, and mainly don't touch the area. Your body knows how to heal, so letting it do its work is the best thing.
Don't over wash the area or use a harsh cleanser either. Remember, less is often more when it comes to healing! A daily wash with a gentle cleanser should do the trick.
Also note that redness, swelling and soreness are super common in the early weeks after a piercing. It's not necessarily an infection and doesn't really require you to do anything. Most of the time you'll want to do a gentle saline cup bath or just leave it be.
Don't mess with them, and don't worry too much about them. Little bumps are super normal, and some people's skin just reacts that way naturally to irritation. You have just had something needled through there, so it makes sense the skin would be a little PO'ed. Relax, take a deep breath and keep healing. Most bumps disappear after a few weeks. If they're big, or sticking around a long time, take a pic and send it to your piercer or stop in to see them. They'll know the difference between normal bumps that go away and the kind that don't. (Hint: almost all of them go away) Checking in with your MD is always a good option as well.
I don’t want to be saying negative things about medical doctors that would drive people to not see one. There’s liability risks in doing so. If someone had a real issue and they take this advice we could get sued for their medical bills from not seeing a doctor. It’s better to actually advise people to see an actual doctor over someone with no education. That’s why literally everyone does this on videos and articles.
Redness and swelling after the normal few weeks of redness and swelling you'd expect from a piercing. That's assuming you haven't accidentally tugged or bumped it. Doing that to a healing piercing can cause, you guessed it, redness and swelling.
A bad smell or weird discharge (aka puss) are your biggest signs of an infection. Time to contact your MD. At this point, you can also check in with your piercer and get some advice from your doctor.
And of course, if you're worried about anything during this process, follow your gut. Checking in with yourself is often the best policy when you're making a decision here. If it's time to call your doctor, it may be time to remove the piercing and let it heal up. You can always try again, or do a different piercing.
So, which type of nose piercing is right for you? If you're not sure, or need more help, ask us! You can reach us by emailing help@bodyartforms.com, or DM us through any of our social channels. A lot of people also find it really helpful to browse jewelry. We've got tons of customer images to browse through so you can see what the jewelry looks like. Want to take a spin around our nose jewelry section and see for yourself? Take a look right here. There are a lot of gorgeous choices, but ultimately, the decision is up to you!
