Nose Rings and Piercings
Ranked #204 in Fashion & Beauty, #3,675 overall
Nose piercing has been a part of various world cultures for hundreds of years
It's only been in the last two decades that nose piercing has gained a mainstream popularity in Western culture. Presently, it is the second most-popular body piercing desired by teens and young adults, after ear piercings. Due to the piercing being through cartilage and not soft tissue, nose piercings take a bit more care to heal properly than ears, and they can be more likely to develop scar tissue or have other healing issues. Unfortunately the explosion in popularity of this piercing has led to too many mall piercing huts doing noses without knowing just how tricky these piercings can be, and a lot of people aren't getting the sort of in-depth information that would help them have a more successful healing experience.
This lens will tell you about nose piercings, give some history, offer advice on healing and aftercare, and makes some recommendations for nose rings and jewelry. And be sure to let you opinion be known in the debate about nose piercings in the workplace!
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get info about...
table of contents
- Take the Piercing Poll!
- Information About Piercing Your Nose
- Nostril Piercing
- The Nose Knows
- Nose Rings - body jewelry
- Which "Side" Should You Get Pierced?
- Septum Piercing
- Nostril Screws - body jewelry
- Piercing "Guns" Are BAD! - Learn Why Here
- Aftercare and Piercing FAQs
- Nose Pins and L-Bars - body jewelry
- The Earl or Bridge Piercing
- Nose Piercing Prejudice
- Nose Piercing and Personal Rights
- Nose Piercing Videos
- Ask the Nose Piercing Lensmaster!
Take the Piercing Poll!
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Information About Piercing Your Nose
Friction from a too-tight or too-large nose stud or ring, an accidental yank or snag, or even some people's genetic predispositions can cause a type of scar tissue, called a keloid, to form on healing nose piercings. This is that "bump" that everyone always talks about. Reading up on piercing care and knowing how to take care of your healing nose can really help avoid things like infections and keloids (aka "the bump).
Remember to ask your body piercer how to take care of your new nose piercing BEFORE you get your nose pierced. This is important because some people get sort of dizzy or feel a head rush from piercing, and it can make it harder to remember the aftercare info if you talk afterwards. (really!)
Also, many states have rules and regulations about ages and nose piercings. Be prepared to have legal ID, a legal guardian and their legal ID on hand to get your nose pierced in some states.
Nose PiercingsBy Rae Schwarz
Many people decide get their nose pierced and then have a lot of questions afterwards. Educate yourself before you get pierced and have a better experience. Learn why piercing guns are bad and get tips for getting rid of keloids.
Price: $4.95
Nostril Piercing
the common nose ring
The most commonly pierced place on the nose is somewhere along the rim of the nostril. Placement is most often at the peak of the curved edge.Jewelry is most often a small stud or ring. For healing a nose piercing, wearing a ring allows the piercing to be cleaned more easily. Whatever is worn, it's best to wear gold or steel during the 3 month healing period. Do NOT wear sterling silver as it has the unfortunate side effect of leave a permanent black mark on your nose.
The most common complaint about nose piercings is that, like many other cartilage piercings, these can form a keloid, a bump-like type of scar tissue. This is most often due to friction or continuous irritation of the piercing.
As common as this piercing has become, they aren't as easy to heal as most young people assume. Many people do not truly anticipate what it's going to be like to have what is really a healing wound on their face for two to three months.
It often helps to try not to sleep facedown and to change your pillowcase more often while healing a nose piercing. Do not put rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide on a healing nose piercing as both can burn the raw tissues inside the piercing and increase irritation.
The Nose Knows
links to more nose piercing info
- Nose Piercings
- Details of the nostril and septum piercing, types of jewelry, healing and aftercare, keloids
- Nose Piercings - Ebook
- Nose piercing has been practiced by many cultures both ancient and modern. Learning about this popular body piercing before you get pierced often makes for a more enjoyable and succesful piercing experience.
- All About Nose Piercings
- Learn more about the types of nose piercings (nostril, septum and bridge), jewelry (rings, bones, studs, screws), see how nose piercings are done and get healing and aftercare advice.
- Adorning the nose
- Nose speaks for the face. If Mother Nature has carefully shaped it, then everything else is put in its proper place. A well-chiseled nose adds beauty to a woman's face. A tiny nose stud makes it more beautiful.
- Piercings - Sepia Mutiny
- I had recently gone to a Bengali family party, and was sitting on the floor talking to an older auntie type, when I noticed she had something gold in her nose. I asked her what it was, and with a little pull here and there, she pulled out a punk-rock style gold septum ring.
- Nostril Piercing - BME Encyclopedia
- The nostril piercing is, on a global and historical level, the most common piercing next to the earlobe piercing.
- nose rings
- Although nose rings are very common in India, they actually originated in the Middle East. It was only during the 16th century that the practice of piercing the nose filtered into India....
- Nose piercing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Nose piercing is the piercing of the skin or cartilage which forms any part of the nose, normally for the purpose of wearing jewelry; among the different varieties of nose piercings, the nostril piercing is the most common. Nose piercing is one of the most common varieties of piercing after earlobe piercing.
- get a nose ring on 43 Things
- Chat, message and meet over 150 people who want to get a nose ring
- Piercings, Body Piercing
- Body piercing has become very popular, trendy and fashionable. Body piercing greatly varies with multiple hoops up, around, and inside the ear, or studs and rings sticking out of the tongue, eyebrow, nostril, belly-button and lips.
Nose Rings - body jewelry
Which "Side" Should You Get Pierced?
It's an URBAN MYTH that somehow getting one side of your nose pieced or the other has some sort of special meaning. Whichever side you decide to get pierced is just your personal preference, nothing more. Any of your friends who tell you differently are just spreading internet rumors.
Septum Piercing
Sometimes nicknamed the "bull ring" piercing, the nose is also sometimes pierced through the cartilage that separates the chambers of the nose, the septum. This piercing is more common in tribal peoples. Reasons for this peircing were to imitate totem animals, to bring luck and to keep evil spirits from entering the body by coming in through the nose.This piercing can be made invisible by wearing a U-shaped piece of jewelry with the ends flipped up into the nose.
Nostril Screws - body jewelry
a type of jewelry that was tradionally worn in India for pierced noses
You want to avoid sterling silver for any fresh or still-healing nose piercings because the silver tarnishing not only can cause or increase irritation in the healing piercing, it can also trigger a condition where the healing skin is permanently stained with a dark color.
You should not start out with anything nylon or plastic in a fresh piercing, as those surfaces tend to cause adverse skin reactions and interfere with healing. They are fine for piercings that have fully-healed. So, don't think about getting a new nose piercing and then hiding it on the job. It really doesn't work well.
How to Wear a Nostril Screw - This jewelry starts out by twisting into place. Rotate the nostril screw so that the curled part of the wire pokes through your nose. Once you get the curl turned through the piercing, rotate the jewelry so that the straight part pops into place inside your nose. The curl should now be parallel to your nostril, hidden on the inside of your nose and should hold the jewelry in place securely but without digging into your nose too tightly.
Piercing "Guns" Are BAD! - Learn Why Here
Piercing guns are very bad for noses because they were not made to pierce noses, they pierce using a very blunt stud (increases chances of scarring), the jewelry fits too tightly (increases chances of infection) and, most importantly, they are NOT sterilized properly in between customers so as to prevent the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C!
Do yourself a favor and do NOT get your nose pierced this way!
Aftercare and Piercing FAQs
- All About Nose Piercings
- Learn more about the types of nose piercings (nostril, septum and bridge), jewelry (rings, bones, studs, screws), see how nose piercings are done and get healing and aftercare advice.
- Nose Piercing FAQ
- Frequently asked nose piercing questions. Should you be worried if you got your nose pierced with an earring gun? Is there anything you can do for a pierced nose that just won't heal? Can you pierce your nose at home?
- How To Remove A Nose Ring
- Remove a Nose Ring or Stud Whether you've outgrown your nose pierce, or simply feel the need for a change, the removal process is pretty straightforward. Expect the hole to leave its mark, though - a legacy to the period you're leaving behind.
- Go Ask Alice!: Nose piercing
- Dear Alice, I am a first-year student and I want to get my nose pierced. This isn't just a whim; I've wanted one for a long time. However, I know that there will come a time when the ring will look juvenile on me. My question: will such a hole close up fairly quickly, without leaving an ugly scar?
- NOSE PIERCING AFTERCARE
- History, Jewelry, Gun vs Needle and more
Nose Pins and L-Bars - body jewelry
more nose piercing jewelry
L-bars however have a tiny bend, often smaller than a nostril screw and this holds the stud in place. Nose pins are a straight post with no form of backing, and those either stay in place for you, or they don't. I think both styles are much more viable for nose jewelry options. The best is a tiny ring or the nostril screws listed above.
The Earl or Bridge Piercing
A modern nose piercing that's been invented is sometimes called the "earl" or bridge piercing and involves a barbell being pierced through the skin over the bridge of the nose. The only part of the body jewelry visible are the two balls on the ends of the bar, which rest on either side of the nose.Facial movement and surface tension makes this a difficult piercing to heal for some people. Others abandon the piercing as having the balls just inside their field of vision becomes annoying.
This piercing got the name "earl" from one of the first people who ever got this piercing. Earl played the tattooed and pierced elder on the vampire high council in the first Blade movie, wearing his own body art, not makeup, for the role.
Nose Piercing Prejudice
If you aren't up to withstanding any of these prejudgments, don't get your nose pierced.
Some people switch out metal jewelry for retainers when they have to deal with certain work or family situations. This type of jewelry is made out of clear acrylic, so as to be of a lower visual profile than metal. These are only appropriate for piercings that are completely finished healing, as the plastics sometimes interact badly with still-healing skin surfaces.
Nose Piercing and Personal Rights
Where do you stand on the issue?
Welcome to the debate on nose piercings! Let us know whether you think nose piercings have an effect on how someone does their job. (when you start to type an answer, the buttons that let you pick the pro or con option will appear)
Do you think it's discrimination when people are forced to take out their nose rings for work?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byYes, it's unfair. Piercings are unrelated to job performance and professionalism.
jayde says:
it dumb im not any lesser of a person just cause i have a nose stud!
Posted January 28, 2012
Dan says:
It has no impact on how well a person performs at work, as long as the piercing is covered when doing practical work (e.g. working with animals). An employer can't discriminate against an applicant based on the colour of their hair, or their skin, so why is it okay to discriminate against people with a nose piercing?
Posted November 07, 2011
Jenny says:
Yes, I do. Having jewelry does not mean anyting when it comes to your work. Especially nowdays when many people are getting nose rings. The only way I could understand is if you were working with food, or you had a hoop and worked in security/police force.
Posted October 11, 2011
nICKIE says:
yes i think it is discrimination. as long as it a small stud it should be ok to have your nose piercing in at work!
Posted September 27, 2011
No, the employer/biz has the right to set a dress code, even if it violates your religion or personal beliefs.
GJ says:
Its not really discrimination as both males and females are forced and there no specific discrimatory matter. But i do feel its relative to the type of workplace the person is in, because who would want to find a dirty unsterilised nose stud hidden in their sandwhich? its completely different if they were to work within an office place not necessarily customer facing...But has no effect on a persons performance or professionalism at all.
Posted December 28, 2011
Frank2009 says:
I like piercings, but i cannot use piercings in my daily job. When i'm meeting customers for my own company, i cannot have any piercings at all. In Germany they will send you to the door directly for that.. :)
Posted October 29, 2011
rm2 says:
I SAY IT IS MY RIGHT TO HIRE WHOM I SEE FIT FOR THE JOB, AND MY DRESS CODE !!!!!!!!!!! I DONT CARE WHO YOU ARE TO TELL ME WHO I SHOULD HIRE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IF I DONT LIKE PIERCINGS--HAIR STYLE OR THE COLOR OF YOUR EYES THATS MY RIGHT TO DECIDE WHO GETS THE JOB..... RM2
Posted September 15, 2011
theresa says:
An emploer has every right to. It is their bussiness. I work in a daycare and I am a nursing student. My teachers and bosses know I have my septum and tounge pierced they are fine with it and dont judge me for it. However during clinical time I need to flip up the septum and put in a retainer in my tounge simply because the patients may not like it and could reflect poorly on the hospital. At the daycare I only flip up the septum because it may scare the children and I dont think the parents want that around the children.
So pretty much its not how the person in charge thinks about it but how it could hurt their bussiness. If they have no customers you have no job.
Posted August 31, 2011
Nose Piercing Videos
See what getting your nose pierced is like
Ask the Nose Piercing Lensmaster!
questions and answers about nose piercings
Got a nose piercing question? If it's a brief one, you can ask it here. Questions that are addressed by something written in the lens already will get deleted to cut down on repetition.
It's also a good idea to read through past questions to see if someone has already asked what you wish to ask about, as that might get you your answer right away!
Please note, I can NOT answer the following questions:
- how much will it hurt? (no clue, that all depends on your own perceptions and physical tolerance)
- how much do piercings cost? (go ask a piercer)
- how will something heal? (your own body's healing process and how diligent you are taking care of your nose can't be predicted)
- is this infected? (go see a doctor for a medical diagnosis)
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Nic
Jan 27, 2012 @ 7:52 pm | delete
- I've had my nose pierced for over 4 years now, but i notice it has this odor sometimes even though i clean it everyday with soap, water and alcohol. Is there any way to get rid of this gross smell? and, what type of material of a nose ring you recommend? gold, steel, sterling silver? thanks..any suggestions is much appreciated.
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relache
Jan 30, 2012 @ 10:59 am | delete
- The smell is from the skin reacting to the jewelry, and not quite being able to breathe. It's quite common for a lot of piercings. Cleaning simply every day is the best you can do, but not overstripping the skin with alcohol might actually help lessen the problem. Try wearing non-reactive metals: surgical stainless steel, titanium or gold.
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Miranda
Jan 27, 2012 @ 7:44 pm | delete
- Hi, I was planning on getting a nose piercing but after reading this page I am worried about getting a Keloid. The cartilage in my ear was peirced a few years back and I ended up getting a keloid that was then surgically removed. I've also had a belly button peircing that healed too well, and once the jewlery came out, it was out for good. My question to you is whether it is worth me getting this peircing? I do really want it, but at the same time am I at higher risk of another keloid? Thanks
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relache
Jan 30, 2012 @ 10:57 am | delete
- You might want to see a dermatologist and find out if you have a genetic/biological predisposition to keloids. That's the only way to know for sure.
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unique
Jan 22, 2012 @ 3:28 pm | delete
- i found a gold nose ring can i wear it if i clean it
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relache
Jan 30, 2012 @ 10:57 am | delete
- How do you really know the ring is true gold? It could be a poor quality mix of materials. However, in the end, the choice is yours.
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Jack
Jan 13, 2012 @ 1:29 am | delete
- Wont getting a hoop in the beginning cause the hole to shape roundish like so in the end a stud wouldn't be possible to put it?
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relache
Jan 30, 2012 @ 10:56 am | delete
- It can. However, once fully healed, I've never had a piercing where you couldn't swap between the two shapes.
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Sarah
Jan 13, 2012 @ 1:17 am | delete
- I currently got my nose pierced 2 weeks ago. I had the stud and the lady said I could change it a week later so i did. Now i wanted to put the stud back on and its not going through. But it goes through perfectly with the hoop but not the stud. DId the hoop make the inside shape differently or something? HELP! HOW CAN I GET THE STUD BACK IN?
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relache
Jan 30, 2012 @ 10:55 am | delete
- Noses take several months to heal and taking the jewelry out too soon often results in the fresh piercing collapsing shut, sometimes as soon as nothing is inside it. So part of of your problem is probably coming from the piecing closing down. The other thing is that fresh piercings take on the shape of the jewelry in them, being slightly curved for hoops and being straight for studs. It's not until they are healed that it's easier to swap between the two shapes. Put your hoop back in until it heals (about 3 months) and then try a stud then.
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Sam
Jan 7, 2012 @ 12:35 am | delete
- After the peircing has healed, if you don't wear anything n the hole how long will it take to close up, and will it leave a mark?
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relache
Jan 10, 2012 @ 12:59 pm | delete
- No one can predict just how you are going to heal, Sam. How quickly a piercing might close after being healed actually varies from person to person based on how long they had the piercing and how their body heals. Same goes for if you see a dimple where the piercing used to be or not.
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Sade
Jan 3, 2012 @ 10:49 pm | delete
- Hi, I got my nose pierced 3 months ago, finally changed from the hook into a gold nose bone...realized something felt wierd...i could move the shaft up and down, but found that I couldn't get the nose bone completely out, and a bump formed in my nose (hadn't completely engulfed the ball of the nose bone). I finally got it out, the top bled a little, and the bump popped. I cleaned everything again, and put it back in, and everything felt okay. I also noticed the hole seemed to conformed to the smaller gauge (smh wasnt my intention at all). I went back to my piercer, he didn't even look at it once he heard I had a nose bone in. He asked if I could get the original 16 gauge hooked ring he placed initially back in my nose, but I told him no. (I could never get that thing back in, hence why I bought the nose bone because it was easier to get in and out. Also, the reason I left the nosebone in for 5 days because I tried to get that hook back in literally 2 mins after I put the nose bone in, but I couldn't get the hang of it). Anyway, he wants me to take the nose bone out for about a month, and get the piercing re-done. Is this really necessary or can I just try a different ring and call it a day?
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relache
Jan 10, 2012 @ 12:58 pm | delete
- The problem with nose bones is that the post is smaller than the balled ends, and the piercings do tend to shrink down to the size of the post and then you wind up ripping the jewelry out as the only way to remove it. Choice of what to do is yours.
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Emily
Dec 18, 2011 @ 12:37 am | delete
- I've had a nose stud in for almost two years now, I wanted to switch to a fitted nose ring but I was told that I couldn't because noses that were pierced for studs can't be switched for a fitted nose ring. Is that true?
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