Contraindications for nose piercing

What is a septum?

Septum is a procedure for piercing the nasal septum at the junction of the cartilage. The history of the emergence of the septum as a type of piercing dates back to ancient times. Previously, various tribes decorated their bodies with piercings, and the septum carried ceremonial rituals. The nasal septum was pierced and huge, massive jewelry was inserted to give importance and importance to the tribe.

There is a version that in wild tribes, when the septum was pierced, small bones of killed animals were inserted into the nose to intimidate enemies.

Nowadays, this type of puncture, as a traditional rite, can be traced among some Asian peoples. For example, if a girl has her septum pierced before her wedding, it is believed that she becomes a more beautiful and desirable bride. And Indian women by getting a nose piercing hope for a quick and easy birth.

In the last few years, the septum has become popular in Western European cultures. And if in the 70s and 80s it was believed that only punks pierced their septums as a sign of protest, today nose rings are becoming part of mainstream fashion. Jewelry becomes thinner, more elegant, and takes on different shapes and configurations.

Nose Piercing Healing Problems

Healing and care tips

This article is intended for people who already have their nose pierced and think they have some sort of healing issue or other problems. If you don't have your nose pierced yet, "All About Nose Piercing" has the best information for you.

Please note, if you just got your nose pierced, it is completely normal for it to be red, swollen, sore, and maybe even bleed a little. I mean, you just got a sharp object shoved across part of your nostril; this kind of reaction can be expected.

If you are worried that something about the piercing was not done correctly, go back and see your piercing. After all, it is his or her job. If you are really worried you have an infection, go to the doctor. They are the best at recognizing this kind of thing.

If you were looking for other information, you can find it below. The Table of Contents below provides links to specific topics.

Nostrils stallion

a simple stud is worn in the nostril piercing. The seam on the outside should be large enough that it will not sink into the piercing itself.

Table of Contents—These links point to specific questions.

Jewelry and Problems Fit Tips for those technical nose piercing issues.
Nose Ring Cleaning Watch a video showing how to carefully clean your nose piercing.
Help, my jewelry is disappearing up my nose! It comes so often, it has its own entrance.
How to Change a Nose Ring A short video demonstrates how to change a nose ring including how to open the ring.
Changing Corkscrew Jewelry See how to put in or take out screw style nose-piercing.
Bumps, Keloids and Scars Bumps and/or scar tissue issues.
How to Recognize an Infection A list of the most common signs and symptoms of an infected piercing.

Nose Ring Cleaning

Jewelry and problems fit

There are a number of issues that people have with a brand new nose piercing that relate to their choice of jewelry. All of this can be avoided if you choose a hoop or ring to start with and make sure it's gold or surgical steel.

Fit Too Tight: Many nose studs, especially those from evil piercing weapons, are very short and fit too tightly into the nostril. The initial swelling that follows the piercing can cause them to sink deep into the nose, cutting off air to healing and making the piercing impossible to clean properly. This can add to the likelihood of scar tissue formation (bruises) or infection.

No Support: I often receive emails from people who have had back studs placed in nose piercings and then sought help after the jewelry fell out or was pulled out by accident. The moral of the story here is that jewelry without support will often not stay in place. Initially it may, especially if the new piercing is swollen, as this can cause the jewelry to become very tight, but when it goes down, the back thorns fall out easily, especially at night when you are sleeping.

Black signs: There is really only one situation that causes this, and it wears silver in nose healing. The silver tarnishes (it is black), and that tarnish rubs into the skin healingly, leaving stains that will be in the skin forever. I believe the only way you can get rid of this would be to see a dermatologist, who may have some way to remove stained skin, but you will probably have to give up the piercing to be able to heal the wounds from the skin procedure.

How to Change a Nose Ring

Help, my jewelry is disappearing up my nose!

If you have a new nose piercing, jewelry embedded in it, or even one end of it disappeared inside it, it means that you have chosen a poorly trained body piercer to do your nose. Sad but true.

Pierced noses become swollen and the size of the piercing channel is not stable. When I first started getting piercings in the late 1980s, body piercers seemed to know this. Nowadays, many people get nose piercings with little or no preparation, and this is literally hurting their clients.

The jewelry that you start with a new nose piercing should not be as small as you can get.

This is why a reputable piercer will refuse to put on a small bar and why ring style jewelry is highly recommended to begin with. This prevents the jewelry from being pulled into the piercing. After the nose has healed (after 3 months), you can reconsider the size of the piercing and select small jewelry.

If you have a bar that goes into the piercing, you should go back to where you got pierced and ask to change the jewelry to something longer lasting and with a larger outer bead, or better yet, get a small nose ring.

Changing Corkscrew Jewelry

Lumps, Keloids and Scars

If there's one question I get asked more than any other, it's about bumps, keloids, and scar tissue. As the popularity of nose piercings has spread, unfortunately, so has the number of piercers who are not properly taught how to properly pierce (no ear piercing guns!), Fit jewelry (rings are really a good place to start with), or caring for nose healing (lots of piercings, telling people that they not only love with their ears, but this is not true).

What are keloids anyway? Keloids are scar tissue that grows beyond a wound to form a lump. These bumps of scar tissue sometimes appear right next to a people's nose piercing if there was a lot of trauma during the piercing, if the starter jewelry fits too tightly, or if they are genetically predisposed to forming keloid scars. The bumps may start showing right away, or they may suddenly appear a few days or weeks later. It's not uncommon for them to show off through snags or after a painful jewelry change.

If it's not a pimple, don't squeeze it!

And if a bump appears next to your new piercing, never assume it's a pimple.

It would seem that many teenagers think that any bump that forms on their face is meant to be cleaned up. Pimples are pores blocked by a build-up of dirt and sebum. They are often red from inflammation, or white, like oil in the head. The bumps that form next to the nose piercing are very often not pimples, and the best evidence is that they bleed when touched.

If this happens, never do it again! Apply some antibacterial ointment to the wound. If the lump is still there and the wound is healing, begin to treat it as a keloid, which is the most common form of scar tissue that forms along with the nose piercing, and leave it alone.

How to recognize an infection

Trauma to the tissues of the nose piercing causes some redness, soreness and swelling, which may not appear until a day or two after the initial piercing. Being sore and a little red after having a nose piercing is completely normal.

It is when you have all of the following symptoms that you most likely have a problem.

Infections are most often characterized by:

Increased redness
Increased tenderness and pain
Increasing swelling
Discharge that has a yellowish or greenish color

To treat an infection, you need to keep your skin clean (this includes your hands, touching it, and the pillowcase you sleep on!) and apply an antibacterial treatment (ointment or cream) to kill the infection.

If you think you have an infection, you should really go back to see your projectile again or see a doctor! I'm not a medical professional and can't tell you for sure if you have an infection or not based on a comment or description!

Who does the septum suit?

There are no specific clear criteria by which one can determine who gets the septum and who doesn’t. But there are some nuances that should be observed so as not to look ridiculous. Since the septum is a puncture of the nasal septum, it can visually lengthen the nose. Therefore, if you have a long, sharp nose, you should select your jewelry with special care. There are no criteria based on gender either: septum is done by both girls and the male part of the population.

How is a septum pierced?

An important aspect of piercing is the correct puncture. Both further healing and the amount of pain that a person will experience during the procedure depend on this. The septum is pierced in the lower part of the nose, without touching the nasal cartilage. They try to make the puncture as low as possible to the tip of the nose, since that is where the thinnest part of the nasal septum is located.

Only a qualified technician can pierce the septum correctly.

At the same time, if you make a puncture too low, choosing a massive and heavy jewelry, then constant friction will cause destruction of the septum and, possibly, surgical intervention will be required.

Is it painful to get a septum piercing?

The question about possible pain is ambiguous, so it is impossible to answer it specifically. When assessing the pain scale, a number of accompanying factors are taken into account, because all people have different pain thresholds: some “squeak from a mosquito bite,” while others do not pay attention to a broken knee.

There is an opinion that men have a higher pain threshold - they are more tolerant and resilient.

The skill and experience of the person doing the septum piercing plays a decisive role in the piercing process. An experienced master, distracting with conversations, will quickly and accurately find the right puncture site, while reducing all pain to a minimum.

Consequences of the puncture procedure

You need to be prepared that unpleasant symptoms and complications may occur after the puncture. Almost all patients begin to have a headache that lasts 2-3 days. It worsens in the evening. Other consequences of a puncture:

Increased body temperature. It goes away after a few days and is caused by residual pus in the maxillary sinuses.
Nasal congestion. Eliminated with drops, sprays and regular washing. Disappears after 2-3 days.
Purulent discharge from the nose. Regular rinsing helps to completely clear your sinuses.
Nosebleeds. Appear immediately after the procedure. If the bleeding does not stop, the doctor prescribes special medications and tamponade.
Deterioration of vision. Caused by air blockage of a blood vessel in the maxillary sinuses.
Change in taste. Occurs due to the inflammatory process and poor air circulation. During the recovery process, taste qualities will be completely restored.
Runny nose. May bother you for some time during the rehabilitation period. If you do not follow the recommendations and refuse to take medications, sinusitis will return.
Facial pain. It occurs due to mechanical damage to the facial nerve or a decrease in the patient’s pain threshold.
Swelling of the nose. Occurs due to injury to the nasal sinus.

In some cases, the puncture causes a complication, for example, an inflammatory process in the frontal sinuses (frontitis).

After the puncture, it is not recommended to visit the sauna. Hot and dry air will cause severe nosebleeds. Visits can be restored only after complete recovery. You need to blow your nose and cleanse your nose after the procedure very carefully and no earlier than 3-4 hours later.

Is it possible to pierce a septum yourself?

Piercing the nasal septum at home is quite possible. Another question is whether it is worth doing it yourself at home or should you go to a salon and see a specialist? But if, for some reason, you decide to experiment on your own, then you should follow certain rules:

sterility (hands must be thoroughly washed, and all instruments involved in the process must be disinfected);
absence of infectious diseases (you cannot have a nose piercing while you have a runny nose, have a fever, or are taking blood thinning medications);
It is prohibited to take alcohol and potent drugs.

A puncture of the nasal septum should be protected from accidental injury, dirt, and dust from cosmetics until it is completely healed.

You must clearly know where exactly the piercing needs to be done and how to do it correctly. First, you need to grab yourself with your fingers at the intended puncture site, feeling the cartilage, one of which is the nasal septum, and the second is the lowermost part of the nose. We must not touch any of these cartilages, but make a puncture exactly between them. If everything is done correctly and quickly, you will experience minimal pain.

The septum is punctured using a special piercing needle. The puncture site must be treated with a disinfectant. A special clamp is installed, the main thing is that it is installed evenly. Next, a puncture is made and the selected decoration is inserted.

A change of jewelry can occur no earlier than a month after the piercing and, preferably, after a preliminary examination by a specialist.

The septum takes quite a long time to heal: from 6 to 8 weeks. In this case, you need to treat the wound daily with disinfectants.

When should you absolutely not do it?

For the first two or three days after the piercing, you should not wash your hair, go to the pool, sauna, bathhouse, beach, or swim in ponds. You should also refrain from physical activity and active sports.

Do not apply decorative cosmetics, especially foundation, to the puncture site! Categorically.

If you do not follow the specialist’s recommendations after a puncture, or touch the puncture site with dirty hands, be prepared for complications. This is entirely your responsibility. In this case, claims to the master will not be accepted. Don't think that in the worst case scenario you can just remove the jewelry and everything will be OK, it's not true. With your own irresponsibility and stupidity, you can get an infection and/or a scar at the puncture site.

For the first 2 weeks, the decoration in the wing of the nose must be sealed at night with a plaster (I will show you what kind) so that it does not fall out during sleep. In the future, the channel will shrink and will hold the decoration itself.

Every day, 2 times - morning and evening, and best of all before taking water procedures - you should treat the puncture site on both sides with special means (I will tell you which ones), as shown in Fig. A and B above. After applying the product, move the jewelry as shown in Fig. C - without removing it.

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with Lump in the ear in adults

3-4 days after the piercing, it is necessary to regularly rotate the jewelry in both directions. This is necessary to avoid stagnation in the channel, as well as to expand it.

Any surgical intervention, including piercing, has its contraindications. These include:

Acute processes or a state of exacerbation of chronic diseases.
Diabetes.
Disorders of the blood coagulation system.
Tendency to allergic reactions.
Conditions accompanied by a decrease in immune status.
Diseases requiring constant use of hormonal drugs.

According to statistics provided by English doctors who studied the consequences of piercing, complications after the procedure can occur in 30% of cases. Of these, in more than half of the cases, patients require qualified medical care. A balanced, reasonable approach to your health, correct prioritization, will help you avoid making the wrong hasty decisions that can negatively affect your future life.

There are several types of nasal piercing; depending on their complexity, the consequences after the manipulation will vary. The most common and simplest nostril piercing. It allows you to wear different jewelry - rings, labrets.

The following puncture options are available:

Septum - a piercing of the nasal septum is made through either the cartilage or the soft tissue next to it.
Bridge. Jewelry is inserted into the bridge of the nose. Can be horizontal or vertical.
Nose tip piercing. With such a puncture in the nose, the cartilage is not injured. Looks like an Austin Bar - horizontal piercing of the tip of the nose.
Septril is a type of septum. The jewelry extends down from the nasal septum.
Nosalang is a combination of punctures of both wings of the nose and its septum. One decoration in the form of a barbell is inserted into the holes.

Septum, provided that the piercing is done through cartilage, requires more careful care. The puncture will take quite a long time to heal, about six months.

Septril is a rather complex puncture that requires special skills from the master. Since you first need to pierce the nasal septum, and then slightly stretch it and remove the jewelry through the puncture in the lower front part of the nose.

Where to pierce the septum?

Septum is one of the rather complex and painful procedures for piercing the face. Therefore, despite the fact that this type of piercing can be done at home, it is still recommended to contact a professional piercer with extensive experience. When the procedure is performed by a specialist, the likelihood of a puncture with the least sensation of pain will increase significantly.

The price of a puncture may vary depending on the salon, but on average it is 1500-2000 rubles.

Nose piercing for sinusitis

Sinusitis is a disease of the maxillary sinus, which is characterized by inflammation of the mucous membrane. The causative agents of the process can be viruses, bacteria, fungi. The disease is accompanied by nasal congestion, bursting pain in the maxillary sinus, and deterioration of the general condition.

If, despite attempts at treatment, the temperature and headaches persist, doctors recommend performing a sinus puncture. After the pathological secretion has been evacuated, the patient's condition is significantly improved. The procedure helps to clarify the diagnosis, examine the purulent contents and administer the medicine directly into the paranasal sinus.

Indications for puncture

Sinus piercing is done in the following cases:

headaches, discomfort in the eye area and sinus projection site;
within a week the medications taken do not produce results;
unclear diagnosis;
the temperature remains for a long time;
X-ray showed a horizontal level in the sinuses;
unpleasant smell in the nose;
the excretory anastomosis is blocked.

Before performing a puncture, the doctor must evaluate a number of factors: general health, the presence of contraindications, and the clinical picture.

Features of the event

The sinus puncture is done in stages:

Anemization of the mucous membrane. To put it simply, vasoconstrictor drops are used to reduce swelling. This improves visibility and enhances the effect of local anesthesia.
Anesthesia. Patients are usually given an injection. Novocaine or Lidocaine is used. General anesthesia is used extremely rarely, this applies to cases of complications that complicate the operation. Sometimes superficial anesthesia is performed, which means that an anesthetic cream is applied to the skin or a cotton swab soaked in an anesthetic is placed.
Puncture. Piercing is carried out with a special needle, which is inserted to a depth of approximately one centimeter. The patient feels a crunch. After the specialist is convinced that the tip of the needle is in the right place, a syringe is attached and the purulent contents are sucked out. Finally, the doctor will rinse the sinus and administer an antibacterial, antifungal, or antiviral medication. In order for the rinsing solution to pour into the tray, the patient tilts his head down and slightly forward.

After the procedure, the catheter may be left in the hole for several days. This will allow for daily rinsing, which will increase the effectiveness of the puncture.

Washing is carried out in several stages:

injection of saline into the sinus;
extracting the washing solution;
a prepared saline solution is injected into the sinus, after which the person lies on his side for one minute;
then the paranasal sinus is washed with the solution again;
A course of antibiotic therapy is prescribed for two weeks.

Complications after puncture

Despite the fact that a puncture is a minimally invasive procedure, it is still a surgical intervention associated with the risks of unpleasant complications:

bleeding. Minor bleeding can be stopped using a tampon moistened with a vasoconstrictor, as well as the introduction of a hemostatic sponge. In case of severe bleeding, anterior tamponade is indicated;
penetration of fluid into the orbit. This can cause inflammation and impaired mobility of the eye muscles;
hematoma inside the bone;
cheek inflammation;
soft tissue swelling;
otitis;
meningitis;
hypotension, fainting, shock.

Decorations for septum

Let's consider suitable types of earrings for this type of piercing.

Circulars

clicker - a type of piercing earring similar to a latch that produces a characteristic clicking sound when closed;
barbell - an earring that has a straight rod onto which tips in the shape of balls or cones are screwed on both sides. But tips or wraps are a decorative element not only on the barbell. You can also transform banana, micro banana and circular. Thanks to their diversity, they add sophistication, beauty and individuality to the decoration.
circulars - earrings shaped like a crescent, with decorative tips screwed onto the ends;
banana - a curved decoration shaped like a fruit;
microbanana is an original and stylish decoration, installed so that only a small part of the wrap is visible from the sinuses. The minimum thickness of such decoration is 1.2 mm, and the length starts from 8 mm.

Clicker

As mentioned above, the choice of piercing jewelry is huge. But don’t forget one main rule – the jewelry for the first piercing must be chosen by the master. Individually selecting the size, type and material from which the earring will be made.

Clickers for girls

Does it hurt to get a piercing?

This is perhaps one of the most common questions that worries patients with sinusitis. For this reason, patients often refuse a puncture. But in reality, everything is not so scary. The doctor performs the manipulation under local anesthesia. Anesthetics are known to relieve pain.

After the purulent secretion has been extracted, an antiseptic solution is poured into the sinus and at this moment the patient feels distension. This discomfort occurs for a short time.

The question here is more about how everyone will configure themselves. It’s not for nothing that they say that fear has big eyes. There is no need to set yourself up for bad things.

Septum: consequences

When carrying out the piercing procedure, any experienced specialist will warn about possible problems, advise and give recommendations on how to properly care for the piercing in order to avoid adverse consequences.

The most common complication when getting any type of piercing is infection at the puncture site. To prevent this from happening, precautions must be taken. Use sterile gloves and instruments, treat the wound daily with Miramistin or chlorhexidine solution.

Another unpleasant detail of poor-quality piercing can be keloid scars formed at the puncture site. Scars are accompanied by unpleasant pain, redness, burning and itching. If you experience any discomfort associated with the piercing, you should immediately consult a doctor to avoid worse consequences.

The master is also obliged to warn you that all types of piercing carry the risk of contracting hepatitis, HIV and other diseases. In the modern world, with the use of disposable needles and disinfectants, this risk is minimized, but it still exists, and you must be aware of it.

Treatment after puncture

After puncturing the maxillary sinus and washing it with an aseptic solution, the disease still persists in the body for some time.

For complete recovery, it is necessary to continue taking antibiotics for 5-7 days to combat residual infection.
To reduce swelling of inflamed tissues, antihistamines are prescribed.
The next stage in the fight against the disease will be strengthening local and general immunity. For general effects, vitamin complexes and traditional medicine are used. Physiotherapeutic procedures are well suited to strengthen and restore local resistance: UHF, electrophoresis with a medicinal substance, inhalation.

In conclusion, I would like to note that the occurrence of a headache after a puncture of the maxillary sinus may not always be associated with this manipulation and have a completely different origin. It’s just that many people tend to look for reasons in the manipulations performed due to fear of complications. In any case, contacting a specialist and conducting a comprehensive examination will help to promptly determine the source of the syndrome and eliminate it.

Photo of septum

Below you can see photos of septum piercings for guys and girls.