The most common gauge, or thickness, for nostril jewelry is 18, though 20-gauge or 16-gauge may also be used. The higher the number, the smaller the gauge. For example, a 20-gauge is the thinnest and a 16-gauge is the thickest. Facial piercings are generally done at smaller gauges for aesthetic reasons, while piercings on the body are thicker.
Nostril Piercing Procedure
A professional piercer uses a surgical scrub to clean the inside and outside of your nostril. He marks a small dot in the crease at the side using a purple antiseptic solution called "Gentian violet" or a marker called a "skin scribe." He inserts a metal receiving tube inside the nostril to catch the needle and keep it from nicking the septum. He pierces straight through the nostril with a hollow needle the same size as the jewelry. He hooks the jewelry into the needle and pulls it into the piercing as he pulls the needle out.
Appropriate Nostril Jewelry
The two pieces of jewelry commonly used for initial nostril piercings are nostril screws and captive bead rings. A nostril screw looks like a straight pin with a blunt end. The piercer measures the thickness of your nostril and bends the end of the pin into a "U" shape with pliers. The screw goes straight through the nose, with the curve holding it in place inside the nostril. A "C"-shaped captive bead ring uses pressure to hold a bead between its two prongs.
Nostril Aftercare and Healing Time
According to the Association of Professional Piercers, you should soak new piercings once or twice a day, for five to 10 minutes at a time, in a saline solution made of 1 cup of warm bottled water and 1/4 tsp. non-iodized sea salt. For nostril piercings, soaking is best accomplished by making a compress out of sterile gauze or cotton and holding it against the piercing. Use the same solution on a cotton swab to clean inside the nostril. After soaking, wash the piercing with an antimicrobial soap such as Technicare, Satin or Provon. With proper aftercare, a nostril piercing will heal in about six months.
Gun Piercing
Piercing guns are inappropriate for piercing any part of the body, as they create a hole using blunt force trauma and cannot be autoclave sterilized. An autoclave is a machine that uses high-pressure steam to kill all viable microorganisms on an object's surface. Not only will a piercing gun melt if exposed to the heat of an autoclave, a piercing stud is too short to wear in the nostril. Piercing stud backs are difficult to remove from inside the nose and may become embedded when the nostril swells.
Potential Risks
Nostril piercings performed by a professional piercer trained in facial anatomy and sterile procedure have very little risk of infection, provided you follow the aftercare instructions diligently. The most common cause of infection is touching the jewelry without washing your hands. Some swelling, soreness and redness in the days following a piercing is normal. If your piercing excretes pus or feels hot to the touch, you may have an infection. If you experience fever or chills, go to the emergency room immediately.
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