A nostril piercing goes through a thick piece of cartilage, which takes longer to heal than a flap of skin like an earlobe. Nostril piercings can heal in as little as three months, but often take up to six months. Because the nostril is lined with mucous membranes, the inside of a healed piercing can close within days, or within hours if the piercing is new.
Nostril Piercing Procedure
A professional piercer uses surgical scrub to cleanse 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, then hooks the jewelry into the needle and pulls it into the piercing as he pulls the needle out.
Nostril Piercing Aftercare
The Association of Professional Piercers recommends soaking 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 facial piercings, it is easiest to make a compress out of sterile gauze and hold it against the piercing. The inside of the nostril is cleaned with the same solution on the end of a cotton swab. After soaking, the outside of the piercing should be washed with an antimicrobial soap such as Satin or Provon.
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.
What to Do if Your Piercing Closes
A 4-week-old nostril piercing that has had the jewelry left out for a day or more might have closed to the point that it requires reopening with a taper. If you want to try reinserting your jewelry yourself, wash the piercing, the jewelry and your hands with antimicrobial soap and warm water. Dip the end of the ring or nostril screw into a drop of soap to lubricate it and gently try to insert it into your piercing. If it doesn't slip through easily, visit your piercer right away. She might be able to reopen the hole with a taper, which looks like a blunt-ended needle and is used to stretch piercings.
Potential Complications
A nostril piercing performed by a professional piercer trained in facial anatomy and sterile procedure has very little risk of infection, provided the client follows the aftercare instructions diligently. The most common cause of infection is touching the jewelry with dirty hands. Some redness and swelling in the days following a piercing is normal--this is irritation, not infection. If your piercing excretes pus or feels hot to the touch, you might have an infection. If you have fever or chills, call your physician or go to the emergency room immediately.
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