Septum Piercing - Is it right for me? Piercing pain? Aftercare?

I finally caved after years of wanting my septum pierced. I kept putting it off and talking myself out of it
because I have a nose ring on the left side of my nose and a nose stud on the right side, I was worried a septum piercing might be a bit too much.. Luckily it wasn't! c; c; I expressed this concern to my piercer along with my worry that a big nose ring would look massive in comparison to my tiny nose and he made sure to do it exactly how I wanted it! :)

Before I get piercing I do hours of research so this post is hear to help anyone who's umming and ahhing about whether they should get there septum pierced. This was my 53rd piercing!

What is a Septum Piercing?

A type of nose piercing, the septum is the wall of cartilage that runs down the center of the nose. If you want a dainty little nose ring in this area then you want a septum piercing!

Now don't worry you don't get a hole in your nasal septum, it's actually pierced in the 'sweet spot' which is the soft tissue just below the septum!

What  are the Risks & Dangers?

Before you get any piercing you should look into the risks and dangers!

The first danger you have to think about is the same regardless of where your getting pierced - Pain & Infection. Firstly lets talk about pain. Pain is subjective and differs completely from person to person, but you will definitely feel pain, if my vertical labret piercing was a 10/10 on the pain scale, I'd rate this maybe an 8/10 where as my nostril piercing was a 3/10. That's just my own personal experience, I have a quite high pain thresh hold and find all piercing pain really manageable. If your piercing does feel extremely painful it could be that you have a very low tolerance for pain, or maybe the piercing hasn't been done correctly.

If you see someone with tears in their eyes when they're getting their nasal cartilage pierced, don't panic! It's an involuntary response by your nervous system! My eyes watered heavily! So maybe ditch the eyeliner until afterwards!

Now we've covered pain, let talk about infection! The danger of infection in this piercing is increased simply because of where it is, your nose collects and stores bacteria! If your prone to sinus infections or have severe allergies it's not recommended you get this piercing. For this reason if you get seasonal infections you should avoid getting your nasal cartilage pierced in this time.Allergies and colds will make your septum piercing quite bothersome, increase chances of infection, and delay the healing process.

Piercing Procedure?

So you can handle the pain and your gonna fight off infection now it's time to make your appointment and get a septum ring!

Choosing your piercer is very important, there isn't a specific 'Septum Piercer' any qualified and experienced piercer can do it. Choose a piercer who knows what they're doing a good piercer will be able to tell you everything about every step of the procedure, don't be afraid to ask questions, ask as many as you need to, about the procedure and the jewellery, typically 16 gauge jewellery is used. Pick a piercing studio that you've heard good reviews about.

if your satisfied with the answers from your piercer then it's time to get it pierced! :) Woo! The piercer will clean the area, that can include trimming your nose hairs, they will then wipe it with an antiseptic that will kill germs and prevent infection. 

They will then clamp the area, and insert the needle just below the nasal cartilage. You'll feel pain at this part and your eyes will water. At this point the clamp will be removed and the jewellery will be inserted you will feel pain again as the jewellery is inserted. There will be a tiny bit of blood so don't be worried.

Now your pierced and happy the real work begins.

Aftercare!! 

 Nose piercings take longer to heal than most piercing due to the constant presence of bacteria, so aftercare is extremely important!

A sea salt bath twice a day will help fight of infection and promote healing, mix 1/2  a teaspoon of sea salt in around 16oz of cooled boiled water and dip a cotton wool ball in it and wipe over the area repeatedly for about 5 minutes.  Make this routine e.g When you get up and before bed. You will notice crusts forming make sure to remove these during the salt baths and move your piercing around a bit to make sure it's all clean. 

The initial swelling of your nasal septum, can make your piercing look slightly slanted, this should right itself when the swelling goes down. Some people get worried and try to correct their piercing leading to them constantly touching it and applying pressure. Applying slight pressure when the swelling subsides is fine, you shouldn't touch it if its painful. also every time you touch it you increase your risk of infection, so my advice? Keep your hands away!

I know we all panic about our piercings getting infected, but it's completely possible to over wash your piercing, crazy I know, but completely possible. Over washing can dry and irritate the area, the aim is to clean it and promote healing not irritate it.

When your applying your usual beauty products to your face be careful not to apply it close to your piercing, or to touch your piercing with product on your hands.

if you begin to suffer any kind of respiratory infection or allergy you need to deal with it quickly, although it won't cause any serious damage, it can cause extreme discomfort alongside a new piercing.


The piercing may take anywhere from 10 to 12 weeks to heal completely. However, you can try out a new piece of jewelry after about a month. You can safely remove it yourself.

What if it Does get Infected? 

Secretions of white or clear fluid is quite normal, just clean it up with salt water! If you get a yellow/green discharge/fluid, or excessive bleeding that refuses to stop, this could be a sign of infection. An increase in pain could also be a sign that something might be wrong, call up your piercer for initial advice then consult your doctor, who may prescribe antibiotics.