Your Guide to Nose Piercings – Part I

A nose piercing is a total look-update. Unlike the more discreet lobe or ear cartilage piercings, there is no hiding you have gotten your nose pierced – and nor, we would guess, would you want to. And nor are you short of placement options for your new jewellery. Not only that, but a nose piercing tends to hurt a little less compared to other piercings, and heal faster too.

The history of nose piercing and adornment is old and culturally rich, depicting wealth in early African and Middle Eastern tribes, as well as near-godlike status in South America. While it may have become tied to punk and subcultures in recent years, it was traditionally also offered to women by their husbands as a form of protection. In this and coming posts, we take a look at all you need to know about modern-day nose piercings.

Nostril piercing

There is, of course, more than one type of nose piercing. The most traditional and probably the most popular is the nostril piercing. This sits through the ‘nasal ala’ – the cartilage structure that covers the nostril. You will feel a bit of a pinch, and your eyes will water, but it will be over relatively quickly. It is best to begin with a stud for healing purposes, but if your intentions are to move on to a hoop later on, let your piercer know so that they can take that into account for the placement. 

Septum piercing

Having the septum – that little curtain of cartilage separating your left and right nostril – pierced is becoming more and more common. This is a lot due to celebrities such as FKA Twigs, Zoe Kravitz, and Willow Smith popularising the look during the latter half of the 2010s. The septum piercing heals in about six to eight weeks, depending on how well you look after it. You should not change the jewellery before then. 

Just as the Daith for the ear, the septum piercing is quite a tricky one. Make sure you do your research on your piercer and check the portfolio to see that they have done them before (such as the lovely Jodie, resident piercer at Vivid Ink Birmingham, or latest asset Ellie at Vivid Ink Sutton). 

Try before you buy

If you have been thinking about it for some time but haven’t taken the plunge, the good thing about piercings (as opposed to tattoos although that is also changing) is that you can test drive. Meaning you can take a smaller ring and place its openings on either side of your septum, or you can put a stick-on gem in that little nook above your nostril to try out the look. And to let you in on a little secret – should you change your mind, a septum piercing will remain entirely unseen when without its jewellery. But with so many gorgeous choices for bedazzling it, why would you ever?