Septum Piercings FAQ: Every Question You Have, Answered

You’ve seen celebrities Jessica Biel, Zoe Kravitz and even Scarlett Johansson rock this fashion trend at one point in time. Whether it is a faux or real septum piercing, this fashion statement has made its appearance in the spotlight and has several of us questioning if we can pull it off. If the fake septum piecing look Rihanna has rocked isn’t enough for you, and you’ve still got millions of questions about the process, we’ve got the low-down for you. Here is a rundown of some of the most frequently asked questions about getting your septum pierced.

First and foremost, the benefit of a piercing is that, unlike a tattoo, it isn’t permanent. You always have the option of taking out your piecing if you decide you’re not about it anymore. Plus, you can’t even tell you got it in the first place once you take it out. This doesn’t mean you can abandon ship and not take care of your septum piercing. Let’s be real, no one wants an infected septum.

A septum piercing is insanely cool and will definitely give your overall look some edge. If you’re a bit of a rebel and don’t want your parents seeing your piercing, or your boss, it can easily be hidden. While these all sound like pros for getting it done, there are some things you should know before committing to the deed.

Where Do I Get It Done?

You may be surprised by this answer but, tattoo parlors do a great job with septum piercings. They are clean, qualified and pretty confident about their work. However, it’s pretty much a given that you shouldn’t get it done at a sketch place. Make sure to do your research and ask friends who have gotten their septum’s pierced what their experiences were like and where they went. You obviously don’t want to go to a place with a negative review from a friend. Make sure the place uses single serve needles. These come straight out of a package and are tossed out immediately after. Another thing to consider is the piercer’s gloves are changed during the process and that the jewelry is clean. Again, both givens but you can never be too sure.

Is It Painful?

Septum piercings are like any other piercing. It breaks the skin and might hurt a bit. If you don’t already have a piecing, it’s not excruciating so don’t freak. Septum expert Tiny Tatz describes the experience like getting hit in the nose where your eyes water for a bit. It basically feels like when you have to sneeze. Sounds easy enough! You will feel a bit of a tug but should barely feel the needle pass through the septum itself. People have rated the pain level at a 2 out of a 10. There will be soreness roughly 5 days after the piecing, but that’s nothing new when getting a piercing.

How Does It Heal?

The septum recovery generally takes about six to eight weeks. During this time you’re not supposed to take out or change the jewelry. Piercings heal from the outside in. Just because it looks healed, does not mean you can remove the piercing. While one of the pros of a septum piercing is that you can hide it, during the healing process you shouldn’t be flipping it up and down frequently. As a general rule of thumb, you’re supposed to either leave it up or down during this time but it’s recommended you allow it to heal while it is flipped down. If you leave it flipped up during the healing process, wearing it flipped down will become uncomfortable after it is healed.

Aftercare?

Leave it be. Don’t play with it and don’t touch it a thousand times! You should be using anti-bacterial soap twice a day for three weeks. Other aftercare requirements are sea-salt soaks. Mix ¼ teaspoon of sea-salt with 8 ounces of water. Grab a Q-Tip and clean up in your nose. You shouldn’t be doing this more than 3 times a day or else your piecing will dry out. Another tip? Don’t use table salt.

So there you have it! Just a refresher of the pros and cons. Pros: easily hidden, easy aftercare, simple healing process and looks good on everyone. Cons: annoying when you have a runny nose, usually is crooked, there might be a bit of a septum stench and pretty easy to hit accidentally during the healing process.

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