Nostril Piercing

The nostril piercing is, on a global and historical level, the most common piercing next to the earlobe piercing. The placement of the nostril piercing can vary with your and the piercers preference, but the piercing tends to heal most quickly and look most natural in the horizontal crease.

The jewelry for your piercing should be selected by you and your piercer. They may need to measure your nostril because there is no standard length that fits everyone.

I prefer to use titanium posts because titanium is a high grade metal with a very low allergy rate. With the post you can change the jewel sooner because it’s not necessary to remove the whole piece. You can also use a nostril screw, which is a long straight piece that is bent in an “L” shape to fit your anatomy.

It is usually performed with a needle in 18 gauge to 16 gauge. These piercings can be pierced larger, dermal punched or stretched to larger gauges. Large-gauge nostril piercings are becoming more common.

Professional piercer Paul King stated “We know that nostril piercing has been practiced by traditional people in both North and South America. Our earliest recordings are from the Christian Bible and the holy texts of the Vedas, brought to India with the invasion of the Nordic Aryan Tribes around 1500 BCE. India is, of course, most famous for nostril piercings. Through the centuries in India this piercing has gone in and out of fashion — in more recent times, on a Hindu girl’s eve of marriage she’d often have her left nostril pierced.” If they become widowed they have been known to remove the piercing as a sign of respect.

In western culture the nostril piercings became popular amongst punk rockers in the 1980’s. Since that time, this piercing has become more socially acceptable. However, many employers and schools still bar people from having them. Some people choose to wear clear retainers in their nose piercing during work or education, rendering the nostril piercing far less noticeable.

The large-guage nostril piercings have been suspected of making a person more vulnerable to colds and allergic symptoms.

The nostril can take a bit longer to heal due to the area and lack of blood flow. There is no need to twist or touch your jewelry, as this will only irritate your new piercing. It is very important to avoid snagging this piercing. You need to be aware at all times of things that could catch it such as; shirts, pillows, loofahs, wash rags, and towels. To clean your piercing you can either use H2Ocean or a saline soak. With the H2ocean spray both sides two to three times a day. You can make the saline soak at home by using a non-iodized sea salt mixture: Dissolve 1/4 teaspoon of non-iodized (iodine-free) sea salt into one cup (8 oz.) of warm distilled or bottled water, soak for five to ten minutes two to three times per day. Dry by gently patting with clean, disposable paper products. Cloth towels can harbor bacteria and snag on jewelry, causing injury.

For any further questions feel free to call or come in to talk to any of our piercers!