How to Get a Nose Pierce

You've got quite a few options when it comes to piercing your nose. Depending on your style, you may consider a barbell at the bridge, a horseshoe between your nostrils or a simple stud. Read on to learn how to get a nose piercing.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Distilled Waters
• Gauze
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Rubbing Alcohol

1. Seek the skills of a professional piercer. This is not the time to rely on the enthusiasm of friends or to test the skills of a street vendor.

2. Choose a piercer who is licensed or has apprenticed for many years. Confirm that he or she works with sterilized equipment and disposable hollow needles, wears new latex gloves for each client, offers only piercing-quality jewelry and is accessible post-treatment should you have any questions or concerns.

3. Let the piercer know what you're interested in, but trust him or her to make the final decision on placement. In addition to aesthetics, one must consider thickness of tissue, type of tissue and position of veins.

4. Close your eyes and focus on taking long, steady breaths once the procedure begins. The piercer's experienced hand should guide the needle through effortlessly and with surprisingly little pain.

5. Follow the care instructions your piercer provides. Prepare for a small amount of puss or discharge and schedule time for two daily cleanings.

Tips & Warnings

• Go with the jewelry that your piercer offers, provided that it's titanium, stainless steel or niobium, the metals least likely to promote infection. The properties of gold may not mesh with your body chemistry.
• If you're not ready to take the plunge, consider magnetic jewelry as an alternative to an actual piercing.
• The nose and brain share the same blood supply. If you slack off in post-piercing care, an infection may make its way to your brain.
• Should you experience excessive swelling, prolonged redness, throbbing pain or sensations of heat in the pierced area, seek immediate medical attention.
• Never remove your nose ring, barbell or horseshoe if you suspect infection, unless under a physician's recommendation. The bacteria causing the infection may get trapped in your system as the hole begins to seal.
• Piercing can cause nerve damage if the jewelry is positioned improperly, and communicable diseases can spread during the procedure if it's performed with unsterilized or used equipment.

[lfb128]

on 7/21/2009 okay so i have an L-bend one in my nose and it's been in there about three weeks, and i want to change it soon because it's not infected...no piercing of mine has ever gotten infected...
but i can't figure out how to get it out.
and it hurts when i try.
HELP!
i've found lots of instructions on removing screws, but not the L-bend. I'm afraid I'm going to like inflame it or something...

[bradja]

on 12/16/2007 I got my node stud 6 wks ago and I can't get it out so i can put anicer one in. any sugestions

[lookitsren]

on 11/13/2007 I got my nose pierced last night, and honestly - I'll take piercing my nose over a headache any day. Really! It did NOT hurt. Yes you can feel it, and it stings slightly for a little while (10-20 minutes) afterwards, but it's really not what you think. Also, this post is coming from the biggest chicken there ever was. When I was 8 I had my ears pierced and it hurt me and scared me so bad that after that I did all my own ear piercings because I didn't trust another person doing them. If you're thinking about doing it, JUST DO IT! It's not bad at all! You'll be amazed.

[tat2dude25]

on 9/28/2007 The more I read this stuff the more iritated I get. I have several piercings nose, labret, ears, tounge, nipples, and PVTS. YES there ARE risks. Your poking holes in your body people! Most piecing horror storys are idiots that get them done and dont take care of them. I hear/read it swelled the next day and got red and sore! DUHH! They take it out. The others usually dont clean them or touch the wound too much or use the wrong chemical to clean with. Another mistake, GUNS! Yeah, they used those on 500 other people before, blood spatter and all. Yeah go ahead get your nose pierced with a gun, use the jewlry in the display case too exposed to bacteria and dust. I also read about a staph infection from piercings. Yeah, staph is very serious and can be deadly! I know more people who have contracted staph from a hospital surgery than a piercing. Weigh your risk and use your brains!

[Bali]

on 6/29/2007 Help, I need advice...I got a piercing on Wednesday ... well, actually two...long story, but it was a redo in another location...the first one looked fine for the most part, but just didn't compliment my face...too far back...so he relocated it...I looked in the mirror excitedly for the second time, and this time see that my diamond stud is now tilting up. Like if the piercing was done at a slant instead of perpendicular through the nose. The first piercing hadn't looked like that. I made mention of it...at the same time my husband asked if it would ever be flush/flat against my nose. The piercer said yes, he had to make it long to alow for swelling, especially since I did it twice in one day...to come back in a month and he'd adjust my nose screw...So I'm worried if my piercing is crooked. Can he bend my jewelry so it faces out like it's supposed to? Or will it always tilt up?