How to Care for Your Nose Piercing

After you get your nose pierced, it is important to care for your nose piercing on a regular basis. It is in your best interest to keep your piercing site clean to avoid infection and/or having your piercing heal up. Here are some simple but important ways to care for your nose piercing.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Soap
• Water
• Q-Tip
• Cotton Ball

1. Wash your hands. Before you touch your piercing, or even the jewelry, ensure that your hands are washed, especially when your piercing is new.

2. Soak piercing site with warm water before cleaning. You will want to rotate your nose ring or stud, just like you would do to an ear piercing. However with a nose piercing, organic matter will have collected on the metal and if you attempt to rotate the jewelry without loosening the matter, it can create small cuts in your piercing. In turn, those cuts can easily foster an infection. So, thoroughly douse the inside and outside of your piercing with warm water to loosen up the matter before turning the jewelry.

3. Use gentle soap for cleaning. Stay away from highly perfumed soaps or soap that you have never used on your skin. Suds up the outside and inside of the piercing with cotton balls and/or Q-Tips.

4. Avoid alcohol and hydrogen peroxide. If you want to keep your piercing extra clean, first aid liquid such as Bactine is a better choice.

5. Do not cover up with makeup. It is tempting to want to put cover-up or foundation over the piercing site, especially when it is inflamed the first few days. However, this can introduce bacteria into your piercing which may cause an infection. You definitely do not want an infection in your nose.

Tips & Warnings

• Clean your piercing regularly.
• Do not attempt to remove your jewelry for at least 6 weeks, if not longer.
• If your nose becomes severely inflamed or gives off discharge, contact a medical professional.
• Absolutely do NOT attempt to pierce your nose yourself. ALWAYS seek the assistance of a reputable piercing specialist.

Resources

• What to Expect from Your Nose Piercing
• What to Expect After Your Nose Piercing

[qnoory]

on 4/22/2009 I had to pierce my nose twice! the first time i did it it got closed :Sthis time it is causing me a hell lot of irritation! sometimes it takes a couple of weeks to heal and i start to believe all is ok then suddenly..! i wake up with a huge zit over the piercing!? o.O that sux.. :Si do use antibiotic cream on it and it gets well but i do wonder.. till when?! :S i wash it daily and apply the cream 3 times a day and even more if it requires..!be very careful people! :/

[leanan]

on 12/29/2008 I have three, two on one and one on the other (crazy me did them myself 17 years ago ;) You have great tips!