Whether you want to hide your nose stud or ring in pursuit of a more subdued style or you have workplace concerns, the key to concealment lies in specialized stand-ins known as retainers.
Retainers -- which you can often pick up from your local piercer or at online body jewelry shops -- feature transparent rods and studs or ends, typically made of acrylic or glass. They are a lot less conspicuous than a normal stud and can be virtually invisible to the casual viewer. Retainers come in various shapes to accommodate a range of nose and body piercings.
Tips
For greater concealment, choose a retainer with a small, flat stud.
As the name implies, retainers keep piercings open when they stand in for your regular jewelry. In fact, septum piercings can be pierced with a metal retainer that you can flip up or down at will to conceal or reveal the piercing. However, stand-in retainers cater only to nose and body piercings that are completely healed.
Tips
In addition to concealing nose piercings, retainers reduce the chance of snags when playing sports or undergoing medical care.
As an alternative to retainers, very small studs known as micro nose rings --flat and flesh-colored studs -- greatly reduce your nose piercing's visibility. Some of these studs have tips or ends that are less than two millimeters wide. If you have a labret stud or a barbell, you may even be able to swap out the ornamental end or stud for a flesh-colored or transparent stud or disc while keeping the rod in place.
For fresh piercings, you'll need a similar flesh-toned or transparent nostril screw. To ward off infections, the screw must be made of implant-grade material, meet minimum size specifications and be custom-fitted by your piercer to ensure sterility.
To hide your healed nose piercing the DIY way, choose the smallest, flattest stud or ornamental end you can find. Before swapping out your current nose piercing, paint the visible end with a nail polish that closely matches your skin tone and allow it to dry completely before wearing.