Getting nose pierced is a huge decision and is certainly not something you can think up overnight. Nose piercings generally take a long time to heal.
However, you can only determine the correct time based on which area of your nose you’ll get pierced. If you’ve got your nose piercing and are going through the healing process know that just because the area doesn’t feel so red or sore doesn’t mean the hole has healed.
In this article, we’ll detail everything about how long it takes a nose piercing to heal. Additionally, we’ll highlight the things that have an impact on your healing process and precautions to take to avoid the irritation, infection or something worse.
In the Post
- How Does the Nose Piercing Procedure Look Like
- How Long Does It Take for A Nose Piercing to Heal
- How to Care for the Healing Nose Ring?
- Things that Affect the Healing Process
- Conclusion
There are many factors that can affect the healing process of your nose piercing. However, let’s first see how long it takes for each nose piercing to heal, depending on its location.
How Does the Nose Piercing Procedure Look Like
If you’ve already done the researching, then you probably know that there are different types of piercings. When you go to the piercing professional, you’ll pick whether you want nostril piercing, septum piercing or some other type of piercing. Then, you’ll share other details such as the location, height and other aspects of where the piercing will go.
Guess you like:Types of Nose Piercings
If you haven’t already bought the piercing you want to wear as the hole is healing, your piercing professional will suggest a few options. Make sure to wear material that is ideal for healing, such as surgical steel or gold. Don’t opt for silver, as it can leave dark stains and mark on your nose. Additionally, it can cause irritation, and with some, even allergy.
After you’ve picked the side you want the piercing to go through, the piercing professional will mark it with a sharpie or something else and begin the procedure.
Nose piercing can be an extremely painful procedure. However, if you have low pain tolerance, don’t be surprised if your natural body’s reaction gets teary.
There’s nothing shameful in feeling the pain from the process, after all, a part of your nose is getting pierced. The nostril piercing can be additionally painful, and will also follow with the reaction of crying.
It’s worth noting that if you’re getting a septum piercing, your piercing professional must be especially cautious. Septum piercings can cause excruciating pain, which may result in strong irritation and discomfort that can last for days and weeks.
However, if the strong and unbearable pain persists, it’s possible that your piercer did the wrong job.
Sometimes, due to mistake or misalignment, it can happen that the septum cartilage got pierced, which can result in tremendous pain, irritation and discomfort.
In this situation, it’s important to immediately remove your piercing and perform all the caring methods for the wound to heal.
If you’ll still want to get the septum piercing done despite this unfortunate situation, we advise you to pick another professional who won’t injure you while piercing your nose.
To avoid all sorts of incidents while piercing a nose, it’s best to look for a piercer who has experience and a good reputation. If the person is active on social media, look for reviews, evidence of previous work and more.
Also, make sure to ask them all the questions about the procedure so you don’t get surprised in the middle of the process.
How Long Does It Take for A Nose Piercing to Heal
Given that there are different types of nose piercings, as well as different locations on the nose, the healing times may vary.
Additionally, the healing process also depends on the individual person. However, we derived the average amount of time for each piercing type, listed below.
- Nostril piercing will take anywhere between 4 to 6 months to heal. Those with a good immunity system may be lucky enough to heal within 3 months.
- Septum piercings, while hurt, take much less to heal. You can expect your septum piercing to heal anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks. However, if the cartilage suffered damage, it’ll take much longer to heal. If the piercer does a good job on your septum, it’ll heal faster than any other piercing type.
- Rhino piercing is demanding and will take the most to heal. The difficult procedure sees the complete healing results from 6 to 9 months.
- Bridge piercings will take between 8 and 12 weeks to heal, depending on the care and individual piercer.
- Nasallang piercing will take anywhere from 4 to 6 months to heal. Given that they are difficult types of piercings, they will also take longer to heal. If you attempt to get this piercing, make sure to find a reliable and trustworthy piercer who will perform this without injuring you and causing damage.
You shouldn’t touch, twist, play with or remove jewelry while the piercing is healing. However, there are instances where removing your nose ring is acceptable, such as allergy. Besides, if your nose swells and it keeps being persistent you should remove the piercing and see a doctor.
Other irritations may include itching, rash, and extreme swelling. The piercer should then swap the jewelry for stainless steel or solid titanium nose ring.
Other types of irritations may happen in situations when your nose ring isn’t long enough to make for the average amount of swelling. In that case, the piercer will insert a larger piece of jewelry to prevent infection or necrosis.
Don’t try to swap the nose ring yourself because you can damage the tissue or healing fistula. Lastly, the fistula (healing hole) may get closed. Sometimes, your piercer will ask you to pay a fee for the piercing maintenance, but even that is better than closing your hole or causing an infection.
Nevertheless, in a situation where you have to swap the jewelry yourself, use the nose ring with the same gauge as you used on the previous nose ring. That will lessen the struggle of inserting it in your nose, else you may need a larger hole.
How to Care for the Healing Nose Ring?
There are various products that can help the healing process of your nose. For example, you can use Recovery Piercing Aftercare Spray as well as H2Ocean to care for the swelling and irritations every once in a few hours. To reduce the swelling you should spray it both inside and outside the nostril.
Other caring methods include cleaning the piercing with a sea salt solution soak (also known as SSS.) The good thing is that you can make the solution yourself, using ¼ tsp. of sea salt, and mix it with 2-3 drops of tea tree oil because it is equipped with healing antiseptic qualities.
Also, avoid using oils, balms, and creams onto your piercing because it could cause irritation and eventual infection to your nose. Don’t twist and slide your jewelry because it can slip out and close the hole.
Moreover, it’s important that you don’t change the jewelry for the first 3 months so that the nose can properly adapt to the change of tissue.
Things that Affect the Healing Process
Touching the piercing
Your piercer will tell you not to touch, twist, curl or play with your skin around the piercing as it can hurt you. Picking at scabs or crusty areas of the hole may cause an infection, and slow the healing times.
Washing piercing in water
Don’t clean the nose ring in water, as it can cause the bacteria to attach to the jewelry. Clean it with alcohol or salty water solution.
Sunlight
Don’t leave your nose ring in the sunlight. You shouldn’t sunbathe for too long or swim outside while the healing is still not complete.
Hygiene
It’s important to take proper hygiene with your piercing to avoid unnecessary and unwanted infections. You must follow the proper caring and aftercare regimes to make sure both wounds and jewelry are clean. Consult your piercer on how to take and remove jewelry safely and get useful tips and tricks on how to keep it all clean.
General health
When all the factors get eliminated, it’s our own health and immunity system that dictate how we’ll heal. Make sure to stay hydrated, eat vitamins, fruits and vegetables and avoid catching a cold and getting sick. Doing so will make sure your healing process speeds up too.
Conclusion
After all the healing process comes down to how often and how consistently we treat our piercing wound. Although different nose ring locations mean that healing may take different time to heal, it’s still factors like our caring routines and general health that will affect the overall healing process.
Using additional chemicals, like the ones we mentioned above may ensure that the wounds are safe from dirt and infections, but it’s mostly our routines that contribute to the swifter recovery.
What are your tips and tricks to heal the nose ring wound? Let us know in the comments!
FAQs
How Long Does It Take for A Nose Piercing to Heal? - Wife's Choice? ›
Be patient as healing times vary, but typically it takes 4-6 weeks for the initial healing process and several months for complete healing. If you experience any signs of infection or prolonged healing time, consult your piercer or a medical professional.
What is the standard healing time for a nose piercing? ›You may have some blood, swelling, tenderness, or bruising at first. It may be sore, tender, and red for up to 3 weeks. Pierced nostrils heal completely in about 2 to 4 months.
Does it matter which side a woman gets her nose pierced? ›Many people come in with a particular idea of how they would like their nose piercing to look and which side they want pierced. There is no right or wrong side of the nose to get a piercing, it is up to you. A good idea is to pick your best 'selfie side' of your face whether that be the left or right side!
How long after getting nose pierced can I change it? ›When Can I Change My Nose Piercing? Before changing your nose piercing, make sure it is completely healed. 2-3 months is the standard healing time for a nostril piercing. Once you feel like your piercing is good to go, then you should be okay to change out your jewelry.
Can I change my nose stud after 3 days? ›How long until I can change my jewelry? Wait at least six months. Nostril piercings are not very forgiving if you try to change the jewelry too soon. Not waiting long enough could result in irritation, a tear to the piercing channel, scarring, an increased risk of infection, or difficulty reinserting the jewelry.
How painful is a nose piercing? ›Most of our clients tell us there is little, to no pain and or that it feels like a little pinch or flick. Common piercing areas, like ear lobes, are low pain because there is no cartilage present. Areas with tougher cartilage like the nose can be a little more painful, but it's over in seconds!
What does it mean when a girl gets her nose pierced on the left? ›Left nostril piercings are thought to protect against bad luck. Having your left nostril pierced is believed to ward off negativity and keep you feeling uplifted. Plus, if you love your new piercing, your self-image is sure to skyrocket, making you feel more secure and confident in yourself.
What does nose piercing symbolize? ›It signifies womanhood, elegance, and for some even a sense of rebellion. In Indian nose piercing is as much a part of tradition as bangles, a mangalsutra or a bindi.
What are the benefits of nose piercing? ›As per the studies, nose piercing regulates the wavelength of the brain that results in easier handling of mental health and stability. Also having a left nose piercing is said to bring more confidence and concentration to the wearer.
What foods to avoid after nose piercing? ›Skip sticky foods, chewing gum, spicy, salty, acidic or hot foods as they can irritate the new piercing. To keep swelling down sip cold water, eat ice cream or other cold and frozen foods.
When can I stop cleaning my nose piercing? ›
On average, most piercings will need to be cleaned over the next 3-4 months (unless otherwise stated by your piercer). It is vital that you do not over-clean the piercing. If it has been longer than four months, do not clean the piercing anymore.
Can you put a ring in a fresh nose piercing? ›Hoops: Small nose hoops, such as a captive bead ring, are good for brand new piercings. Nostril screws and fishtails: These are okay for nasal piercings after they're already healed, but can cause more problems than they're worth during the initial healing process.
How much does a nose piercing hurt on a scale of 1 to 10? ›Pain Scale: 5 on a scale of 1-10. The pain scale is 100% subjective and based on clients' feedback. Nostril piercings are said to be a bit more painful than lip or ear lobe piercings, but not as painful as septum piercings. Aftercare: Keep the area clean to avoid infection.
Can I get a hoop nose piercing right away? ›It is possible to get pierced with a ring in your cartilage or nose straight away so the answer is yes, we can pierce you with a ring! Other popular areas to have pierced with rings are the helix, nipple, conch, lip, eyebrow and navel/belly.
Should I twist my nose piercing while healing? ›PLEASE DO NOT MOVE, TWIST OR ROTATE THE JEWELLERY !!! Twisting jewellery round 'to stop it sticking' can cause redness, bumps & swelling! Keep the piercing jewellery in ALL the time, 24/7, night and day, for at least 2 MONTHS (8 weeks). It does take at least this long for the piercing to heal properly.
Do I sleep with my nose piercing? ›She also recommends not sleeping on your nose piercing or touching it. Basically: be smart about aftercare and you should heal up with minimal nose bumps.
Can I wash my hair with a nose piercing? ›Daily Cleaning and Care Instructions
Do not remove the piercing stud when cleaning. When showering and washing your hair, use liquid soap on your nose and rinse thoroughly and gently with running water. Dry gently with a facial tissue or a cotton swab.
Here's the good news: Even though a nose piercing takes a while to heal (more on that in a sec), you really only need to clean it a few times each day. “I recommend doing a saline rinse twice a day—on the inside and the outside of your nose,” says Ava Lorusso, professional piercer at Studs in NYC.
Do nose piercings get infected easily? ›Infections are a very real risk with any new piercing. You and your piercer can take all the necessary precautions, and you might still develop one. It's OK -- that's normal with new open wounds, and technically that's what your body thinks a piercing is until it heals.
What hurts more nose piercing or tattoo? ›In general, tattoos tend to hurt more than piercings because the needles used for tattoos are larger and go deeper into the skin than the needles used for piercings. However, everyone experiences pain differently, so there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to how much pain you'll feel from a tattoo or piercing.
Which day is good for nose piercing 2023? ›
The days of Monday; Wednesday; Thursday; Friday are said to be the most favorable for this ritual. When it comes to Nakshatras; Mrigashira; Revati; Chitra; Anuradha; Hasta; Ashwini; Pushya; Abhijit; Shravan; Dhanishta; Punarvasu Nakshatra are seen to be advantageous for performing Karnavedha rituals.
What is the left nose piercing called? ›Septum Piercing: Another high-ranking piercing in popularity, a septum piercing (also known as a bull ring), goes through the wall of cartilage that divide both the left and right nostrils. Double Nose Piercing: This style of piercing can either be two piercings on the same side of the nostril, or one on each side.
What does a middle nose ring mean? ›A septum piercing is associated with people who want to set themselves apart. Whether other people will like them for it, they wouldn't really care. To this end, people with septum rings end up appearing as rebels without a care in the world, and any efforts to rein them in will simply result in a clash.
Why is a woman's nose piercing important? ›It signifies womanhood, elegance, and for some even a sense of rebellion. In India, the nose piercing is as much a part of tradition as bangles, a mangalsutra or a bindi.
What does a nose stud mean on a woman? ›Culturally, the piercings signified the social status of the individual and their right to access other ceremonies. For women, it displayed their ability to acquire a husband. For the husband, it displayed his ownership and right to his wife. For men, it presented the boy now as a man and his place is society with men.
What does left and right nose piercing mean? ›While some say that men should only have their noses pierced on the right and women on the left (and sometimes the other way round, depending on who's telling you), there is, in fact, no real reason to choose one side over the other – it's all down to preference.
Why is a nose piercing important in marriage? ›In the Hindu culture, for all women, the nose ring is a symbol of being married. It is believed that a girl should only wear a nath on the day of the wedding and continue to wear it till the time she is married. Getting the nose pierced is also seen as paying respect to Goddess Parvati.
Which piercing helps with anxiety? ›The daith piercing is an increasingly popular option to treat migraines, anxiety, and some other symptoms. On social media, people may come across images of this unique piercing on the inner ear, alongside promises that it will ease anxiety and improve quality of life.
Do nose piercings help with period pain? ›Period Pain
Nose piercing is a common cultural practice in India, and Ayurvedic texts believe that piercing the left nostril can help reduce menstrual symptoms. It's also thought to help with more specific conditions such as endometriosis.
Your sweat is sterile to you, so shower like you normally do and clean the piercing afterwards with saline or sterile wound wash. Do not swim in rivers, lakes, hot tubs, pools, or oceans until your piercing is healed.
What helps nose piercings heal faster? ›
Practicing piercing aftercare using saline water from the first day helps speed up the healing process. Nose piercing aftercare is vital to reduce the risk of infection and other potential complications, such as nasal trauma and changes in nose shape.
What do you clean your nose with after piercing? ›Your piercer will recommend a saline rinse to use at least twice per day. You may also consider using your own DIY sea salt rinse, or even tea tree oil if your nose is especially tender. You'll also want to make sure you leave the original jewelry in place until the piercing heals.
Can you put Neosporin on a nose piercing? ›Gently pat dry the affected area with clean gauze or a tissue. Then apply a small amount of an over-the-counter antibiotic cream (Neosporin, bacitracin, others), as directed on the product label. Turn the piercing jewelry a few times to prevent it from sticking to the skin.
Should I clean dried blood off nose piercing? ›3) It is normal for dried blood or serous fluid (yellow crust) to form around the edges of your piercing. DO NOT pick it away while it is dry. While showering or bathing clean the jewellery and the piercing. Leave the soap on the piercing no more than thirty seconds.
How do you sleep with a new nose piercing? ›Sleep either on your back or on the side opposite your piercing. Sleeping on the same side as your piercing may result in it becoming dislodged.
Is a hoop or stud better for nose piercings? ›As you'll soon discover, this debate mostly comes down to personal preference. There is no right or wrong answer. If you want something a bit more simple and understated, stick with a nose stud. If you want something flashier that catches the eye of people and adds some sass to your look, stick with the nose ring.
What are the side effects of nose piercing? ›After getting a nose piercing, it's normal to have some swelling, redness, bleeding, or bruising for a few weeks. As your piercing starts to heal, it's also typical for: the area to itch. whitish pus to ooze from the piercing site.
Does it hurt to change your nose piercing for the first time? ›Although your piercing may be fully healed, having a new piece of jewelry can sometimes cause a bit of irritation, or just take some getting used to. If you notice anything out of the norm (serious swelling, stinging, prolonged redness etc) contact your piercer and ask to book a consultation appointment.
What side do females get their nose pierced? ›In traditional Chinese medicine, the left side was believed to be the female side, and right the masculine side. Some people use this as a reason to choose their facial piercings on the left side for females or right side for males. However, in modern culture, there really isn't a male or female side.
Which side of a woman's nose should be pierced? ›There is no right or wrong side of the nose to get a piercing, it is up to you. A good idea is to pick your best 'selfie side' of your face whether that be the left or right side!
What is the hardest piercing to heal? ›
Cartilage piercings take longer to heal than earlobe piercings. The average healing time is 8 months, but it can take up to 12 months for some people. The healing process is slow because cartilage doesn't have a good blood supply. This means that it's harder for the body to fight off infection and promote healing.
Do you have to get a stud when you first pierce your nose? ›People commonly choose hoops or studs for nostril piercings. At first many piercing parlours will advise that a stud is worn in the nostril until it heals, and after that, it can be safely swapped out for a hoop. Septum piercings are often fitted with hoops or horseshoes, but sometimes people opt for a bar.
How do you know if your body is rejecting a piercing? ›Symptoms of piercing rejection
more of the jewelry becoming visible on the outside of the piercing. the piercing remaining sore, red, irritated, or dry after the first few days. the jewelry becoming visible under the skin. the piercing hole appearing to be getting larger.
Don't get in any water that could be dirty until your nose heals. Avoid swimming pools, lakes, rivers, and hot tubs. Don't put antibacterial ointments on the site. Don't move your nose jewelry until it's healed.
Can I change my nose ring after 6 weeks? ›Before changing out your nose piercing, you must make sure it's completely healed. A nostril piercing usually takes 2-3 months to heal sufficiently enough for the jewelry to be removed. Once you're confident the piercing has finished healing, you can proceed to change out the jewelry.
How do I know if my nose piercing is done healing? ›- swelling.
- redness.
- soreness.
- discharge.
- flaking skin.
After two weeks, you can start moving your body again. However, you should still avoid activities that might cause pain, like swimming, for another week. During this time, if you feel any soreness or irritation, stop what you're doing and call your piercer so they can take care of it.
What is the most painful piercing for a woman? ›The clitoris is also quite sensitive and contains thousands of nerve endings. Even if you're pretty tolerant to pain, a clitoris piercing may hurt many times worse than any other piercing pain.
When can I get my nose piercing wet? ›You should avoid swimming for at least 24 hours after having a piercing, and ideally until it has healed properly. While it's still healing, it's important to keep the piercing dry as there's a risk of infection.
How do you cover a nose piercing for work? ›Piercing retainers are the best option for concealment once your piercing is fully healed and you can remove it. They are clear and skin-colored silicone or dental-grade acrylic placeholders for your piercing.
How much is a nose piercing? ›
Cost of a Nose Piercing
Your nose piercing should run you between $25 and $30 per piercing, though the jewelry is a separate cost.
Clean your nose piercing twice a day, every day, until the healing process is complete. (Again, this can take several months.) During this time, cleaning both inside and outside the nostril is important. "Try not to blow your nose during the healing time unless after cleaning said piercing or in the shower," says Tash.
Can I wet my nose piercing in the shower? ›Your sweat is sterile to you, so shower like you normally do and clean the piercing afterwards with saline or sterile wound wash. Do not swim in rivers, lakes, hot tubs, pools, or oceans until your piercing is healed.
Is it okay to wear makeup after a nose piercing? ›Let's cut to the chase — after initially getting your nose pierced, it's best to wait a little before applying makeup. Until your piercing is fully healed, getting makeup in the piercing — remember, there's an actual hole in your face — can cause complications, including infection.