by BRINLEE VUOLA
Staff Writer
This last weekend, I was able to get my septum pierced. Despite all my worries, it truly didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would–I’d rate the pain at a solid 3 out of 10–and I’m very pleased with the result. However, just talking about my experience wouldn’t make for a very interesting article, would it? Septum piercings are slowly becoming a very popular type of piercing since it’s convenient and stylish for pretty much anybody. But what exactly are septum piercings and how are they handled?
A septum piercing, as shown above, goes evenly through the septum of your nose. It’s supposed to be pierced through what’s called the “sweet spot,” which is a thin layer of smooth and squishy cartilage that isn’t as dense or tough as normal cartilage on the rest of the tip of your nose. It can be hard to find, but if done in that correct placement, the pain of the piercing is faint. So it’s important to do your research on piercers who know what they’re doing so that you can avoid incorrect placement that makes the healing process and overall styling of the jewelry a lot more difficult. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and get all the details!
The healing process of the septum can be seen as inconvenient to some, but like any other piercing on your body, it has to be healed routinely to avoid infections or rejections. It takes about 4 to 6 months for this piercing to be completely healed; however, by the 4 to 6 week mark of that healing process, you can take out your initial jewelry and get it replaced so long as the healing process has gone smoothly and no infection seems to be occurring. To take care of a septum piercing, you have to soak it in salt water for 5 to 10 minutes at least twice a day–preferably when you wake up in the morning and before you go to sleep at night. Despite being suggested to constantly rotate ear piercings, septum piercings are advised to not be touched or tampered with whatsoever as that only causes irritation and potential swelling.
Septum piercings can have some negative side effects. Many “crusties” can get stuck on it inside of your nose and near the opening of the wound, which can cause discomfort with any movement of your nose. Thankfully, dabbing it with a bit of warm water can clear those crusties out. They will keep appearing throughout the healing process and throughout the entire time you have a septum piercing in, but try not to always get rid of them. They can cover the opening of the piercing which can help keep bacteria out. The healing process causes the piercing to be very tender and easily irritated; that being said, if you catch a cold during the first couple weeks of having this piercing, let’s just say it won’t be the most thrilling experience of your life. Some people can also make mean comments about this piercing, especially the “you look like a bull” comment. But even with all that said, there are many positives to this piercing, the first and most obvious one being that anyone can pull it off! Septum piercings have so many different types of jewelry to choose from that anybody with any type of nose can surely pull off the look. If you have the “bull piercing” in, or the horseshoe (as shown in the picture above), you can flip it up inside of your nose to keep it hidden for whatever reason. It’d be best to wait a few weeks or a couple months before flipping the piercing around, but once you’ve gotten to that point, you can do all the flipping you want; it even proves to be a nice fidget for some people as well. Despite the common and unoriginal insults people may throw at you, you’re bound to get many more compliments and self esteem boosters since it’s hard to find septum piercings unattractive.
Overall, if you’re reading this article and truly want to get your septum pierced, do it! I’ve only had mine for a few days and my confidence has skyrocketed, not to mention that it’ll probably get even higher once it’s healed to the point where I can choose my own jewelry to put in it. The pinch lasts for a second and while the healing may be annoying, it’s truly worth it for the long run. No matter how people may judge, it’s your life and your body, and you should have the freedom to do whatever it is you wish to do.