Please- this is NOT a debate thread- take that stuff outside.
I have decided to pierce my nose on one side, and have found what I think is a reputable place (Freak Chic on Melrose Ave in LA- going to go with Meg). Is there an issue with which side you pick- right or left? A religious or other significance (I am not Hindu)? What is your experience or advice with the whole process- the piercing itself, healing, runny noses?
I would love to hear about your nose piercing and see your pics! I will be piercing soon!
PS- I have 7 holes in my earlobes and my belly button is pierced as well, so I’m not 100% newb! Although I only wear one earring in each lobe plus a gold ring up in the cartilage of my left ear.
I liked my nose piercing so much, I had a 2nd one done right next to it. My job requires no hoops, so while I would prefer to have 2 hoops (captive bead rings) in there, I’ve got studs (corkscrews). I think having rings in is easier, they don’t catch on anything and are easier to clean. The screws sometimes get a dingleberry when I have a cold, and the ends spin around inside my nostril so sometimes they are visible.
I need to find hoops that are easier to take in and out for work, now that both piercings are totally healed, it will be easier to take jewelry in and out. Yeah, now that I’m thinking about it, I’m going to get screwball hoops and be happier!
My left nostril is the one that’s pierced. There’s no significance that I am aware of, I just picked the side I like. As far as healing, I think it’s preferred not to change jewelry for 6 months, because it’s a thick spot. I found that each piercing wasn’t truly healed to the point where jewelry could be removed for a couple days until over a year had passed. No runny nose or pain, just a little sore for a couple of days.
MUCH prefer hoops. With a stud they have to twist it so that the part inside your nose is upward of the stud itself, and I found it pretty uncomfortable. If you ever scrunch your nose, or try to blow it, you get poked from the inside. eugh! I mean, it didn’t hurt but it was just “present.” I didn’t like the sensation of having something that far up my nose. With a ring, it’s much more comfortable.
I’ve had 2 nose piercings on the right (same place, tried again after I lost the first piercing). First attempt was a stud, second was a ring. I thought the ring looked better (even though I’m female and studs are the flavor femme du jour), and my piercer actually took a picture of it for her portfolio. I agree that it looked pretty damn awesome.
My immune system is, I believe, too strong to let a piercing heal. I soaked that fucker twice+ daily with sea salt water (sneeze hell right there), and it still never healed properly over several months. And I didn’t touch my face with my hands. Problem is, my white blood cells are practically mini-Navy SEALS. So, while piercing didn’t work well for me (had the same problem with 2 lobes, 1 ear cartilage, 1 eyebrow, and both noses–and now I’m sadly piercing-free), I think the nose is a great idea if your body tolerates them well.
Tangentially, I was thinking about getting a tattoo, because they can’t be rejected. It seems like a fast healer would be a good thing for a tattoo, as opposed to a piercing.
Oh as far as advice. It’ll hurt like hell and your eyes will tear up even if you aren’t really crying. Because of your tear ducts. So expect to water! But the adrenaline rush was great too (though I expect you already know that )
I got my nose pierced a few years ago after having wanted it done for over 20 years. Hurt like hell but everything went fine until the fake gem fell out of the jewelry. My friend, who got it done with me also lost her gem.
We went to the piercing shop to replace them since they weren’t very old. Big mistake. The piercer helped us out by changing them for us. My friend got her new one and everything went fine. When he did mine the pain was almost unbearable. He had put the L-shaped part through and spun it around so the leg pointed up in my nose. Well, he did the spinning part between the inner and outer layers of skin. I almost fainted and probably shouldn’t have driven myself home I was feeling so dizzy.
After that no piece of jewelry ever fit right and I always had problems with it. My friend still has hers and I’m jealous. I was going to leave my initial jewelry in, even without the gem, but my friend convinced me to go along. The first one had fit perfectly, was almost healed, and I didn’t even know it was there most of the time.
I had my nose pierced when I was 18. I am now 34 and have worn something in it all these years. I am Hindu, and got it done in India, on the left side. I suppose it doesn’t matter, not with guys (!!!) getting their noses pierced.
First of all, it hurts like a motherfucker. Don’t let them tell you different.
Secondly, make sure you get a gold or silver piercing at first. Start with a hoop for the simple reason you can rotate it.
Thirdly I wear a stud nowadays, that has a coil of wire in the back. I much prefer this. Most studs have a backing I do not like - I don’t want to have to stick my finger up my nose to try to put it on.
Cleaning - the first month or so, be prepared to clean it constantly. Nowadays I have allergies and I still have no issues.
I make sure the stud I wear has a very small wire at all times, to keep the hole small. That is up to you.
Heed **Anaamika’s **words; it hurts like a motherfucker. Not to scare you off, just saying. Of course, I did mine myself 27 years ago with a sewing needle and a potato(which I DO NOT recommend) so I might not be the best person to give advice. I wear a stud in it these days though I have worn hoops in the past. I prefer a stud with a thick, rounded end (I think they’re called nose bones). I’m never conscious of having anything on at all. I also think the best noses for piercing are those with pronunced creases at the nostrils. Good luck!
You use a piece of potato to stabilze the skin and stick the needle into. I bet we have some female dopers who remember doing their ears with an apple. Any crunchy produce will do!
I honestly didn’t have pain either time mine was pierced. So, I guess it varies. I have used the same guy since 2001, and he’s been piercing since 1992. So research your piercer well! Your piercer, if he/she is a good one, will want to use a stainless steel hoop initially. If you want something different, go with what they recommend, and worry about replacing it with fancier jewelry later after healing. Silver is never recommended, it oxidizes inside the piercing and can keep it from healing and make permanent black spots under your skin.
Make sure to have the piercer write down the gauge and size of the hoop for you so you can shop for the same size, a “delicate” gauge is 20, a more substantial one is 18-16, there are far more selections in the 18 and larger sizes than in the 20’s. It only matters if you’re inclined to have several pieces and change them around frequently.
I got a nostril piercing in college and wore it for almost ten years, all the way through law school. I took it out the day before I started my first post law school job, a federal judicial clerkship. A good piercer is important, foremost for sterility but also for good placement and a straight piercing. It hurts, but not horribly, just sort of like getting your nose pinched really, really hard for a split second.
I got my nose pierced five years ago and I’m so glad I did it. I love my nose ring. I didn’t think the pain was that awful, but everyone is different. About two months after I got the piercing, the stud got caught on a washcloth and tore a little. That hurt much worse than the actually piercing. Once it healed, it was lovely.
I wear ear rings and bend them in an “L” shape. I make sure they’re silver and the post is as small as possible. There’s a fantastic brand of silver ear rings you can get in the juniors department at Nordstrom for $4 a pair. They have tiny silver studs and they seem to work best for me. I can’t remember the name of the brand, but I’ll check.
My piercing is on the left side and I couldn’t be happier.
I say go for it! I wish I would have had the guts to do it years ago instead of waiting until I was thirty.
It is possible (probable?) you have an allergy to nickel. I have one, and it took years for my ears to heal (and I really mean decades) It wasn’t until my son had a nickel allergy so bad he couldn’t wear anything with a snap/rivet on it without getting an itchy rash that I realized the cheap “hypo-allergenic” jewellery was a really bad idea. (Well, I realized my ears got itchy from the cheap stuff but still wore it) I now only wear sterling silver or 12K+ gold and my holes have finally stopped being oozy … 30 years after I first got them!
So seconding Anaamika’s ( and the Mayo Clinic’s) advice to go with sterling silver, gold or platinum since a mild nickel allergy will only get worse with exposure and will result in a long healling time. They say up to 30% of people have some degree of nickel allergy. (with piercings being the highest risk factor for being sensitized)
You should go to an Indian gold jewelry shop and buy a nose ring from there. The stem will be 22K which I found very nice and comfortable for healing. They also have various sizes and backings. I think mine was $20 but that was 15 years ago.
I do. I can wear nickel things for short(er) periods of time, like I can wear a pair of cheap earrings for a day or an evening. I can’t put anything in my nose that’s not gold though - I’ve never tried silver, admittedly.
I’ve had my nose pierced for about 4 years now, left side. It healed up nicely but OMFG it hurt when I got it done. Just breathe in when the piercer tells you to and you’ll be fine.
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You use a piece of potato to stabilze the skin and stick the needle into. I bet we have some female dopers who remember doing their ears with an apple. Any crunchy produce will do!