List of Pros and Cons of Nose Piercing
Body modification has become a very popular trend over the last years. From tattoos to piercings, people have used body modification as a form of personal enjoyment, personal expression any reason in between. One of the most common forms of body modification when it comes to piercings is the nose piercing. A nose piercing is any piercing of the skin and cartilage of the nose for the purpose of wearing jewelry, generally done through the inward curve of the nostril. Other forms of nose piercing include the septum pierce (through the center of the inner nostril cartilage at the bottom of the nose) and the bridge pierce (the top of the cartilage of the nose generally just under the center line of the eyes).
While it may be one of the most common piercings that people acquire, it can be hard to care for the piercing because of the location. The inward curve of the nose can be tricky to clean and take care of, as well as the other two styles mentioned. If your piercing is not well taken care of, infection and rejection can happen (rejection is your body not growing accustomed to the piercing, causing recurring infections and pain to the point you need to permanently remove the piercing). Since the nose is a very sensitive area, infections and improper care can cause damage to the nose tissues and cartilage if not taken care of properly. Before you receive a nose piercing, make sure that you consult with your doctor if you have any medical conditions or with a dermatologist if you have any skin conditions.
The Pros of Nose Piercing
1. Nose piercings can look beautiful. Most come in a variety of styles, shapes, colors and metals, and due to the wide variety of settings, you should have little trouble finding one you like.
2. This is one of the least painful piercings to get (most people consider the ears to be least painful). While everyone has their own tolerance for pain, the nostril is usually considered less painful.
3. With the proper care of your piercing while it is healing, the pierce wound should heal quickly and with no infection. Proper care is crucial while you are healing to keep away infection.
4. Many people complain that their piercer didn’t put other piercings in the right spot or missed the mark. With a nostril piercing, it is rather had to miss and rather hard to mess up.
5. If you decide that you no longer want the piercing you have in and want to change it, once it has healed, you can change them out within a few weeks before the hole begins to close.
6. If you decide that you no longer want a nose piercing at all, simply take out the jewelry and the hole should close-up in a couple of weeks on its own and it should leave no visible scars.
The Cons of Nose Piercing
1. Society often still frowns on body modification, including piercings. With a nose piercing you may be looked down upon or treated differently because of the choice to made to get a piercing.
2. Many employers and companies do not allow facial jewelry in the workplace (outside of ear piercings). You may be asked or required to remove it, or may miss out on job opportunities.
3. If you remove your jewelry within the first few days of healing, the hole can close within a matter of hours causing you to need to have it pierced again.
4. If you don’t clean the wound correctly and when you should while it is healing, you can be susceptible to infections or rejection of the piercing. Good maintenance is key!
5. While the piercing is new, the jewelry may fall out if you blow your nose, if you sneeze, if you sniffle or even while sleeping. It is best to wear a small Band-Aid while you sleep to keep it in place.
Care and Maintenance
Once you get your piercing, you want to make sure that you take care of it. It is not something you want to take for granted. If you do not take care of your piercing you can find yourself with an infection and it can result in you having to remove your jewelry and possibly not being able to get it replaced once the infection has healed. Tissue and cartilage damage are common when an infection sets in or the wound is not properly cared for after the piercing has been done.
It is recommended that you wash your nose (gently and carefully!) at least twice a day with an antiseptic cleaner. In some cases your piercing artist may give you a sample size to take with you or can recommend something for you to use that you can find at a drugstore. Never use soap and water while the piercing is healing because it can dry out the skin causing an infection quicker. Try not to touch the piercing while it is healing and try to stay away from touching your nose unless your hand are clean to reduce the number of germs you transfer to that area. Many piercing artists will recommend a small Band-Aid over the piercing (the kind used in a doctor’s office after you get a shot) to keep the jewelry in place, stop any bits of bleeding that may occur, and to keep germs out of the area.