Are septum piercings safe

Septum piercings are possible with a deviated septum, but they might not look perfectly symmetric.

How Do I Treat an Infected Nose Piercing? 8 Tips

When you pierce your nose or any part of the body, it is normal to have mild inflammation, redness, and pain around the piercing site. As the piercing is healing, you may experience:

• Itching in the surrounding area
• Slight pus or discharge
• Crusting
• Mild pain and redness

However, if these symptoms linger or get worse, it could mean that the piercing is infected.

What can cause a nose piercing to get infected?

When it comes to nose piercings, getting it done in a hygienic setting and doing proper aftercare are important. Reasons a nose piercing may get infected include:

• Poor hygiene after piercing, such as not cleaning the site with water
• Poor hygiene while getting pierced, such as infected instruments
• Wrong products or techniques used while cleaning
• Allergic reaction to the jewelry worn
• Poor immune status due to diabetes or other immunodeficiency conditions

What causes a nose piercing bump?

If you notice a bump around the piercing site, this may indicate:

• Keloid: Puffy scar tissue that invades normal skin cells
• Granuloma: Immune system reaction in which extra blood cells form around the piercing
• Trapped fluid: Causes a lump due to abnormal healing

8 tips for treating an infected nose piercing

1. Clean the piercing site. Clean the site at least 2-3 times a day to prevent microbial buildup in the area, which can lead to infection. You can use a clean cloth, tissue, or cotton pad along with antiseptic solutions, such as betadine, isopropyl alcohol, or diluted hydrogen peroxide.
2. Apply a topical antibiotic.
3. Avoid picking or removing crusts or pus from the infected site.
4. Change your jewelry. The inflammatory reaction may be occurring due to constant contact with metal jewelry, such as nickel, which causes continuous inflammatory reactions. Switching to a low reactive metal, such as gold or platinum, should relieve skin hypersensitivity and decrease the inflammation around the piercing site.
5. Use a hot compress with soothing oils. Heat can relieve pain, and tea tree or chamomile oil, which have anti-inflammatory properties can help bring down the inflammation.
6. Rinse the area with soap and water when showering. Even a salt solution application can help in faster healing and reduce the buildup of germs in the area.
7. Take over-the-counter painkillers to relieve pain and fever.
8. Seek medical treatment if there is no improvement with home remedies. Your doctor may prescribe oral antibiotics or drain the accumulated pus and fluid if required.

SLIDESHOW

When to seek medical help

If there is only minimal discomfort with mild signs and symptoms, topical application of antibiotics and ointments should be enough to treat an infected nose piercing.

However, if there is very severe throbbing pain or burning sensation, foul-smelling discharge, and heavy crusting, seek immediate medical help. These symptoms indicate that the infection may be spreading to other areas. An infection can even spread to cartilage in the nose, causing perichondritis (infection of cartilage) in rare cases.

An infected nose piercing can also cause fever, headache, nausea, etc. due to the systemic response to infection taking place inside of the body.

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References

Image Source: simonmcconico / Getty Images

WebMD. What to Know About Ear Piercing Infections. https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/what-to-know-about-ear-piercing-infections

Meltzer DI. Complications of Body Piercing. Am Fam Physician. 2005 Nov 15;72(10):2029-2034. https://www.aafp.org/afp/2005/1115/p2029.html

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Keloid Picture

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Are septum piercings safe?

Septum piercings – those rings hanging down from the center of the nose – have been a popular accessory over the last few decades. As someone who is considering it, You might be wondering, “Are septum piercings safe to do?”

What is getting pierced?

The septum is the thin wall that divides your right and left nasal passages. It is made of cartilage, and most people have a thin strip of tissue and skin called the columella that sits in front of the cartilage. Most people who get a septum piercing get the columella pierced. The cartilage can be pierced, but it hurts more and has a longer healing time.

Are septum piercings painful?

While some pain is associated with a septum piercing, it is usually minor and brief. If you have an experienced piercer, you might not feel more than some temporary discomfort. However, prolonged pain from your piercing could be indicative of an issue.

Can I get septum piercings if I have a deviated septum?

Septum piercings are possible with a deviated septum, but they might not look perfectly symmetric.

What is the healing process like?

You will likely experience mild tenderness in the tip of your nose for about a week. During the healing process, avoid touching the nose ring or adjusting it too often. Use saline solution to clean it two or three times a day. Avoid using alcohol or iodine to clean it. While it can heal in as little as two or three months, it could take as long as six to eight.

How soon can I change out my septum piercing?

While you should try to leave it in as long as possible, you can swap nose rings after six to eight weeks if the piercing is well-healed.

Are they any risks in getting a septum piercing?

While risks are low if you get a septum piercing from a reputable piercer, there is still a risk of developing a infection, allergic reaction to the metals in the piercing, a septal hematoma (when the blood vessels break and blood collects in the septum), and scarring. Bloodborne diseases like hepatitis, tetanus, and even HIV are a risk if unsterilized needles are used.

What are the symptoms and signs of a septum piercing infection?

Signs of a septum piercing infection can be recognizable physically and visually. They include increased pain or pressure, swelling, redness, discharge, foul smell, and a fever or chills.

Will the hole close on its own?

As with other piercings, once you remove the nose ring, the hole will usually close on its own. There is always a small risk that the hole from the septum piercings will persist. This could cause nasal crusting or drainage.

Keeping your nose healthy with CEENTA

If you are experiencing symptoms of a septum piercing problem, or are concerned about your nose’s health, schedule an appointment with a CEENTA ENT doctor. They will help ensure that the only concerns you have with your piercing are those of fashion.

This blog is for informational purposes only. For specific medical questions, please consult your doctor. You can now schedule an appointment online with any of our more than 40 ENT doctors in North and South Carolina. You can also schedule through myCEENTAchart or by calling 704-295-3000.

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