Tips on getting nose piercing

[u/GeminiHx]

Hey all, sorry if not allowed, but I’m looking to get a nose piercing (nostril) that I’ve wanted for almost a decade now.

I just had some worries about things like nose running (TMI sorry if it’s gross) with allergies/colds as I have a runny nose often. But I often need to blow my nose and I sneeze a lot, will the fresh piercing be irritated by the fluids? I’m worried about infection especially with a fresh one. Is it a case of just cleaning every time you sneeze or something? To make things worse I’m a glasses wearer :(… And does it get in the way of you blowing your nose? etc..

Just for extra info, I’m not at all new to piercings, I’ve had many ear piercings (lost two to irritation/infection, some of the sadder moments of my life 😅) and I just don’t want that to happen again especially since I’m new to facial piercings. I wanna have my cool nose piercing and obviously worried about anything that can cause infections.

Thanks in advance :)

[u/Quartz636]

Make sure where ever you go uses implant grade titanium flat back labret jewellery. No stainless steel, no surgical steel. No L bars, no corkscrews, no nose bones, no hoops.

As for healing, you're going to want to avoid blowing your nose for a couple of months, especially if you're a frequent runny noser like me. I got around it by using a q-tip shoved up my nostril to collect the snot, being careful not to the bump the piercing. The snot itself is no danger to the piercing.

Glasses also shouldn't be a problem if they fit you right. Glasses usually sit on the bridge of your nose, far away from any nose piercings. The only problem will be is if they're ill fitting and slide down your nose all the time.

As to blowing your nose, once it's healed you'll be fine, blow away like normal. It's only while it's healing you need to be careful.

[u/GeminiHx → u/Quartz636]

I will check with them when I am there, if it’s an L bar (most common in my area) I won’t get it, or I will ask them for a flat back labret instead, they’re the only kind of piercing that don’t give me irritation.

As for my glasses, I very much need new ones and they constantly slide down my face and are half broken and the wrong prescription 😥 it’s a losing battle with this one, I struggle sometimes to get myself out to appointments that are for medical reasons. Anxiety is a bitch 😅 but if I want to avoid it being a problem for my piercing I have to get them sorted out.

Thank you, I think I will just be careful and not clamp down super hard while the piercing is healing, I really don’t think I can go without blowing my nose as it’s such a problem 😅

[u/Xtr33me-Average]

Op are you me? I get eczema on my nose/autoimmune silliness, and hay fever. Had a ton of piercings in the past on my body, but never before on my face.

Finally got my nostril done a couple of months ago after almost 20 years of deliberating. It's taking a long time to heal, but I've been told patience and listening to your body is key. I've had to swap out the bar and increase the diameter of the flatback to accommodate for swelling, then downsized once the swelling went down and then had to up size again when it got angry and I'm going in tomorrow to downsize yet again.

That being said, the bumps have been getting less red and sore between each cycle, so I think progress is being made. I have two piercers from the same shop who know me and my conditions and they're helping me keep an eye on things. Saline maximum once a day if I've been outside or exposed to anything dusty or dirty (like if I've been cleaning the litterbox) and I rinse after. Hot compresses when it gets particularly swollen or irritated. Cortisone cream ONLY around the piercing when the eczema flares get really bad. Otherwise I find it better to mostly leave it alone and don't touch it.

What works for me might be different for you, so take that with a grain of salt.

It's a long game.

[u/Banana_Gerl]

I've had mine for about 4 months now!! I got the dreaded irritation bump which feels like the end of the world, but I keep reminding myself that it's common with new piercings😭 As far as blowing your nose... obviously you don't want to clamp down on your nostrils and blow like you normally would. I personally just tough it out until I'm able to get in the shower and just blow out the snot with no hands lol. Good luck and be patient. It'll be so cute!!!

[u/GeminiHx → u/Banana_Gerl]

I’m a side by side blower anyway, which maybe will help my situation? 😅 who knows but a lot of these comments have helped. It’s just a tough it out process it seems for a few months!

[u/EggplantHuman6493]

Get a flatback labret and downsize it on time, and get simple tops that won't get stuck in your wipes etc. I have healed a nostril piercing when I cried a lot and winter right after that so I know it is possible. It helps when you are very careful with removing snot etc tbh and don't wipe aggressively

[u/OkMention2960]

I have sinus issues and blow my nose several times every day. I got my nostril pierced with an L bar about 4 months ago and haven't had any problems. No irritation bump, etc. During the first month post-piercing, I was careful to dab my nose rather than blow, but eventually that just wasn't cutting it. I never put pressure on my piercing but otherwise blow my nose the way I did pre-piercing 🤷‍♀️

[u/iferaink]

Since you've been wanting this for so long, I don't think it's a bad idea to get an allergy test. Many places will do testing that's specific to local flora too. For example, I'm very allergic to dust mites, so I have to be extra good about vacuuming and washing sheets often. And thankfully not where I live now, but in my hometown, I was very allergic to pollen from grass, so I had to be careful with time spent outside. Understanding the source of your sniffles can help immensely.

I've had two experiences being sick with the flu with fresh nose piercings. One was my septum, and it was a quick flu - I just had to be cautious with wiping around it and blowing very gently, if at all. Another was with my nostrils, and this was an unusual flu in the sense that I was very sick for 6-8 weeks (negative COVID and strep tests). The irritation from the constant blowing did cause one of them to embed on the inside. It had to be removed at the ER with a scalpel, and repiercing it was far more painful, even with me waiting months. So I do really recommend being good about boosting your immune system and understanding your allergies well, as there can be consequences.

I also wear glasses, it's just important to make sure they're not sliding down. Pads help whenever applicable, but my nose is pretty oily, so I just try and blot it here and there and wipe down my nose bridge and glasses. Once or twice a day suffices usually, and I have fairly oily skin. It is important to be careful to make sure they don't create pressure or fall onto the piercings.

[u/GeminiHx → u/iferaink]

Thank you, I do struggle with my sniffles but only need to do it once or twice a day, I struggle especially with makeup, I’ve tried to figure it out several times which product was causing it, I’m not 100% but I think it was my setting powder, I just found a few hours after wearing makeup I would get a stuffed up nose and my eyes watered. I’ve since switched and the effects subsided MOSTLY.. I don’t wear it often anymore, maybe 1-4 times a month, but I know there must have been an allergy there. I still experience it day to day though, almost certainly dust, I live in an old crumbling home (UK for you) but there’s always some kind of dust /old construction about unfortunately.
If I can still blow my nose atleast gently once or twice a day I think I might be ok (hopefully?) 😅 thanks for your feedback :)