Headlight Tattoo & Body Piercing                        

    Nostril Piercing Aftercare

 

Nostril piercing is performed under aseptic conditions, and with a sterile needle. We use only Titanium jewelry. The most common jewelry we use is a 20 gauge L shaped stud with a pronged set Swarovski crystal. We also offer nose piercing with a Titanium nose hoop in either 20 gauge or 18 gauge. We typically have these available in a silver colored finish, and often carry anodized Titanium in a Rose Gold or Purple color finish.  

 

After being pierced, we ask that you lie down on our piercing table while we attend to you, and make adjustment to your jewelry. For nose hoops, it is while lying down that we use tools to “round out” and tighten the jewelry. 

 

A typical nostril piercing will bleed a small amount for a few minutes. Occasionally, a client will bleed for more than a few minutes. In any case, your Body Piercer will attend to you, is equipped to deal with any inconvenience, and will make sure you are cleaned up and in good shape before exiting the piercing room. 

 

A mild degree of redness at the site of the piercing, and a bit of inflammation on the inside of the nostril at the piercing site are normal. A normal piercing could be tender for a few days.  The discomfort is often noticed periodically, but should not be very bothersome or unpleasant. If the piercing is sore, Ibuprofen is the drug of choice. (Advil, or generic). It will relieve the discomfort, decrease swelling, and cool the heat. Ice will help a lot and can be put on the piercing to provide comfort. You can put ice on it as often as you want.

Our Titanium 20 gauge L shaped nostril stud jewelry is used for easy insertion and to make for an easy care and removal. Nasal jewelry comes in other shapes, sizes and designs -which we do not use and consider a more aggressive approach to nostril piercing. These jewelry designs and configurations often require specialty tools to insert or remove, and can cause serious problems for clients who are not able to remove them. We remain conservative with our jewelry and only use the highest quality Titanium. We do however, carry 18 Gauge Titanium screw shaped studs for clients who have a history of losing their jewelry or otherwise feel incompatible with the L shaped studs. 

 

It is possible to accidentally dislodge the jewelry when washing your face or drying your face with a towel, or when sleeping. If this happens, you need to find the jewelry immediately and clean it off with alcohol or soap and water, and gently, but assertively re-insert it.  It will help to lubricate the jewelry with sterile ointment, and is often easier to insert if you push on the inside of the nostril with a clean finger or wet Q-tip -to help the jewelry reach the inside. If you clean or deal with your jewelry in a mirror over a sink, it is best to make sure the drain plug is closed or put a towel over top of the sink so that you do not lose the jewelry down the drain if it becomes dislodged or if you drop it.

It is best to wash your hands and fingertips before cleaning your piercing. Use the Benzalkonium Chloride solution ( Studex) with Q-tips twice each day for the first month, and then once daily, to clean the jewelry and the piercing on the inside and outside of the nostril.  Remove any dried fluid or debris that may accumulate on the jewelry. When cleaning, move the jewelry up and down a bit and rotate it. For an L shaped stud, you may need to rotate the long end forward so that it protrudes out of your nostril while cleaning it, and then rotate it back into place out of site. Be gentle and do not take it out or dislodge it while cleaning. 

 

Nostril hoop jewelry should be rotated slightly in order to make sure that the skin on the inside wall of the nostril is not growing over the flat head on the ring. The flat head on the ring keeps the ring from falling out. It should live flush up against the nostril inner wall, but skin should not be permitted grow over top of it. Daily cleaning and inspection of the flat head will be necessary.

 

Whether pierced with a stud or a hoop. The piercing may be stained with bloody secretions on the inside or even the outside of the nostril for a day or two. Continue to gently clean as needed

 

You should not get any make-up in or on the piercing, especially the sparkly kind. 

You can easily blow your nose if necessary with jewelry in your nose. Just be mindful that it is there 

-and work around it!

If you go swimming in clean water, like a pool, you should clean your piercing afterwards. Salt water, like the ocean, is good for a piercing. Putting your piercing under water in a bath, hot tub, creek, pond or dirty water is not recommended for 2 weeks  Showers are fine. Again- be careful not to dislodge it while washing your face!  Once your piercing is no longer sore to touch, is not draining, and the jewelry can be moved around freely within, you can consider changing jewelry. We recommend that you become familiar with the processes required to change it yourself

It can be said that all piercing eventually heal. The object is to get them to heal soon, with minimal amount of problems or scarring. Vitamin C, multivitamins, and Zinc supplements have been used successfully to speed healing during the first couple weeks. . 

 

For a nostril piercing to be fully healed, to the point where the jewelry can be removed for a few days without it closing up may take a year or two. If you decide that you don’t want to have a nostril piercing anymore, just take it out. Continue to clean the wound for a few days. It will heal to a tiny scar, probably undetectable to the naked eye- if removed during the first few months. After several years, there may be a more noticeable scar….more like a dimple in the skin.

 

NJ law requires us to describe the signs and symptoms of an infection, therefore: The signs or symptoms of an infection may include excessive soreness, abnormal swelling, redness or heat, accompanied by pus or a foul smelling odor coming from a wound.  If you think you have an infection  or a serious problem you should contact a physician. If you do not know who to call, Headlight Tattoo Inc. has a long term relationship with a licensed Physician who may agree to see you at your own expense. 

Healthy living, a high-quality diet, and good hydration will promote healing. Remember……Don’t drink and drive, and be nice to dogs.       

 

        Feel free to email questions, comments, or concerns to: headtattoo@aol.com