Septum Piercings: Everything You Need to Know, From Pain to Jewelry Selection

woman with septum piercing staring into sun

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Septum piercings (also known as the "bull ring") are just about everywhere these days. With celebrities like Florence Pugh, FKA Twigs, and Zoe Kravitz showing us just how chic a middle-of-the-nose body piercing can look, it's tempting to take the septum-piercing plunge. But before going under the needle, you've probably got a few questions that need answering. That's why we've rounded up everything you need to know about septum piercings—from the pain level to what kind of jewelry works best—with input from expert piercer Kevin Lamb and board-certified dermatologist Jeremy Fenton, MD. Scroll on to learn more about septum piercings, including price, potential side effects, and aftercare.

Meet the Expert

  • Kevin Lamb is the head piercer at Maria Tash, a luxury jewelry and piercing destination with global locations.
  • Jeremy Fenton, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and medical director at Schweiger Dermatology Group in NYC.

What Is a Septum Piercing?

A septum piercing is a nose piercing that is located at the septum of the nose. Your septum is a thin wall of cartilage that runs down the center of your nose, separating your right and left nostrils. A septum piercing, however, should not penetrate the cartilage.

Instead, your piercer will mark the softer space of tissue just below the septum (often referred to as the "sweet spot"). Then, Lamb says they will hold the cartilage in place "freehand, using a receiving tube, or popping some clamps onto the area." From there, a sterile, single-use needle is inserted, and the jewelry is threaded through and secured.

Septum Piercing

Placement: The septum, aka the layer of cartilage between the nostrils

Pricing: $40-$100

Pain Level: 7/10

Healing Time: Four to six months

Aftercare: Soak with saline solution two times per day and avoid unnecessary touching. Keep soap and skincare products away from the immediate area.

Cost

You can expect to pay anywhere from $40 to $100 for a septum piercing. As with most beauty procedures, the cost of a septum piercing varies based on the place you go to and the state where you're getting the piercing done.

What Jewelry Material Should You Choose?

While body jewelry for septum piercings can be made of many materials, the following are the most popular:

  • Stainless steel: This is among the safest metal choices for any piercing because it's hypoallergenic, which makes it a good jewelry choice for sensitive skin.
  • Titanium: This is another popular pick for nose rings that is not likely to cause a reaction and is also durable. Titanium tends to be on the pricier side compared to other metals.
  • Niobium: If you're ultra-sensitive to the metals that body jewelry is typically made of, the element niobium could be a great choice. The chance of a reaction is low, and it tends to fall in the middle price-wise.

What Type of Jewelry Is Used?

The two main types of jewelry that are worn in septum piercings are:

  • Septum clicker: These hoops feature a hinged closure that springs open and clicks shut for easy insertion and removal. Closed hoops often have different stones and decorative elements on the outer edge, making them great for customization.
  • Barbell: Circular barbell jewelry fits neatly into a septum piercing and allows you to do that easy flip-up trick to hide it without actually removing the jewelry.

Pain Level

The pain of getting a septum piercing varies for everyone, but it will absolutely cause you to tear up. That doesn't mean you're crying; it's a natural response to secrete tears when your nose is pinched or pierced. Lamb shares: "From clients' experiences, they tend to find it a quick, sharp sensation, but once the needle is out and jewelry is transferred, everything then relaxes, and it goes to a warmer feeling."

Healing Time

According to Fenton, your piercing will feel significantly better after eight weeks, but it takes about four to six months for most body piercings to heal. "As with any significant damage to the skin or mucosal surfaces, it can take up to a year or more for the scar tissue to have reached its full strength, so one should be cautious about changing jewelry prior to that," he says.

Aftercare

As for body piercing aftercare, Lamb says to follow standard piercing cleaning procedure: "Saline-soak twice per day; dry the skin after; no picking, playing, or twisting the piercing, and try not to knock it."

What to Avoid After Getting Pierced

Your skincare routine should also be modified during the aftercare process—and you should take care to avoid certain products. "When cleansing or moisturizing the skin near the nasal septum, minimize the use of soap or moisturizer in close proximity to the piercing," says Fenton. "You really want to avoid contact with things like soaps and creams or moisturizers that could migrate into the piercing." He also advises steering clear of soaking in baths or hot tubs since these can be breeding grounds for bacteria.

If you have seasonal allergies or are prone to colds at certain times of the year, you may want to avoid getting your septum pierced near or during that time. We have good news for those with hay fever, though, as Lamb told us you'll find blowing your nose "just fine." Regardless, if you have severe allergies or are easily prone to sinus infections, you might want to avoid a septum piercing altogether.

Potential Side Effects

With every body piercing comes potential side effects. Here's what to look out for after you get a septum piercing:

  • Infection and irritation: Fenton explains that the biggest concern while healing a piercing is infection. "Monitor for pus, swelling, or increasing pain. That could be a sign of infection." Some people report a strange smell while wearing a septum ring—while the piercing itself won't impact your smell, an odor could be a sign of infection around the piercing or an irritation to a type of metal.
  • Granulation tissue and scarring: "Granulation tissue, a bump that forms and many people mistake for scar tissue, can form at the site of a nose piercing," Fenton says. "This is really an over-reaction of the healing process due to the environment of the nose and the jewelry." Scarring may also develop.

How to Change Out a Septum Piercing

While you can take a septum piercing out, as Fenton mentioned, you should wait at least a year to change the jewelry. You may want to see your piercer again for the first swap. One advantage of a septum piercing is that with the right jewelry (usually a circular barbell) it can easily be hidden by simply turning the jewelry upside down (i.e. flipping the piercing up). The size of the jewelry and the balls on the ends could affect your ability to breathe through your nose when you do that, though, so that's something to keep in mind. A septum retainer bypasses that problem, but it's not quite as attractive when visible.

Keep in mind that, like pretty much all piercings, a septum piercing will close if the jewelry is kept out of the hole for too long, particularly if you remove your jewelry while the piercing is still healing. Once you've bypassed the healing process, you can take a break every now and then, but it's best to keep jewelry in the hole if you don't want it to close up.

The Final Takeaway

Septum piercings are a super popular nose piercing type that pierces a barbell or circular hoop through the thin cartilage in between the nostrils. When following proper aftercare and avoiding potential side effects like scarring, infection, and inflammation, you can expect the piercing to heal with four to six months.

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