Septum Piercing

I got my septum pierced!

I absolutely love it and decided I would write all about it here on the blog because there is a good amount to tell about it. I’ll be posting healing updates, and other future details about my piercing too.

I have always thought septum piercings were pretty. I have a few old friends from highschool who have them and really like the way they look. I brought it up to RJ for the first time Saturday, just over a week ago. I did not know that he absolutely loves them. He is not new to piercings (I have talked about his, in a previous piercing post). RJ has always thought septum piercings are sexy and thought I would look really good with one. He never brought it up before because it’s a pretty bold piercing, and is something he thought someone should decide on their own. As soon as I mentioned it he was really excited and suggested I go get it done the next day.  

A proper septum piercing is through the small bit of skin you have between where the cartilage in your nose ends, and the opening of your nose, near the tip. It’s called a, “soft spot” and everyone’s is different. You can feel your own by taking your pinky fingers and pinching the inside of your nose near the tip. Wiggle your fingers side to side parallel with the ground. You should be able to feel where the cartilage in your nose ends, and how big your, “soft spot” is. Not everyone has enough space there to have their septum pierced. Saturday night when I was testing myself to see if my soft spot was sufficient, I was not positive. I am not a professional, so we planned to head down there anyways with hope that I had the right anatomy for the piercing.  

The possibility of the piercing not happening, made me much less nervous on the way down to the piercing studio, which was nice. Sometimes, when I get really nervous, I get a stomach ache and avoid whatever I was supposed to do.

Sunday morning after having a nice big breakfast, we drove down to Atlanta to a good piercing shop. When we got there, I left RJ, Rose, and Heather in the car. Minors are not allowed in the studio till the age of 12, and anyone 12-17 in the studio must be the one getting pierced, and have a parent with them.

When I walked in I was happy to see 2 of the 3 women had septum piercings. Any time you get any sort of piercing make sure it’s a reputable place. A studio listed on the APP’s (Association of Professional Piercers) website should be good. I went to Virtue and Vice in Atlanta. I told the lady behind the front desk (I don’t remember her name) I wanted to get my septum pierced. She asked me when my last meal was (it is important to have eaten a meal in the last 4 hours, no one wants anyone fainting). I had breakfast about 2 hours beforehand and I also had a snack on the drive down because we live about 50 minutes from the studio. She said good, then asked me when my last alcoholic drink was. I had had one gin and tonic the night before around 11. Which was also good. Alcohol thins your blood. Thin blood and someone putting a hole through a part of your body do not go well together. I had not had enough alcohol to affect anything though.  

The lady behind the counter started the paperwork for my piercing, and showed me the jewelry I could choose from. Another lady, Lena, who would be piercing me, grabbed a pair of gloves and checked my nose to see if my soft spot was large enough. She said it was good, and a 16 gage piece of jewelry would be best. I chose a stainless steel circular barbell. I chose that because I wanted to start with something really basic.  

Right after Lena said I was good and I had picked jewlery, I started to get nervous. This was really happening. I was getting my septum pierced! I had a million questions running through my mind. How bad would it hurt? Would I really like it? What if I fainted? I have never fainted before.

My piercer took my jewelry to be sterilized, while I signed papers and paid. I was getting more and more nervous.

Just a couple minutes later, Lena said, “come on back”. I followed her to the first room, set my things down and took a seat on the table (this studio has doctor like tables, some have dentist-like chairs, I guess it’s the piercers preference). Lena chatted with me and made me feel comfortable. As she was getting everything ready, I told her I was a bit nervous. She said the build up/anticipation for this piercing is the worst part. Lena has two septum piercings herself. They look pretty close together, smaller gage and one behind the other. I get brazilian waxes about once a month and occasionally, I put it off because the anticipation of the pain is awful, even though the actual pain is never that bad.

Lena got everything ready, she cleaned my nose and drew a small horizontal guide line near the tip of my nose. She explained the basics of the piercing, then had me lie down and scoot up so my head was at the top of the table. She used a basic piercing guide, that looks like a small clamp with two round guides on the end. She placed it in my nose where the she would be piercing me. She checked to make sure it was not painful (apparently for some people the guide is extremely painful when it’s in place, it felt fine to me. Obviously having a hard metal thing clamped on my nose was not comfy! But it was not painful at all). Lena got the needle ready, she told me to take a deep breath and on the out she would pierce. It was over very quickly. My eyes watered a bit just because it’s a knee jerk reaction no one can stop. She then threaded the jewelry through which was more painful and eye watering than the actual piercing but it didn’t last long. I just kept breathing slowly (slow breathing helps me through any pain). The anticipation was definitely the worst part. The actual piercing was not too bad at all.

Lena cleaned my nose and had me sit up slowly. She told me to take a look in the mirror, and see what I thought. I was a little nervous but loved it instantly!

When I got out to the car RJ loved it. When Rose saw it she said, “oooo I like it!” I had showed her pictures before I got it so she wouldn’t be too surprised. She has not stopped telling me it’s pretty since I got it.

New piercings require a good amount of cleaning and aftercare. I have been doing sea salt water soaks twice a day. I have been very careful to not bump it or pull it. Today is the end of day 10. It’s a bit itchy at times (healing itchy). It’s a bit sore but not painful. The past two days my nose has gotten a bit raw. I have watered down my salt washes and that is helping a bit. The most annoying part is how ticklish it is. The day I got it, and the second day were the worst. I have gotten used to the majority of the ticklishness. Now it’s just ticklish sometimes, not all the time.

If you are thinking about getting any piercing please go to a good piercer! Find someone who is an APP member and go there over the questionable place close to home. Atlanta has three studios listed on APP’s website. I have been to two of them. The closest one is Virtue and Vice and it is 50 minutes from my home. The drive for a good piercing is worth it. Do not cheap out when it comes to getting a needle through your body. Go to a reliable place.

I cannot wait till my piercing is healed and I can put in all the cute jewelry!

I will keep posting updates here! Thanks for reading! Let me know if you have any questions!