Q&A for How to Pierce Your Septum

You can't use a retainer until the hole has already healed. You'll need metal jewelry. If you're worried about hiding your piercing, choose a piece of jewelry that can be easily flipped up into your nose and hidden, such as a horseshoe shape.

The hole has likely closed up by now. You might use a piece of cork to catch the end of the needle the next time you attempt a piercing so it doesn't slip out. Otherwise, make sure to push the needle all the way through, leaving plenty of room so it won't slip out.

Honestly it's not painful at all. It just feels like a sharp pinch, then it's over.

You can buy open ended rings which you can just flip up and tuck inside your nostrils.

A sewing needle wouldn't be as safe since it won't be sterilized correctly. Also, the hole could be to small for jewelry.

You can use Orajel or other over-the-counter numbing gels or cream. If you rub on the inside and wait a few minutes, then it should reduce the pain to a light pinch.

After about a month, it may feel like it is healed, but full healing can take up to six months or longer.

Technically yes, it'll just be tender. But that said, following these instructions vs. going to a professional is just going to leave you with a crooked and likely infected piercing. And never clean a piercing with rubbing alcohol. Whoever said that was okay does not know what they're talking about. Use it to clean the area before piercing, not to clean your actual piercing.

Not really. I've seen people do septum piercings with sewing needles before, but those are still needles. There's not really anything else strong, sharp, and skinny enough to use to pierce a septum.

Amazon has cheap needles, and all the ones I've seen come pre-sterilized. I've gotten all mine from Amazon and have never had a single problem.

Typically in the US you have to be 18, or under 18 with your legal parent or guardian's permission. This varies from state to state though.

No! A tack is not a suitable piercing tool. It's a bad idea to do a septum piercing yourself.

No, you can't properly sterilize it at home. You can buy cheap sterile needles online.

No, most of the piercings are done without lubricating the needle.

Use your pinkies to find a soft spot in your septum (it's typically towards the front). Pierce there for the least amount of pain and the best healing experience.

Do not do this. It is too small for the jewelry and it will not go through. You can buy hollow piercing needles online, or through Amazon. Do not pierce it with anything but a sterilized needle.

Yes, you may use rubbing alcohol to keep it clean.

Although I'm only making an educated guess here, I know that numbing cartilage with ice makes it firmer and harder to pierce all the way through. You want your septum piercing to be one swift motion, not forcing it through your nose.

In my experience, no. I got mine pierced in September, so I was really stuffy. But be careful when blowing your nose that you don't grip your nose too hard and hurt yourself.

Yes, you can. I would recommend not flipping it up and down a ton while it's healing, though, just to minimize trauma to the piercing.

I suggest Oragel, it is a topical numbing medicine.

It is likely the wrong width and wouldn’t match the size of the jewellery you’d put through the hole.

If you remove the jewellery while it’s still healing, you risk it closing up as nose piercings do so very fast. If you want to hide it you can try flipping the jewellery up instead of removing it.

While you don't have to, it is a good idea because it will help to reduce pain. Also, it makes it much faster and easier.

Yes, you can. But you should also clamp it with something, as doing so will help to make it less painful.

That depends on how sensitive your skin is. If you are very sensitive to metal, then don't use stainless steel, as it makes you prone to infection.

Any disposable piercing tools or piercing guns should never be used, not even on your earlobes. They can be severely damaging to the cartilage on whatever you're piercing. I recommend getting your septum pierced professionally to avoid any chances of infection.

You shouldn't pierce your septum with a piercing gun - they are likely to be more painful, increase the risk on infection, and may damage your cartilage. A piercing gun works like a stapler. It takes a dull piercing post and forces it through your skin, damaging your tissue, it also doesn't leave proper space for swelling and the instrument itself cannot be sterilised.

If the sanitiser is still wet, then yes, it will sting. If you have applied sanitiser and it’s dried off, then it won’t sting.

If you're able to, go to a reputable piercer. They will possibly be able to use a taper to get the ring in.