Your Nostril has been pierced by a professional body piercer and pierced using an implantation steel captive bead ring or implantation steel stud of the highest quality available. The rest of the healing process is up to you. Following this simple guide should enable you to have a great piercing that when healed will look great now and for years to come. Remember one thing no matter how good your piercing may appear over the next 1 to 2 months (4 to 8 weeks) it’s not healed and care must be exercised in handling it. Your piercing will not be seasoned (toughened) until you reach 1 year from the date of the piercing , so damage from changing jewellery or wearing inappropriate jewellery in the piercing is still possible within that time period.

Even provided that you have the piercing done properly with a needle, have proper jewellery and look after it properly you may still develop a problem with healing; this is because the nose is cartilage and it doesn't heal in the same way as flesh. The most common problem is small lumps which form around the piercing, these are called granulomas and usually occur because the piercing has been knocked or the jewellery has been taken out and re-inserted damaging the wound.

The best course of action to heal the piercing is to apply hot compresses to the wound once or twice a day. Put a clean paper towel under hot tap water, make sure that it's not hot enough to burn the skin, but hot enough to penetrate the wound. Leave on till the heat dissipates, do this twice a day. If that doesn't work the best course of action is to remove the jewellery for a short period of time to allow the wound to heal. when the lump goes down (usually 4-5 days) the jewellery may be reinserted, however, if the lump starts to come back it's best to leave it heal and have it re-pierced at a later date.

If you develop any problems come and see me, I will help you free of charge that is the service that you pay for when you get the piercing, don't be embarrassed to see me it's my job to help you!

WHAT IF MY STUD FALLS OUT ?
If the stud comes out the hole will close up very quickly, in less than a day in the first 2-4 weeks. If you stud comes out you must call me or come and see me as soon as possible and I will re-insert it for you, don't attempt to do it yourself as you will damage the piercing.

The biggest cause of people's studs coming out is drying their face with a towel they rub their face dry and dislodge the stud, you must pat your nose dry as long as you are wearing a stud. Other reasons are scratching their nose in their sleep and pulling tight clothes over their head.

To DO & DON'T
DO clean the piercing every day in the shower, soak a cotton wool ball or tissue in Saline Solution (available at any chemist) or 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt or table salt dissolved in a 1/4 glass of warm water. Place the wet cotton wool ball or tissue on the piercing and soak for 3-4 minutes until any crusting is removed, be careful not to pull the stud out!

DO remove any crusting from the inside of the stud/ring by cleaning it with a cotton-wool bud soaked in salt water. Be gentle, don't rub it roughly as you may cause the stud to come out. Any crusting must be removed from a ring before you turn it or you can damage and inflame the piercing.

DO dry the piercing afterwards carefully by "patting" not rubbing the piercing dry with a clean tissue, piece of paper towel or toilet paper. Don't rub your face dry with a towel as they harbour bacteria and can pull the stud out.

DO use Lavender oil as it promotes healing and lubricates the wound reducing tenderness. Apply a small amount with a cotton-wool bud after cleaning then move the jewellery so it gets into the wound, if you have a ring rotate it gently. Remove any excess with a tissue as leaving it on can cause the skin to become irritated. It may be purchased at supermarkets (medicine section) or at chemists and must be marked (BP) or medicinal grade.

DO remove it at night so you don't lose the stud, but not till it's healed fully.
DO use B-vitamins with a Zinc supplement as this promotes healing.
DON'T pick at or pull at the scab as this can cause lumps to form, and cause infections.
DON'T remove the jewellery in the piercing till it's healed, pulling it in and out can delay healing and cause infections and lumps.
DON'T replace the jewellery with a sleeper during the healing phase, as they have tiny hinges which tear the inside of the wound and cause inflammation and lumps. Silver sleepers are especially dangerous as they oxidise in the wound which causes "Argyria" a permanent black mark in your nose, they can also cause to allergic reactions.
DON'T remove the jewellery from the piercing for more than 1 day for the first 6 months, or it will close up.
DON'T get make-up, cleansers, sun tan lotions etc. directly on the piercing, when using hairspray cover the piercing with your hand.
DON'T use alcohol, Tea Tree Oil, metholated spirits, or betadine to clean the piercing as they are all harmful to the delicate tissues forming the scar, and can cause lumps to form.

CHECK OUT:

Piercing Risks
Piercing Pain
Piercing Mistakes
Piercing Jewelry Safety
Piercing Pain & Rejection