RINGWOOD TATTOO & BODY PIERCING
 FOR MORE INFO PLEASE E-MAIL OR
PHONE ME ON 03 9879 5688 
 52 WANTIRNA ROAD RINGWOOD, VIC, AUSTRALIA

NOSE PIERCING AFTERCARE

HISTORY 

Nose piercing is very attractive, and can accentuate the face, because the nose is the face's most prominent feature; Leonardo
Da Vinci believed that the nose set the character of the whole face.

Nose piercing was first recorded in the Middle East aproximately 4,000 years ago, it is mentioned in The Bible in Genesis
24:22 Abraham requested his oldest servant to find a wife for his son Isaac, the servant found Rebekah, and one of the gifts he
gave her was a "golden earring" the original Hebrew word used was Shanf, which also translates as "nose-ring".

This practice is still followed among the nomadic Berber and Beja tribes of Africa, and the Bedouins of the Middle East, the
size of the ring denotes the wealth of the family. It is given by the husband to his wife at the marriage, and is her security if she is
divorced.

Nose piercing was bought to India in the 16th Century from the Middle East by the Moghul emperors. In India a stud (Phul) or
a ring (Nath) is usually worn in the left nostril, It is sometimes joined to the ear by a chain, and in some places both nostrils are
pierced. The left side is the most common to be pierced in India, because that is the spot associated in Ayuvedra (Indian
medicine) with the female reproductive organs, the piercing is supposed to make childbirth easier and lessen period pain.

In the west nose piercing first appeared among the hippies who travelled to India in the Late 1960's. It was later adopted by
the Punk movement of the late 1970's as a symbol of rebellion against conservative values, and conservative people like
parents and employers still don't react well to it, so consider their reaction carefully before getting it done.

Nowadays nose piercing is gradually becoming more socially acceptable, and many celebrities have their nose pierced i.e.
Madonna, Lenny Kravitz, Sinead O'Connor, and Slash from Guns & Roses.




JEWELLERY 

The original piercing can be done with either a stud or a ring. There is a definite spot on the nose for a stud, but a ring can be
placed in various spots. I recommend that a piercing with a ring be done in the place for a stud, just in case you want to change
to a stud at a later date.

The jewellery must be Hypo-allergenic, meaning that it should have no adverse affects on the body, so the only metals you
should use are Niobium, Titanium, 18ct White & Yellow Gold, Platinum, or Palladium. Silver should never be worn in the nose
during healing, because it oxidises inside the wound, and can cause allergic reactions, lumps, and can leave a permanent black
mark on your nose.

Once the piercing is healed you can change the jewellery as easily as changing an earring, you can wear gold and coloured
niobium rings and studs, studs set with gemstones, or studs with tiny shapes i.e moons, dolphins, hearts.



HEALING 

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 Granulomas 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.




DO'S & DON'TS TO CARE FOR YOUR NOSE PIERCING 

The piercing usually takes approximately 8-10 weeks to heal, you must follow these instructions carefully or you could have
trouble getting it healed. If you have any problems you should come and see me or ring me immediately so I can help you.
Small problems left untended become large problems.

THE NUMBER ONE REASON FOR INFECTION IS TOUCHING OR PLAYING WITH THE PIERCING,
ONLY TOUCH THE PIERCING WHEN YOU ARE CLEANING IT!


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. 


©Cheyenne Morrison, The Piercing Temple, Australia 98. 

Return to AFTERCARE and HISTORYmain page.