A rhino piercing runs vertically through the tip of the nose. A curved barbell enters on top of the tip and exits underneath it, just above the point where the nostrils meet, so one bead sits on the tip and one sits below. It is also called a vertical nose tip piercing, which is the clearer of the two names.
It is uncommon, striking, and among the more demanding nose piercings, both to place and to heal.
Rhino, mantis, septril
The tip of the nose has three named piercings, and studios confuse them.
- Rhino: one vertical bar through the tip, top to bottom.
- Mantis: a symmetrical pair either side of the tip, facing forward.
- Septril: from inside a stretched septum out through the tip, which needs a stretched septum first.
As with every placement whose name is a nickname, describe it or show a photograph rather than trusting the word. A piercer who has done rhinos will know exactly what you mean from a picture.
Your nose tip decides it
The bar has to sit vertically inside the tip with tissue on all sides and enough depth that it does not press at either opening. That needs a tip with real depth from top to underside, and a shape that allows a straight vertical path.
Narrow tips, very upturned tips, and tips where the cartilage sits close to the surface often cannot take one without the bar being under tension, and a bar under tension migrates. The cartilage that shapes the tip is also close by; placing clear of it is a judgement that comes from experience.
This is a placement for a piercer who has done it before. Ask to see healed examples of their own work, and do not be offended if the answer to your nose is no.
Pain
About 6 out of 10, near the top of the nose piercings. The tip is thick, fleshy and densely supplied with nerves, and the needle travels through considerably more tissue than a nostril.
Your eyes will stream, which is a reflex and means nothing. Expect the tip to feel tender to the touch for weeks rather than days.
Healing
Six to nine months.
- Weeks 1-3: significant swelling of the whole tip, tenderness, crusting at both openings.
- Weeks 3-12: swelling reduces; the tip stays sensitive to pressure.
- Months 3-9: slow internal maturing of a long channel.
Downsize at eight to twelve weeks, later than most nose piercings because the swelling takes longer to go. The initial bar is long, and a long bar on the tip of your nose levers on both openings every time anything touches it.
The most-touched point on your face
That is the practical problem. Tissues, towels, glasses being pushed up, sunglasses, a hand resting on your face, a pillow: all of them meet the tip of the nose first.
- Colds during healing are genuinely unpleasant. Blow gently, and clean afterwards.
- Pat dry, never rub.
- Sleep on your back for the first few months.
- Glasses that sit low may rest on the top bead. Check before booking.
- Make-up and skincare stay off it entirely while healing.
Aftercare is the standard nose routine, sterile saline twice a day on both openings and nothing else. The nose cleaning guide covers it.
Jewelry
Curved barbell, 16 or 14 gauge, implant-grade titanium, sized to your tip. The curve lets the bar follow the path from the top of the tip to the underside; a straight bar in a curved channel presses at both ends. Threadless or internally threaded only. See the materials guide.
Keep both beads small. The rhino’s look comes from the position, not from large ends, and large ends on the tip of the nose catch on everything.
Sizing is its own subject: nose ring sizes covers gauge, post length and hoop diameter.
Problems
Irritation in the first months is common and is usually a sizing question; a follow-up fitting is normal on a piercing this individual. See nose piercing bump for the general causes.
Migration is the risk to watch on a placement through mobile tissue. More of the bar showing than there was, or thinning tissue at either opening, means see your piercer promptly. See piercing rejection.
Infection on the face needs a doctor the same day if there is heat, spreading redness, thick coloured discharge or fever, jewelry left in. See infected nose piercing.
Related placements
- Mantis: the forward-facing pair, for a similar area with a different look.
- Septum: far easier, far quicker, and the only nose piercing that hides completely.
- Bridge: across the top of the nose between the eyes.
Cost
$60 to $120 in a US studio, plus jewelry, and expect the upper end from a piercer with real experience of the placement. On a piercing this anatomy-dependent, that experience is the thing you are paying for. Tip 15 to 20 percent.
Frequently asked questions
What is a rhino piercing?
A vertical piercing through the tip of the nose. A curved barbell enters on top of the tip and exits underneath it, just above where the nostrils meet, so one bead sits on the tip and one below. It is also called a vertical nose tip piercing.
Does a rhino piercing hurt?
About 6 out of 10, and it is among the more painful nose piercings. The tip of the nose is thick, fleshy and full of nerve endings, and the needle travels through more tissue than a nostril or a septum.
How long does a rhino piercing take to heal?
Six to nine months. The channel is long and passes through dense tissue at the most-touched point on your face, which is a slow combination. Expect it to stay tender for a good part of that.
Can everyone get a rhino piercing?
No. It needs a nose tip with enough depth for a curved bar to sit inside without pressing at either opening, and a shape that lets the bar run vertically. Narrow or very upturned tips often cannot take one safely.
What is the difference between a rhino and a mantis piercing?
A rhino is a single vertical piercing through the tip, top to bottom, with one bead on top and one below. Mantis piercings are a symmetrical pair either side of the tip, facing forward. Studios sometimes mix the names up, so describe the placement rather than relying on the word.
Does a rhino piercing go through cartilage?
It passes through the soft tissue of the tip and close to the cartilage that shapes it. Placement is a judgement about avoiding that cartilage, which is one reason it is a piercing for someone who has done it before.
Sources
- Association of Professional Piercers - Suggested aftercare for body piercingshttps://safepiercing.org/aftercare/
- Association of Professional Piercers - Jewelry for initial piercingshttps://safepiercing.org/jewelry-for-initial-piercings/
- Association of Professional Piercers - Body Jewelry Verification Programhttps://safepiercing.org/body-jewelry-verification-program-2/
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This article is for education only and is not medical advice. If a piercing is hot, swollen, spreading redness, oozing yellow or green discharge, or you have a fever, see a doctor today.