Almost everyone believes a septum piercing goes through the cartilage wall between the nostrils. Done properly, it does not. It passes through a thin strip of soft tissue at the bottom of that wall, in front of the cartilage, called the columella. Piercers call it the sweet spot, and finding it is the entire skill of this piercing.
That single fact explains everything else: why it hurts less than people expect, why it heals in two to three months rather than a year, and why a bad placement is so much worse than a good one.
The sweet spot
Run a finger up the middle of your nose from the tip. You will feel soft flesh, and then a firm wall where the cartilage begins. The gap between the two is the sweet spot, and it can be anything from a couple of millimetres to nearly a centimetre deep.
A piercer will pinch the area with a gloved hand and feel for it before agreeing to anything. If you have a badly deviated septum, or a naturally tiny gap, there may not be enough tissue to work with, and being told no is the right outcome.
A piercing placed through the cartilage instead hurts sharply, takes far longer to heal, and can end up crooked. If your septum piercing was agonising and is still angry after months, poor placement is a likely explanation and a second opinion is worth getting.
Pain
About 5 out of 10, and unlike most piercings the reaction is more memorable than the pain. Your eyes will water instantly and heavily. That is a nerve reflex, it happens to almost everyone, and it does not mean you are in distress. Plenty of people laugh at the same time.
The sting itself lasts about a second. Afterwards you may sneeze a few times and feel a dull ache for an hour.
Healing
Two to three months. Fast, because the sweet spot is soft, vascular tissue.
- Week 1: tenderness, some swelling, occasional bleeding when you blow your nose.
- Weeks 2-6: crusting, the characteristic smell, less tenderness.
- Months 2-3: settled.
Downsize at four to six weeks, once the swelling has gone. The initial circular barbell is sized to allow for it, and the spare length afterwards is what catches when you blow your nose or pull a jumper over your head.
The main thing that extends this is flipping the jewelry up and down repeatedly to hide it. Every flip drags the ring through the channel. If you need it hidden all day, wear a retainer instead of flipping a ring.
Jewelry
Start with either:
- A circular barbell (horseshoe), 16 or 14 gauge, 8 to 10 mm diameter, in ASTM F136 implant-grade titanium. Easy to flip up if you need it hidden, easy to clean.
- A titanium or glass retainer, if you need it invisible from the first day. It sits inside the nostrils and is very hard to see.
Clickers and seamless rings are the classic septum look, but they belong in a healed piercing. Fit one after two to three months and have the piercer size the diameter, because a ring that is too small presses on the channel constantly.
Gauge is worth deciding early. Many people prefer 14 gauge for the way a septum ring sits, and going from 16 to 14 later means stretching. Say what you want before the needle. See the material guide for why implant-grade titanium is the default.
Aftercare
Saline twice a day. Do not flip the jewelry to inspect it. Do not remove it to clean it. The full routine applies.
Septum-specific points:
- The smell is normal. Dried lymph plus the ordinary bacterial flora of the nose. It fades as healing finishes. Saline handles it.
- Blowing your nose will be uncomfortable for the first week and may produce a little blood. Be gentle and rinse afterwards.
- Hiding it at work or school: use a retainer from the start rather than flipping a ring twice a day.
- Kissing and contact transfer bacteria into a fresh piercing. Give it a few weeks.
Problems
Crusting and smell are normal and resolve with rinsing.
Bumps on a septum are less common than on a nostril, and are usually caused by flipping, by a ring that is too tight, or by low-grade jewelry. See piercing bump vs keloid.
A crooked septum piercing usually means the placement was not centred in the sweet spot, or the tissue was pinched unevenly. It rarely straightens on its own. Have a piercer assess it; sometimes the fix is a different jewelry style, sometimes it is letting it close and starting again.
Infection. The nose carries staphylococcus normally, so keep hands away. Heat, spreading redness onto the tip or upper lip, thick coloured discharge, increasing swelling after the first week or fever means see a doctor, jewelry left in.
Cost
$40 to $90 for the piercing in a US studio, plus $30 to $150 for jewelry depending on whether you start with a plain titanium horseshoe or a decorative clicker. Retainers are cheap and worth buying alongside.
Frequently asked questions
Does a septum piercing go through cartilage?
No, not when it is done properly. It passes through a thin strip of soft tissue below the cartilage wall, called the columella and known to piercers as the sweet spot. Piercing the cartilage itself hurts far more, heals badly and is a sign of poor placement.
How long does a septum piercing take to heal?
Two to three months, which makes it one of the faster piercings on the face. The sweet spot is soft tissue with a good blood supply, unlike the cartilage everyone assumes it goes through.
How much does a septum piercing hurt?
About 5 out of 10, but it is unusual. The sting is brief and your eyes will stream immediately, which is a reflex rather than a measure of pain. Many people laugh through it. If it is genuinely severe, the piercer may be off the sweet spot.
Can I hide a septum piercing?
Yes, better than any other facial piercing. A circular barbell can be flipped up inside the nose, and a clear or titanium retainer is almost invisible. Ask for a retainer at the appointment if you need it hidden from day one.
Can everyone get a septum piercing?
Most people can, but not all. The sweet spot varies in size, and a badly deviated septum can leave very little to work with. A piercer should feel for the spot before agreeing, and should decline if it is not there.
Why does my septum piercing smell?
A distinctive smell, sometimes called septum funk, is normal in a healing septum and comes from dried lymph and the ordinary bacteria of the nose. Rinse with saline twice a day and it fades. A foul smell with thick coloured discharge is different and needs a doctor.
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 - Piercing FAQhttps://safepiercing.org/piercing-faq/
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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.