Curious About Nose Piercings? Here’s What a Pro Wants You to Know First

Nose Piercing Healing Time

If you want to know how to heal a nose piercing fast, there are a few things to keep in mind. From start to finish, the healing process for a nose piercing can take between three and six months. “The longer you leave it, the better,” Hayler says. When it comes to cleaning your new piercing, make sure you’re following the instructions from your piercer to a tee. “The recommended aftercare is a sterile saline solution used twice a day, and do your best not to touch it at all.”

How to Treat Infected Nose Piercings

Changing your jewelry can be tempting, but if you want your nose piercing to heal properly (not to mention, avoid infection), it’s best not to touch it prematurely. If you do, the risk of infection is much higher. “If you remove the jewelry before it’s fully healed, you effectively have a wound that can harbor germs and gunk, leading to a pretty nasty infection,” Hayler says. What’s more, the hole can close up. “It’s only the jewelry inside keeping it open, which is the same for all piercings.”

Think you might have an infection or potential problem? Make sure to look closely. “There’s a very fine line between a healing piercing and an infection,” Hayler says. “Normal healing will feel a bit warm, be a little red, and be leaking a white-ish clear fluid, which will turn to ‘crusties’ around the jewelry. If it’s an infection, it’ll most likely be all of the above — plus itchy and leaking yellow or green.” Consult your piercer if you need a quick gut check, but if the symptoms of infection are more serious, Hayler recommends seeing a doctor. Until you’re certain, just make sure not to remove the jewelry so the piercing can continue draining properly.

When Can You Change Your Nose Piercing Jewelry?

If you’re ready to change out the jewelry you got when you first got your nose pierced, you need to wait until the piercing has fully healed, which in some cases could be six months from the day of your piercing. Removing the jewelry and changing it out too soon could result in nose bumps or even infections.

Do Nose Piercings Close Up?

If you’ve had enough of your nose piercing and you’re ready to let it go, the good news is that the piercing hole will close up. “All nose piercings are going to close,” Brian Keith Thompson, owner of LA’s Body Electric Tattoo, previously told POPSUGAR. However, there’s one small caveat. “You are going to have some kind of scar, depending on how long you wore your jewelry. The longer you wore the jewelry before closing the piercing, the more pronounced the scar will be,” Thompson said.

Fake Nose Piercing Studs Are a Great Solution

If you’re not ready to commit to a full-on nose piercing, there are a few alternatives that are worth exploring. You could opt for a fake nose piercing and purchase a faux nose ring. There are clip-in options as well as magnetic options, or there are even sticker studs available that stick directly to the outside of your nose.