How to Pull Off a Septum Piercing
Septum piercings are one of the most popular modern piercings. These piercings are very trendy and equally as bold. Septum jewelry definitely stands out against your facial features, adding a permanent eye-catching statement to your look. It takes a certain amount of courage and a willingness to take fashion risks to pull the trigger on a piercing as daring as a septum piercing.
These piercings don’t have to be as scary as they might seem. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to have a certain aesthetic or specific facial qualities to rock a septum piercing. Keep reading to learn how to pull off a septum piercing the safe, smart way no matter who you are, what you look like, or what you wear.
1. Get the Right Size
Septum piercings are definitely not one size fits all. Septum jewelry comes in many different sizes, in a broad span of diameters ranging from 8 mm to 18 mm (for circular jewelry). Pay attention to the width of your nose as well as the size of the space between the bottom of your nose and the top of your lip to determine whether a smaller or larger size would work best for you. Most experienced piercers know how to advise you on which size jewelry to wear, but you should also know how to estimate your size on your own.
Also consider the style of the jewelry you choose in relation to the size and shape of your face. If you have smaller, more delicate features, stay away from bold, colorful jewelry adorned with jewels or dangly accoutrements. Stick with more subtle, smaller metal U-shaped or circular jewelry instead. If you have a larger face with stronger features, pick bolder, embellished septum jewelry that stands out.
2. Be Picky With Your Jewelry
It’s impossible to pull off a septum piercing if it’s constantly red and irritated. If you notice recurring itchiness, redness, swelling, or other discomfort after your piercing’s initial healing process is over, you might be having a mild allergic reaction to your septum jewelry.
If possible, your septum jewelry should be made from titanium. Titanium is the safest metal for body piercings and is least likely to develop an infection. When you first get your septum pierced, always request titanium jewelry. The titanium will help prevent initial infection and irritation when your piercing is new and sensitive. If titanium is unavailable, surgical-grade stainless steel is a good back-up option. Avoid sterling silver and plated metal, which easily tarnish and foster bacterial growth that can lead to infection.
3. Consider Your Other Piercings
There’s a fine line between rocking piercings as fashion accessories and looking like you’re adorned with more jewelry than skin. You don’t want the excessive metal embedded in your face to be the first thing people notice about you.
Since septum piercings are one of the largest, most obvious facial piercings, they can come off as obnoxious if you pair them with too much other jewelry in the same area. Keep other facial piercings at a minimum and let your septum shine as the major focal point of your look.
4. Prepare for the Pain
Septum piercings are painful, which is a major reason why they’re not for everyone. Before you get your septum pierced, you should know that it will hurt both during and after the initial piercing.
Many people who are unprepared for the pain of a septum piercing end up removing their jewelry prematurely. Unfortunately, this can lead to permanent skin damage and scarring. Don’t freak out if your piercing starts hurting more severely a few weeks into its healing period. This is a natural part of your body’s healing process. Just follow your aftercare routine religiously and know that the pain will eventually subside for good.
5. Keep Up With Aftercare
An infected septum piercing isn’t going to win any style of the year awards. Taking good care of your septum piercing long-term helps you avoid nasty infections that leave you with redness, scarring, swelling, pus, and other unsightly, painful symptoms. A common mistake many people make after getting a septum piercing–or any piercing, for that matter–is falling off the wagon of their aftercare routine too soon.
When your piercing is new and painful, it’s easy to remember to keep up with regular cleaning. It’s harder to resist slacking off on your aftercare routine once your piercing has healed enough to not hurt anymore. However, your septum piercing doesn’t fully heal even after it stops hurting and is no longer red or swollen. Septum piercings take an average of eight months to heal completely. During those eight months, stay vigilant with your aftercare routine to keep your piercing site clean and infection-free.
6. Match Your Style
You should choose the septum jewelry you wear based on your existing style. Focusing on keeping your style and your septum jewelry in sync helps you pick out jewelry that fits in with the clothes and accessories you wear on a daily basis. Wearing septum jewelry that complements your regular looks helps your everyday outfits look more streamlined and put-together.
If your style is more subtle and subdued, pick out thin, delicate jewelry that won’t disrupt the simplicity of your everyday outfits. On the other hand, if you tend toward colorful, textured statement clothing and accessories, go for bolder septum jewelry that will keep up with the other eye-catching pieces in your look.
7. Learn to Hide It
With a piercing as glaring as a septum, you will inevitably find yourself in situations where you need to hide your septum jewelry. Whether you’re headed to a job interview or a family gathering at your ultra-conservative grandmother’s house, it’s helpful to know how to conceal your piercing when the situations warrants it.
Learning how to effectively hide your septum jewelry makes living with a septum piercing much less stressful. Hopefully, you won’t run into many situations where your septum piercing is not welcome. When you do, though, you have multiple options for easily concealing your jewelry without risking it closing up. Try wearing a retainer, a simple U-shaped jewelry that flips up into your nose for easy concealment. Retainers come in both metal and clear glass options. In a pinch, you can flip most other simple, standard U-shaped septum jewelry up into your nose as well to hide your piercing instantly without a retainer.
A septum piercing can make a fun and stylish addition to anyone’s look. If you’re bored of your look and want to switch it up, add some bold flair to your style with a septum piercing that best suits you.
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