You have had your nose pierced for a few weeks and you want to change the jewelry? First, a word of caution: swapping your ring too early or the wrong way is risky.
In this article, we explain exactly how long before you can change a nose piercing, and we give you a step-by-step overview of how to do it safely.
Table of Contents
How long should you wait to change it?
The rule is simple:
You should not change it until your nose piercing has finished healing.
Unfortunately, that can take a while. Nose piercings take longer to heal than most other piercings. The reason has to do with your blood supply: there is not much blood flowing through your nostrils, which slows down healing time.
If you have already had your nose pierced, know that you can expect it to take about six to eight weeks to heal.
Not sure where you are in the process? Our full guide to nose piercing healing time walks through every stage.
How to know if you can change it
The aftercare stage
Being meticulous with your aftercare will not only prevent infection, it should also speed up your healing. On the other hand, if you do not take good care of your nose piercing, you risk stretching out your healing time.
Checking the appearance
Once the standard healing time has passed, assess the look of your piercing:
- Does your skin look back to normal? You can change your piercing.
- Still some swelling, redness, discoloration, or any discharge? Let it keep healing quietly. That is a sign it is not fully healed yet.
Pay close attention to the overall look of your piercing. It can seem completely healed on the outside, but it is possible it has not finished healing on the inside.
The risk of allergies
If you are allergic to certain materials, especially the one your jewelry is made of, your piercing can take longer to heal. That is because your body will try to heal while also fighting the irritation caused by the jewelry.
If your healing takes much longer than expected, or you run into complications during wound healing, do not hesitate to ask your piercer to change your jewelry for you.
A professional's advice
If you are not sure your piercing is fully healed, simply ask your piercer to take a look. If you were pierced at a mall kiosk or a jewelry store, you can also visit a real piercer for their opinion, especially if you are worried. Even if they did not do your nose piercing, they will still answer your questions.
The risks of changing too soon
Your piercing creates a sensitive, vulnerable area as long as it is still healing. If you remove the jewelry too soon, you risk an infection. The piercing area can also be swollen, or tear and bleed when you take the jewelry out.
Even once your piercing has finished healing, you need to be careful.
It will be very tight at first, so take care when you remove the jewelry for the first time: do not force it.
Steps to change a nose piercing
Once your piercing has finished healing, it is finally time to swap the jewelry. Here is exactly how to do it:
- Wash your hands thoroughly. Never skip this step, or your piercing could get infected. Disposable rubber gloves also work.
- Remove your current piercing.
- Make sure your new piercing and jewelry are clean.
- Remove the bead from your new ring or open it (depending on the style).
- Gently and carefully slide the thinnest end of the jewelry into your piercing.
- Go slowly and stop if you feel any pain.
- Finally, close the jewelry.
Do not hesitate to see a professional if you run into problems or complications. Asking advice from someone who does this for a living is never a bad idea, especially to avoid making a mistake or making things worse.
And one more time: never force it.
Curious what happens if you leave the jewelry out too long? See our guide on how long it takes for a nose piercing to close.
Conclusion
Changing your nose piercing is not that complicated after all. As long as you make sure your piercing is completely healed before you switch, everything will be fine.
Follow the instructions in this article carefully, and in a few minutes you will be able to enjoy your new jewelry.
