Aftercare and healing are not the most exciting part of a new piercing. Cleaning it several times a day can get a little tedious. But you get the best results if you stick with it until the piercing is fully healed.
The septum piercing healing time is actually one of the shorter ones, and a few simple habits keep it on track. Here are our best tips to carry you through the whole process.
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Here are some of the best tips to help you through the healing process of a septum piercing.
How Long Does a Septum Piercing Take to Heal?
Septum piercings can actually be one of the fastest piercings to heal, taking on average about 6 to 8 weeks.
But before you get too excited about a quick recovery, there are a few things you should know first. If your piercer misses the fleshy spot below the cartilage of your nose (the sweet spot for a fast-healing septum), you can expect a much longer healing time, up to 6 months.
You can have the septum pierced through the cartilage, but that increases both the septum piercing pain and the time it takes to heal.
To avoid a longer healing time, you should have your piercer examine your nose before you decide to get the septum pierced. Some people do not have much flesh below the cartilage, which can mean the piercing has to go through the cartilage. Just know that if you make that choice, the healing period is likely to be longer.
Our Tips for Good Septum Healing
It only takes a few simple steps to care for your septum piercing. Keeping it clean with proper aftercare helps it heal faster.
Clean the Septum Piercing
Keeping a septum piercing clean is really two things in one.
- First, clean the pierced area, including the jewelry, using the cleaning tips further down in this article.
- Second, do not introduce dirt or contaminants into your piercing.
Do Not Touch It
People used to be told to rotate the jewelry to help healing. But that only tears and irritates the tissue. Twisting will increase your healing time.
A lot of people get their septum pierced because they think it is easy to hide, and it can be. While you can flip the jewelry up or down now and then, you should avoid doing it as much as possible.
If you must flip it, leave it flipped for a while before you turn it back down again.
Beyond making tiny tears or irritating the tissue, touching and twisting your jewelry introduces more bacteria into the area. More bacteria means more risk of infection, so do not do it.
Stay Healthy
You can actually cut your healing time by taking care of your overall health. A fresh piercing is like any other wound: your body needs to be healthy to put enough energy into healing it. If you are worn out, eating poorly, and not sleeping enough, you will be too stressed to heal efficiently.
How to Clean a Septum Piercing
Cleaning a septum piercing is relatively easy. Just keep a saline solution on hand and soak both sides of the piercing (where the needle went in and came out). You can also fill a small cup or bowl with saline and dip the tip of your nose into it.
The cleaning solution helps loosen any crust that forms around the piercing, disinfects the area, and reduces bacteria.
You should be able to buy saline solution right at the piercing studio when you get your septum done. You can also make your own cleaning solutions from distilled water and sea salt to keep the overall cost down. Always rinse your piercing with clean water afterward so the salt does not dry out your skin.
It is also important to keep the septum jewelry clean, not just the skin. You can use a mild skin cleanser on the exposed parts of your jewelry and rinse them in the shower.
Do not remove your jewelry while you do this. Just leave it in place and wash the parts that do not touch your nose. Try not to use soap or cleansers on the fresh piercing.
What Can Affect Your Healing Time
Most of us want our piercings healed as fast as possible. So here are a few tips on what can affect the healing time of a septum piercing.
Removing Crusts
Yes, it can sound a little gross, but you know you might be tempted to do it. It is hard not to want to remove the crust that forms around your piercing, but control yourself. Pulling those crusts off can cause tiny openings in your skin, and that will increase your healing time.
Instead, soak a tissue in warm saline solution until you can gently wipe them away.
Going to the Pool
You should avoid the pool with your new septum piercing. You can still go swimming or use a hot tub, but do not put your face in the water while your piercing is still healing. Why? Because there can be a ton of bacteria in the water.
Getting a Sunburn on Your Nose
Sunburn irritates the skin, and too much sun exposure can also raise the risk of scarring.
Playing With Your Septum Piercing
We have said it before, but it is worth repeating. Do not play with your piercings.
Snagging Your Septum Piercing
This is something nobody means to do on purpose, but it will probably happen more than once. You catch your piercing on your shirt as you pull it over your head, or on your towel after a shower. It hurts.
If you snag your piercing on something, it will probably be more tender and need a little time to hurt less and finish healing. Just try to be as careful as possible to avoid doing it too often.
Your Cleaning Routine
The best way to shorten your septum healing time is probably to follow a daily cleaning routine. Cleaning the piercing about twice a day is optimal. But do not overdo it. Cleaning too much can dry out and irritate your skin.
Your General Ability to Heal
Not everyone has exactly the same healing process. For some it takes a little longer, and for others a little less. If your body is in great health, you can usually expect to be on the shorter end of the range.
Developing an Infection
This goes hand in hand with general health, except it is not as predictable as your daily habits. If you catch a cold or the flu, or any other kind of illness, it can slow things down. If you notice spreading redness, swelling, or discharge, read our guide on nose piercing infection to catch it early.
A Reaction to the Jewelry You Use
Do yourself a favor and choose high-quality surgical steel or titanium jewelry. A professional will advise you to do that anyway. Do not switch your jewelry for something cheap. Low-quality septum jewelry often causes allergic reactions and irritation.
Using Harsh Disinfectants
Yes, you want to prevent infections, but that does not mean you should soak your piercing in alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. Those things just damage the healthy cells in your skin. Stick to salt water solutions and the aftercare products mentioned earlier in the article.
Conclusion
Septum piercings look great when they heal properly, and you can wear all kinds of jewelry in them. They are also very appealing for their fast healing time.
Keep up a simple cleaning routine, choose quality jewelry, and be patient. Follow these tips and your septum piercing healing time will stay on the short end of the range.
