This Is How to Clean a Nose Piercing the Right Way

Scarring. Keloids — lumps of fibrous scar tissue — can form.

Now You Nose: How Long Does a Nose Piercing Take to Heal?

Everyone nose piercings are rad. They’re a great way to express yourself and can be very meaningful. The downside — other than the ouchie itself — is that they can take a while to heal.

Here’s how long the most popular types of nose piercings take to heal. We also have important deets on aftercare, risks, and infection treatments.

Nose piercing healing times

Most nose piercings will heal within 2 to 9 months.

The exact timeline depends on the piercing location, piercing method, style of jewelry, and how well you care for the wound as it heals.

The older you get, the more you will be forced to spend on healthcare. A couple retiring at age 65 in 2018 will spend $280,000, on average, on medical costs throughout their retirement, not counting the expense of over-the-counter medications or the cost of living in a nursing home, CBS News

Here’s a rundown of the average healing times of the most common types of nose piercings.

Nostrils

A nostril (aka nares) piercing goes through the soft cartilage on either side of your nasal passages.

Expect a healing time of 4 to 6 months, depending on the type of jewelry. Thicker gauges tend to take longer to heal than thin rings.

Septum

Your septum is the thin layer of nerves, skin, and blood vessels between your nostrils. It’s a delicate area, so these piercings tend to hurt more than nostril piercings.

The good news? Septum piercings usually heal faster. Most folks bounce back in 2 to 3 months.

Bridge

Bridge piercings pass through a small section of skin on the very top of your nose, almost near the eyebrows.

Since very little tissue is being pierced, bridge piercings usually heal in 2 to 3 months.

Nasallang

Nasallang piercings are pretty complex. They go through the septum and both nostrils. That’s why you should def go to an experienced piercer to get this done.

The average healing time is 4 to 6 months.

Vertical nose tip (aka rhino)

This piercing goes through the tip of your nose in a vertical straight line. Think of it as an inverse septum piercing, only way less common.

Because the tissue on the tip of your nose is fairly thick, these piercings heal more slowly. Most folks say it takes about 6 to 9 months.

Lots of factors can impact your nose piercing’s healing timeline. Here’s the DL.

Location

Some parts of the nose heal faster than others. For example, a rhino piercing that goes through a thick section of nose tip tissue will take longer to heal than, say, a bridge piercing.

Picking at skin

Do *not* pick at your piercing. We know the temptation is real, but picking can irritate the wound and increase your risk of infection, lengthening recovery time.

Pulling or playing

Heads up: It’s a total myth that you’re supposed to twist or turn your piercing as it heals.

IRL, touching your piercing can agitate the wound. It can also be hella painful if you tug too hard or get your jewelry snagged on a sweater. Trust us.

Type of jewelry

Be careful with the type of jewelry you use. The safest metals are solid gold, niobium, titanium, or surgical stainless steel. Nickel, on the other hand, is more likely to cause an allergic reaction or turn your skin green. Yuck.

Reminder: Thicker gauges take longer to heal than thinner posts.

Piercing method

Piercing guns are the pits. Go for a needle instead.

Piercing guns cause more trauma to sensitive tissue and prolong the healing process. They’re also more likely to cause scarring or infections compared to a clean needle and an experienced hand.

Cleaning regimen

Aftercare is a huge part of the healing process. Clean and care for your piercing like you would any other wound. (More on that in a minute.)

This Is How to Clean a Nose Piercing the Right Way

Isabelle has been contributing to Byrdie since 2020. She has worked in digital media for over five years and is an expert on a range of topics, including tattoos, piercings, and culture. Her work can be seen across the web on Backstage Magazine, Merry Jane, Vulture, and more.

Reviewed by

Cozmo Faris is a professional piercer with more than 12 years of experience who teaches for the Association of Professional Piercers.

Professional Piercer
Fact checked by

Cherisse Harris is a fact-checker with a focus on lifestyle, beauty, and parenting. She’s worked in research for nearly two decades.

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Nose piercings are a super popular choice for those looking to change up their look or ease into body modification. Their commonality doesn’t make them cheesy, though; instead, the ubiquitous piercing type is a delicate adornment for the face that can easily be swapped in or out depending on your style or mood. If you’re considering getting your nose pierced, the most important thing is to be sure that you’re seeing an experienced and licensed body piercer. It’s also a necessity to closely follow aftercare procedures so your piercing stays safe from infection. To help ease your mind, we reached out to the experts for tips on how to clean a nose piercing.

Meet the Expert

• Rachel Nazarian, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist with Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York.
• Maria Tash is a fine jewelry and luxury piercing designer.

Keep reading to learn what else you need to know to be sure you’re properly caring for your new nose piercing.

Common Types of Nose Piercings

According to Tash, the most common kinds of nose piercings are nostril and septum piercings. “We also come across a lot of double piercings, or matching left and right nostrils,” she adds.

Nose Piercing Aftercare

Just like a tattoo, a nose piercing is an open wound that requires routine and safe aftercare. The risks for nose piercings are even greater thanks to their location in the area between your upper lip and your eyebrows. Because the veins in this area are connected to your sinus cavity, any problem in this area could be serious. The most likely issues stemming from improper aftercare are bleeding, loose jewelry, scarring, or an infection.

“The greatest concern following a nose piercing is to minimize any chance of infection. Infection can lead to scarring, and even jeopardize your overall health—and many infections prevent continued use of your piercing,” says Nazarian.

To make sure the healing process goes as smoothly as possible, wash your hands before you touch your piercing or jewelry. Don’t soak your piercing in any water (other than saline solution) until it’s fully healed. This means you should stay away from swimming pools, hot tubs, saunas, and baths during the healing period.

The time it will take for your nose piercing to fully heal depends on the location just as much as it does on your aftercare. A nostril piercing takes roughly three to six months to heal, depending on the thickness and type of jewelry. A septum piercing (placed in the soft connective tissue that lies between the nostrils), however, will heal in closer to two to four months, as there is less tissue between your nostrils for your body to reconstruct.

If you’re wondering whether the aftercare is different for a hoop versus a stud piercing, Tash says it’s the same. “A ring takes a bit longer to heal because it is more likely to get hit or moved by outside factors (towels, clothing, rolling over while sleeping, etc.).”

How to Safely Clean a Nose Piercing

Ahead, find step-by-step instructions for cleaning your nose piercing safely and hygienically.

• Always use clean hands whenever touching your piercing. “The nose is filled with a high volume of bacteria, and infections are common in this area, so don’t manipulate the piercing within the first two to three weeks,” notes Nazarian.
• Use saline or salt water solutions. “Clean the area of the piercing twice a day with saline, or salt-water, which prevents infection by preventing the growth of bacteria, and is a gentle way to clean a new piercing,” advises Nazarian.
• Avoid using a cotton swab or round as the fibers can get caught in the piercing. “Apply a saline wipe to both the inside and outside of the piercing. After five minutes, gently wipe away any visual discharge or softened crusting with the edge of the saline wipe or a piece of gauze,” Tash adds.
• Clean your nose piercing twice a day, every day, until the full healing process is complete. (Again, this can take several months.) During this time, it is important to clean both inside and outside the nostril. “Try not to blow your nose during the healing time unless after cleaning said piercing or in the shower,” says Tash.
• Keep the jewelry just as clean as the actual piercing. Wash the metal lightly with mild or gentle soap each day (the best time is during a shower) to remove any bacteria or crust around the jewelry.

To make your own salt soak, mix a teaspoon of non-iodized sea salt with a quart of distilled water.

Nose Piercing Bumps

Bumps around your nose piercing are fairly common and are usually the result of poor cleaning habits. In most cases, these bumps are the result of mild infections around the piercing site, which only emphasizes the importance of effective cleansing. These small infections can come from inappropriate aftercare products, dirty piercing tools, allergic reactions to jewelry, and more. However, bumps around your piercing can also be keloids, or thicker, raised scars that tend to develop near the puncture area.

The best way to avoid bumps is to follow the steps above and cleanse the piercing site thoroughly.

How Long Does It Take a Nose Piercing to Heal?

According to Nazarian, nasal piercings take about 90 days on average to heal, but the first few weeks are when the greatest risk of infection happens. No matter how long you wait, just be sure to replace any removed jewelry in a fairly quick amount of time, because all piercings can close up without jewelry, even if they’re fully healed.

It’s imperative that you don’t touch, move, or replace a nose piercing until it’s fully healed. It’s recommended to wait at least six months, no matter the piercing, but the longer you give a piercing to heal, the more you can be sure it’s safe. A good marker to see if your jewelry is ready to be changed is if you no longer have any pain, tenderness, discomfort, or discharge. Any of these symptoms means you’re not yet ready for new jewelry.

The nose piercing site goes through a few different stages of healing, though it’s important that you keep the wound clean to be sure everything goes smoothly. Make sure you take diligent care of your piercing during the first few days, as the tissue around the piercing site is regrowing and most sensitive then. Expect to experience some pain, warmth, or bleeding during this period, too, so don’t automatically assume these are symptoms of infection. This behavior can occur for up to three weeks (and experience tenderness for up to six weeks), but the lack of symptoms does not mean your nose piercing is fully healed.

Avoid direct contact with make-up, ointments, face creams, and/or harsh soaps or skin products after a new piercing.

When to See a Doctor

It’s normal for new nose piercings to have pain, bleeding, or discharge while they’re healing, but anything more than minor irritation or annoyance is cause for concern. If the site looks bright red or otherwise unusually colored, is oozing thick yellow or green discharge, or forms blisters, you should seek medical attention. There are also a number of non-visible symptoms of an infected nose piercing, like feeling extremely tender to the touch, smelling foul, being disruptively itchy, feeling overly painful, and having a fever. Any and all of these symptoms are signs that you should call a doctor as soon as possible.

“Make sure to contact your physician if the area has increasing or worsening redness, tenderness, crusting, or draining. The area of surrounding skin might be slightly pink following the piercing, but not exquisitely painful or tender,” says Nazarian.

Nose Piercing

Plan to get your nose pierced? Make sure it’s done safely and you know how to care for the piercing after you get it.

Your nose can be pierced in different spots:

• The nares, the fleshy skin around your nostrils
• The septum, the tougher cartilage between your nostrils
• The soft flesh at the bottom of your septum below the cartilage

Health Concerns

Nose piercing has risks. Your nose is in what doctors call the danger triangle of your face. That’s the area between your eyebrows and upper lip. Veins in this area are connected to your sinus cavity. Any procedure on this part of your face could cause a serious infection.

You could also be more likely to get:

Infection. Bacteria that line the inside of your nose can cause an infection. And viruses like HIV, hepatitis B or C, or tetanus from poorly sterilized equipment could get into your bloodstream.

Bleeding. Any piercing will bleed. A septum piercing may bleed more than pierced nares. You could also form a hematoma, a swollen bruise that can become infected or disfigure your face.

Loose jewelry. Nose rings or stud backs can loosen or shift in your hole. If that happens, you could inhale or swallow the little metal pieces. Loose studs or backs can also get stuck in your nose’s lining.

Allergic reaction. You could be allergic to the metal in your nose jewelry.

Nerve damage. Nose piercing may damage a nerve and cause numbness or pain.

Scarring. Keloids — lumps of fibrous scar tissue — can form.

Nose Piercing Safety

Get your nose pierced by a licensed professional. Never do it yourself or let a friend do it for you.

Make sure the person doing the piercing follows these safety procedures:

• Asks if you have any health problems or could be pregnant.
• Uses a sterile needle. Piercing guns can’t be properly sterilized.
• Sterilizes the nose jewelry on-site in a machine called an autoclave.
• Opens the sealed needle package in front of you.
• Uses sterile gloves, and washes their hands before and after the piercing.
• Cleans and disinfects your nose with alcohol or antiseptic liquid before it’s pierced.
• Gives you clear instructions on how to clean and care for your nose piercing.

Pain and Healing Time

You’ll have some pain when your nose is pierced. You may have some blood, swelling, tenderness, or bruising at first. It may be sore, tender, and red for up to 3 weeks.

Pierced nostrils heal completely in about 2 to 4 months. A pierced septum heals in about 3 to 4 months.

How to Care for Your Nose Piercing

To care for your nose until it’s healed:

• Wash your hands before you touch the piercing or your nose jewelry.
• Clean your nose gently with a gauze pad soaked in saline solution. Pat the area dry with a fresh paper towel.
• Don’t get in any water that could be dirty until your nose heals. Avoid swimming pools, lakes, rivers, and hot tubs.
• Don’t put antibacterial ointments on the site.
• Don’t move your nose jewelry until it’s healed.
• Sleep on clean sheets.
• Take showers instead of baths

Signs of a Problem

Call your doctor if you notice these signs of infection:

• Fever
• Red, swollen, very painful, or tender skin around the piercing
• Yellow or green gunk oozing from the site

Will It Close Up?

Nose piercings can close years later. Keep jewelry in your nose at all times so the hole stays open.

Cost and Safe Types of Jewelry

Nose piercing has two costs: one for the piercing procedure and one for the jewelry. Piercing your nose can often cost less than other body parts, like nipples or genitals. Nose rings made of expensive metals will cost more.

Safe metals for nose rings include:

• Surgical stainless steel
• Solid gold
• Titanium
• Niobium

Nickel jewelry is more likely to cause an allergic reaction. Nose jewelry shouldn’t be too large or heavy, or it can cause pain or swelling.

Show Sources

American Family Physician: “Complications of Body Piercing.”

Journal of Infection and Public Health: “Infective complications of tattooing and skin piercing.”

Cases Journal: “Complication of nasal piercing by Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis: a case report and a review of literature.”

American Academy of Pediatrics: “Body Piercing, Teens & Potential Health Risks: AAP Report Explained.”

Mayo Clinic: “Piercings: How to prevent complications.”

DermNet NZ: “Body piercing.”

Center for Young Women’s Health: “Body piercing.”

Government of South Australia: “Body Piercing — Know the Risks.”

Victoria State Government: “Piercings.”

Association of Professional Piercers: “Aftercare.”

National Health Service: “Body piercing.”

TeensHealth from Nemours: “Body Piercing (for Teens).”