Have you noticed the latest nose piercing trend? I feel like everyone has a new nose piercing and I copied off all of them! Little studs, hoops, a septum piercing – everyone just looked so cute! What’s not cute though, is a grody infected piercing. Ew ick! In this post, I’ll go over how to treat an infected nose piercing and what worked for me specifically. Yep, it happened to me too! I belonged on an episode of Dr. Pimple Popper. Goo! Of course, you will want to listen to your piercer and follow their specific instructions. For reference, I’ll share what my piercer gave as an infected nose piercing treatment along with a more comprehensive guide.
Pick new jewelry wisely
The first step in prevention is knowing what jewelry material you can use. Any nose jewelry that contains nickel should never be used because it can cause allergic reactions and rejection of the piercing. Gold jewelry is all the rage right now. But unless your nose ring is 24 karat gold (the purest type), it’ll have too much nickel in it. The same goes for white gold because it tends to have a lot of nickel in it. Surgical steel is what most shops use for body piercings. You’ll want to make sure they aren’t using stainless steel though. It’s not considered one of the skin-safe metals because it also contains nickel. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT DOESN’T CONTAIN NICKEL?? Yes! My piercer switched to using only titanium jewelry for that very reason. Titanium may cost a little more but can be worth it (especially if you have very sensitive skin).
Proper aftercare for new nose piercings
The next step in reducing your risk of infection is proper aftercare. If you’re like me, you follow the aftercare instructions for a couple weeks and then you start slippin’. Life happens; you get busy…and tired…and lazy! But, if I would have just stuck with the full routine for longer, my nasal trauma probably wouldn’t have happened! The problem is a nose piercing takes forever to fully heal – 4 to 6 months! Like for reals?! That’s way too long. But, if you don’t stick to these important points below, you will just be adding onto the healing time.
10 DO’s and DON’Ts to follow after you get your nose pierced
1.) NEVER TOUCH YOUR NOSE PIERCING or the surrounding skin! Your hands will introduce bacteria to the open wound.
2.) DON’T TWIST OR MOVE THE JEWELRY AROUND. I think back in the day they use to tell you to do that. But it’s a no now!
3.) CLEAN THE AREA 2-3 TIMES A DAY. Before you even go to clean your pierced nose, the first thing to do is wash your hands.
4.) USE ONLY CLEAN WATER, A SALINE RINSE, OR A GENTLE MILD UNSCENTED SOAP to “wash” it (more details around this below).
5.) DRY WITH A CLEAN PAPER TOWEL. Bath and dish towels, even if clean, can still have germs on them and wouldn’t be good to use on a new piercing.
6.) DON’T PUT ANY OINTMENTS ON IT. No to Neosporin or anything like that – you want air to get to it.
7.) DON’T PUT MAKEUP, LOTION, OR ANYTHING ELSE ON IT UNTIL FULLY HEALED. I know it’s tempting!
8.) BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN GETTING DRESSED. Be careful when taking your shirt off so you don’t hit it. Remember that sweaters and even your blankets/towels could snag and pull it if you get them too close.
9.) DON’T CHANGE THE JEWELRY UNTIL IT IS FULLY HEALED. Unless it’s the type of jewelry that is causing an allergic reaction or infection in the first place. Check with your piercer to make sure they didn’t use a type of metal with nickel in it.
10.) NEVER PULL ANY CRUSTIES OFF. Just let crust fall off by itself!
POV: Getting advice from professional piercers
I’ve worked with two piercers in my area that have years of experience. Even though mine are super knowledgeable, you’ll want to follow the aftercare instructions given to you by yours. For comparison, I’ll tell you what my local parlors said. The dude who pierced my nose went over the basics I listed earlier. He told me not use Dial liquid soap or anything harsh. He didn’t give brand recommendations; he just said a “gentle mild cleanser”. Months later, I visited another piercer to look at jewelry and have him check my piercing site (because I was finally over my infection). He instructs all his clients to clean their nose piercings with just plain water. No soap or anything. He said rinsing it with water is the best way to care for it. That’s because our bodies have this miraculous way of knowing what to do to heal themselves.
WTH! I think my nose piercing is infected!
In the beginning, I didn’t have any issues. I would use a gentle mild cleanser in the shower to wash my face and around my nose. Then, the other 2 times a day I would use a saline spray. The spray is a great way to clean around it without touching because it comes out as a fine mist. However, after a couple months, I slacked off. I figured I was good to go!
But, once the weather started to get warm and I started swimming a lot, all hell broke loose! Now I tried to put sunscreen on around it and keep it out of the sun by wearing a hat. But I just wasn’t washing it enough. If you add in the fact I swam in the ocean and our pool, both of which are bacteria factories, it was the perfect storm! I got the dreaded bump. It formed right behind my stud. WTF! I thought salt water was good for sanitizing and healing shit! Apparently, the ocean and saltwater pools don’t count!
What is an infected nose piercing bump?
I didn’t realize that bumps are so common with nose piercings. I guess technically you could get them with ear piercings or on your belly button too. But I don’t ever hear about that. These piercing bumps can be a few things: pustules on nose piercing, keloids, or pyogenic granulomas. Luckily, most of the time they are pustules, which are basically like pimples containing pus. They will go away if you keep the infected area clean! A keloid is a type of scar that can develop around the piercing area. It’s not typically filled with anything. Pyogenic granulomas seem to be the least common; it’s a lesion that occurs about six weeks after you get a new nose piercing. They tend to be red and may bleed because they contain a bunch of blood vessels. For keloids and granulomas, you will want to see a dermatologist so they can go over treatment options.
How long does a nose bump last?
I feel like it lasted forever and wouldn’t go away! It was so yuck! I saw my piercer and he reminded me to stop touching my nose so much (duh!) and just keep it clean. But, with all the sunscreen and sweat every day, it got to the point where it looked like an infected pimple; it was a huge piercing bump with pus and blood in it. Oh dear, TMI. While I was sleeping in the middle of the night, I must have hit it because I woke up feeling wetness on my nose. I looked in the mirror to discover that it had popped! I’m going to vom just thinking about it. But I wanted you to know how bad it got so I could then deliver you some good news. Even after all of that, there is hope! The “bump” or infection can go away. It won’t last forever.
How do I get rid of a nose piercing bump and infection
How I got mine to go away is by doing what you’re NOT supposed to do. So, if a piercer or doctor sees this, they will probably want to punch me in the face for telling you this. It was in the middle of the night and somehow, I remembered that we had this unopened bottle of antiseptic skin cleanser (chlorhexidine gluconate 4% solution to be exact). I was desperate because of the situation on my face and quite frankly a little scared. I knew it was a no-no, but I used it anyways. For like a week, I would wet some cotton swabs and use that chlorhexidine gluconate for piercings (my daughter got her ears pierced recently too). Then, I would gently use them to clean the inside of my nostril, jewelry, and around the piercing. Last, I rinsed it off with plain water (and make a mess). I did that 2x a day.
Yes it got rid of it, but my method only rates 6/10
I’m only telling you about it because it did end up clearing out the infection. I mean, what if you find yourself in this situation and it’s not getting better, or it busts open like mine? Although you should keep in mind, my piercing wasn’t brand new (it was like 5 months old). I wouldn’t use it to clean a fresh piercing because it is too strong, which could actually hinder the healing process. I’m not a doctor though, you should definitely not listen to randos on the internet if you want to avoid a serious infection. But I started writing this blog because I hate when I google a question and get the same generic answer on every website. I’m lookin’ for some real talk too.
Any home remedies to deal with an infected nose piercing?
On the interweb, there are lots of home remedies listed for taking care of piercing infections. I’ve seen others talk about using hydrogen peroxide, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, or drops of tea tree oil for its anti-inflammatory properties. But I would advise against using any of these DIY strategies to prevent further irritation. The only DIY rinse you could make for nasal piercings would be a homemade saline solution (a.k.a. sea salt solution). I listed the simple steps below.
- Use 1 cup of warm water (no need to use scalding hot water!)
- Add ¼ teaspoon of sea salt (allowing it to dissolve)
- Soak a clean cotton ball in it
- Gently press it on pierced area (using it as a warm compress)
Signs of a possible severe nose piercing infection
Getting a bacterial infection inside of your nose or the surrounding area ain’t no joke. You need to take it seriously. The following symptoms could be signs of an infected nose piercing.
A bump gone wrong (like mine)
Just like in my story above, if you notice it getting larger, filling with pus, noticing a yellow discharge or its smelly it’s probably infected. Truthfully, I should have sought medical care at that point. And I swear I would have if it didn’t improve immediately (like by the next day)!!
Red streaks
If you ever notice redness that doesn’t go away, red streaks that are stemming from the pierced area, this may mean an infection is present. It could also be hot to the touch!
Excessive pain or swelling
I never really noticed any swelling so I can’t speak much to that. But, if you notice new or excessive swelling, that could be a sign of an infection. Also, your piercing is probably going to be tender and hurt from time to time, especially if you hit it or snag it on something. But, you’ll probably know the difference if the pain is getting worse and not going away!
Fever
Just like with any virus or illness your body tries to fight off, you may develop a fever. Check your temperature if you start to feel hot and/or nauseous.
Don’t be afraid to seek medical attention
The first time you suspect anything other than mild minor infections, go see a doctor or dermatologist. You may need to get a prescription for antibiotics. In rare cases, the infection could spread throughout the rest of the nose or body and create more serious complications. Just be aware and don’t let it go for too long and you should be just fine! Follow the list of 10 do’s and don’ts above. Rinse and repeat.
What did your piercer tell you to do when it comes to cleaning or dealing with an infection? I would love to hear to more tips and tricks from the pros!