How to Care for Your Nose Piercing and Deal with Infections

A new nose piercing can be quite exciting, but it can quickly turn into a nightmare if an infection occurs after piercing. Some people are more susceptible to infections, but with a few simple steps, you can prevent your nose piercing from getting infected.

Get your piercing done at a professional studio. Those in the body modification community know there’s a right way and a wrong way to get a piercing. You should go to a reputable studio with experienced piercers. Your piercing will heal faster and more easily if you put in the effort to go to a professional. Additionally, the piercer will provide valuable advice on aftercare. Some factors that contribute to a safe piercing include:

• A hollow piercing needle. Professional piercers use these needles because they are hygienic and easier to handle, creating straight, accurate piercings that heal more quickly.
• Avoid using piercing guns. Piercing guns often cause more pain, are less accurate, and may be harder to sterilize, increasing the risk of blood-borne infections.

Wash your hands thoroughly when handling the piercing hole. It is essential to wash your hands with antibacterial soap every time you touch the piercing site. The natural oils on your skin, along with discharge from the fresh wound (clear fluid, sometimes blood), combined with any dirt on your hands, can lead to infection.

Keep the jewelry in place on the piercing. Once you have a nose piercing, it is crucial to leave the jewelry in place for at least 6-8 weeks, which is the typical healing time. The only exception for removing the jewelry is if there is an issue with its size or material.

• If you wish to change the jewelry before the piercing is fully healed (within 6-8 weeks), consult your piercer to assist you.

Clean the piercing regularly. Be gentle with the newly pierced hole. Start by using a cotton ball or cotton swab to clean off any hardened crust around the wound. While you might think alcohol or hydrogen peroxide will kill bacteria, these substances can also harm the healing cells, so avoid strong disinfectants. A safe and easy way to clean the piercing is by using saline solution. Sea salt dissolved in water creates a mild and effective saline solution. You can dip a cotton ball or swab into the saline to clean the area or soak the piercing by submerging it in a small bowl of the solution. If you choose to soak the piercing, keep it submerged for 5-10 minutes, at least once a day. After soaking, rinse the piercing with clean water to remove any remaining salt. To make the saline solution at home, you will need:

• 1/4 teaspoon of non-iodized sea salt
• 1 cup of warm water (distilled or bottled water)

Watch for signs of infection. Sometimes, infection symptoms are obvious, but in other cases, they may be harder to detect. Right after getting a piercing, it is common to experience some bleeding, swelling around the wound, pain, bruising, itching, irritation, and slight yellow discharge (not pus) from the piercing. Discharge may form a crust over the jewelry, but this is normal and not a cause for concern. Knowing the difference between typical aftereffects of piercing and actual infection signs will help you treat the infection more effectively. Common infection signs include:

• Persistent itching and/or redness beyond normal healing time
• Continuous pain after the expected healing period
• Warmth or burning sensation
• Yellow-greenish fluid such as pus or blood coming from the wound
• Foul-smelling discharge

Consider the Symptoms. Infections and allergic reactions can present similar symptoms, so the best way to distinguish between the two is by recognizing the differences. Allergic reactions typically cause a sharp burning sensation, swelling around the piercing (as if trying to avoid the metal jewelry), and clear yellowish discharge without any greenish tint. If you suspect an allergy, it's best to visit your piercer to change the jewelry, then consult a doctor.

• Certain metals can trigger allergic reactions, so it's recommended to use high-quality metal jewelry, such as surgical steel, titanium, platinum, niobium, or 14k gold and above.

Maintain Hygiene. Keep washing the wound with soap and water or saline solution to eliminate the bacteria that might cause infection. A nose piercing can get infected due to factors like the entry of pathogens (bacteria and fungi), tight jewelry, or poor hygiene. Be sure to clean the wound regularly until it heals, usually within 6-8 weeks after getting the piercing.

Try Home Remedies. If the infection isn't too severe, you may want to attempt home treatment before seeing a doctor. Here are some home remedies you can try:

• Warm Salt Compress can help improve blood circulation to the infected area (more blood flow means more immune cells fighting the infection), which may promote faster healing.
• Cold Compress can help reduce swelling, pain, and tenderness around the infected piercing. Just like applying ice to a bruised knee, cold compresses can reduce bruising. Never apply ice directly to the wound as it can harm your skin. Always wrap the ice pack in a cloth or paper towel first.
• Chamomile Tea Bag Compress Steep the chamomile tea bag in warm water for about 20 seconds, then apply it to the infection. Leave it on for about 10 minutes or until it cools down. Once it cools, you can dip it back into warm water and apply again.
• Aspirin Paste Crush 4-6 aspirin tablets and add a bit of water to create a paste. Apply this paste on the infected area each night before bed and monitor if the symptoms improve. Aspirin is an anti-inflammatory and may reduce swelling, helping to heal the infection without causing significant irritation while still allowing drainage of the infection.

Avoid Strong Disinfectants. It's best to avoid harsh disinfectants when cleaning the wound, especially when dealing with an infection. If your piercing is infected, steer clear of substances like alcohol, tea tree oil, betadine, hydrogen peroxide, and methyl alcohol, as these can increase the likelihood of scarring and keloid formation around the infected piercing.

• The strength of these chemicals can cause more discomfort, adding to the burning sensation, and may also kill the infection-fighting cells.
• Other antibacterial ointments may block air from reaching the wound and slow down recovery. If you use them, do so sparingly.

Seek Medical Attention. If the infection doesn't improve or worsens after a few days (no more than a week), it's best to visit a doctor and explain your condition. A dermatologist or general practitioner is ideal, but if that's not an option, your next best choice would be to return to the piercer who performed the procedure.

Be careful not to cause irritation to the piercing. You should exercise caution when putting on or removing clothing. It can be very painful if a freshly pierced nose ring gets caught in your clothes while dressing or undressing. Take a few extra minutes when changing clothes so you can move slowly and avoid snagging your nose jewelry.

• Some people lie on the side without a piercing or use a neck pillow to avoid irritation while sleeping.

Avoid letting cosmetics touch the piercing. During the healing period of the piercing, refrain from using lotions, makeup, or facial cleansers that could enter the piercing hole and linger. If any product happens to get inside the piercing, rinse it immediately with saline solution.

Avoid letting your piercing come into contact with non-sterilized water. Water sources such as lakes, private or public swimming pools, and hot tubs may contain contaminants that could cause infections in your nose piercing. If you need to come into contact with these water sources, cover the piercing hole with a waterproof bandage. This type of bandage is available at pharmacies.

• When taking a shower, it's advisable to keep your nose under the water stream. The warm water helps to wash away any bacteria around the nostrils.
• Elevate your head while sleeping to reduce swelling.
• A higher concentration of the solution is not necessarily better; too strong of a saline solution can cause irritation.
• Avoid using thick creams that may clog the piercing hole.
• Vitamin E oil is highly effective in preventing scars and keloids as it gets absorbed into the skin.
• Use a clean cotton t-shirt to cover the pillowcase and flip it to the other side each night. A t-shirt offers four clean sides for you to rotate.

• If you have sensitive skin, it’s better to clean your piercing less than 2-3 times a day to avoid irritating the hole.
• Never use mineral oil-based products like Neosporin. Also, avoid using alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or pure iodine for cleaning your piercing.
• An infection at the piercing site can be very serious and may lead to meningitis or brain abscesses.