**Here's the important bit of my whole story, encapsulated for the lazy reader's pleasure, and also to make sure that you, kind reader, sees it:
At A Glance Author Jetgirl Contact Jetgirl@bme.anon When It just happened Artist Jacob Studio Church of Steel Location San Diego A septum piercing should NOT go through cartilage. If you stick two fingers up your nose, one up each nostril, and pull forward just a tiny bit, you'll notice that right before the wedge of cartilage starts there's a fleshy strip of tissue that's much thinner and much more flexible. It feels almost like that piece of tissue that connects your upper lip to your gums on the inside of your mouth. THIS is what a septum piercing should go though. All the horror stories you've heard about the excessively painful septums that gush blood and make the piercee faint, are because some fool piercer decided to go through the big chunk of cartilage there.
Make sure and ask your piercer if he/she's going to pierce through the fleshy bit or the cartilage. If they say they're going to do it through the cartilage for any reason, run far away and find a more professional or experienced piercer. **
And now, ladies and gents, my own story:
Last week my roommate announce she was going to get a labret piercing, and would I come with her? I generally avoid going to tattoo/piercing shops, because I can't refrain from getting a new one myself.
I decided that I would accompany her, and I would allow myself to repierce my ear cartilage where I had removed a stubborn piercing that would not heal. Low and behold, her mother ends up in the hospital that day, and she, very rightly, decides to stay home by the phone.
A week later, I'm driving around musing on my lack of new piercing and thinking about my summer vacation. I'm spending six weeks away from the immediate view of my parents, and possibly getting a piercing I wouldn't normally be able to get would be fun. The problem is that I'd only be able to have it for six weeks, then back to a internship at the district attorney's office where just about everything non-conformist is a no-no. I can barely get away with pinstripes.
Do I want to deal with a fresh piercing for only six weeks? Heavens no. What will solve my problem? My nose will! A septum piercing is hidable, and unusual, and it can be done now, and hidden til its healed.
So off me and my roommate go to Church of Steel (a very reputable establishment, I enjoy their LACK of flash on the wall). I'm having a bit of a panic attack because of my roomie's horror stories of her extraordinarily painful septum, and reading other nightmares on BME.
It turns out that the piercing is meant to be done in the thin strip of flesh that lies directly in front of the cartilage in your nose, NOT the actual cartilage itself. When done this way, it is almost negligibly painful, and much easier to pierce straight. This decreased my anxiety to almost nothing.
Jacob spent about half an hour marking and remarking my nose, and explaining what he was doing and what his tools where. He had a fairly ingenious little gadget, which looked like a clamp, but instead of a little triangle on the end there was a hollow tube sautered on. You put the clamp on, then the needle goes straight through the tube through your flesh, and into a tube with a blocked end on the other side. Helps keep the piercing straight, and is a clamp and a receiving tube all in one. Bloody good idea, says I.
My piercing was done in about two seconds, the clamp was not uncomfortable in the least, it came out perfectly straight, and the only bit of discomfort was adjusting the retainer I had put in. I got it flipped up on the first try though, hooray me.
I am completely amazed though, with a black niobium retainer, my piercing is entirely invisible, even if you look straight up my nose.
I'm looking forward to my healing, and being able to switch in a ring in a little over a month. I do feel right now a little like I took an elbow to the face, but it's VERY tolerable. I'm too excited to notice.
My advice for anyone who is in the same state I was earlier today: don't worry, just make sure your piercer doesn't actually pierce through cartilage and it's an EXTREMELY easy piercing. Good Luck.
Day two update:
This is the morning after my piercing, and there is no discomfort whatsoever. I accidentally bonked my nose with my arm last night, and that was unpleasant, but not the normal upset fresh piercing pain, more dull and achy.
This morning there are no blood crusties in my nose, there is only a very very mild feeling (not exactly discomfort), but that's probably from me adjusting the retainer. I can feel the retainer there, and it seems like I have a big booger up there. In time I won't notice it at all though. I had the same feeling with my nostril piercing, and it took less than three days for me to completely forget about it.
I have a feeling this will be a very easy heal, mostly because I don't sleep on it, and can refrain from messing with it (I'm already conditioned to keep everything away from my nose when washing or dressing from my experience with my nostril piercing).
I recommend the septum to anyone who wants a more unusual piercing that won't interfere with their job/parents. Mine is wonderful, completely invisible, and the experience is a mild one.