When I was 15 (I lied and said I was 16) I got my nostril pierced. A normal ear-piercing stud and 18ga needle were used. It healed up and I had no problems with it until I got a job. This was before most jobs tolerated nostril studs. I'd take it out for work and force it back in afterwards. I'd change my jewellery daily. I'd use absolute shit jewellery. I did everything wrong. Eventually I retired it. The hole was still open 6 months later, so I wore a stud in it for a bit, and gave up on it after trying to heal it different ways. I gave up on it because of my shitty job. (I was a cashier at Burger King on Clifton Hill, the tourist attraction area in Niagara Falls.)
At A Glance Author San Contact San@bme.anon IAM BlueStar When N/A Artist Frank, Lee, Me Studio Rainbow Concepts, Artistic Impressions Location Niagara Falls, Canada
A couple of years later I decided I wanted my nostril pierced again. I couldn't do it myself. I'd pierce it with a sewing needle or something equally stupid and not be able to get jewellery in, or I'd use a real piercing needle and stick a normal earring stud, that looked like shit, in it. Lots of blood, 14ga piercing needle, 18 or 20ga earring. Doesn't work out very well. I had lost the jewellery I was initially pierced with, and that's probably for the better.
So I decided to get my nostril repierced by my piercer at the time, Lee. My boyfriend, at the time, Daryl, wanted to get his earlobe and cartilage pierced (with needles). We went and celebrated Haunuka at his grandparents house and had a few drinks, and then took a cab to the shop. Our friend Jake was there, and he was getting his eyebrow redone. Daryl wanted his eyebrow pierced, but realized his parents would throttle him, so he settled on his ears. (He later got his septum pierced with a retainer and his parents noticed it and threatened to kick him out if he didn't take it out.)
Everybody went before me because the receiving tube was being autoclaved. Daryl got his piercings and whined about his cartilage for a while afterwards. Lee started to set everything up for me. 16ga needle, nostril screw, lube, etc. I'll say now that she changed her gloves as needed and everything was completly clean and what needed to be sterile was sterile.
We laughed at the size of the 16ga needle. I said that I was going to cry, the needle was so big. Lee taunted me with it and we all laughed. Then the receiving tube was done being autoclaved. I sat in the piercing chair and Lee cleaned out the left side of my nose and nostril and marked it. I okay'd the mark and she put the receiving tube up my nose (always comfortable) and told me, "Take a deep breath in.. deep breath out", and pierced it on the deep breath out. It stung and brought one tear to my eye, which rolled down my face and my friends cracked up.
She got out the needle drivers and used those to insert the jewellery. We waited until the bleeding stopped and then Daryl and I went to see "Dude, Where's My Car", which sucked. My mom gave us a ride home (the joys of being 15) and she didn't say anything about it, so I pointed it out. My father never said anything about it. He isn't the most observant in the world.
Now, for the bad stuff. It was healing perfectly fine, until I went to Florida with the school's concert band and choir. (I play the glockenschpiel, 2nd percussion and sing alto.) It was Feb, so we were all wearing shorts and t-shirts in the 20-25C (70-80F) degree weather. We were instantly noticed as Canadians. I was trying on sunglasses, and when I took them off I rippde my nostril screw almost all the way out. The part that curved sharply inside my nose saved it from completly coming out. (Another reason for not using those stupid 'nose bones'). This happened multiple times and my nose was pissed.
Oh ya, we weren't allowed to have any piercings when we performed. After a couple of days of sunglass-trying-on and nearly ripping the stud out (you'd figure I'd learn by then, but I didn't) my nose was pretty pissed, and we had performance the next day. I knew if I took it out, it would close up. Same with my stretched lobes and various other ear piercings, which I covered by wearing my hair over my ears. So, I gave up on the nostril piercing, a lump was developing beside it, and I took it out. It started to bleed immediately after and I figured it was a good thing I got rid of it. The next morning the lump was gone and you can't tell I had my nose pierced. I had it for about a month and a half.
Now lets fast-forward to the present. I'm 19 now. I don't remember exactly when I pierced my nostril, or even that I did pierce my nostril (only faintly) so I may have been 18 when I pierced it. I'm pretty sure I was 19 though. I had a stash of needles I got at an animal supply store, all sterile. Unfortunately they had hubs, so I either had to pierce inside-out or pierce, take out the needle and put the jewellery in, which is harder than it sounds. I opted for the latter.
I took a flesh coloured marble-like stud out of my collection of earrings and bent it into an L shape with needle nosed pliers. Yes, I know, this has bad news written all over it. It was first thing in the morning too, which is why I don't really remember it. I sanitized everything, and then opened the sterile 18ga needle. I looked at my nose, looked at the scar tissue from the first attempt on the right side, and pierced through it. I removed the needle and easily fit the jewellery through. Cool.
Later that day I put my gold nostril screw, that I had put in the second time I had my nostril pierced, in. My nostril was red for about a week and then healed up fine. I'd occassionally catch it on things, but other than that it was fine. I used salt water soaks to heal it. Most of the the time I just left it the hell alone.
Disclaimer: Don't pierce yourself!
Happy piercings.