At A Glance
Author	anonymous
Contact	anonymous@bme.anon
IAM	blu
When	It just happened
Artist	Jake
Studio	Fallen Angel
Location	Newcastle NSW

Please excuse my dashing to the mirror...
I have just had my septum pierced and am forced to go and admire it.

Usually, when I get a new piercing I'll look at it while I clean it and have the odd gratuitous admiring glance, but have never been this obsessed with standing in front of the mirror gawking. To say that I'm thrilled with my new addition is an understatement!

I'd been holding off on getting a new piercing for some time because I was involved in a tattoo pact with a friend. Several months later, nothing had happened tattoo-wise and neither of us seem to be able to agree on a time and place to get our tattoos. Nor on what they are going to be. It will happen when it happens. In the meantime I'm not holding my breath and will get on with what I want to do, including the tattoo project on my own if necessary.

So I decided that I may be waiting for some time for the tattoo and would go ahead with a new piercing. I've been toying with the idea of adding more holes to my ears, but still can't decide between options. If I seem indecisive, that's only because there are so many options!

Lately I've been noticing that a lot of girls in my nearest (small, country) town have their nostrils pierced. It seems to be becoming more and more acceptable for girls, at least, to wear a little gem or tiny stud. I've noticed receptionists, tellers, and girls in other fairly "mainstream" occupations wearing nostril jewellery and even the older people from very rural backgrounds seem to accept such jewellery without even noticing it.

This set me thinking about nose piercings. I have a nostril piercing, which was done about 17 years ago now. I didn't really want another nostril piercing and I do like the look of septum piercings. They seem a little more "exotic" to me anyway.

When I first got my nostril pierced I was worried that it would make my poor much-abused, many-times-broken nose look even crookeder, but that wasn't the case. I'm a horse riding coach and train and compete so have had falls that have damaged my nose and face. I hadn't had my septum pierced before because I was concerned about drawing attention to a scar. (I accidentally split my upper lip through vertically twice within a month, which left a scar in the centre of my upper lip from nose to lip). I had felt that a septum piercing would make people look at the scar.

But I came around to feeling that it's my nose and my scar and other people could ignore it or not. The last few weeks I've been reading up on various experiences and decided that I did want to get my septum pierced. With piercings I have the attitude that they are permanent: not something to get done then decide I don't like them and remove them. So anything I had pierced was there to stay. It was, for me, a serious decision.

This morning I had time available so I could get away to have it done. I'm not dreadfully busy at present so I took my chance! I dropped over to see my friend to ask if she wanted to come with me, but she was busy and made dubious noises. So off I went on my own. Of course I rang before I left to make an appointment. On the way there I thought "maybe I could have taken some ibuprofen with me" but didn't think much further of it and it turned out to be unnecessary in any case.

It's an hour and a half's drive to the city and going there involves things like finding oil and transmission fluid, taking fuel from one vehicle to fill another, starting one vehicle to jump start another to go down the road to run the compressor to pump up tyres, etc etc etc... So a trip to the city usually starts several hours before I aim to get there. I stopped on the way to eat and get something replenishing if disgusting to drink. Driving in the city is a pet hate of mine and I ended up getting there late but not too stressed about the car trying to boil in the summer heat on the way.

I arrived and spoke with the piercer, Jake, about the piercing and jewellery. He asked about whether I wanted it hidden or not and since I do need to hide it for contact with clients I was torn between a retainer and a horseshoe barbell. In the end, mostly on his recommendation I went with the horseshoe barbell and am very pleased with it. I like the look very much and know that if I have to I can flip it up so that it's hidden. That's the theory anyway, I haven't tried it yet and won't until I need to, which won't be for several days at least. So it should have a bit of time to settle down. Jake also gave me a retainer so that I could change it for work if I need to. I think he knows I live a long way away and am competent at changing jewellery myself. He also stressed that I could go back if I needed help with anything. It is very good to know that if I need help it's available.

He also told me that the tip of my nose may be sore afterwards, so it might not be easy to turn the barbell up in a few days. I appreciate honesty like that, rather than being told it'll all be fine.

At this point Jake also asked if I would like an aftercare sheet, which was a little different to previous visits when I've been given one as a matter of course. I've been there several times before and I assume that by now he knows that I am capable of looking after healing piercings. So he asked if I would like a sheet, rather than assuming I needed one. It's nice to be treated as an adult who knows what they're doing.

Then I filled in a form with my name, address and some medical details. I was pleased to see that they've stopped asking for specific ages, apart from a section of the form intended for under 18's. I'm over 18 and don't need to tell the world just how far that is ("er, just 3 years really!" she says with a grin.) And I would expect that the forms are held in confidence, so it shouldn't be any problem apart from the fact that I'd rather not put my age on a form if I don't have to. Call it vanity. I think changing the forms is a good idea to make clients more comfortable.

I noticed that the shop seemed busier than the last time I was there. Hopefully that's a sign that the business is thriving. To my mind, it certainly should!

Jake was busy, I was late and I expected to wait a bit, so I talked a little with the guy who was there answering phones (His offsider? I'm not sure.) The guy I talked to, who had a septum piercing, reassured me by saying that the piercing wouldn't hurt but my eyes would water a lot. He emphasised how much his eyes watered... I felt much reassured at the time. He also mentioned that the tip of my nose would be tender or sore for a while.

Then, very quickly, all was ready and my turn to go into the piercing room came. At this point I always have fleeting second and third and fourth thoughts, then settle down and go on with things. Today was no different. After all, I still felt reassured that "it wouldn't hurt but my eyes would water a lot".

The piercing room is clean and sterile procedures seem to be highly important, which impresses me. Jake asked how I was and how my piercings were going and we talked a little about piercings and jewellery then got on with things. I felt that he was helping put me at ease as well as making sure I was in good condition for piercing: which sounds a bit cold, but it was done in a friendly manner. I would much rather have a piercer asking about my health and making sure I'm not sick or stressed before he touches me, than not!

I sat in the dental type chair and he sat on my right, asked me to tip my head back a bit and cleaned my nose with sterile medical wipes. Then shone a tiny torch up my nose. I kept wanting to giggle while he was doing it. I kept thinking silly things like "I wonder if there's a brain in there?" and imagining brain cartoons. He remarked that my septum was a bit crooked. I suspect it's more than a bit crooked so I told him that my nose has been broken. He marked one side, wiped again, then shone the torch back up my nose and marked the other side. Wiped again, put a clamp on (which didn't hurt at all nor pinch in any way but I was impressed with the practiced way he held the clamp) and it was ready to pierce. Please note: this is to the best of my recollection, but I may have left something out!

Jake told me to take a deep breath in and then out. As I exhaled he pierced my septum. The guy I was talking to outside while waiting was wrong. It DID hurt a bit. More than I expected. Not as much as my nipples, but a quick, sharp pain. The needle went through quickly and deftly. I really appreciated how fast it was. He pierced it from right to left. I kept waiting for my eyes to start tearing and tears to run down my face uncontrollably but it didn't happen. I took a breath and thought "OK, that's the worst, phew, that wasn't so bad." I suspect he gave me a very quick break and took a moment to assess how I looked while he picked up the barbell, but I wasn't really paying attention. Or maybe he needed time to pick up the barbell and I was experiencing things apparently moving slowly. Anyway, I was more interested in trying to look crosseyed at what was sticking through my nose. And then he put the jewellery through.

I expected it not to hurt. Previous experience has led me to believe that by far the worst part for me has been the needle going through. In that I was right. But I did feel the jewellery going in. Again, it was very quick and over before I could even think "ooOW". Both times the pain was a sharp OUCH and over. I am still mildly unimpressed with the "helpful" guy who told me it wouldn't hurt, but I should know that everyone's perception of pain is different.

Jake commented once the jewellery was in place and as he handed me a tissue that it was "intense". I wouldn't say it was as intense as some things and it was quick, but it got my attention there for a split second or so. Twice.

There was no blood that I saw and no bleeding afterward, but that's usually the case for me. Again, some talk about aftercare and that if I need to, how to change the barbell for the retainer (in a warm shower).

It was done and I looked in the mirror, grinned and and went "WOW!". I was and still am so happy with how the barbell makes my face look. I think it optically shortens my slightly long nose and face and draws attention away from the scars. I'm sure I've done the right thing.

I paid, thanked Jake and drove home, still grinning broadly even while dealing with traffic that would usually make me swear.

I had promised to drop in at my friend's place on the way home. Her boyfriend had never seen anyone with a septum piercing and wanted to know what one looked like. His incredulous comment was something like "you're getting a bullring put in your nose? I want to see THAT!" So I dropped in. They didn't laugh. This is good. If it was remotely funny-looking, they would have cracked up all over the floor. Isn't that what friends are for? My friend conceded that it didn't look bad but she wasn't used to seeing it. She said it looked "sore". Anyway, it's MY nose. It doesn't FEEL sore and I LIKE it.

Then I had to race home and look in the mirror to see if my nose looked "sore". It didn't and still doesn't. It's not red. And it doesn't hurt. It feels a bit like someone punched me hard a couple of days ago on the nose and the tip is a bit numb. It certainly doesn't hurt.

I am still getting up every few minutes and running to look in the mirror.

Five hours later: I think there's a little swelling across the bridge of my nose and a little bit of darkening around my eyes. Mind you, a trip to the city is enough to do that just from traffic stress and air pollution.

It's now 24 hours since I typed the above. I'm still running to the mirror. My nose is not sore, even the tip. I've discovered that I can curl my top lip up until it touches the barbell. The left nostril feels a tiny bit odd but that's all.

I tend to leave healing piercings as much alone as possible while keeping them as clean as I can. Working with horses, I'm often very dirty, especially my hands, so I keep from touching anything that's healing and when I'm clean, bathe it with salt water (either sterile saline or a solution made with sea salt and boiled then cooled to a warm temperature).

As well, I take multivitamins and zinc. I'm still thinking about the benefits of zinc, but since it hasn't killed me yet and all my piercings have healed fine while taking it, I continue to do so. Healing anything is helped by being in good health, so I make an effort when I've had a new piercing.

I bathed my septum this morning by sticking cotton buds with soaked tissues up my nose. (Not very elegant!) And will do it again this evening. This morning I rotated the ring a little with some Bepanthen cream on it. I'll keep this up as long as it seems to need it. If it gets sore or inflamed I'll change plans, but this method has worked for me in the past and various people have told me that septums are less likely to get infected than a lot of other piercings, so I'm hopeful. I've never lost a piercing yet and I very much want to keep this one!