A little background info... Most people who knew me before I got this piercing wouldn't have expected me to ever get one, let alone one in my septum. Piercings just didn't appeal to me and I attributed that to some sort of aversion to altering my body from its natural form. Then at some point about a year and a half ago, I saw a photo of a septum piercing somewhere, sparking an inexplicable interest that only grew over time. There was just something inexplicably enticing about it.
At A Glance Author Oscar Contact Oscar@bme.anon When A year ago Studio The Piercing Urge Location Melbourne, Australia I ran the idea past a few friends and the responses I got ranged from 'ouch' to 'For the love of God don't do it!' I was undeterred. I started feeling as though having an unpierced septum was an un-natural state of affairs - I guess it appealed to my fondness of symmetry, and it seemed such an obvious and useless bit of skin that _something_ should be there. The shape of my nose had always irritated me somewhat: short, upturned and kinda piglike, in my mind anyway - I actually wondered if my nostrils were too small to make such a piercing feasible. I'd rather have a small nose than a big one; nonetheless, adding something to it seemed an ideal way to offset the 'problem'. Anyhoo, I came up with many reasons in an attempt to justify the urge, but I could go on forever. The reality is I simply liked the look of the piercing, and what I imagined it to feel like.
After looking at a whole bunch of photos I realised I'd probably prefer it in a wider gauge, ideally a 6, but that would come later. Within two or three months of discovering the septum piercing, my interest hit boiling point and I decided I'd get it done after I'd left my job to go to university. I read a lot of experiences and talked to whoever I could, familiarising myself with the process as much as possible. It seemed as though quite a few people, including some piercers I'd read about, were unaware of the considerable difference in pain between going through the skin and the thicker/harder tissue, which was a mite unsettling.
With three weeks to go I realised it was rather silly to wait until after I'd left my job, as the piercing could be hidden if necessary. I decided I'd get it done less than two days later on Valentine's Day. Two people on BMEzine had written good experiences about a local place called 'The Piercing Urge' so I checked out their website and it seemed ideal; I'd expected to be doing a little more searching around. I made the booking in the morning, ate various things to (hopefully) prevent feeling faint, and arrived in the early afternoon. Alas, the forecast temperature was 41 degrees C (106 F) and I was already starting to feel a little light-headed in the waiting room.
I've unfortunately forgotten the name of the lady who pierced me but she seemed quite experienced, had a bunch of piercings herself and was using the session as a demonstration for an apprentice (I assume that's what was going on). She asked me what gauge I wanted and I explained I planned to stretch it to a 6 later on, so she recommended starting at 10. A friend of mine was present with a video camera to document the occasion but was only allowed to shoot while nothing was actually being done, to minimise distraction. As I sat down to get it done I almost felt as though I'd been through it all before because I'd read so much about the procedure, and all the equipment - even the room - seemed familiar.
After the piercer cleaned my nose, poked around inside and (contrary to my expectations) commented that I had a rather large 'sweet spot', the clamps were applied to expose said spot. They hurt less than I expected, until she moved them around into a more painful position. I had initially thought it was done at the back of the septum, with the retainer being flipped forwards to hide, but I had it all backwards. I was told to take a few deep breaths and for better or worse I knew she was going to jam the needle through on an exhale. It didn't hurt too badly... about as much as a blood test. I was expecting almost nothing at all based on what some people had written, but I wouldn't exactly describe myself as having a particularly high tolerance for pain. Once the needle was sat in place and a cork stuck on the end, my buddy pulled out the camera and captured some rather silly footage.
After the retainer was put in I couldn't feel it anymore at all; I assumed that was because it was numb - the piercer explained that it would become more sensitive after it had healed. She demonstrated how to flip the retainer upside down and then thoroughly went through the aftercare procedures with me. Most everyone I'd talked to said I'd be soaking my nose in saline twice a day for two or three months but to my surprise I was told to use cotton buds and a special antiseptic solution (provided) twice a day for just two weeks, and then just make sure it stayed clean. Sounded good to me. The whole thing cost $A120 which seemed reasonable for such service (they carry high-class jewellery too) and I left on somewhat less of a high than what I'd imagined, but still very satisfied.
So later that evening when I got home, my mother knew I'd got something done and was eager to find out what - and she didn't even notice it. I had to point her directly to my nose before she saw the damn thing, and then it was just 'Oh, you pierced your nose.' I'd been hoping for something more dramatic actually considering until shortly beforehand I'd been her 'ultra-clean responsible good boy'... or something. The next day I went to the movies with some old friends, one of whom said 'My god Oscar what are you becoming'? The other people who saw it thereafter generally said that contrary to what they might've been expecting, it was subtle/unobtrusive and suited me.
With the possible exception of one person who wanted to pierce her septum as well, of everyone who knew about this whole thing, I was the most enthusiastic about it. I supposed that was a good thing as it meant I was finally giving priority to my own ideas and opinions when it comes to what I do. The piercing felt almost totally natural within weeks; the only bump in the road during the healing process was spilling all the antiseptic down the sink and having to buy more. Oops. I did find it a little tricky to clean, being so far high up and forwards in the septum - I experimented with both cotton buds (that's Q-tips to some people) and cotton wool. For a couple of months it tickled and itched on occasion, but other than that I almost forgot it was there.
Overall I've had no regrets, had no hesitation going into it, and was completely happy with the results. To sound trite for a moment, I'd recommend this piercing to anyone thinking about it or wondering what to get next. Unfortunately, the girl I knew who also wanted her septum done eventually went to an inexperienced piercer and apparently it was the most excruciating thing she's ever experienced... so just be sure everyone knows what they're doing.