At A Glance
Author	Sam
Contact	tripable@hotmail.com
When	Six months ago
Artist	Carl
Studio	a parking lot
Location	Las Vegas, NV

I discovered BME a few years ago, such has been the source of my piercing/tattoo information. I had read many experiences, and none of them seem to catch my attention with tips/hints/drawbacks to piercing experiences. Everyone keeps writing about how good their piercing looks, or how cute boys think it is. This past November, I made a decision to pierce my septum.

I had always thought septum rings were ignorant, and for animals (think cliché Chicago Bulls basketball team mascot). They have become more popular these past three years than ever before. Call me a follower, but I decided to pierce this wedge of tissue between my nostrils. It wasn't a trendy thing (I still hate how the piercing looks), it wasn't to prove "toughness;" it was another way to stretch the bounds of the human body. With each modification, no matter how slight or complex, it's a spiritual journey to reveal my inner self to the world, because I want to.

I was contemplating a new piercing and not wanting to sacrifice my professional job, so the septum seemed ideal. It can be very easily hidden in professional situations; even with jewelry in (with correct jewelry, of course), it is still unnoticeable from a few feet away. Well-read in aftercare, safety, precautions, consequences, I was fascinated that few people had written about this experience to help me with the actual piercing. So, alone, I decided to discuss the issues with my piercer.

At 17, I've had a bit of work done, in my own opinion. Not new to the world of piercing, I called up a friend and told him to meet me at the mall so we could do this piercing. Since I am not 18, we had to go the underage route, you know, hiring your friend to do it. Carl, the guy who did my septum, has been practicing piercing friends for years, and knows quite a bit more about it than most local shop owners that I've come across. I felt comfortable and relaxed in his presence. He had just pierced my best friend's septum, and they were bubbling with stories and advice. Carl got his septum pierced crooked and had it redone, and explained what it felt like.

He remembered the information his piercer had passed onto him on how the piercing is done at 360 degrees and it's a bit difficult to get it completely straight. He explained how receiving tubes work, you need something to catch the needle on the other side, 1) so you don't prick your finger and cause biological harm to yourself or others, 2) it maintains the edge of the piercing, and reduces the slant and probability that it will be crooked, 3) it helps ensure proper placement in the skin below the cartilage that your piercing will rest in. He had also been pierced without clamps, so I would follow suit. Those hurt me anyways. Carl told me he would be piercing me with a 2 inch hollow needle purchase from our local mall (since he is unlicensed and cannot technically buy needles from just anywhere) that came prepackaged and sterilized in one of those piercing do-it-yourself kits. Sure, it wasn't the best idea, but I was aware of the repercussions. We were going to put in a 14g stainless steel circular barbell. A quick trip to Walgreen's and we had some antibiotic ointment and a straw from McDonald's for a makeshift receiving tube.

We walk to the bed of the truck, where my nose is sanitized with an alcohol wipe (probably the worst part of the whole piercing). I lay down in the bed of the truck with napkins draped around my face in case I bleed a lot. Placing the McDonald's straw in my left nostril as a receiving tube, Carl tells me to count to three. I get to two and I can feel the needle sliding in my flesh. Ever pop a zit right by your nose and your eyes water? That's exactly what it feels like. The needle exits, and the easiest part is over. It slid in so quickly, so smoothly, even I don't know it's in. We cork the end and I take a breather. I hadn't even flinched, nor squeezed the hand of my friend which I was holding. Carefully, they unscrew both balls of the barbell (Why both? I don't know), rub some antibiotic lube ointment on the barbell, and slide it in the same direction which the needle pierced me, right to left. At the time, it hadn't even crossed my mind to use a smooth ring to put in my nose. As the barbell went in, I could feel each bump of the threading dragging through my skin, it's as if I was pulling a chain necklace through a hole in my body. That was just plain irritation and caused more tears. Alright, maybe this hurt more than the alcohol wipe. The barbell was in, but I began to bleed. Not like a hemophiliac, but just a slow ooze of blood out of my nose. Maybe we hit a capillary? Being so calm, Carl thought I had gone into shock. But I got right up, slowly of course, and walked around. I caught my breath and breathed deeply (I've noticed it helps stop bleeding, maybe that whole mind over matter thing does work). The most difficult part of the piercing was trying to screw the balls on, in a dim parking lot at night, with a man with pudgy fingers covered in Neosporin. Afterward, I cleaned up with another alcohol wipe. Proud of my new piercing, it swelled up. I had to flip the ring up into my nose because I was going to a show that night, but I couldn't get it out. It was hard to breathe because the crusties and blood d "\Ãw€ë ried and I kept trying to scratch them out to catch a breath. The ring flipped back out by making my face long, reverse scrunching of the face, pulling my top lip down with my muscles.

After the piercing, Carl told me his piercer said a septum piercing would hurt like getting your nose broken. My best friend said his piercing made him black out twice, throw up, and cry for a good ten minutes. He doesn't handle pain well. Carl's a tough guy, and me, I think my adrenaline was pumping so fast I couldn't feel much. It's the thrill that numbs me. People who see my piercing always ask if it hurt. I ask in return, "Well, do you handle pain well?" It feels like popping a bit zit by your nose, with an added poking sensation. It wasn't too bad of a piercing, my make-shift done-at-home nipple hurt worse. If I had to put it on a scale of one to ten, a septum piercing would probably be a 5.

After my piercing, my aftercare consisted of applying antibiotic ointment three times a day to prevent infection to keep it lubed so it didn't hurt to move around. Instead, crusties formed. I also washed my piercing with baby soap and water in the shower, but the soap stung my nose for some odd odd reason. And then the soap went up my nose, ew. I never tried a salt soak, that just seemed weird to soak my nose, my breathing apparatus, in a watery solution. After 3 weeks of this painful aftercare, I took a tip from a friend and just used plain water (I live in a community with hard water) to wash the piercing and use as a natural lube. My nose quit hurting, the crusties were gone, and there was no stinging sensation anymore. I am able to take the ring out (I've had it 8 months) and leave it out for a week, and easily slide in my 14g retain with the help of lube, a lotion, or antibiotic ointment; preferably anything with a low viscosity (not thick).

The worst part about having a septum piercing is how sensitive your nose becomes. Putting on a shirt brings tears to your eyes if your nose gets pushed. You can no longer make squishy faces on windows. A slight bump to the nose will leave your nose stinging. You never notice how much abuse your face goes through until your septum is pierced! I find the piercing more of a nuisance than anything, because, maybe since it was placed high in my nose since I have a big nose, my nose is constantly runny. The runny stuff from my nose collects pools at the base of the ring, and drips out. It also starts smelling if you don't wash it. If you leave neosporin or something on it and don't wash it, it make crusties. If you forget to wash the crusties off, it's very painful to take out the ring because the ring becomes wider with debris attached to it. Then there's also the sensitivity of the nose. This piercing has no function, it doesn't heighten senses, cause sexual arousal, or improve nasal functions. I think it purely aesthetic and a way to expand your body modification without the drawbacks of being apparent to the world.

The perks of septum piercings are few, but they are easily hidden, not too painful, easy to take care of, flexible, and durable. You can leave the jewelry out for a while (based on my experience), they don't dry out easily, and swimming doesn't irritate it. The sun doesn't even cause it any problems!

Although any piercing may seem cool, and isn't as permanent as a tattoo, special consideration should be given when getting a septum piercing. What are your professional plans? Do you plan on stretching it? Are you a bleeder? Does the piercing complement your face, or exaggerate a big nose (like mine)? Are you getting it for pure adornment? Do you plan on keeping it long? Is it your first piercing (which I think it shouldn't be)? What type of jewelry will you wear in it? Are you knowledgeable of the consequences? Do you have a close relationship with your piercer? Do you have any allergies (seasonal, to latex, metal, etc.)? Are you sure this is what you want to get? Will you do it safely at a reputable shop with someone you trust? Do you want people to ask you about it while it's out?

Decide if it's worth it, and what a piercing means to you. Holes in your body are not trendy, they are parts of you. It's been 8 months since I've had my piercing, and I am satisfied with it. Although it is nothing special, I can take it out and put it in when I please. It's doing fine, and I plan on stretching it from my 14g to a 6g.

Should you decided to pierce your septum, research the consequences versus the benefits and make sure it's definitely what you want to do, not because everyone else is doing it. No modification should be taken lightly, no matter how temporary. Definitely don't pierce it yourself, or do it in a parking lot in a non sterilized environment. Use the proper equipment (not safety pins) and make sure all jewelry is large enough to accomodate your piercing. Exercise proper aftercare. Have a professional you are comfortable with it. Remember, cheap doesn't mean good!

Cheerio to all your future piercing experiences, and I hope this has helped!