If you have read my past experiences, then you know that I have never really considered myself as someone that would get a facial piercing. First, I work in a very conservative office environment where my ear piercings are frowned upon, but tolerated. Second, the missus is also decidedly against facial piercings so there's that consideration as well. Third, I just don't think anything would look on my face.
At A Glance Author loudles Contact loudles@bme.anon IAM loudles When It just happened Artist Christina Studio Acme Tattoo Location Charlottesville, va In the past few months, I have been looking for an apprenticeship and reckoned that if I am going to be piercing people, then I should know how different piercings feel in terms of discomfort and the overall procedure. Deciding on where to get it done was an easy decision – Acme Tattoo is hands down the best place in Charlottesville and I'd say that even if I wasn't buddies with all of them. They are clean, professional, and friendly people who do great work.
After doing some research and talking with my piercer, Christina, I reckoned that I probably could get away with having my septum pierced. It was a hole that I could easily hide with the proper jewelry selection from both my bosses and my wife and as I didn't have any facial piercings, I would gain an understanding of what it feels like to have someone playing around inside my nose. I talked with Christina about my stealth considerations and asked her to order a niobium retainer. I figured that niobium is dark - my nostrils are dark and I can flip the retainer up out of plain view. She wound up recommending a glass retainer and I deferred to her expertise as I am not even a novice piercer.
The missus, Superbaby, and I went on vacation, but I had to return early for business reasons and was going to have some alone time. This would be the perfect opportunity for me to get it done, so I left work early on Friday and headed into town to go to Acme.
I was in luck as it was a slow afternoon and Christina was more than happy to have something to do. She set up the mayo stand with all the equipment and told me to have a seat on the massage table. The process started with my nostrils being cleaned and prepped with the two swab iodine swabs. We chatted a bit as the iodine did its' job and then Christina changed her gloves so she could start marking.
I haven't ever had anyone else's fingers up my nose other than mine so it was kinda odd feeling Christina poking around looking for the "sweet spot" for septum piercing. She wound up finding it and then set about marking the area with a gentian violet and a tooth pick. Christina asked me if my nose had ever been broken and informed me that I had a slightly deviated septum. No big deal, but it was news to me . . .
Christina directed me to lie back on the table to do the actual piercing. As I lay back, I began doing some deep breathing and trying to relax. With each passing breath, I could feel myself sinking into the table and "stepping back" from my body.
Christina does a great job of talking to her clients and putting them at ease throughout the piercing process. She would inform me before she did anything and let me know what was happening. The needle was lined up with a glass retainer tube on each side of my septum and Christina told me to inhale deeply . . . As I exhaled I could feel a slight pinch and that was it. Usually peoples' eyes tear up when they get anything on their nose pierced, but I didn't. Don't know why – I'm not an especially tough guy.
I laid there on the table with a corked needle sticking out of my nose and waited for Christina to get my 14g glass retainer out of the sterilization packet. Installing the jewelry was as easy as the piercing and after a little post-piercing clean-up with saline and cotton swabs.
What I have noticed over the past couple of days is that my nostrils are itching a lot. Blowing my nose is out of the question - I don't want to disturb my piercing. I have resorted to taking a steamy shower or doing a quick sea salt soak and shooting "snot rockets". i'm going to keep a few cotton swabs on my person, so i can do some scratching and adjusting during the day.
For aftercare, I am using preservative free saline after showers and warm sea-salt soaks before bed. Christina said it should be healed up in four to six weeks. I am planning to order a cool spike to wear when I don't have to look "respectable". A septum piercing is a fairly painless procedure, so don't let that hold you back from getting one.