I've always been interested in body modifications of any sort, specifically septum piercings. However, being fifteen, my parents would only be convinced of a "cute" nostril piercing.
At A Glance Author Caitlin-Marie Contact cmc579@gmail.com When A month ago Artist Jef Saunders Studio Rockstar Location Providence, RI So I went with it.
So on December 22nd (I actually got it done two months ago but that wasn't an option on the submission page) me and the family all went to Thayer Street for a Christmas lunch of Indian food before we all went to my father's house. So after lunch we went to Rockstar piercing and talked to Jay (his last name escapes me at the moment) who first gave us some paperwork to fill out and I had to show ID as did my mother. Then he talked a bit about the care of a piercing and brought out the stud selection (against my preference, but I was just jazzed that this was happening). After a painfully long thought process, I ended up choosing a blue green stud that looked pretty killer and matched my glasses and my glass spiral pieces in my ears.
After kicking around a bit Jef arrived and gave me a sheet of paper including what to do and what not to do for piercings and such (ie, don't touch it, use saline solution and clean it twice a day and all that good stuff). Jef then escorted me into this room with a doctor bed covered with wax paper and all of those sterilizing contraptions. He then went through all the sterilizing procedures, which were basically all different things being stuck into my nose and most of them smelled pretty badly. We talked a bit more about the piercing and then we started the whole second part of the process.
I laid down on the surgery butchery table spiel and he put on a new pair of gloves (he changed them like seven times, no exaggeration there) and got his hypodermic needles from their plastic packages. He talked me through exactly what was going to happen and what I should expect. He also at some point talked to me about some of the common problems that are encountered and my mom asked about infection. Jef said that he's never really seen any genuinely infected nose rings, just ones that were irritated. Signs of an actual infection are green puss, fever, and swollen lymph nodes.
So now it was finally game time. He put the receiving tube in my nose and made some joke about accidentally piercing my septum if it weren't there, I joked back and said that was what I originally wanted anyway. He then told me to breath in deeply and breath out. He did this again and on the exhale he inserted the needle into my nostril. It actually didn't hurt at all, it was just really strange feeling. I've heard that some people say its like getting punched in the nose and I don't think that that is a very accurate description. I've also heard its a sharp stinging pain, also not really what it felt like. For me it was more of a twisting weird feeling because you can seriously feel the needle go through and all of that, its not like ear piercing at all.
But I digress, so the needle is just hanging out in my nose with a cork attached while Jef changes gloves again and fetches the jewelry I chose. And one two three he changed the big needle for a very pretty blue green stud. We then went over proper care once more and said if I had any problems come and see him as soon as it was practical. I was then given a business card and we split.
Since then I haven't had too many problems; although I guess I knocked it while I was sleeping so I have a little bump, but I went back today and spoke with Jef. His advice was to apply hot compresses of saline solution and apply a very small amount of diluted tee tree oil only on the bump and see what happens. I did the hot compresses for a week or a little bit less and nothing seemed to be changing aside from it made it physically feel better (although it still looked sort of funky). Today I applied a small amount of the tee tree oil and it feels perfectly okay, I used a very small water color paintbrush I had kicking around and applied a very very small amount. Hopefully all will be well, although even if its not as perfect as can be I intend to soldier onward and keep this piercing.
So here's for some words of parting: It is super important that you don't touch it or let anyone else touch it. Also don't remove it for a while unless you want it to close up (which happens almost immediately). If it snags and seems to be sort of coming out (happened to me once or twice) wash your hands and immediately sterilize it and push it back in.
I guess that's all, best of luck to all of you!