Over the years, I have gotten many body mods. The first 'major' one being my tongue at age 14. Since then, I have had my nose twice, eyebrow twice, nipples, labret, 'snakebites', and various cartilage piercings. Yet, for some reason, I had always wanted a septum. I simply lacked the courage to just go and do it. Many friends of mine have theirs done, so I started asking around about their experiences. Some said it hurt, others said it didn't. Some said it healed quickly, others said it didn't.
At A Glance Author Jaclyn Contact Jaclyn@bme.anon When Six months ago Artist Brian Woolverton Studio Immortal Ink Location Flemington, New Jersey Eventually I just knew it was going to be my own personal experience. Nothing anyone could tell me was going to help very much. So I grabbed my friend and headed to the only place I trust my skin to – Immortal Ink. The owner of the piercing shop happens to be a friend of mine, so I told him I was coming to see him again. Driving to the shop always provokes certain feelings in me, for some reason. The main two being excitement and anxiety. (Which, oddly enough, are almost the same feeling.)
When we got there, Brian let me know that he had an apprentice working for him now, and he would be assisting him with the septum piercing. Dan looked like an okay guy, and I knew if Brian trusted him, I should as well. My friend waited in the waiting room (In Jersey, anyone who comes with can't be in the room), and I headed on into the 'piercing area'. I've been in many times, but this time, something seemed different. Maybe it was me.
Brian instructed me to lie down, so that when the needle/retainer went though, my eyes wouldn't tear up as badly. Dan was in charge of getting the needle and jewelry. So, Brian jammed his fingers into my nose, which was weird on its own, and felt around. Apparently I have a 'good' septum. Then came the usual 'just breathe... big breath in... and hold it... now exhale'. I have to admit, the pain was virtually non-existent. It ranks in my mind with 'I just stubbed my toe'.
The only problem was, Dan grabbed a 12g retainer instead of a 14g. Brian didn't notice this until the 12g was in, and had to take it out and replace it with the 14g. So that was a little bit uncomfortable. Having one thing put in is okay, having that thing pulled out, then another put in, is a bit irritating. Aside from the comment of 'Dan, you're lucky she's a friend of mine or this could have been bad', it went smoothly. When I sat up from the table, tears did end up rushing down my face. It looked like I had been crying. After grabbing a tissue and wiping the tears away, I walked back into the waiting room. It's funny, whenever I get a new piercing, I have a habit of looking at it constantly. So of course, every mirror I passed for a good few days was a big distraction from whatever I was supposed to be doing.
Care instructions are somehow always the same for anything other than oral piercings. Dial antibacterial soap, don't play with it, etc. Then, after 2 weeks, use a sea salt soak. I have to say, my body must be taking piercings in stride now, because the usual healing time for a septum is 2 months total. Mine was healed completely in 3 weeks. And how could I tell? Because if you gently push up on the cartilage at the tip of your nose, it will either be tender, or not. Mine was not.
A word to the wise about this piercing, though. Sneezing was a little bit interesting at first. It was an odd sensation. Not quite painful, but you definitely knew you had a piece of jewelry in your nose. I have opted to not change the retainer out for any other jewelry yet. Mainly because I like the way the retainer feels. I tried putting in a different piece of jewelry, with captive beads, but it's not the same. I guess these things take a little getting used to.
Also, the first week or two that I flipped the retainer when going to bed, it felt very uncomfortable. I was instructed to flip the retainer ends up into my nasal cavities, to avoid finding the retainer on my pillow the next morning. I could only imagine the horror on my face if I work up and my sixty dollar piercing was gone. Brian is a great guy, but I highly doubt he's going to re-pierce it for me due to my own lack of responsibility. Occasionally, the retainer feels odd, but mostly it's not a problem. Yeah, it makes you feel like you constantly have a giant booger in your nose, but chances are you don't.
So, six months later, I still have this piercing. I still clean it a few times a day with the Dial, and occasionally I'll do a sea salt soaking if the mood strikes me. The easiest thing to do is just clean it in the shower, or when you brush your teeth. All of my piercings get a daily cleaning when I do my teeth, face, or body. It's all about convenience.
So, overall I was very pleased with this particular piercing. It's very low maintenance, and easy to hide in certain situations. (Like work, or family gatherings, etc.) It's comfortable, easy to clean, and when I do wear it out, it looks great. I know a big part of the reason I get pierced is because I like the way certain things look. And a septum piercing looks good on pretty much anyone.