How To Clean Septum Piercing With Q-Tip?

Getting yourself a piercing on your septum can be a cool idea. A few benefits of it are it does not hurt much, can elevate your facial features, and requires low maintenance. But to reap all the benefits you have to take proper aftercare of your piercing. It can ensure faster healing and prevent septum piercing from getting closed. And one of the most crucial parts of aftercare is cleaning. You can easily clean your septum piercing using a Q-tip or cotton bud.

But do you know how to clean septum piercing with cotton buds? Using it incorrectly can do more harm than good. If parts of the cotton get stuck on your healing septum it can delay the healing process and create complications. Not to worry, as I will be providing you with a step-by-step guide on how to clean septum piercing and more in today’s article.

Q-tip: Short Primer

Q-tips are cotton buds or cotton swabs that you may have used to clean your ears before. It has a stick made of paperboard and bounded paper that has a small ball of cotton on both ends. You can use Q-tips to clean delicate and narrow areas where it is difficult for you to reach.

Is It Safe to Use A Q-tip to Clean Septum Piercing?

From my expert perspective, I have to say that it is completely safe to use for cleaning if you use it correctly.

But if you rub the pierced area too roughly then not only the piercing area may get irritated but also some parts of the cotton ball can get stuck on the piercing area and jewelry. This stuck debris ball can attract dirt and germs which could lead to infection and delayed healing. Just make sure to use the cotton bud gently while you clean your septum piercing and you will be fine.

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4 Reasons to Use Q-tip for Septum Cleaning

If you are looking for reasons to use it, then I can provide a few reasons for you.

1. Precision

Q-tips being small can help you make precise cleaning. Using a washcloth or any other tool can not provide you with this precision.

2. Ease of use

It is very easy to use. It is not a complicated tool. You do not need any manual to use the cotton bud.

3. Removing excess moisture

The cotton on the stick can absorb the excess moisture from your septum piercing. Excessive moisture can create dampness, delay healing, and cause infection.

4. Minimize friction

Cotton buds can minimize friction on the delicate septum-piercing area. If you use a washcloth or something like that then it can increase the friction and delay the healing process.

How to Clean Septum Piercing Using Q Tip

Using a cotton swab to clean your septum can be easier than baking a cake. I am providing a step-by-step guide on how to clean your septum piercing with a Q-tip in this portion.

1. Wash your hands

Before you start the cleaning procedure, ensure your hands are clean. Unwashed hands can cause infection. Use anti-bacterial soap to wash your hands and soak dry using a paper towel or even better if you can air dry them.

2. Gather your tools

After washing your hands, collect all the necessary tools for this cleaning process. The tools or things you will need to gather are:

3. Pour the solution

Pour your saline solution or the lukewarm soapy water into the disposable bowl. Avoid using rubbing alcohol as it can irritate the wound.

4. Dip one end of the Q-tip into the solution

Now dip one end of the cotton swab into the solution you have poured into your disposable cup.

5. Rub the piercing area

Use the solution-soaked part of the cotton to gently rub on the piercing area. Make sure to rub on the external side and internal side of your septum piercing. Gently clean it, no need to be rough.

6. Dip your septum

Now, saline soak your septum using the disposable bowl that is full of saline solution. Soaking your septum in saline water for about 10 to 15 minutes should be good enough. It will clean any dirt or debris and get rid of any lingering germs and bacteria from your septum-piercing area.

What Can I Use To Clean My Septum Piercing?

Nowadays, adults and teenagers regardless of their age are getting their septum pierced. You can become a part of the trend and get yourself is popular piercing but make sure to clean it with the proper method and material. Wondering what can you use to clean your septum piercing?

There are quite a few solutions you use, such as:

I have to say, saline solution is the most used solution for piercing site cleaning.

Should I Remove My Septum Piercing While Cleaning?

Avoid taking the jewelry out while it heals, but you can take it out without any issues after it is healed. Taking jewelry out from the fresh piercing can cause:

But after it heals if you feel that you can properly clean while wearing the jewelry then do it, if you think otherwise then take the jewelry out.

Is Soaking The Septum Piercing Necessary?

Just rubbing with a solution-dipped cotton bud is not enough. You should saline soak your piercing daily. Soaking in plain warm water won’t do much benefit.

Soaking the septum will give you enough time to get rid of any remaining debris or bacteria. It can get rid of any discharge easily. If you use a lukewarm solution to soak the septum then not only it will fasten the healing but also reduce irritation. You can use hot tubs for soaking fresh piercings site as well.

Crusts On Septum Piercings

When you get the piercing done you may get some crusts on the piercing site. It is completely normal and a part of the piercing healing phase. It can cause dry skin as well. Do not worry, the crusties will go away on their own as the piercing heals. It may take around 2 weeks for septum crusties to go away.

How Long It Takes To Close Septum Piercings?

A healing septum piercing or nose piercing can close if you take out the jewelry for a day. Sometimes the hole may close up in a matter of hours because your body starts to heal the piercing wound right after the procedure ends.

Is Septum Piercing More Prone To Get Infected?

Septum piercings are more prone to getting infected because the piercing is done on the inside part of your nose. The inside part does not get much sunlight and it stays damp all the time thanks to mucus. Staying damp all the time can cause the septum piercing to get infected easily. But when it is fully healed, you can relax a bit as it won’t catch infection that easily.

Signs Of Septum Piercing Infection

A few common signs of an infected septum piercing are:

During healing, it may feel a bit irritated and appear swollen but that is normal. If your septum looks really swollen and feels more irritated and painful then there is a high chance your septum piercing is infected. On top of that, if you notice a green or yellow discharge coming out from the pierced septum area then it is a confirmation of an infection. Until the area is not fully healed, the risk of infection will be higher. This is why you should follow aftercare instructions properly.

Pain Level Of Getting Septum Pierced

You will be glad to know that septum piercing does not hurt much at all. On the contrary, it is one of those piercing placements that hurts the least. On a pain scale of 1 to 10, the pain level of getting a piercing done on your septum would be around 4. Some people have higher pain tolerance and a thinner nose cartilage or a thin wall between their nostrils may feel even less pain. This is why some rate the pain experienced during the piercing procedure as 2 out of 10 on a pain scale.

Healing Process

The healing process of a piercing starts within minutes after completing the procedure. Septum piercing heals a bit slower so it can take around 3 to 6 months for it to heal completely.

For the first few days or weeks, you may get some liquid discharge from your new piercing. As long as it is white or transparent liquid, nothing to worry about. And it may also create some crusts during the initial healing. As time goes by, after a week or two the puss and crusts should go away on their own. Still, it may feel a bit of pain if you touch the jewelry or piercing area until it is completely healed.

Final Thoughts

Cleaning any sort of wound is crucial. If it is a piercing wound and the area is delicate and narrow then cleaning can be a bit difficult. In such circumstances cleaning the piercing of your septum using a Q-tip can be a perfect choice. It can ensure precise cleaning, less irritation, and easy cleaning.

As long as you are gentle during the cleaning procedure, you will be fine. It is much better to use a cotton swab instead of a washcloth or tissue paper to clean your delicate piercing. Just make sure to notice any allergic reaction signs as some people may have an allergy to cotton.

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