Got yourself a new nose piercing? Congratulations! That piece is definitely looking rad my friend! But hold up a second, what is that funny smell? If you are experiencing a weird smell that is coming from your nose piercing then you must be thinking, why does my nose piercing smell?
Nose piercings are all the rage and they definitely bring out the unique vibe. A nose piercing can help you stand apart from the norm. But unfortunately, nose piercing may bring some unpleasant surprises as well. One of them is a weird smell or odor. If you are experiencing a smelly nose piercing then don’t get depressed, as I will be elaborating on why it smells and how to fix it in today’s article.
Key Takeaways
- Reasons why your nose piercing smells are dead skin cells and oil build-up, infection, normal smell, lack of hygiene and cleaning, the material of your jewelry, and allergic reaction.
- A few ways you can fix your smelly nose piercing are regular cleaning, no touching, changing jewelry carefully, soaking in warm sea salt water, avoiding harsh products, tea tree oil, avoiding allergens, and seeking professional help.
- The difference between the normal smell of a nose piercing and the smell of an infected one is the intensity of the smell and other infection symptoms along with the smell.
- You should see a doctor if you notice signs as such as severe swelling, pain, redness, fever, and intense odor.
6 Reasons Why Your Nose Piercing Smells
Instead of playing merry-go-round the topic, let’s just jump into the reasons why your nose piercing smells.
1. Dead skin cells and oil build-up
Our skin sheds dead skin cells on a daily basis, and our pores on the skin release oil that keeps the skin nice and moisturized. Sometimes these dead skin cells and oil may team up and clog your pores, which leads to pimples. Likewise, this team-up can result in your nose piercing, which would create nasty and smelly gunk.
2. Infection
Infection is probably one of the most common reasons why you have a smelly nose piercing. Infection can occur due to germs and bacteria. If your healing piercing area comes in contact with germs and bacteria there is a high chance it will get infected. If you do not maintain a proper aftercare routine then dead skin and oil build-up can also lead to piercing infection.
3. Normal smell
A healing tattoo may have some smell to it. It is a slight smell that could feel like a metallic smell. Do not worry so it will go away on its own after your nose piercing heals.
4. Lack of hygiene and cleaning
If there is a lacking on the hygiene part then there is a high chance your piercing would smell bad. Not cleaning a healing nose piercing could lead to bacterial growth and sebum buildup, which could create a weird smelly situation.
5. Material of your jewelry
The material of your nose piercing jewelry matters. If you choose a nose-piercing material that reacts negatively to your skin that’s an issue. There are some materials out there that could easily irritate your pierced skin and may even cause mild infection. If you use the wrong type of material then you may get a smelly nose piercing.
6. Allergic reaction
Allergies are not so uncommon. If you get an allergic reaction then it can create a bad smell on your nose piercing. Remember pierced skin is very sensitive and it can easily cause allergic reactions.
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8 Ways to Fix A Smelly Nose Piercing
Now that you know some probable cause behind your smelly nose piercing, you should know a few ways to fix it. I have gatherers some of the best ways that you can go about getting that smell off your nose piercing, let’s go!
1. Regular cleaning
Cleaning may sound a bit boring. But just this one thing can keep your nose piercing nice and clean and keep away any infection or bad odor. But instead of just using regular water, you should use saline solution to clean your nose piercing. In case you don’t have access to saline water then use lukewarm soapy water to clean the area. Do not rub using a washcloth vigorously, this could irritate the skin and worsen the smell issue. Use the tip of your fingers to gently rub and clean the area. After cleaning, use a paper towel to gently dab on the area to soak it dry. Make sure to repeat this cleaning routine at least twice a day.
2. No touching
If your start to wear jewelry on your nose all of a sudden then it might feel a bit weird. And you may touch it again and again unknowingly. Whatever the reason is, you should not touch the piercing unnecessarily during the healing phase. You have to understand a healing perching is like an open wound. What happens if you keep touching a wound on your skin? It most likely gets infected right? The same thing can happen to your nose piercing. You may end up infecting or at least irritating the skin and causing it to smell bad.
3. Change jewelry carefully
If you suspect that the material of the nose piercing jewelry is the culprit causing this weird smell, then you can carefully change the jewelry to jewelry that is made of high quality. Make sure to choose a material that does not react negatively to your skin. I highly recommend
- Gold
- Platinum
- Surgical steel
As these materials are of high quality and do not usually react negatively to skin.
4. Soaking in warm sea salt water
Do you know sea salt? Readily available in any nearest grocery store. Get some of that sea salt and dilute it in lukewarm water. Try soaking your nose piercing in that lukewarm sea salt water for a few minutes daily before rinsing it. This can get rid of the impurities and reduce any bacterial growth on the nose-pierced area.
5. Avoid harsh products
You may use any cleanser, face wash, cream, and lotion. But just make sure they do not contain any fragrance or any harsh chemical that could irritate the healing nose piercing. Irritating the healing piercing is not recommended. If you irritate the area it could easily get infected and release a bad odor.
6. Tea tree oil
You have heard of tea tree oil, right? It is a natural and fine way to get rid of any bacterial overgrowth from your nose piercing. Use one drop of teat tree oil and dilute it into water then rinse the pierced area with the solution. Tea tree oil has antibacterial properties, it can get rid of bacteria for your leaving a nice and fresh pierced area.
7. Avoiding allergens
Identify what things are causing allergic reactions and avoid them. You can do an allergen test to pinpoint exactly what are the things that are causing you these allergic reactions and smelly nose piercing.
8. Seek professional help
If you have followed the 7 tips I have provided above and still the smell is there then you should seek professional help. Go see a doctor first then seek advice from your piercing artist. A doctor can prescribe you medication to cure the issue and your piercing artist can provide you with advice regarding aftercare.
Nose Piercing: Difference Between Normal Smell Vs Infected Smell
Remember I said you can have a normal odor coming from your nose piercing? Now, how would you differentiate between a normal smell? Do not sweat it, I got you covered. I have provided the difference below:
1. Intensity of the smell
If the smell coming from your nose piercing is mild or fant then most likely it is a normal smell. As your piercing heals it may release some mild odor, which is completely fine. This faint smell could be like a metallic smell, trust me it is not an issue so do not panic.
On the other hand, if the smell is quite intense and strong then there is a high chance your nose piercing is infected. If the smell is disturbing and foul then how come it is normal? It is definitely not normal. But that does not mean it is an infection either. Yes, there is a high chance it is an infection but it can also be just a gunk of dead skin cells and sebum build-up. A simple cleansing would remove it completely.
2. Pain or not
A normal nose piercing may smell a bit and will not cause any severe pain even if you touch it. So, if the nose piercing is a bit smelly and does not have any pain then rest accrued, as it is completely normal.
Even if the smell is not very intense but you are feeling intense pain in the piercing area then there is a high chance it is infected. A normal healing piercing would not hurt this much. If the area causes pain just by a simple touch then you should proper measures to take care of it.
3. Swollen or not
If you get a faint smell but there is next to no sign of swelling then you are good! There might be a small swelling on the healing piercing but that is not an issue. So, a bit smelly but not swelling equal to a normal nose piercing.
But if you notice severe swelling on the area along with a foul smell, then am afraid the nose piercing is infected. Seek professional help as soon as you can.
4. Discolor
If you notice a slight smell but the skin color is completely normal then there is nothing to worry about. This smell is normal and your nose piercing is fine.
If you notice discoloration or redness on the piercing area along with a smell, then there is a high chance the nose piercing is already infected. Treat it as soon as you can.
When to See A Doctor?
Just because there is a slight smell does not mean you have to go see a doctor. The slight smell may come from a healing nose piercing and it is not an issue. So, how would you know when to see a doctor? I have listed a few signs below, if you notice these signs then go see a doctor without any delay.
1. Fever
If you have this ongoing fever for a few days then identify the cause of the fever. If you can identify the cause then treat it, if you can not then most probably this fever is a result of an infection. To be specific your nose piercing is infected and causing you this fever. Go see a doctor without wasting much time.
2. Swelling
If you notice severe swelling on the nose piercing area that is not going away even after a day or two of getting the nose pierced then it is most likely infected. In such cases, the infection would only get worse with time, so seek professional help without delay.
3. Severe pain
Pain is one of the most commons sign of a nose piercing infection. As the piercing is healing it might cause slight pain, but if you notice severe pain that is not going away and instead the pain is getting worse with passing time then it requires medical attention ASAP.
4. Foul discharge
A clear or white discharge coming out of the nose piercing in the initial healing phase is normal. But if you notice yellow, or red discharge or puss coming out of your nose piercing it requires medical help. Remember a normal nose piercing would never cause foul discharge.
5. Worsening condition
If the smell gets worse over time or the symptoms get worse over time then you should seek medical help. Not treating a nose piercing may lead to several health issues, not to mention it can potentially cause permanent scarring on your nose.
FAQs
How long it will take for my nose piercing to heal?
Nose piercing can be of various types. Such as:
- Nostril piercing
- Septum piercing
- Nose bridge piercing
Getting your nostril pierced may take around 3 to 6 months to heal, and nose bridge and septum piercing may take less than 3 months to heal.
Why does my nose piercing smell?
Normally, a healing nose piercing may smell a bit. But a severe smelly nose piercing might be caused by:
- Dead skin cells and sebum build-up
- Bacterial overgrowth
- Infection
- Not cleaning the area properly
- Cheap quality jewelry material
Is a little redness and swelling normal after getting a nose piercing?
Yes, a little redness and swelling are normal right after getting a nose piercing. But the redness would go away within a few hours or a day and the swelling will go away within a few days. If the swelling and redness do not go away with time, but instead get worse then it is a sign your tattoo is infected, go see a doctor.
Final Thoughts
There you go my friend, the lowdown on nose piercing being smelly. It is absolutely fine if the healing piercing smells a bit. But if the smell is intense over time swelling, pain, redness, and fever then it might be a sign of an infection. In such case go see a doctor as soon as you can.
But if it is not infected yet, or the infection is not severe then you can get it fixed all by yourself. All you need to do is keep the area clean using saline solution or lukewarm soapy water, change the jewelry material to a high-quality material that does not react badly to your skin, avoid any allergen, etc.
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