Will My Septum Piercing Close After 2 Years?

Septum piercing has been a popular trend in various cultures for centuries and has seen a resurgence in recent years, primarily because it can be concealed during the healing process by flipping it into the nostrils. Septum piercings are located in the cartilage that separates the nostrils and has the potential to close if the jewelry is removed. Given the anatomy of the area, it is essential to visit a reputable piercer to ensure that the procedure is performed correctly and straight.

Will my septum piercing close after 2 years? If you’re considering removing your septum ring, you may wonder if it will close up. Septum piercings are one of the most painful types of piercings to get, so, understandably, you don’t want it to close. The speed at which they close can vary based on factors such as the length of time you’ve had the piercing and individual healing rates. Generally, a newer septum piercing will close more quickly, sometimes within a few hours, while a fully healed septum piercing may take weeks or even longer to close up.

What Is Septum Piercing?

The nasal septum is part of a human face that separates the right and left nostrils. It is often known as the “sweet spot”. It is also known as “columella”.  It is a thin and flexible piece of skin in front of your nose, below the thick cartilage. A septum piercing is a kind of piercing that is done through the spot. This kind of piercing penetrates through the soft tissue. This spot varies from person to person. Some people do not have a columella, so it is difficult to do a septum piercing on them.

Septum piercing is not very painful. But to make it less painful, the piercer has to find the right spot with the correct alignment. Septum piercing is done through a hollow needle when the piercer clamps the spot with a small clamp. After piercing the needle through the tissue, the piercer will unclamp the nose to insert jewelry.

What Symbolism Did Septum Piercings Hold?

The origin of septum piercing can be traced back to various ancient civilizations, each attributed to a different culture and spiritual significance. It was an essential part of societal and spiritual customs in many indigenous cultures. For instance, in Indonesia, the Asmat tribe of Irian Jaya used septum piercings made of bone or tusk to symbolize a young boy’s transition into manhood. The Aztecs, Mayans, and Incas warrior castes in North and South America wore large and ornate jewelry as septum rings to symbolize strength and bravery. Similarly, the Tlingit and Haida tribes of the Northwest Coast used septum piercings as a symbol of societal status. In addition to this, some Hindu women wore a septum ring known as “Bulak” to show their spiritual significance, and it was believed that “Bulak” was going to make childbirth easier after marriage. Women in Bangladesh also wore it after marriage.

Septum piercings were also used as a cultural movement among punks and goths during the 1900s to 2000s. In the 2000s, they became popular in Western societies, eventually becoming a trend among specific cultural groups.

Some of The Common Misconceptions About Septum Piercing

Septum piercings are gaining popularity and acceptance over time. However, some misconceptions prevail regarding septum piercing. I would like to address some of these misconceptions below:

1. Septum piercing is painful: To some people, it is a painful procedure, because this piercing is done to the sensitive area of your skin. Others feel a bit of discomfort. The procedure is relatively fast, so, the pain does not stay longer.
2. Septum piercing is done on the Cartilage: Some people believe that septum piercing is done on the cartilage. But it is not the scenario. It is done on a thin strip of skin found below the cartilage.
3. Septum piercings will deform the shape of your face: It is a misconception among commoners that septum piercings will disfigure your nose and face. Once the sweet spot is healed, and you remove the jewelry, the piercing will tend to close.
4. Septum piercings are unprofessional: It is important to note that beauty and professionalism are subjective. While septum piercings were once considered an alternative, they are now widely accepted in both professional and social settings. A variety of jewelry styles are available to suit different personal preferences and professional contexts.
5. You cannot hide a septum piercing: This is another misconception regarding septum piercing. You can easily hide your septum piercing. If you are using septum retainers and horseshoe rings, you can flip the jewelry upward into the nostrils, and the piercing will be completely hidden.

The Piercing Process of Septum Piercing

The process for septum piercing is relatively quick. The most important aspect before a nasal septum piercing, find a piercer who is professional. Tools and materials that are needed for the septum piercing are given below.

Tools and Materials That You Will Need for Septum Piercing Are

1. A Hollow Needle
2. A Receiving Tube
3. A Small Clamp

Here are a few factors to keep in mind before getting a nasal septum piercing. I have also mentioned the procedure of having a nasal septum piercing.

Find a professional piercer. The piercer should be experienced with piercing. He should also use sterile equipment.

• Make sure to use high-quality materials, such as stainless steel or titanium for your jewelry to insert through your septum piercing after the piercing is done.
• Before piercing, the piercer will clean your nose thoroughly with anti-bacterial soap. Make sure your body can endure the pain of piercing.
• When you start the piercing procedure, the piercer will then mark the sweet spot where he will be piercing.
• Then he will use a sterilized needle to make a hole through a thin flesh of skin below the cartilage between your nostrils.
• The final step will be inserting jewelry. For jewelry, use high-quality materials and before inserting it, sterilize your jewelry.

The Healing Process After Having Septum Piercing

The pain from septum piercing will wear off in a week or two, but the time for healing will vary between 2 to 8 months. Your professional piercer will recommend changing the jewelry after 8 weeks. Even if you are healing prominently, it is recommended to handle your septum jewelry. You should keep your piercing clean. Whether your piercing is healed or not, depends on how you care your piercing. You need to identify the state of your piercing. Try to determine the condition of your septum piercings, such as, if it is healed or in the process of healing. After removing your piercing jewelry, always clean the piercing with saline water.

If your healed piercing is irritated from wearing low-quality jewelry in the first few weeks, it can cause trauma to the piercing. Avoid harsh soaps or makeup in the area and check if there is any secretion, crust, or blood. If you notice any such conditions wash it with warm water or saline wound wash. If you have irritation bumps, and you are taking warm compresses, you can continue taking warm compresses for a week or two after you remove the piercing so that it will heal the remaining bumps. When the piercing hasn’t healed, it is considered a wound- keep makeup, skincare, hair care, and other harsh chemicals and products away from it for about 2-3 weeks. After about 2-3 weeks, you will no longer see an open wound. Within a few weeks, the irritation will disappear and you will be able to wear regular make-up and resume regular cleaning. After removing your jewelry, you may experience some scarring. To avoid scarring apply topical balms, gels, and oils. But these ointments may get in the wound and worsen the wound. So, first, heal up your scarring for 3-4 weeks. Once there is no open wound and the irritation is gone, you can use bio-oil, midterm, scar FX, or silicone scar sheets.

The time it takes for your septum piercing to heal depends on how you take care of your piercing. The healing phases have three stages. They are given below:

• Phase 1: The first phase is painful. This phase starts when you insert your jewelry after the piercing is done on you. Pain will stay for 1-8 weeks, and your nose will be swollen. The septum piercing requires attention and dedication for the proper care. Keep anti-inflammatory medicine with you and your nose clean. Always clean with sea salt soak. Use aftercare spray 3 to 6 times every day.
• Phase 2: In the second phase, your nose will not be swollen, tender, or painful. If you have not developed any infection in the first phase, you will be able to change your jewelry in this phase if there is no bleeding nose. But there may be scars left to heal. Take sea salt soak with lukewarm water regularly at this phase.
• Phase 3: In this phase, your septum piercing will be healing. Ensure no irritation is left after the piercing and the wound is completely dried. Use high-quality body jewelry and sea salt soak in lukewarm water to clean your nose.

Risks and Complications After Having Septum Piercing

You may experience scarring, allergic reactions, complications, etc. after septum piercing. Some of the most common complications after septum piercing are given below:

1. Infection and Inflammation: You may experience infection and inflammation if your piercing is not properly cleaned or cared for. The piercing area will be swollen, red, and painful and may discharge pus.
2. Placement Is Wrong: When you don’t do piercing by an experienced piercer, there is a chance that the placement is not correct. It may lead to pain, delay in the healing process, and deformation in the shape.
3. Rejection from Body: Your body may naturally reject the piercing, which will result in migration from the tissue. It will leave scars and require corrections in the piercing procedure.
4. Allergic Symptoms: Some people are allergic to nickel-based jewelry products. They will experience irritation, redness, swelling, or other allergic reactions.
5. Nervous Breakdown: This piercing may damage your nerve which will lead to numbness or change in sensation around the pierced area.
6. Septal Hematoma: This is a condition that is a collection of blood within the septum that you have acquired during the piercing process. It could lead to a septal abscess or a deviated septum.
7. Endocarditis: It is an inflammation in the heart’s inner lining where bacteria enter the body during the piercing process. It is a very rare but serious complication.
8. Immunity: Your immune system plays a crucial role in the healing process. If you have HIV or diabetes, or you are going through chemotherapy, your healing process will typically take longer time.
9. Current Health: If you currently going through any medical conditions, your body will take time to heal. In such situations, let your body heal first.
10. Blood Disorders: If you have blood disorders in your body, such as hemophilia, you will experience excessive blood during and after the piercing procedure.
11. Medications: Some of the medicines are blood thinning, such as aspirin or other anti-inflammatory medicines. This will increase the risk of bleeding and having a wound.

How Quickly a Septum Piercing Will Close?

Our bodies act differently because every human being has different genetics, habits, and health. For some of us, the piercing may start closing after the removal of jewelry, but for others, they don’t notice any change after the removal of the jewelry. We will discuss some factors which will speed up the closing process.

Age: If you are young, your piercing will tend to heal faster than those who are older.

Health and Habits: A proper diet, regular exercise, and water intake will make your healing process faster, while bad habits, such as smoking or alcohol will delay the healing process.

Although it is possible to prevent the piercing from closing. You can follow the following procedure to prevent a piercing from closing.

You may want to always keep wearing your jewelry to keep the scar tunnel open to avoid traumatizing your pierced tissue, while your body may induce you to close it with more scar tissue. To avoid such situations, after removing your jewelry apply a small amount of Aquaphor or Vaseline for lubrication. Wear a small stud instead. This will help the area to stay open without much irritation. You can use glass retainers for less irritation. As long as your piercing has some jewelry in it, it will stay open.

Reasons That Have Effects on The Healing Time

A septum piercing can take 2 to 3 months to heal. Your piercing may be swelling at first, but a few days later, the piercing will not hurt more. Do not touch your piercing during the healing process. Septum piercing is usually done at the center of the nose. You may want to straighten your jewelry. If you have to flip the piercing while talking or eating, make sure to do it with clean hands. Use antibacterial soap after flipping or cleaning your hands. It is suitable to have a septum piercing for the workplace or school if you can hide your jewelry. For some people, the healing process is very quick, but for others, it will take some time for the healing process. Some reasons can affect the healing time of septum piercing. They are given below:

• Do not submerge your face in the water. Use hot tubs or swimming. Use some saline water or sea salt during the healing process.
• Do not overexpose your nose to the sun. It will scar your nose. Over-exposure to sun can irritate the skin and cause redness.
• To keep your piercing area clean, make a cleaning ritual two times a day with saline water or sea salt soak. Although, too much cleaning can dry out your skin.
• Use jewelry that is made from high-quality materials, such as titanium or surgical steel. Low-quality jewelry can cause allergic reactions to your skin.
• Do not use harsh chemicals on your piercings, such as rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. It can damage your skin cells. Use some piercing aftercare products or sea salt soak.

Tips to Clean Septum Piercing

There are some tips that you should follow to clean septum piercing. These tips will keep your skin fresh and bacteria-free. They are given below:

• It is easy to clean nose piercings. You can have some saline solution with you and use this solution on both sides of your piercings by dipping some cotton balls.
• Take a small bowl or cup of saline solution, then dip your nose into the solution. It will help you to loosen the nose crust around your piercing and clean off the bacteria.
• Make a solution with proper guidance from your piercing studio. You can take distilled water and some sea salt, then mix them to clean your nose.
• Use plain water to clean your piercing and jewelry. You can use a mild cleanser on your skin. But do not use cleanser or soap on your fresh piercing.
• Do not use Bactine, Neosporin, Alcohol, or Antibacterial Soap. Always use a non-iodized sea salt solution. Wash your both hands properly before touching or moving your jewelry.

Final Thoughts

After getting a septum piercing, it’s crucial to take proper care of it during the healing process to avoid any infections or scars. The tips provided above will help you maintain clean skin throughout your septum piercing journey. To prevent losing your piercing, always wear hoops or studs in the piercing, and periodically change and wash your jewelry with warm water and lemon. Always clean the area with piercing aftercare lotion or spray or use a saline wash or sea salt soak in warm water. Avoid using harsh chemicals like rubbing alcohol on your skin or jewelry.