Nostril Piercing 101
Nostril piercings- these piercings are among the most popular piercings we do, from modern times all the way through history. Piercing the nostril has been a common practice and tradition in cultures on nearly every continent, across much of recorded human history. Some of the most famous records of nostril piercings include the Bible, Mughal records, and even among victorian aristocracy. Nostril piercings are a piercing through the cartilage of the nostril, into the nasal passage. They can have a variety of placements from high up in the nose to right on the tip. Today, we are going to look at the classic, quintessential nostril placed roughly around the crease of the nostril. Nostril piercing are popular with both studs and hoops, and even decorative chains and charms. From big and bold to dainty and delicate, there’s no shortage of jewelry choices for this popular piercing. But there are some major considerations for piercing and healing to think about before getting your nose pierced!
Anatomy
Like all other piercings, anatomy matters for nostril piercings as well. Now nostrils are not anatomy dependent in the same way piercings like industrials are (where a large amount of folks simply don’t have the anatomy to support them.) I feel comfortable saying that almost everyone has anatomy that can support a nostril piercing, although their are some variations that may make piercing harder or more difficult to heal. Our nostrils are made of layers of cartilage, fatty tissue, connective membranes, and small muscles. Nostrils are in fact a deceptively complex part of the body to pierce. Often we write off nostril piercings as just cartilage, like your ear! But this is not the case. Nostrils are a vastly more complex anatomical structure with far more moving, working parts. They have more independent movement than the ear, more complex internal structure, and they have a very important job of filtering air along with dealing with the sinus. When we lump nostril piercings in with ear cartilage piercings as “just cartilage” I think we do a disservice to ourselves. You may notice a lot of folks struggle with healing nostril piercings (and we will discuss healing later in this article) and while there’s many factors to that, a big one is how complex nostril anatomy truly is!
How these different structures come together form the shape of our nose, and noses are some of the most varied anatomy person to person. Some folks have narrow noses, others have wide noses, broad tips and pointy tips, downturned and upturned, tall nostrils or short nostrils, deviated noses and noses that have been broken. There’s a huge variation of anatomy when it comes to the nostril. Fortunately, this anatomy usually doesn’t effect if we get pierced but where we get pierced.
Placement- To Crease or not to Crease
Placement for a nostril piercing remains one of the most debated subjects among piercers and clients alike. Directly in the crease? Right under it? Quite below it? Along the midline of the nose? Close to the face? Where is a nostril piercing supposed to go.
And, well, the answer is really wherever you want it.
The most popular and common placement for a nostril piercing is just a little below the crease, usually relatively centered in the nostril from the side. This still gives the visual effect of the piercing being in or near the crease which often is what “feels right” for a lot of clients, without actually being in the crease. Many piercers opt to avoid the crease because of the movement of the nostril as you flare it, especially smiling or emoting. This crease can also often collect oils and dirt which can also irritating healing. And often times jewelry doesn’t sit exactly as we want it to directly in the crease, studs may not lay flat and hoops may not sit snug.
We don’t have one size fits all noses- or one side fits all anything! Our bodies are all totally different. On some clients, the most perfect, most aesthetically pleasing and functional placement is going to be directly in the crease. Some clients have barely any crease at all and where we pierce it is where a crease would be if there was one. Some clients have such short nostrils that to go below, even just right below, would be way too low. And some clients just prefer a placement directly in that crease of their nostril- that’s the look they want! There’s even some cultural and religious reasons for a placement like this.
An “in the crease” placement
Another consideration with placement is your future plans. Do you want to wear a snug fitting hoop as your goal? Your placement may end up higher or lower to give you the look of the hoop you want. Are you planning on wearing big, bold, chunky jewelry long term? Your placement may need to adjust to allow ends to sit flat and nicely. And if you want to rock a cute nose chain, we may move things more forward or back to let the chain rest well! When you have very particular jewelry goals in mind discuss them with your piercer! Often we can use size placement rings or example pieces to ensure that we are piercing you to allow for you goal.
And this goes double if you are planning multiple nostril piercings. If you know your goal is two cute hoops, pairing your nostrils up across either side, or you want to stack these with low or high nostrils, tell us that too! When we know we can plan ahead and determine placements that can allow for you to build off of them with other piercings. Where I like to place nostril piercings on the nose varies greatly between doing a single stand alone nostril or a project featuring multiples.
Another common question with placement is which side should I get it on. And again- it’s about the side you want it on! A very common decision maker is your “selfie side” or your better side you usually like to show in photos. Many folks want their nostril piercing to be visible, so they choose the side they favor or photograph towards. Others may go with the part of their hair if they have a side part, either with the part to accentuate it or on the opposite side for balance. Speaking of balance, some folks may choose to balance out other features on their face like an existing piercing, a mole, freckle, or birthmark by doing the nostril on the opposing side. Others may choose to accentuate or even distract from that by doing it on the same side. Some clients may have deviated noses or asymmetrical with one side being more visible from the front. In that case, one nostril may be more visible than the other, wear jewelry differently than the other, and there may be a better side for your goals. Some people choose a specific side based on cultural and religious beliefs, and others are influenced by cultural icons and celebrities to mimic their piercing. There is no right or wrong side, and it’s about what works for you, your goals, your anatomy, and how you want your piercing to look. I have been piercing nostrils for over a decade and it’s been a pretty even split between left and right this whole time. So do whatever side is right for you!
Initial Jewelry
Initial jewelry for a nostril piercings is, in my opinion, one of the largest factors in this piercing healing well and the experience you have with it. This is largely because we have quite literally dozens of choices for styles of initial piercing jewelry, and these styles all vary quite a bit. We are going to break down all the different styles, and what I do and don’t like about them.
First up, the nostril screw. This traditional design for nostril piercings dates back quite literally hundreds of years. A length of gold wire has a gem or design set into one end of it. The nose is pierced, the wire inserted, and the extra length coiled up inside the nose out of the way. This style was easy and intuitive to make, and over hundreds of years we have refined it to a sincerely great product. Modern nostril screws are often made of implant grade steel or 14k gold, and still come in a long, unbent shape. A piercer will take a look at your nostril, which side it is (left or right), how thick your nostril is, and where the piercing will rest, and bend up the shape of the screw accordingly. We then pierce you, and install this piece. Often it’s bent up with a right angle at the base of the post, and a loop behind that, sometimes referred to as a corkscrew.