Is it possible to pierce your own septum

Waiting until it heals and changing the style of the jewelry is preferable. Adrienne Santos-Longhurst is a Canada-based freelance writer and author who has written extensively on all things health and lifestyle for more than a decade. Nose piercing healing depends on where you get your nose pierced, what kind of jewelry you use, and how well you take care of the piercing.

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Find out more about the usual tattoo removal pain level, plus factors that affect it and ways to lessen pain before your appointment. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Thinking About a Septum Piercing? Can anyone get one? How much does it actually hurt? What should I expect to pay? What about jewelry type? So now we can finally teach you how to pierce your septum, so start by marking the spot with a surgical market.

You only need a dot on the side where you will be inserting the needle from. You can also draw a line across the bottom of the septum, in line with the dot. This will make sure that your piercing is straight. Now place the clamps on both sides of the spot. Open them up and position them, so that the dot is in the center of the clamps.

Ensure that you can clearly see the spot and that the handles are in line with the line that you drew on the nose. If you can tighten the clamps, do it. It will ensure that any uncomfortable feeling does not prevent you from achieving a symmetrical piercing.

Take the needle out of the package, and line it up with the dot. Look in the mirror, aim the needle straight through with no angle. Take a few breaths, and on an exhale, push it through. Make sure you pull down to avoid poking the nostril on the other side. Perhaps, a little pinch. Use the sterile septum rings, and hook them on the end of the needle. Pull them through and secure the jewelry. If it has balls on the end, screw them on. If not, leave it as it is. Either of these will hurt a lot.

Feel for a spot where you feel almost nothing between your two fingers in either nostril. You shouldn't feel any pain, only perhaps a slight pressure, when you press your fingers together. Mark the spot to be pierced with a surgical marker. Once you've located your columella, take out your surgical pen or marker and make a dot on the spot. You only need a dot on the side where you're going to insert the needle, but you may want to make dots on both sides to make sure they line up.

Draw a line across the bottom of your septum with your surgical marker, in line with the spot to be pierced. This will help you keep the piercing straight. Part 2. Place your clamps on either side of the spot to be pierced. Open your clamps and position them so that the spot you marked for the piercing is in the center of the clamps.

Make sure you can see the spot clearly. Try to keep the handles in line with the line you drew on your nose so you have a good reference for your needle. Keep in mind this will require you to get perhaps uncomfortably familiar with the inside of your nose.

Tighten the clamps so they'll stay in place. Once you have your clamps in place, you can tighten them and lock them in place so you don't have to continue to hold them. However, you don't want to let go of them until you're sure they won't move.

If they slip, they could mess up your piercing. Just make sure you don't let go of them. Line up the needle and push it straight through. Take your needle out of the packaging and line the point up with the spot you drew on the "sweet spot" where you want to pierce.

Look in the mirror to aim the needle straight through the spot rather than at an angle. Take a few deep breaths, and on an exhale, push the needle straight through. If you've aimed correctly, you likely won't feel much pain. You might feel a pinch. However, your eyes will probably water.

Try to keep the fluid from your eyes from dropping onto your gloved fingers. Hook your sterilized jewelry to the end of the needle and pull it through. Your needle should form a bar evenly across the bottom of your nose. Put your jewelry into the end of your needle and thread it through the hole you just created. If it has balls on the end, you'll need to screw those on. At this point, you've successfully pierced your septum! Part 3. Soak your piercing with sea salt and water twice a day.

Dip a cotton swab in the mixture and rub it over the piercing site in both nostrils. If you have leftover mixture, cover it and save it for later use. Apply the mixture to your piercing on an exhale to avoid inhaling saltwater. Do not mix a stronger solution. It won't be any more effective and may dry out your skin. Use an aftercare spray to eliminate bacteria. Aftercare sprays are available online from major online retailers as well as from piercing specialty websites.

Spraying the piercing location 2 to 3 times a day keeps bacteria from entering the piercing site while it's healing. Wash your hands before you touch your piercing. Naturally, if you have a new piercing, you're probably going to want to play with it. However, because your hands are dirty, you risk introducing bacteria that could result in infection. However, this is not advised with septum piercings. Don't rotate your jewelry.

Leave it alone and don't touch it at all with unwashed hands. Stay out of swimming pools and hot tubs for at least 2 weeks. While your septum piercing is healing, exposure to water from swimming pools and hot tubs can slow the healing process. The chlorine in the water dries out your skin, which can cause bleeds.

The water can also introduce bacteria. However, you should still avoid submerging your head. If you do, cover your piercing with a waterproof wound-sealant bandage. You can find these online or at drug stores. Wait at least 2 months before changing your jewelry.

As your piercing starts to heal, you may decide that you want different jewelry than what you originally used. However, it typically takes at least 6 weeks for the piercing to heal properly. Even if you've had no pain or irritation, you're better off waiting at least 2 months to change your jewelry.

Once your piercing has healed, you can change your jewelry whenever you want. Seek professional help if you notice signs of infection. As long as you maintained sterile conditions while you pierced your septum and kept the piercing area clean afterward, your piercing should heal with no problems. However, if you notice a yellow or green discharge and particularly foul odor, you should probably go see a doctor. However, if your symptoms don't improve or get worse, your piercing may be infected.

If you start running a fever, seek medical attention immediately. You may need an antibiotic to clear the infection. Do not remove your jewelry if you suspect your piercing site is infected. The hole may close up and leave no way for the infection to drain. You can't use a retainer until the hole has already healed. You'll need metal jewelry. If you're worried about hiding your piercing, choose a piece of jewelry that can be easily flipped up into your nose and hidden, such as a horseshoe shape.

Not Helpful 6 Helpful I did the piercing perfectly fine, but the needle slipped out as I was putting in the horseshoe. Now I can't find the exit hole. How do I fix this? The hole has likely closed up by now. You might use a piece of cork to catch the end of the needle the next time you attempt a piercing so it doesn't slip out.

Otherwise, make sure to push the needle all the way through, leaving plenty of room so it won't slip out. Not Helpful 2 Helpful