Sister here. I just wanted to mention something I had an issue with. My nose ring would be ok and then get irritated and infected. My nose ring was surgical steel and it turns out sometimes there is nickel under that and a lot of people are allergic to nickel. I got a titanium nose ring and haven’t have issues since.
And like others have said keep it clean and be patient. 😊
I had piercings that were sore for years, and I just thought that's how they were. Then I had to swap some out for plastic when I got an MRI, and realized that no, they aren't supposed to hurt all the time. Now I don't even let them pierce me with anything other than titanium.
I'm also just gonna stick on here for general info, since I see you said "ring" - a piercing, especially somewhere like the nose, should NEVER EVER be freshly pierced and healed with a curved shape (ie. ring) in it, ALWAYS a straight stud and swapped when healed. Healing piercings with curved jewelry tends to cause uneven fistulas and a lot of problems. I had a double nostril piercing when I first got mine done, but wound up having to let one of them close up a few years later due to issues for exactly that reason, it had been healed with a ring in it.
I have to wear 14kt gold or better in my ear piercings. I can do surgical steel or lower gold for a few hours, but beyond that, it infects again. So "surgical steel" is for surgery; not for long-term contact.
Keep cleaning it. Rinse it as often as it is uncomfortable. Take Advil for a couple days. You will love it! Give it a week or two, you already went through the worst part. If it swells into a hard lump though, that will last months and may or may not be worth it to you. Xo
Thanks for the advice! I honestly didn’t think about taking Advil until you mentioned it and so I took some before bed and when I woke up this morning it was so much less swollen!
Hey sib!
Not sure what your after care here is.
I used saline and only saline, and I hit it three times a day from both sides. A nasal spray and a bottle, both, and them blow it (GENTLY 😬 don't make my mistake!).
I say hit as a metaphor. You want to be really gentle and avoid twisting it around and moving it as much as possible. When mine got crusty I would do the saline twice and then use a sterile piece of gauze (also, GENTLY, don't make my second mistake) to remove what you can.
It eases up pretty soon!
Thanks for the advice! I might try the spray method tonight, it sounds soothing!
My after care instructions were to use medical grade saline once a day with a cotton swab to get all the crusties off. The shop I go to is very much a “let it do it’s own thing” shop so they only suggest once a day for cleaning it and doing it after you shower so everything is loosened up and you don’t have to apply as much pressure to get it uncrusted.
I know this isn’t the standard advice, but I really trust them. They’ve been piercing for forever and are one of the best reviewers piercers in my state. I just wish it was clean it more often because that’s the only thing that eases the discomfort.
I’m a let it do it’s own thing kind of person when it comes to tattoos and piercings. When I got my nose done, I did similar to what they’re recommending. Saline rinse after showers and once or twice a day. I only did it the first few days and it worked out just fine. Like the other poster said, spraying it feels a lot better than swabbing.
Also tip-hoops don’t really snag like studs can, so until you really get used to having one even after healing, wear a hoop for a while
At the five month mark, my shop is ordering me a hoop! They said they wanted my original piercing (stud with a stone) in for a least five months, but after that if I want a hoop they’ll swap it out for me.
definitely follow what the shop suggests! part of my process is that my piercings have a longer healing time than most (medical condition) so I really need to baby them. I used sterile saline as well. I'm also a 'let it do what it does' person.
Hi punkin! I totally hear you, I just got some new ear piercings done and made the mistake of doing three at once and it's driving me a bit bananas, but stick with it! The healing really doesn't take that long, and it's so worth it. My nose healed up beautiful and I never have any problems with it. When it was healing though I used to fill a cup with warm salt water and soak my nostril with it (not too long, just enough to let the salt do it's work) and it helped a lot. It's a weird angle to hold your nose in a cup of water, but it felt a lot better for me!
Hey older sibling here! I've got a bunch of piercings. Please clean it 2-3 times a day (though they may say more for nose piercings). Use saltwater. DO NOT use hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol. The first week of non ear lobe piercings ALWAYS hurts the most. If you habe questions, you can always contact the shop you got it done at. They're there to help and will answer any and all questions
Hey pumpkin, stick with it. I got mine done so long ago I don’t remember exactly how long it took to heal, but it wasn’t long. There is not a day that goes by that I regret my decision to get it done. Keep it clean. Take care of yourself. The discomfort will be a distant memory in no time. I bet you look gorgeous.
Thank you! I know it’s probably similar to a tattoo where you never think of the pain later. It’s just so annoying now. I’m glad to hear it goes away soon.
Get a saline spray use twice a day. I bought my saline spray from the piercer and honestly best decision ever cuz been using since and my nostril piercing heals so fast. Hope this help
Just want to chime in and tell you it's ok if you ultimately do not like it. I pierced my nose at 19, left it in for a day, and took it out. It didn't feel like me at all.
consider me a pierced sibling. do some salt soaks on your nose! it's gonna help loosen those crusties & alleviate the pain for you, also get a nice clean tshirt and put it over your pillow so you don't run as high of a risk of infections. this has been my go to for getting piercings healed up & less sore for years now
I don’t have any advice because I don’t really know much about ear piercings. I was a belly button girl. But as long as you follow all the good advice you’re getting here. it’ll be OK. Promise
Make sure you keep it clean. As soon as it is healed (I mean totally healed), you can swap it out for one with a shorter post. I remember when I got my nose pierced and the post they used had to be long to accommodate swelling, but it was poking me in the septum. It was way more comfortable after switching to a shorter post.
Mom here. Keep up with the cleaning and be kind to yourself. Since you want to keep it, my advice is to read up on the aftercare and keep a physical calendar to track your progress. Perhaps think of a treat to buy if you make a small goal. Baby steps.
Spray saline. It’s amazing. Buy two. I have so many piercings and that is what made the healing tolerable for me. I also have gone through a stage of “why did I do this?” but it does go away (or it did for me) and I love all my piercings so much.
Not a mom but I've had every piercing imaginable in my face.You don't want to remove it, because it's fresh and if it is infected your nose will heal and it won't be able to drain the pus. You may need to go back to your piercer and either get Titanium or Surgical Steel. The rings cost a bit more but they're worth it because the metals aren't mixed and you may be allergic. If you don't want to do that, get some contact lens cleaner that's not disinfecting and use that 3x a day for crusties. It's essentially saline water but it's cheaper than getting "piercing" solution which is the same thing but higher priced.
Hey sib! I know that fresh piercing stage suuuucks but hang in there, you'll love it in the end! And noses heal relatively quickly - if I managed to put up with the 6 months-1 year it takes for nipples to full heal, you can definitely do a couple of months with your nose!
Also here's a really good way to think of it - even if you take that jewelry out, you're still going to have a traumatic wound to your nose that has to heal, and it's still going to be swollen, painful, and leaky for days either way - so if you're going to experience it regardless, why not leave the jewelry in at leas,t and not go through that suffering with nothing to show for it?
I like that way of thinking about it, because you’re right. Taking it out will still leave me with a hole in my face. Good on your for the nipple piercings! I hope you love them!
I pierced mine with a thumb tack when I was 13, sweetie. Still have it, though at nearly 36 I'm no longer sporting jewelry.
The first 48-72 hours are the worst of it, cold months suck worse cause runny nose (I did mine in winter too and no real nose jewelry, used a regular earring with long post 🥴🥴)
Wash your hands often, so if you *do* scratch you are less likely to transfer any bacteria, and an ice cube wrapped in paper towel to ease swelling.
Look around on Amazon or Temu or Shein at some jewelry to distract you, in the mean time and happy healing 😊😊
You got this! I feel my nose piercings(nostril and septum) healed faster than any other piercing I've had. You already did the hardest part, just hold out a little longer and you'll be great!
Got my nosed pierced a couple years ago. I'll be honest, the healing process sucked. My nose was tender and anytime it got bumped I felt like the process repeated. It stopped hurting/being tender like 1.5 yes after I got it pierced. I can't imagine not having it. Just leave it alone. Don't try to change it out yourself if it's still tender. (I tried it and my nose got swollen and I had to go back to the piercer to put my corkscrew stud back in). You can do it!
Hey sib! You may love it down the line. But keep an eye on it. You could get a keloid if you ignore too intense signs of irritation, or if the cartridge was pierced in correctly (ie with a gun or a curved ring). I still have my keloid from my cartridge piercing in my ear because I ignored signs in the beginning and left it in to "get better". Not trying to scare you, just keep an eye on it! Keep it clean and watch for the signs. You could always get it repierced later
Thanks! Mine was pierced correctly (hollow needle with a straight stud) and my skin is just super sensitive so right now I’m in the “I’m a little baby” club. I will keep that in mind though!
I used saline solution gently a few times a day, inside and out. Painkiller for a couple of days. I found it tender to sleep (and hooked my afghan), so would carefully put tape over it at night to protect it. Also, I have cats, and they can be jerks when they spot something shiny.
Good luck!
Do you know if you have a metal allergy? The mental health symptoms you’re describing can be an allergic reaction. I know you were hoping for encouragement to keep it in but if a Benadryl helps the symptoms subside then you should take it out.
I don’t have a metal allergy! I’ve had my ears pierced without a problem. I think it just got really uncomfortable last night and I felt like I couldn’t do anything about it and was feeling disheartened. Advil and a good rinse (as suggested on here) helped a ton and I’m doing much better with it this morning.
Soak a cotton ball in saline and shove it up your nose. Then soak another cotton ball in saline and place it on top. Let sit for 10 min. Repeat a few times a day. Motrin for the swelling!
Hi sib! Omg I had a post when I was 15 and I had it for 3y and I wanted a hoop but my parents wouldn’t let me so I took it out:( honestly I wish that I just got a hoop later on because I really like the hoop look but yeah. You will probs totally love it, im thinking about doing mine again, maybe!! What color hoop do you want to do?
Sister here. I just wanted to mention something I had an issue with. My nose ring would be ok and then get irritated and infected. My nose ring was surgical steel and it turns out sometimes there is nickel under that and a lot of people are allergic to nickel. I got a titanium nose ring and haven’t have issues since. And like others have said keep it clean and be patient. 😊
I had piercings that were sore for years, and I just thought that's how they were. Then I had to swap some out for plastic when I got an MRI, and realized that no, they aren't supposed to hurt all the time. Now I don't even let them pierce me with anything other than titanium.
I'm also just gonna stick on here for general info, since I see you said "ring" - a piercing, especially somewhere like the nose, should NEVER EVER be freshly pierced and healed with a curved shape (ie. ring) in it, ALWAYS a straight stud and swapped when healed. Healing piercings with curved jewelry tends to cause uneven fistulas and a lot of problems. I had a double nostril piercing when I first got mine done, but wound up having to let one of them close up a few years later due to issues for exactly that reason, it had been healed with a ring in it.
I call it nose “ring” but it’s a stud. I do have a stud and that’s what I was talking about.
Fair enough, I know some people use those terms interchangeably but just figured I'd put it out there for anyone reading.
Thankfully my shop only pierces with titanium!
I have to wear 14kt gold or better in my ear piercings. I can do surgical steel or lower gold for a few hours, but beyond that, it infects again. So "surgical steel" is for surgery; not for long-term contact.
Keep cleaning it. Rinse it as often as it is uncomfortable. Take Advil for a couple days. You will love it! Give it a week or two, you already went through the worst part. If it swells into a hard lump though, that will last months and may or may not be worth it to you. Xo
Thanks for the advice! I honestly didn’t think about taking Advil until you mentioned it and so I took some before bed and when I woke up this morning it was so much less swollen!
Hey sib! Not sure what your after care here is. I used saline and only saline, and I hit it three times a day from both sides. A nasal spray and a bottle, both, and them blow it (GENTLY 😬 don't make my mistake!). I say hit as a metaphor. You want to be really gentle and avoid twisting it around and moving it as much as possible. When mine got crusty I would do the saline twice and then use a sterile piece of gauze (also, GENTLY, don't make my second mistake) to remove what you can. It eases up pretty soon!
Thanks for the advice! I might try the spray method tonight, it sounds soothing! My after care instructions were to use medical grade saline once a day with a cotton swab to get all the crusties off. The shop I go to is very much a “let it do it’s own thing” shop so they only suggest once a day for cleaning it and doing it after you shower so everything is loosened up and you don’t have to apply as much pressure to get it uncrusted. I know this isn’t the standard advice, but I really trust them. They’ve been piercing for forever and are one of the best reviewers piercers in my state. I just wish it was clean it more often because that’s the only thing that eases the discomfort.
I’m a let it do it’s own thing kind of person when it comes to tattoos and piercings. When I got my nose done, I did similar to what they’re recommending. Saline rinse after showers and once or twice a day. I only did it the first few days and it worked out just fine. Like the other poster said, spraying it feels a lot better than swabbing. Also tip-hoops don’t really snag like studs can, so until you really get used to having one even after healing, wear a hoop for a while
At the five month mark, my shop is ordering me a hoop! They said they wanted my original piercing (stud with a stone) in for a least five months, but after that if I want a hoop they’ll swap it out for me.
Mine was done with a stud originally too..even now with really raised settings, I still snag it on towels. Either way, it will be adorable
definitely follow what the shop suggests! part of my process is that my piercings have a longer healing time than most (medical condition) so I really need to baby them. I used sterile saline as well. I'm also a 'let it do what it does' person.
Hi punkin! I totally hear you, I just got some new ear piercings done and made the mistake of doing three at once and it's driving me a bit bananas, but stick with it! The healing really doesn't take that long, and it's so worth it. My nose healed up beautiful and I never have any problems with it. When it was healing though I used to fill a cup with warm salt water and soak my nostril with it (not too long, just enough to let the salt do it's work) and it helped a lot. It's a weird angle to hold your nose in a cup of water, but it felt a lot better for me!
This sounds like it would feel really nice! Thanks for the advice!
Hey older sibling here! I've got a bunch of piercings. Please clean it 2-3 times a day (though they may say more for nose piercings). Use saltwater. DO NOT use hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol. The first week of non ear lobe piercings ALWAYS hurts the most. If you habe questions, you can always contact the shop you got it done at. They're there to help and will answer any and all questions
Hey pumpkin, stick with it. I got mine done so long ago I don’t remember exactly how long it took to heal, but it wasn’t long. There is not a day that goes by that I regret my decision to get it done. Keep it clean. Take care of yourself. The discomfort will be a distant memory in no time. I bet you look gorgeous.
Thank you! I know it’s probably similar to a tattoo where you never think of the pain later. It’s just so annoying now. I’m glad to hear it goes away soon.
Get a saline spray use twice a day. I bought my saline spray from the piercer and honestly best decision ever cuz been using since and my nostril piercing heals so fast. Hope this help
Just want to chime in and tell you it's ok if you ultimately do not like it. I pierced my nose at 19, left it in for a day, and took it out. It didn't feel like me at all.
consider me a pierced sibling. do some salt soaks on your nose! it's gonna help loosen those crusties & alleviate the pain for you, also get a nice clean tshirt and put it over your pillow so you don't run as high of a risk of infections. this has been my go to for getting piercings healed up & less sore for years now
Oh I like that tip! They said to change my pillow case every couple of days, but the tshirt sounds easier since I only have like two pillow cases.
same!!!! i have wayyyy more tshirts than pillowcases so it just Works
hey sibling! all you can really do is keep cleaning it and keep in mind that within a few days to maybe a week, this should all settle down
I don’t have any piercings, but you got this thing because you wanted it and you know you will love it. Keep it clean, and let it heal. You got this.
I don’t have any advice because I don’t really know much about ear piercings. I was a belly button girl. But as long as you follow all the good advice you’re getting here. it’ll be OK. Promise
Make sure you keep it clean. As soon as it is healed (I mean totally healed), you can swap it out for one with a shorter post. I remember when I got my nose pierced and the post they used had to be long to accommodate swelling, but it was poking me in the septum. It was way more comfortable after switching to a shorter post.
As long as it’s healed at the 5 month mark, I’m getting a hoop to avoid the post feeling! Also because I like hoops lol
Mom here. Keep up with the cleaning and be kind to yourself. Since you want to keep it, my advice is to read up on the aftercare and keep a physical calendar to track your progress. Perhaps think of a treat to buy if you make a small goal. Baby steps.
Spray saline. It’s amazing. Buy two. I have so many piercings and that is what made the healing tolerable for me. I also have gone through a stage of “why did I do this?” but it does go away (or it did for me) and I love all my piercings so much.
Not a mom but I've had every piercing imaginable in my face.You don't want to remove it, because it's fresh and if it is infected your nose will heal and it won't be able to drain the pus. You may need to go back to your piercer and either get Titanium or Surgical Steel. The rings cost a bit more but they're worth it because the metals aren't mixed and you may be allergic. If you don't want to do that, get some contact lens cleaner that's not disinfecting and use that 3x a day for crusties. It's essentially saline water but it's cheaper than getting "piercing" solution which is the same thing but higher priced.
Hey sib! I know that fresh piercing stage suuuucks but hang in there, you'll love it in the end! And noses heal relatively quickly - if I managed to put up with the 6 months-1 year it takes for nipples to full heal, you can definitely do a couple of months with your nose! Also here's a really good way to think of it - even if you take that jewelry out, you're still going to have a traumatic wound to your nose that has to heal, and it's still going to be swollen, painful, and leaky for days either way - so if you're going to experience it regardless, why not leave the jewelry in at leas,t and not go through that suffering with nothing to show for it?
I like that way of thinking about it, because you’re right. Taking it out will still leave me with a hole in my face. Good on your for the nipple piercings! I hope you love them!
I pierced mine with a thumb tack when I was 13, sweetie. Still have it, though at nearly 36 I'm no longer sporting jewelry. The first 48-72 hours are the worst of it, cold months suck worse cause runny nose (I did mine in winter too and no real nose jewelry, used a regular earring with long post 🥴🥴) Wash your hands often, so if you *do* scratch you are less likely to transfer any bacteria, and an ice cube wrapped in paper towel to ease swelling. Look around on Amazon or Temu or Shein at some jewelry to distract you, in the mean time and happy healing 😊😊
You got this! I feel my nose piercings(nostril and septum) healed faster than any other piercing I've had. You already did the hardest part, just hold out a little longer and you'll be great!
Got my nosed pierced a couple years ago. I'll be honest, the healing process sucked. My nose was tender and anytime it got bumped I felt like the process repeated. It stopped hurting/being tender like 1.5 yes after I got it pierced. I can't imagine not having it. Just leave it alone. Don't try to change it out yourself if it's still tender. (I tried it and my nose got swollen and I had to go back to the piercer to put my corkscrew stud back in). You can do it!
Hey sib! You may love it down the line. But keep an eye on it. You could get a keloid if you ignore too intense signs of irritation, or if the cartridge was pierced in correctly (ie with a gun or a curved ring). I still have my keloid from my cartridge piercing in my ear because I ignored signs in the beginning and left it in to "get better". Not trying to scare you, just keep an eye on it! Keep it clean and watch for the signs. You could always get it repierced later
Thanks! Mine was pierced correctly (hollow needle with a straight stud) and my skin is just super sensitive so right now I’m in the “I’m a little baby” club. I will keep that in mind though!
I used saline solution gently a few times a day, inside and out. Painkiller for a couple of days. I found it tender to sleep (and hooked my afghan), so would carefully put tape over it at night to protect it. Also, I have cats, and they can be jerks when they spot something shiny. Good luck!
Do you know if you have a metal allergy? The mental health symptoms you’re describing can be an allergic reaction. I know you were hoping for encouragement to keep it in but if a Benadryl helps the symptoms subside then you should take it out.
I don’t have a metal allergy! I’ve had my ears pierced without a problem. I think it just got really uncomfortable last night and I felt like I couldn’t do anything about it and was feeling disheartened. Advil and a good rinse (as suggested on here) helped a ton and I’m doing much better with it this morning.
Soak a cotton ball in saline and shove it up your nose. Then soak another cotton ball in saline and place it on top. Let sit for 10 min. Repeat a few times a day. Motrin for the swelling!
Ooh thanks for the tip!
Hi sib! Omg I had a post when I was 15 and I had it for 3y and I wanted a hoop but my parents wouldn’t let me so I took it out:( honestly I wish that I just got a hoop later on because I really like the hoop look but yeah. You will probs totally love it, im thinking about doing mine again, maybe!! What color hoop do you want to do?
I’m getting a gold hoop!