Nostril Piercing
Nostril piercings are by far the most popular facial piercing that we offer, and for good reason! They look fantastic on everyone, are (almost) universally accepted in workplaces, and they are extremely versatile.
We offer three types of nostril piercings: forward nostrils, high nostrils, and traditional "side" nostrils. This page is specifically about the latter.
For information about high nostril piercings, click here.
For information about forward nostril piercings, click here.
As nostril piercings are cartilage piercings, they take longer to heal than earlobe piercings, but that doesn't mean the entire healing period is difficult. Cartilage is less vascular than other piercing placements, which means there is less blood flow to the area and it takes longer to heal.
Nostril piercings take about a year to fully heal, and we start nostril piercings off with studs in order to give them the best chance for healing. If everything is healing well, we will consider putting a ring in a nostril as early as 6 - 9months into the healing process, as long as that ring has a bead or a gem on it to prevent the ring from freely passing through the piercing channel.
Even though we don't use rings to pierce with, there are lots of beautiful jewelry options that we can use in a fresh piercing. As long as the jewelry has a low profile, you can pick a piece as wide and intricate as you like.
Nostrils are pierced with a slightly longer bar to accommodate for the initial swelling, and it is extremely important to downsize the bar after the swelling goes down (6-8 weeks after the piercing). At the time of downsizing, our piercer will out in a post that fits your nostril snugly and will help reduce the likelihood of snagging during the remainder of the healing period.
Important Information
Approximate Healing Time: 6-12 months
Downsize: 6-8 weeks
Standard Jewelry Size: 18g
Standard Jewelry Style: Stud, with a flat-back labret post
Minimum Age: 14, with parental consent. Click here for more information on our Age Policy.
Although healing times vary for all individuals, these are average time frames that most clients fall into. If you are still noticing swelling around your piercing after 8 weeks, we recommend coming in for a piercing consultation so our piercer can take a look at the piercing and assess the situation.
Some piercings require multiple downsizes in order to heal correctly and fit comfortably.
If you prefer the look of a thicker piercing, or have had trouble healing piercings in the past and want a more stable piercing, our piercers may be able to pierce you with a larger gauge than listed above, however; for safety and healing we will not pierce with anything smaller.