Septum

So back on 8/2, I finally didn't chicken out and went ahead and got my septum pierced (12g, with a retainer) at Pure Body Arts at Sacred Tattoo in NYC. It's one of the best piercing places in the country, and they do some pretty heavy mods there. Chris did my piercing. He had a great bedside manner and was completely professional--also the poor guy was hit by a car not too long ago and was limping around.

I don't think I've actually ever yelled or gripped the edge of a piercing chair before, but I did this time. It was a very quick intense pain. I don't know if it was because I was pierced at a 12g (the thickest I've ever been pierced at), but it was pretty painful. Aside from the slow, dull agony of my industrial, this was probably my most painful piercing. Like everyone else said would happen, tears were running down my cheek after we were done.

So then I paid for the service/jewelry $65 and tipped $20. I always tip $20, which is a bit high I've heard... but if something goes wrong or you need help getting your jewelry in or something...guess who you'll be running back to.

My aftercare: Don't touch it. Ever. For anything. That's what I've done for everything after my industrial, and I've never had any problems. No silly cleaning/rotating/whatever. Or salt soaks... those never did anything for me. Once in a while, if I bumped it and it hurt, I'd put a first aid numbing ointment thing for scrapes and cuts. Unfortunately, I only had an aerosol can left...so huffing that shit up my nose was PROBABLY a bad idea.

bah i'm allowed one duck face. Also the lipstick doesn't match as well as I'd hoped. Whomp whomp.

First day (Friday): little-to-no pain. I'd randomly feel like I needed to sneeze.
By Sunday: Still no pain, but I felt stuffed-up like I had a cold. Probably swelling. This was the day I'd have to flip the retainer up into my nose. There's no way I could go to work with a septum retainer hanging out of my nose like a steel booger. Usually my biggest problem with piercings is that I change the jewelry too soon, needlessly irritating the wound. I definitely never messed with a piercing two days later. I, thankfully, flipped it up after I took a shower. It kind of hurt, but it had to be done!
Next two weeks: It stayed flipped up and I never touched it. I never saw it either. After I took a shower, I'd wipe my nose with q-tips. but that was it.
Third week: I changed out the retainer for the 1/2" 12g green pincher in the first picture up there. Surprisingly wasn't painful. Obviously this look isn't ok for work. Sadly, about this time, I lost the retainer! So I changed it out for the bone 5/16" pincher below. If I was wearing matching bone earrings, I'd say this would be work-appropriate. But I wasn't, so I flipped this up like a retainer. Thankfully, this is small enough that it can be flipped up. Now, you aren't supposed to wear organic jewelry in unhealed piercings. So I wore this until I could get a steel retainer.
Pretty much the 4th week: Well, this is now. I'd say it's completely healed. I can rub the tip of my nose without any pain. I switched out my jewelry a hundred times.

5/16" 12g bone pincher...and my sunglasses, which I never wore cause this was the coldest, rainiest summer ever. Also, forgive the obvious airbrushing. my pores were huge that day!

Overall, this was the easiest piercing I've ever had. I've never had anything that went from pierced to healed in 4 weeks. It was pretty much done by the 3rd week. I got it done so I could wear pinchers in it, and I'm pretty happy with the look. I personally like the smaller 5/16" diameter (the bone pincher) instead of the 1/2" diameter steel ones I have pictured up there.

I'd recommend that you look at jewelry while you're considering getting a piercing. Sometimes jewelry only comes in larger sizes, like pinchers, or looks best when at a small size (a 5/16" CBR). Do you want to wear organic materials? Certain designs come in certain sizes due to the limitations of the raw material.

Any of you have pierced septums? What's your story?