How to Clean a Nose piercing

Keeping your nose piercing clean is very important, otherwise the piercing will take a long time to heal or may become infected. Fortunately, cleaning nose piercings does not take much time and effort. So there’s no reason to procrastinate without starting from Step 1 below.

Table of Contents

Cleaning nose piercings

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Clean your nose piercing twice a day. You need to wash your nose piercing twice a day – once in the morning and once in the evening – until it is completely healed. Cleaning too little can cause the piercing to become dirty and infected, and too much can lead to irritation and slow healing of the piercing.

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Prepare the salt solution. The easiest way to clean a nose ring is to use a saline solution. To make a saline solution, you can mix 1/4 teaspoon of non-iodized sea salt in 240 ml (1 cup) of warm water. Or you can buy prepackaged sterile physiological saline solution at the drug store.

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Hand washing. Before touching the nose piercing, it is very important to wash your hands with antibacterial soap. Otherwise, bacteria from the hands can come into contact with the piercing (basically an open wound) and cause an infection.

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Dip a cotton ball in the salt solution. Hold a clean cotton ball dipped in the salt solution. Gently press the cotton ball on the nose ring and keep it for 3-4 minutes. Be careful when removing cotton balls because cotton balls can get caught in piercings or studs.

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Use a clean paper towel to pat dry. After rinsing, you can use a clean cotton ball, wet tissue, or a dry tissue to gently pat the area around the nose ring. Avoid using towels because towels can carry bacteria and get caught in piercings or studs.

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Use a cotton swab to remove scabs. You need to wash the face under the nose piercing to remove the skin scales. Otherwise, scabs can tear the skin and cause the piercing to become inflamed.

This step can be done by dipping a clean cotton swab in a saline solution and then rubbing it around the back of the stud or piercing inside the nostril.
Do not rub too hard to avoid pushing the studs out of the nose.

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Use a little lavender essential oil to help your piercing heal. Lavender essential oil lubricates the nose ring, relieves pain, and helps the piercing heal. After cleaning the piercing, you can use a cotton swab to apply some lavender essential oil to the piercing.

Twist the stud or turn the piercing so that the oil enters the piercing, then wipe off excess oil with a clean tissue to avoid skin irritation.
Lavender essential oil is sold in health food stores, supermarkets, or drug stores. Make sure the bottle of essential oil is labeled “BP” or “medical use”. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Know what to avoid

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Avoid using strong disinfectants. Strong antiseptic products such as Bactine, Bacitracin, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol or tea tree oil should not be used to clean nose piercings as they can irritate and/or damage the skin and delay healing.

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Avoid wearing makeup to cover your nose piercing. Do not let makeup products come into contact with the nose piercing to avoid clogging and leading to infection. The same goes for tanning lotions and other cosmetic products. ^{[2] X Research Source}

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Do not remove the piercing or stud until the piercing is completely healed. The piercing can close within a few hours if you remove the piercing or studs.

Pushing the stud into the piercing after the piercing begins to close can cause pain, inflammation, and infection.
Therefore, you need to avoid removing studs or piercings from the piercing until the piercing is completely healed (usually 12-24 weeks).

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Avoid bathing, soaking in hot water or swimming pools. Avoid soaking your piercing in pools and hot tubs as these are often a haven for harmful bacteria that can lead to infection. But if necessary, you can use a waterproof bandage (available at drugstores) to cover and protect the piercing. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Avoid using dirty pillows when sleeping. Dirty pillows are another potential source of bacteria, so you need to change your pillowcase regularly.

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Avoid touching your nose piercing if it is not necessary. Avoid touching or playing with your nose piercing. Only touch when cleaning the nose ring, after washing hands. It is not necessary to twist or turn the studs/rings while the piercing heals.

Advice

Never insert dirty fingers into the nostrils as this can cause infection.
Taking a hot shower can help soften the skin around the piercing.
Do not wash your nose piercing more than 3 times a day. Excessive cleaning can dry out the piercing and cause infection.

Warning

Do not peel the skin (however you want to) to avoid infection.
Always use a clean cotton swab when cleaning the inside of your nostrils. Otherwise, you will introduce bacteria from the outside into your nostrils.
Do not use silver rings in place of nose piercings. Silver rings are very dangerous because they can oxidize the wound and permanently blacken the nose (called silver salt poisoning). Silver rings can also cause allergic reactions.

Things you need

Antibacterial soap
Physiological saline or sea salt
Cotton swabs, tissues or toilet paper
Lavender essential oil
Clean plastic cups
Warm water

Steps

Cleaning nose piercings

Know what to avoid

Advice

Warning

Things you need

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