After many popular celebs including Lady Gaga choosing a septum piercing to flaunt their style, this form of body art has taken fashion world by storm. Certainly, there is no dearth of piercing types. But amongst the great sea of piercing options, septum piercings have been found to be omnipresent.

Are you excited to get a new piercing done?

For those not aware about this particular piercing need to know that it runs through the thin piece of skin between the nostrils. Basically, it is done in front of the cartilaginous division of the nasal septum. Similar to any other piercings, the jewelry for this comes in different shapes and sizes. And yes, it is going to be painful.

Will It Hurt?

The honest answer would be YES, it does. As a sharp edge tool will be used to make a hole through your skin, it will cause some amount of discomfort. Thankfully, you don’t need to bear the pain necessarily. Just using a topical anesthetic cream before the process starts can make it painless. You can apply  NumbSkin cream which comes with 5% lidocaine and makes your skin numb for around 3-4 hours. As it desensitizes your skin, the process will not be hurtful.

Now the next major concern with this form is that it requires extra care to stay clean. If you are not conscious about the hygiene, you may end up with severe infection.

How to Care For Your Septum Piercing?

You don’t need to panic for that ‘extra care’ your skin required after getting the septum pierced. Here are some simple ways to make it easy, meanwhile boosting the healing speed.

1. Cleaning Is Must: It is essential to keep up a cleaning routine for at least a month. As your septum might take six to eight months to fully heal, make sure you are regular with cleaning process. During this period, it is highly recommended to minimize application of creams and makeup. You must avoid any foreign stuff coming in contact with the piercing.

2. No Touching: You are advised not to touch the piercing unless it's highly required. Whenever you have to, for cleaning reasons, ensure you wash your hands thoroughly. Remember, the less contact your hands make, lower will be your risk of an infection.

3. Soaking Will Help: To keep your piercing clean and provide better healing, you need to soak it around three times a day. It can be done in the morning, followed by afternoon, and in the evening. Avoid overdoing else it makes your skin dry and increases the risk of complication. For soaking, make your own sea salt solution. It is simple.

You need a glass with about eight ounces of clean tap water. Use warm water preferably. To this add about a quarter teaspoon of sea salt. Mix it well and it is ready. Now soak your piercing in the solution. It can be a little uncomfortable initially. But it really works. You can dunk it for around 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Remove The Crust: During the healing period there are good chances of crust formation on your skin. You need to clean it with case. It can be done using a clean q-tip. Just dip the end of the q-tip into the piercing solution and gently rub away the crust forming around your piercing.

5. Use Gentler Products: As stated above reduce the number of products you apply on your face. For the stuff which are highly required, like moisturizers or face washes, make sure these are gentler made and with natural ingredients. Don’t use anything with alcohol or peroxide.

So you can follow these steps for excellent care. In case, you notice an infection, it is advised to see a doctor right away for evaluation.