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Is Septum Piercing Really As Painful As They Say?

November 29, 2008 by William  
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So why  mention pain first when talking about septum piercing?

Septum Piercings are rumoured to be very painful. Read, for example, this septum piercing story and you’ll see that the very moment when the needle goes through the wall between your nostrils can be fairly painful indeed. But this is only true for a minority. In the majority of cases, the piercing is a simlpe pinch.

However painful, it doesn’t prevent thousands of people all around the world getting septum piercings and even stretching them to very large gauges!

And it definitely didn’t hold back the ancient warrior tribes from piercing their nose cartilages!

New Guinea, Solomon Island and Australian Aborigines performed septum piercings on young boys as a part of marking their transition into a manhood. Native Americans also wore septum jewelry. A tribe known for this type of a nose piercing was Shawnee and even their leader Tecumseh was depicted wearing a nose ring through his nose cartilage.

And Panama’s Kuna nation wears septum rings to this date, so as we can see this type of nose piercing has been popular in the past and will be popular in future thanks to the widespread body modification followers all around the world.

Another rumour about the Septum Piercing is that the piercing goes through cartilage.

When the septum piercing is performed (traditionally not smaller than 14ga), the very nose cartilage isn’t actually pierced! The needle goes right under the septum and passes above the base of the nose.

Yes, due to the location of the piercing hole, it is not always possible to get the septum piercing right – usually it will be a bit crooked on one side. However, in hands of a skillful piercer you’ll definitely get it sorted the best way possible.

And by the way, the beauty of a septum piercing is that it’s one of a few facial piercings that is invisible to the others, in case if you don’t want to. Just put a piercing retainer in the septum piercing, and no-one will ever tell that you have your septum pierced!

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Comments

23 Comments on "Is Septum Piercing Really As Painful As They Say?"

  1. History Of Body Piercing | Body Jewelry Guide on Wed, 10th Dec 2008 4:07 pm 

    [...] of initiation, for example, by New Guinea, Solomon Island and Australian Aborigines who would pierce septums of young boys when they reached manhood. Also Shawnee tribe in the Northern America were known to [...]

  2. Nose Piercing Stories | Nose Rings Guide on Tue, 16th Dec 2008 7:12 am 

    [...] Septum Piercing [...]

  3. Ivy on Mon, 17th Aug 2009 8:46 am 

    i had my septum pierced and it really wasnt that bad

    people say “it hurts so bad, it bleeds a lot”

    well then they must not have had a very good piercer

    mine was very quick, like a fast pinch, it stung a bit and my eyes watered, kind of like popping a pimple in your nose

    but it didnt hurt nearly as bad as every made it sound

    it was actually one of the least painful, and the easiest to heal

    i love i very much! and i advise you dont let anyones pain stories deter you from getting a piercing, it’s very quick and it’s over

  4. Cassandra Miller on Mon, 28th Sep 2009 9:58 pm 

    ok… miscommunications about septum piercings. 99% of the time i DOES NOT go through any cartilage. If you take your fingers and pull on the very front inside your nose you will realize there is some skin in front of the cartilage… the piercing goes here at the very top. The only reason it would ever go through the cartilage would be if you don’t have very much and it nips the cartilage or if you have an inexperienced piercer who thinks its supposed to go farther back than it is. Septum piercings should be one of the least painful piercings every. Cartilage piercings hurt… this however is NOT a cartilage piercing.

    Experience: professional piercer with more than 25 piercings

  5. buttons on Tue, 6th Oct 2009 1:02 pm 

    So a guy with no septum piercing talking about how painful a septum piercing is?
    Something wrong there I think…
    I had mine pierced a week ago and it was without a doubt the least painful piercing I’ve ever had, quick pinch and it was over. I personally found my nostril piercing to be a painful one and assumed my septum would be worse thanks to stories like this and on other websites.
    Stop scaring people, alot of them would look great with this piercing if people like you didn’t put them off.

  6. admin on Wed, 7th Oct 2009 12:18 pm 

    Thanks for all your comments. I’ve made a couple of updates to this post with all your comments in mind. The last thing we want to do is discourage people from getting piercings. Hope you approve!!

  7. Dani on Sun, 1st Nov 2009 5:55 pm 

    it really doesnt hurt,much less pain then a normal nostril piercing ,less painful then nipple and medusa.
    IT REALLY ISNT THAT BAD.
    promise.

  8. Elizabeth on Mon, 23rd Nov 2009 2:48 pm 

    Ok I like really want a septum ring but my mom won’t let me get one so I’ve decided to pierce it myself but I don’t know how so does anyone have any advise ???????

  9. Lexus on Fri, 27th Nov 2009 5:29 pm 

    I just got my septum done an hour ago, and it was just a pinch. It only hurts when getting moved around, that’s all. i don’t regret it at all!

  10. gauge on Mon, 7th Dec 2009 3:19 pm 

    The autometer gauge was a nice choice.

  11. Nose Piercing – One Of The Most Popular Piercings These Days! | Nose Rings Guide on Wed, 16th Dec 2009 4:28 pm 

    [...] Septum Piercing [...]

  12. Diana on Sat, 2nd Jan 2010 7:23 pm 

    I got my septum pierced yesterday and it was just a pinch and my eye teared up a little. I even had the needle in sitting there for a couple of minutes while my friends took pictures of me and I’m a chick! I love it and can’t wait to replace the retainer with an awesome ring!^^

  13. Liadhain on Mon, 4th Jan 2010 12:41 pm 

    I got my septum pierced about 5 months ago (1.6mm). I have had many piercings – earlobes (with a gun), nostril (with a gun), earlobes again which I stretched to 10mm, Industrial/scaffolding (1.6mm gauge needle) a helix/cartilage (with a gun) and my central labret (bottom lip – 1.2mm)

    I also have a tattoo across the top of my back from shoulder to shoulder.

    My septum was the most painful of them all, I have a very high pain threshold, but the clamp was uncomfortable and I felt a very sharp sting and there was blood and my eyes were constantly streaming. The pain was over very quickly, but was intense.

    I later noticed that the piercer had done the piercing wonky, going through my septum at one point and exiting lower (not parallel to entry point)
    This may be why it hurt so much, but the pain was quick, it is an easy piercing to look after and looks very nice on some people so I’d recommend it.

    I am not trying to scare people off, I am being truthful and I think it was more the shoddy parlour

    NEVER go to “Pushin’ Ink” in the Guildhall in Exeter, Devon, UK. This is where I had it done, I have also seen people with shoddy artwork and heard stories although they may be rumours.

  14. brittany on Tue, 5th Jan 2010 11:51 am 

    Just recently my very experienced friend pierced my septum, or the soft tissue below my cartlidge. I can’t say that it looks nice actually because we were in the high school bathroom and two girls snitched on us. I have the retainer in my pocket. As my experienced piercer friend was in the middle of piercing my nose it did sting. But it completley felt the same just 2 seconds later. Your nose bleeds probaley 5 minutes, but thats it. Although, I might hurt some for me because of the situation I was in. But if you want a septum, get it professional.

  15. Amelia on Sun, 10th Jan 2010 1:41 pm 

    I had my septum pierced yesterday, and it feels fine now. Everything I have heard about the pain has been different, personally it was a lot more painful than my nostril piercing. I have two surface piercings on my lower stomach and it hurt more than them, however it was very brief. My eyes watered a lot but it’s not sore. The only thing that hurts now is the inside of my nostrils burns like it is too dry when I rinse. I hope this goes away soon. I guess everyones experience is different but it’s not too scary. Good luck!

  16. Mike on Thu, 21st Jan 2010 8:52 am 

    For the guy talking about Pushin Ink in Exeter Guildhall,
    I have had several piercings (septum included) done there and also a full sleeve. I have never had anything wrong with work done by them or piercings, i think it is wrong that you have slagged them off publically, surely if it was wrong you would have gone back into them and sorted it out not just bitched about them.
    Even my mum has had her tragus done by him and 2 tattoos and was so happy she plans on going back for more!
    Not being funny, but for all we know, you could just be another tattooist/piercer trying to lose them business by putting us off.
    Seriously, grow up dude. You’re an ass and i would honestly recommend him to anybody.

  17. ashleey on Mon, 1st Feb 2010 9:30 am 

    i have 16 tattoos and a half sleeve, 3 peircings and went from a standard earing directly to a 0 < none of that hurt… my septum was the WORST PAIN ive ever felt my eyes watered terribly and i got light headed and almost passed out

  18. ashleey on Mon, 1st Feb 2010 9:33 am 

    the next day it didnt really hurt and in a week i changed it without a problem and it looks great! im not sure, maybe he went to the cartilage.?

  19. Rach on Sun, 7th Mar 2010 12:11 pm 

    Got mine done last night.. 17 y/o girl. No prior piercing experience except my ears. Guy did a good job, although it did hurt. A little sore this morning, but don’t regret it. :)

  20. Alison Mabee on Fri, 12th Mar 2010 3:16 pm 

    “When the septum piercing is performed (traditionally not smaller than 14ga), the very nose cartilage isn’t actually pierced! The needle goes right under the septum and passes above the base of the nose.”

    Not so.

    Some piercers may pierce this membrane, but it is not technically a true septum piercing. By definition the septum is cartilage.

    Mine for example, definitely goes through the septum cartilage.

  21. Nose Piercing Healing Tips | Nose Rings Guide on Sun, 4th Apr 2010 7:59 am 

    [...] Septum Piercing [...]

  22. Septum Rings | Nose Rings Guide on Fri, 23rd Apr 2010 10:45 am 

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  23. Sami on Tue, 8th Jun 2010 1:55 pm 

    My Friend Who Is Experienced In Peircing People. Did My Septum Peircing Two Weeks Ago. And My Mom Has No Idea That I Have Any Peircings When I Acctually Have 12 And They Are Difficult Enough To Hide As It Is And Its Wayy Too Difficult For Me To Put Makeup ON MY Nose Because The Bottom Of My NOse Hurts And Im Afraid That Mym Mom Might Find OUt About My Paircings Without All Mym MakeUp On. Any Idea’s :’) xx

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