Should I clean my nose piercing inside?

When you were a teenager, the stud piercing in your right nostril was probably inspired by The Craft — and, if we're being honest, a way to piss off your parents. Then, maybe you moved on to a septum piercing after spotting it on cool-girl celebs like Zoë Kravitz and FKA Twigs. But even though nose piercings are experiencing a resurgence now, they've been around for thousands of years and hold special significance in many cultures. And while a piercing — in an area prone to mucus — might seem intimidating, it's actually one of the easiest areas to clean and care for, according to pros.

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Although the official healing time is close to three months, taking care of a nose piercing is relatively low lift compared to other piercings. Whether you have a hoop or a tiny stud, the majority of the jewelry is inside the nose's mucous membrane — an area of the body that naturally clears out bacteria to prevent infections.

But even though your body does the majority of the grunt work, you should still prescribe to a regular cleansing routine for the part of the piercing that's outside of the nasal cavity. Brian Keith Thompson, L.A. celebrity piercer and owner of Body Electric, explains that using a mild soap on the small strip of skin between the ring for septum piercings or on the outside of your nostril for studs is the easiest way to avoid infection.

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But you don't need to move or twist the jewelry as you clean. Just gently massage a pea-sized amount of a fragrance-free cleanser (Thompson's a fan of Dr. Bronner's soap) on the area of the new hole. When you're done, pat the skin dry with a paper towel (skip using a regular wash cloth in case it snags the jewelry and causes irritation) and finish with a spritz of saline solution. You should complete this entire routine once or twice a day, depending on how often you touch your nose. Thompson adds that while you might not need to clean the inside of the nose with soap, you can use a saline product with a fine-mist tip to keep the cavity hydrated (especially during the winter).

You'll notice that this step-by-step doesn't include any alcohol. Dermatologist Rachel Nazarian, FAAD, MD, tells us that while alcohol is known for keeping wounds clean, it's not the best solution for a piercing. Not only is it too drying, but it can lead to inflammation — which will most likely lengthen your healing process. And nobody wants that, right?

Nose piercings are becoming increasingly popular as a form of body modification many people use to express themselves. About 19% of women and 15% of men in the U.S. have their noses pierced. If you are considering getting a nose piercing, it's important to understand how to take care of it so you can avoid complications. 

Any new piercing, including a nose piercing, requires frequent cleaning to reduce the risk of infection and encourage healing. Here's a guide on how to care for a new nose piercing. 

Nose piercing aftercare

If you've just gotten a nose piercing, you'll have to take extra care of it while it heals over the next three to six months.

Following aftercare guidelines can help you avoid infections, which occur in about 20% of cases, says Gabe Gajate, a senior piercer with Inkahollik Tattoos and Piercing. 

Here are some general guidelines about what you should and should not do: 

• Wash your hands thoroughly before touching your piercing. 
• Rinse your piercing at least twice a day with a packaged sterile saline solution labeled for wound wash. Do not use contact lens saline, eye drops, or other saline products.
• Refrain from touching your piercing, especially with unclean hands.
• Try not to sleep on the side of your nose where your piercing is while it heals. Pressure from . 
• Avoid makeup in the area for at least two weeks, Gajate says. Trying to apply makeup on or around the piercing can irritate the tissue surrounding the piercing.
• Do not expose your new piercing to pool,beach, or hot tub water for about two weeks, Gataje says. These bodies of water can harbor bacteria that may cause an infection. 

You should follow these instructions throughout the entire healing process, which can take between three and six months, says Jef Saunders, a piercer and public relations coordinator for the Association of Professional Piercers (APP). 

How to clean a nose piercing

Keeping your nose piercing clean can help reduce the risk of complications, like infections, and help it heal more quickly. Aim to clean your piercing two to three times a day.

Here is how to clean a nose piercing:

1. Always start by washing your hands. "Touching with unclean hands is a surefire way to introduce bacteria which can result in problems like infections," Saunders says.
2. With the piercing still in your nose, spray a 09% sodium chloride saline solution directly on the piercing. You can also saturate a piece of gauze to clean the jewelry, Saunders says. 
3. Gently pat dry your piercing with a disposable paper product, like a paper towel. Cloth towels can carry bacteria and are more likely to snag on the jewelry, which may result in tugging and irritating the piercing.

You do not need to rotate the jewelry to clean it, and in fact, you should refrain from doing so, Gataje says. Rotating the jewelry can irritate the wound and interfere with the healing process. Spinning the jewelry can also cause it to loosen and fall out, which can then result in the piercing closing up, Saunders says. 

Note: Some people may try to mix their own sea salt solution, but professional piercers recommend against this because it can result in the solution being too salty, which can dry out the piercing and slow down the healing process. 

It's normal to experience some bleeding, pain, tenderness, swelling, and discharge for about one to two weeks after getting your nose pierced. 

Changing the shape of the jewelry from a stud to a ring or hoop-style piece of jewelry should only be done once the piercing has completely healed, which takes or longer.

Saunders recommends consulting with a piercer before trying to change the jewelry on your own. The piercing needs to be completely healed before changing the jewelry and an expert piercer can evaluate whether or not the tissue is ready for this step. 

Insider's takeaway

A nose piercing can take three to six months to heal and it's important that you clean it regularly and properly for that entire period. Otherwise, you risk a longer healing time, or worse, an uncomfortable infection.

Clean your piercing at least twice a day with a saline solution labeled for wound wash. Always wash your hands before touching your piercing to reduce the risk of infection and consult with a professional piercer before trying to change the jewelry in your new piercing.