Nose piercing is the piercing of the skin or cartilage that forms any part of the nose, normally for the purpose of wearing jewelry. Nose piercing is one of the most common varieties of piercing after earlobe piercing. Although occasionally seen earlier (the French actress Polaire arrived for her 1913 tour of America wearing a seed-pearl ring in her left nostril), it's only been in the last two decades that nose piercing has gained a mainstream popularity in Western culture.    

  

Nostril piercing is a body piercing practice often associated with India, Pakistan, Nepal and throughout South Asia. Nostril piercing is also part of traditional Australian Aboriginal culture. In recent decades, nostril piercing has gained popularity in the industrialized nations, as have other forms of body piercing, after punks and subsequent youth cultures in the '80s and '90s adopted such styles. Today, nostril piercing is popular in the United States of America, the UK, Canada, the Caribbean, Australia and Europe, with piercings being performed on either the left or right nostril.

Septum piercings are slightly less common than nostril piercings. The nasal septum is the cartilaginous dividing wall between the nostrils. Generally, the cartilage itself is not pierced, but rather the small gap between the cartilage and the bottom of the nose. The nose has many nerves running through it and as a result, nose piercings can be painful, although it varies by individual. There are many types of jewelry generally worn in a septum piercing including: Captive Bead Rings, Circular Barbells, a "Tusk", or Pinchers. Another option is a septum retainer, which is staple shaped. 

This type of nose piercing is particularly easy to hide when desired, for example to comply with a dress code. A septum retainer makes it possible to turn the jewelry up into the nose, thus concealing it.

Septum piercing was a popular trend among South Indian dancers and among certain Native American peoples in history; the Shawnee leaders Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa, for example, had such piercings. The septum piercing is popular in rural areas of India, Nepal and Bangladesh. In India it is called the 'Nathori' and popular with the Banjara ethnic groups and Adivasi tribes. Lord Krishna and his consort Radharani are often depicted wearing the 'Nathori' style jewel nose pieces.

Bridge piercings, a third type nose piercing, are inserted through the small flap of skin at the top of the nose, between the eyes, though never through the bone. Curved Barbells and Straight Barbells are the most commonly used in this piercing, while seamless rings are less common. However, bridge piercings generally have a high rate of rejection and thus are less common than any other nose piercing.

If you are thinking of adding a nose piercing to your collection, head over to your favorite local piercing shop to find out which style would work best for you!

 

Thank you guys for joining us once again and participating in all the fun we have here with the newsletter, on Facebook, Tumblr, and all over the web! Is there something on your mind? A nagging question that you have been meaning to ask? Are you a piercer who would like to contribute an article?  Let us know! Just contact heather.anatometal@gmail.com

Your friends at Anatometal


Questions? Comments? Please send them to heather.anatometal@gmail.com. If you know someone who will enjoy this publication as much as you do, don't hesitate to pass it along.