What to Look for When Choosing a Piercer: My Nose-piercing Adventure

If you’ve spent any time Googling “What it’s like to get your nose pierced,” chances are you’ve been met with horror stories accompanied by spine-chilling pictures that are enough to turn even the strongest of stomachs.

But it’s narratives like these that give body piercing a bad rap.

To make matters worse, people rarely write about when things go swimmingly, when the piercing goes in without a hitch, they’re thrilled with the results, and no infection follows.

When someone chooses a quality establishment and is happy with the outcome, it doesn’t tend to go viral. But when things go horribly wrong, it makes headline news.

There’s a stigma around piercings in general, not to mention where you get the piercing.

Before I got my nose pierced, I had five 5 piercings — 2 in each ear lobe, and 1 cartilage piercing — and they were all done at the same store, in the same mall.

And they all got infected within weeks of getting pierced.

So when I decided I wanted to adorn my nose with a cute (but quality) stud, I bypassed the mall, did my due diligence, and chose a reputable tattoo studio, Urban’s Tattoo & Piercing Studio, located in Arlington, Texas.

And I’m so glad I did.

I called the night before to schedule an appointment and was told to come in anytime and ask for Ryan.

When I came in the following night, Ryan greeted me, shook my hand, and led me over to the jewelry options.

I chose my stud, signed a waiver, and waited a few minutes while he sterilized his equipment.

He then called me back, marked my nose, and asked if I was happy with the placement. Then he explained everything he was about to do, cleaned the piercing location, and told me my eyes would water afterwards because of where the piercing would go, not necessarily from the pain. He then said to take a deep breath in, and once I felt the piercing, to breathe out.

I felt pain for a total of 2 seconds, and just like he said, my eyes watered involuntarily.

Ryan then went over the aftercare instructions, which I’ll expound on in a few minutes, and told me to call or come by if I had any issues at all.

I then looked in the mirror and admired my new bling, paid for services rendered, and was on my way. My nose throbbed for a few hours after, but I was too preoccupied with my gorgeous sparkle to care.

The next day, I sent Ryan an e-mail asking him a few questions about my chosen jewelry and his piercing process. He answered my questions within hours and told me to call so he could discuss his piercing process in detail, “because that’s a subject I could write an entire book about.”

After a 40-minute call, I was blown away by what I learned about the piercing industry, and I couldn’t help but share my newfound knowledge with you.

But first, a public service announcement:

It’s time to stop referring to them as “just piercers.” They’ve spent years training as apprentices, attending health and safety classes, and honing their craft. Your safety is their top priority.

But because there are still sketchy piercers who are not following protocol, it’s important to realize that not every tattoo shop has your best interests in mind. If you’re thinking of getting your nose pierced, or any other body part, here’s Ryan’s top 3 non-negotiables when it comes to choosing your piercer:

1. Make sure your piercer is qualified

Because there’s no real legislation in the piercing industry, it can be difficult to tell when someone is authentic or just blowing smoke.

A great way to check is by looking at a potential piercer’s photo portfolios (say that three times fast).

Sketchy piercers tend to use black-and-white filters on their photos since it’s easier to hide their mistakes and/or health violations.

Instead, look for pictures of nice, clean piercings, and especially look for pictures of piercings that have healed.

Here’s Ryan’s Instagram portfolio for reference:

https://www.instagram.com/piercerryan/

Piercing gun vs. needle

Did you know piercing guns are actually modeled after cattle-tagging guns? That should make you feel all warm and tingly inside.

Even worse, piercing guns pierce with the jewelry instead of the needle, causing blunt force trauma to the surrounding tissue, and trapping blood inside your body.

“Piercing free with purchase” doesn’t sound so great anymore, does it?

These “deals” can quickly become a costly endeavor, so avoid piercing guns like the plague. They can spread blood-borne diseases like Hepatitis C since plastic guns can’t be sterilized.

Instead, look for a piercer who uses a needle and, ideally, a more advanced style of piercing called “freehand piercing.” That said, you don’t need to avoid a piercer just because they use clamps. They just need to be used by someone who’s qualified.

All highly skilled piercers have their technique preferences, whether that’s using tools such as appropriate clamps, or being in a fully disposable freehand studio. But whatever their technique, make sure they’re performing your piercing safely and cleanly.

Ryan personally prefers freehand piercing so he can manipulate the skin and tissue and control the outcome of the piercing.

“If it’s not going in the body, it’s going in the trash.”

You also won’t have to worry about any cross-contamination because respectable piercers use sterilization equipment called autoclaves, usually found in dentists’ offices. The autoclave sterilizes with heat and steam to kill any bacteria.

I don’t know about you, but I’ll take the bacteria-free option any day of the week.

I was also shocked to learn that I didn’t have to rotate my stud. Crazy. I almost didn’t get a nose piercing because I didn’t want the hassle of rotating it and cleaning it three times a day.

But Ryan explained that there are four stages to healing, each stage taking several weeks. And every time you rotate your jewelry, you open up the wound and impede the healing process.

I was told to avoid touching it and to just let warm water run over it for a few minutes in the shower, and, if needed, use some wound wash saline, not the H2Ocean product I had read glowing reviews about in my research.

He went on to say that he’d never recommend the warm water aftercare to someone living in, say, Arizona because the water is hard there, so check with your local piercer about your state’s recommended aftercare.

But geographic regions aside, if your piercer tells you to use soap, alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide on your piercing, do yourself a favor and find a new piercer.

2. The quality of jewelry you choose is more important than you think

Cheap piercers use grade 23 titanium, which is not the best since it’s not graded for implantation.

The best metal you can choose is medical grade titanium. It’s great for sensitive skin and contains no nickel, a metal that’s known to cause irritation. Even white gold contains some nickel.

So steer clear of places offering low prices when it comes to their jewelry. They’re able to do this because they buy cheap jewelry overseas.

You want the best surgeon, not the cheapest surgeon, so avoid places that say things like “$20 piercings on Thursdays.”

Ryan explained that it costs $10–$20 just for him to set up, saying, “In order to provide safety, I have to buy top-of-the-line equipment.”

For reference, here’s what Ryan used on me:

• implant grade titanium (Ti6Al4V ELI..ASTM f138)
• 2mm Bezel Set Swarovski CZ

Don’t cheap out when it comes to piercings. You get what you pay for.

I paid $75 (not including tip) and I couldn’t be happier with my results. Today marks one week since my piercing, and I’ve had 0 problems.

3. Make sure your piercer is doing safe piercings

If your piercer is willing to do any piercing you want, sight unseen, this is a huge indicator to find a new shop.

Piercings that are 100% unsafe include:

• snake eyes — horizontally through the tongue
• dermals — unsafe in high-movement areas
• horizontal surface lip piercing
• mandible
• eyelid piercings
• finger piercings

Also, because everyone is different, your body may even reject a navel piercing, regardless of the fact that it’s technically a safe piercing. If this happens, heed your piercer’s advice to choose another piercing, and don’t go running to a place who will comply with your request.

Some piercings are just not meant for some people.

Remember, there’s no way to protect yourself because there’s no legislation, so stay on the safe side and avoid these piercings, no matter how cool they may seem.

And above all else, choose a high-quality piercer. Your future self will thank you.

Special thanks to Ryan Archuleta for taking the time to share all his knowledge.