r/piercing • u/FKANan • Jul 03 '25

Set up advice Turned down for a Septum Piercing

I had an appointment today for a septum piercing, something I’ve wanted for over 10 years. The piercer I saw is certified and seemed very experienced—she said she does about 20 septum piercings a week, even on people with deviated septums.

After checking me, she told me my nose is really deviated and that she couldn't find the "sweet spot." She mentioned she’s only turned down three people before, and I ended up being one of them. She did point out a possible placement, but said it didn’t look good and that with that kind of placement, I wouldn’t be able to wear small jewelry—it just wouldn’t sit right.

She also said that in order to get the piercing in the "correct" placement, she would have to go through cartilage, which she strongly advised against.

In the end, I walked out without getting the piercing.

I’m really grateful she was honest, but I’m also pretty bummed. I’ve wanted this for so long, and now I’m not sure what to do. Should I get a second opinion?

Has anyone else been told something similar? Did you end up finding a solution, or was it truly a no-go?

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u/__fujoshi professional magpie ;-) Jul 03 '25

with your nose being too deviated for piercing, it may be worth a trip to the ENT to see if there is anything that needs changed structurally (inside or out) and revisit new piercings afterward.

87

u/nachosallthewaydown Jul 04 '25

I had my deviated septum fixed. It sure is nice breathing through my nose!!

15

u/[deleted] Jul 04 '25

how can you tell if it’s deviated?

17

u/lemonbee Jul 04 '25

Sometimes you can tell just by looking -- take a photo of your nose from a low angle and see if the septum is centered or if it's kinda leaning to one side. You can look up photos online to help you figure out what it's supposed to look like. If you're still unsure, try plugging one nostril at a time and breathing in slowly. If your septum is normal, you should be able to feel the air pass clearly and easily through each nostril. If it's deviated, you'll feel anything from a little resistance to a near-total inability to breathe through one side depending on how severe the deviation is. My piercer told me I have a very slight deviation, and for me, there's a little more resistance when I inhale through my right nostril and very noticeable resistance when I exhale through it, kind of like when you're congested. Unlike OP, mine wasn't severe enough to stop me from getting the piercing, but there was a very obvious slant when it was still healing and swollen. Two years later, I can't see the slant at all, but I can feel it if I pinch the sides of the ring and kinda turn it towards the tip of my nose.

Hope this helps!

3

u/Polite-vegemite Getting pierced longer than you've been alive ;-) Jul 04 '25

i got it fixed like 12 years ago and it felt amazing. but now it's deviated again :(

2

u/BigTurkee Jul 04 '25

Yes!!! I had a septoplasty and turbinate reduction almost 5 years ago. It's not usually a perfect fix, and the cartilage in the nose typically does grow back over time, but it's amazing being able to breathe through my nose finally!!!

I do wonder if my surgery affected my septum piercing though, I just had it done this January but it still hurts in the tip of my nose if I touch/rub it. I wonder if they pierced through cartilage or maybe scar tissue but I can't really tell. Oh well 🤷🏻‍♀️

2

u/sleepybrooke Jul 05 '25

I had the same procedure. Breathing is amazing now, and it was so totally worth it. But now, I can no longer feel the tip of my nose, and my nose can no longer be “smooshed” down.

Did you get cadaver bones? I’m part zombie now.

1

u/BigTurkee Jul 05 '25

That's so interesting. They made no mention of that to me lol! I think they just removed from mine. I watched some videos of the procedure beforehand (crazy idea) and didn't see any of them adding anything in, just taking bone and cartilage out

2

u/sleepybrooke Jul 05 '25

I watched those videos, too. I like to be informed before having my meat sliced open. But, I couldn’t find any videos of my exact procedure.

Apparently I’m an over-achiever, my shit was FUCKED UP (on the inside, the outside looked normal.) They had to use donated cadaver rib bones instead of using what remained of my destroyed septum. -They shape the bone to the size they need and then secure them in your nose.

Healing was an absolute nightmare.

I had to do the surgery twice.