Septum Piercing Jewelry

This section covers the choice of jewelry that is best for Septum Piercings. Which, due to its placement, can be somewhat limited in the selection of style, gauge, and size of jewelry. 

Jewelry Style:

When it comes to Septum piercings, it's essential to consider that the jewelry and piercing will be in contact with clothing and bedding during and after the healing process. Therefore, the jewelry needs to be simple, without sharp points or edges that could get caught on things, yet still allow room for swelling, discharge, and cleaning. Since the jewelry can tend to hang, it's crucial, especially during the healing process, that there's no additional weight that might add stress to the piercing during this time. 

There are only three choices for healing when it comes to a Septum piercing that I would suggest:

• Circular Barbells:
  • The Advantages:
  1. There are no sharp edges or points that may get caught on clothing, bedding, etc.
  2. Since the jewelry is not tight and broader than the piercing area, it allows extra room for swelling, discharge, and cleaning.
  3. If needed, the jewelry can be flipped up and hidden. The piercing can be healed with the jewelry flipped up.
  • The Disadvantages:
  1. The profile of the rings may cause additional contact, abuse, and stress on the piercing.
  2. The ends of the barbell must be monitored to ensure they are secure. In some cases, the ends will unscrew and fall off.
• Captive Bead or Beaded Rings:
  • The Advantages:
  1. There are no sharp edges or points that may get caught on clothing, bedding, etc.
  2. Since the jewelry is not tight and broader than the piercing area, it allows extra room for swelling, discharge, and cleaning.
  3. Captive Bead and Beaded Rings are designed to be secure for long-term wear, eliminating the worry about ends coming unscrewed and losing the O-rings. It reduces the maintenance and gives the piercee one less thing to deal with during the healing process.
  4. Usually lighter in weight than threaded jewelry.
  • The Disadvantages:
  1. The profile of the rings may cause additional contact, abuse, and stress on the piercing.
  2. Especially with Captive Bead and Beaded Rings, they can be difficult to remove or replace. In some cases, special tools are required to remove the jewelry.
  3. Can not flip up or hide the jewelry.
• Septum Retainers:
  • ​​The Advantages:
  1. Lower profile may reduce abuse from contact with clothing, bedding and etc.. and less noticeable.
  2. It can be flipped up into the nose, making it less noticeable.
  3. The area of the jewelry is usually flat, which can add to healing.
  4. Since there are no ends or balls, the jewelry can be easily removed and inserted.
  • The Disadvantages:
  1. ​​Since there are no ends or balls, the jewelry is less secure than a ring or circular barbell would be. There is a risk that if the jewelry is worn down and not flipped up, it could fall out.
  2. Since the jewelry has to be handled more frequently during the flipping up and down motion, there is an increased risk of contamination or discharge being pulled back into the piercing.
• Jewelry that should be avoided during Healing:
  • Huge and/or Heavy Jewelry:
    • Wearing extremely heavy jewelry during the healing process can prolong the healing time and increase the risk of scarring, tearing, or migration of the piercing. The risk is also present in healed piercings.
    • Jewelry that is too heavy can cause significant discomfort and headaches.
  • Ear Piercing Studs and other traditional jewelry:
    • ​​The jewelry is often too short to accommodate the thickness of the piercing area, which prevents swelling and can cause the jewelry to become impacted in the piercing. Additionally, if the jewelry is too tight, it can block both the discharge and the flow of oxygen, which can prolong healing time and/or increase the risk of infection or other complications.
    • The backs or locks are loose and can be tightened with normal wear.
    • Often, the jewelry material is not body-friendly. Even those marketed to individuals with metal sensitivity are only plated.
    • In most cases, they cannot be sterilized correctly.

​Size of the Jewelry and Weight:

• ​Gauge:​

As a refresher, gauge refers to the thickness of the wire used to make the jewelry. Body piercing jewelry typically ranges from 18-gauge to 0000-gauge. The smaller the number, the thicker the jewelry will be. As I'm sure you know, the thicker the jewelry is, the more weight it carries and thus the more stress it puts on the piercing during the healing period. Also, the thicker the jewelry, the more tissue that needs to be produced, and thus the longer the healing period. Although in most cases, an 18-gauge piercing will heal in about the same time as a 12-gauge piercing.

When choosing the gauge of the jewelry, the jewelry needs to be thick enough to reduce rejection or migration and have resistance to tearing, but light enough that it will not cause added stress during healing. In my experience, septums lend themselves well to larger gauges, but the weight of the jewelry should be considered, as it can increase the risks of migration, rejection, and tearing. Although larger gauges will feel more comfortable when caught or pulled on. I could suggest that you pick the thickness that you are pierced based on what you would like to have, because stretching a septum piercing can be a long and often painful experience. 

To reduce the risks of tearing and migration, it is best to pierce with jewelry that is at least 16 gauge in thickness. When factoring stress caused by weight, it is best not to pierce over 8 gauge.

• Width:

​The jewelry needs to be large enough to allow extra room for swelling, discharge, and cleaning. The jewelry should be at least 1/8 of an inch wider than the distance between the two piercing holes. The piercing should not be wider than a 1/4 turn of the ring. 

Even in a healed piercing, you should not put jewelry in that has a tighter circle than the original jewelry used for the piercing. In other words, if it were pierced with a 3/8-inch-wide ring, you would not want to put a 1/4-inch ring in because it would create a tighter circle. The reason for this is that it can cause migration, scarring, and tearing of the piercings. If you prefer a lower profile, I suggest a septum retainer or a circular barbell that has been fitted to be flipped up into the nose.

In conclusion, nothing replaces the first-hand knowledge of a professional piercer when it comes to choosing the correct jewelry. There are vast differences in shape and size, and often, what works for 99.99% of the public is not the best choice for you. The goal of this is to provide you with a working understanding of jewelry selection, so that you can have an informed discussion with your piercer about what will work best. Every piercer understands that one of the motivations for getting a piercing is fashion, but jewelry that will produce the best outcome should always be considered secondly. Think of the jewelry used for the piercing as temporary, or trainer jewelry, that will be replaced with your preferred choice once the piercing is healed.