Piercing question

[GRLMGC]

I pierced my ear awhile back and it got a really nasty infection that needed to be treated w/ antibiotics. It was probably my fault because I'm not that responsible. So I really want to pierce my nose but i'm paranoid. Is it easy to take care of?

[mr_hat]

1. Just dip your finger in hyrogenperoxide

before you pick.

[GRLMGC]

2. How icky n/t

[Not_Giving_Up]

3. I don't personally have my nose pierced

But, I worked with someone who did...NO, it's not an easy thing to care for. If you couldn't handle ears, don't go nose.

[theorist]

4. Nose piercings are generally harder to take care of than ears.

It's pretty dirty in there, you know? It's generally safer (according to my piercer) to go with an eyebrow or labret piercing if you want something on your face. Ultimately it's up to you, of course, so if you're willing to go through the cleaning regiment, do it. Remember that pain on your ear, though? It will probably be much worse if your nose got infected.

[GRLMGC]

5. Yeah

that sucked ass. It was the tragus, I think that's what its called anyway. I'd rather not have a nasty, pusfilled bump on my nose.

[short bus president]

8. The nasty pus-filled bump would likely be IN yer nose,

since that's the hard side to keep clean.

Personally, I like the eyebrow. I made the mistake of getting a ring with a ball, and it was big and floppy and sorta in the way and I was never comfortable with it. Plus it was a bitch to take in and out, 'cuz the ring had to be spread open a bit for the ball to slide back in, and it was all so small for my big clumsy fingers.

Then I got a curved barbell for it (which I'm forever calling a dogbone, 'cuz that's just what I wanna call it), which has been PERFECT. Would't trade it for anything. Although I HAVE considered having the ring stuck through my lower lip near the corner of my mouth. Not quite sure on that yet.

[theorist]

10. I wouldn't go back to that piercer.

It's just wrong to put a ring in a surface piercing like an eyebrow. Do you remember how long it took to heal? Curved barbells seem to be the jewelry of choice for piercings like that.

[short bus president]

12. The ring was my choice, and he advised me otherwise.

I liked the look of a ring over a barbell, and didn't care that it would take longer to heal. I'd still wear it, if the ring hadn't been so unwieldy. But I like the look of the barbell now. I don't feel like I ended up "settling" for it.

[miss_kitty]

6. get checked for metal allergies

I pretty much passed up the nose thing, because I developed metal allergies after some infections. Or my infections were caused by allergies. I can't wear my earrings now. and I've tried Sterling silver, 18k gold and surgical stainless steel.

good luck

[Astrochimp]

14. try white gold- its the only thing my wife........

can wear, the others you listed wont work for her, but WG will.

[miss_kitty]

15. Thanks I'll try it.!

As I was typing I was thinking of the scar tissue I got from surgery which surprised the doctors that worked on me. I wonder if the allergy caused that. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

[yellowdogintexas]

17. That sounds like keloid scarring. It is something that you just

do spontaneously as it has nothing to do with metal.

I formed a bad keloid on my first abdominal surgery scar, which was stitched with traditional organic stitches. My surgeon was beside himself "What happened to my perfect little closure" Then he told me it was a type of keloid.

I do not have metal allergies, but got an infection from putting in a brand new earring that had not been properly cleaned before wearing. It healed OK, but I learned my lesson.

I never had any keloid formations on my ears, just on my abdomen. Interestingly enough, when I had a hysterectomy and the surgeon reopened that old scar, it healed without the keloid. He thinks that the advances in laser cautery, staple closures , etc. made the difference.

[MichaelHarris]

7. I have

both my ears pierced and I never got an infection but then again when I was a kid I rooted around in some of the nastiest places so I'm prolly immune from most everything including ebola. Get some of that old skool monkey blood iodine stuff, it kills everything.

[TalkingDog]

9. Brain Funk

Noses and (upper)ears have cartilage which have less blood flow than other parts of the face. Less blood flow means its easier for an infection to establish themselves in those places. In addition, they heal much more slowly.

And to tie this whole factoid laden message in with the subject line: The nose is an orifice that is directly tied to your brain and it is possible to get a fatal brain infection from piercings gone wrong.

(these are just in case you think I'm being overly dramatic when I say that)
http://www.ehow.com/how_17138_care-new-body.html
http://www.pitt.edu/~cjm6/s97pierc.html

[GRLMGC]

11. aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh

Yeah, the nose piercing, probably isn't for me.

[Dora]

13. Had my nose pierced in '98.

Did it for my 30th birthday. Never had a lick of trouble. Of course, some minor irritation when the piercing was fresh, but I followed the care instructions, and never had any problems with it.

Cleaned it out twice daily with an antibacterial soap, and didn't fiddle with it with my fingers.

I've never regretted it.

On Edit: I have to add that the act of piercing didn't hurt me like I expected it to. Having my ears pierced when I was 12 was WAY MORE PAINFUL AND TRAUMATIZING - those damn piercing guns are just glorified paper hole punchers. The woman who pierced my nose was a professional - she described exactly what she was going to do and how she was going to do it, and the entire procedure was gentle and relatively painless. She used a curved needle, not a piercing gun. If you're going to have your nose pierced, please go to a professional piercing salon.

[yellowdogintexas]

16. my daughter is a piercer,

and she swears that if you follow the care instructions they give you meticulously, you will not get an infection.

If you live in or near Fort Worth, you can get her to pierce you!

Let me know if you want details.

[GRLMGC]

18. Thank you

I'm in CA though. :)