How Long to Wait Before Changing a Nose Stud

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Nose piercings have grown in popularity. You have to be over the age of 18 to get your nose pierced or have parental consent. A typical place to get your nose pierced is a tattoo parlor or a place specializing in body piercings. When you get your nose pierced, you initially have a nose stud in your nose for a certain period of time.

The Rules

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When getting your nose pierced there are some essential rules: Never allow anyone to pierce your nose with a gun; the nose will not heal correctly and may be more susceptible to infection. Make sure that the stud is not sterling silver; sterling silver can permanently stain the skin around your piercing black. Never change your nose piercing too early.

Wait to Change

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If decide that you do not like your piercing after a couple of weeks, remove the stud. At this time, the piercing will close. If you enjoy your piercing, you need to wait at least three months to change the piercing. The nose takes a while to completely heal and if you attempt to change it before this time, you may tear the piercing and cause damage to your nose.

If you have an emergency before three months that leads to your piercing needing to be changed, go to the place where you got it pierced and have them change it for you so that your piercing is not damaged. Most often people will want to wait up to six months before changing their piercing to ensure that the piercing is completely healed and that no harm will be done.

After-Care Instructions

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It is important to take care of your piercing initially after you get it and even after you begin to change the piercing. The usual after-care routine is to wash twice daily with a sea salt and water combination. Never touch or play with the piercing with unwashed hands; this can lead to an infection. During the first three months, though, it is advised to not rotate, twist or touch the piercing with bare hands. Use paper towels to clean the piercing. Never use rubbing alcohol or peroxide to clean the piercing.

After the initial change of the piercing, make sure to clean the new jewelry before inserting and then continue with your cleaning routine as the nose adjusts to the new jewelry. After you first change your jewelry, you will have to see how your nose responds, if it becomes agitated then you need to wait a while before changing it again.

Nose piercings generally take a long time to heal enough to leave the piercing out for an extended time, and in some cases the piercing may never be stable. That is why it is important to continually clean your nose ring and monitor how your nose responds to different jewelry and when you change it.