Like any piercing through cartilage, your nostril will take an extended time to heal. Cartilage is avascular. Your body will not have an inflammatory response to an injury in cartilage.

To clean your nostril piercing, apply a good soap and water lather on the area, and, using the ring, scrub the inside of your piercing. Then flush with fresh water, again using the ring to rinse the soap out. Your nostril piercing should be left alone (do not turn or play with ring) between cleanings.

For the first three to five days, wash your nostril piercing twice per day (morning & evening). Over the next week or so, the second cleaning should be skipped occasionally, then more frequently, until by the end of the first three weeks you are down to once per day.

Continue cleaning once per day or less for a maximum of two more weeks. After that, only occasional cleaning should be required. Over cleaning is one of the most common problems we see. Over cleaning irritates and dries out your nose; your skin chaps and cracks, exposing the underlying tissue to dirt and bacteria. Don’t be obsessed with cleaning; the less you do the better.

For the first two weeks of the aftercare period, we recommend that you use an antibiotic ointment like Polysporin after each wash for the first ten days. The ointment will provide a barrier to infection during the initial healing. Use the ring to spread the ointment through your nostril piercing, working the ring back and forth until it slides easily. Clean off the excess ointment, as it can collect dirt and cause problems.

The use of an antibiotic is extremely important for cartilage piercing; especially the nostril and septum piercings. Infections of the mucous membrane of the nose can be fatal. If the olfactory area of the nasal cavity gets infected, the infection can quickly spread through the cribriform plate to the olfactory bulbs under the frontal lobe of the brain, and a meningitis can result. Although deaths are rare, they are rapid when they occur, and can only be prevented with quick medical response. Infections are not to be feared, rather respected. It is imperative that you seek medical attention for any infection that does not respond to your own efforts within two days of the appearance of symptoms.

f you participate in sports or other strenuous physical activity, you should shower afterwards, cleaning your nostril piercing in the shower.

If you are exposed to a dirty environment (such as dusty working conditions), clean more frequently. To clean the area, use baby wipes or a similar product. As soon as you return home, a full cleaning of your nostril piercing is recommended.

At the end of the five weeks, you should not have to clean your nostril piercing any more. If it looks dry, moisturize the side of your nose with a regular moisturizer.

Nostril screws should not be placed in your nostril until it is certain that the piercing is healthy and stable. Generally, this means at least six to eight weeks with the ring before the change. The nostril screw is the only style of jewelry that should be used to achieve a stud appearance. Ear piercing studs, nostril pins, and barbell are not appropriate for the piercing.

If the hooked end of the nostril screw doesn’t stay snug and hidden up in the nostril, the end can be slightly adjusted until it fits your piercing better.

Note: During the winter weather you should protect your nostril piercing from the cold. The ring is a good heat sink and since cartilage is avascular, there is greater risk of frostbite in your nose.