Septum

As the name suggests, a septum piercing is executed through the septum. The name comes from the Latin term “Septum nasi”, which refers to the wall separating the left and right airways in the nose.

FYI:

In tongue piercings, the tongue septum is perforated.

Origins:

The septum piercing is one of the most popular choices worldwide, after the ear piercing. It is also found in many more cultures than the nostril piercing, including the tribes of the Solomon Islands, Irian Jaya, and Papua New Guinea. In these areas it is customary to wear so-called tusks as a form of jewelry. Septum piercings were also worn by Native American chieftains like the Shawnee, Tenskwatawa, and Tecumseh.

A stele (an ornamented column) of the Assyrian king Assurhaddon from 672 B.C. in Zincirli shows Assurhaddon leading the subjugated kings of Tyros and Egypt (depicted in diminutive form) by a rope which is attached to their nose rings. This is of course not meant to depict a genuine custom, but simply the slavelike dependence on King Assurhaddon.

Nowadays, both men and women wear the septum ring for aesthetic reasons, as a beautiful way of adorning the face.

A septum piercing can be made both in a striking or subtle manner, because the variety of jewelry allows a wide range of aesthetic styles—from “sexy” to “vamp”. To each his own!

Healing and care:

A nose piercing can take between 1 and 3 months to heal completely, rarely longer. Like other external piercings, in the first three weeks it should be cleaned with ProntoLind spray twice a day, and then coated with ProntoLind gel. It is important to wash your hands before touching the pierced area and the jewelry itself. By caring for the piercing in the correct manner and with the proper materials, you will rarely have to deal with cases of proud flesh.

Disinfectant solutions containing alcohol or chlorine should be avoided.

Jewelry:

Generally this includes BCRs (ball closure rings) and CBRs (horseshoes, half-open rings, circular barbell rings. One can also wear a banana bar, however.

Using a banana bar, that is, a curved barbell, has the advantage of making the piercing hardly visible when it is turned upward.

Septril Piercing

Stretching the septum allows one to execute a Septril piercing, in which a ball is worn directly between the two nostrils, under the septum.

Once the septum has been stretched, the septril can be pierced. A ball is then placed right underneath the septum, between the two nostrils.

The septum has to be stretched before the septril can be pierced and adorned with a labret.