If you recently got a nose piercing, one of the many questions you must be having is how long will it take to heal completely? Nose piercing healing time is a common bother among many people. For intending to have it, they are keen to know the timeline and when they can change their jewelry.
On the other hand, those whose piercing has taken longer to heal are also bothered by the amount of time taken. We will explore this issue of healing duration or length in details in this post.
How long will it take?
Today, nose piercing has gained overwhelming popularity. In fact, it is the second most popular form, after the earlobe. However, nose and earlobe piercing are different. While earlobe is done on some flesh, the one on the nose is done on a cartilage, therefore it tends to take longer to heal.
It is not exactly known what time it would take for a nose piercing to heal since this will vary from one person to another. What is given is an average time. However, all people agree on one fact; the healing time depends on aftercare. This is how well you take care of the piercing wound and other issues that may comp such as a bump, infections and so on.
It is believed that nose piercing healing is a process that takes place in stages. Although all these stages are the same, one person may take longer in one stage than the other. Therefore, the amount of time you will take in each stage depends on many factors, among them the type of piercing.
For example, the amount of time taken to heal a nostril piercing is different from septum one. Furthermore, the aftercare provided also matters. This, therefore, tells you that one cannot exactly predict the amount of time that a specific type will take.
The exact healing time, like earlier noted, depends on the piercing type. Additionally, the time also varies from person to person and other factors such as general health, diet, immunity status and so on. This means that it may take a little longer for some people than others.
According to painfulpleasures.com, the average time taken for various types of piercings to heal is as noted below:
Some people call it tri-nasal piercing. It is done horizontally across the nose. It is considered complex and special. It cuts across the left nostril to the right one through the septum. On average, nasallang piercing takes approximately six months to heal.
This is the most common type. It is preferred by many people since it is simple and takes a short time to heal. On average, this form of nostril piercing takes 4 months to heal.
Some people call it vertical tip piercing. It is a rare type due to its location and complexity. This type is located at the tip of the nose running vertically to the inside. On average, this a rhino piercing takes 9 months to heal.
It is the most fashionable form of piercing today. However, it is complicated and may take longer to heal. It is located on the septum, the cartilage that divides your nostrils. It protrudes outwards towards the upper part of the mouth. The average healing time for this a septum piercing is 8 weeks.
You all know what the bridge of the nose is. Any piercing located at this bridge is known as bridge piercing. It is a bit complex and may at times interfere with the nose bone and cartilage. The nose may also reject the jewel put in it. On average, it takes 12 weeks to heal.
We have seen healing time for the various types of nose piercings. It is time to look at the stage as this will help you know the progress yours is making. Remember all them go through the same healing stages even though they may be having different durations.
The healing time, therefore, is a process made up of stages. According to most sources, the process involves three distinct stages namely:
As you know, piercing is just like any other injury on your skin. Normally, your skin reacts to the injury by getting inflamed. Some chemicals are released by the damaged cells causing what we are calling first inflammation.
Following this inflammation, the skin around pierced site becomes red, swollen and tender. However, this shouldn’t get you worried. It is indeed the first stage of healing. First inflammation may take a few days to weeks.
This is the second stage in the healing process. Once the old cells are ruined, the body, through the platelets and white blood cells, starts generating new cells.
These new cells grow from the epithelium of the damaged tissue growing inwards. They continuously grow to maturity. They attach together to form a scab that heals the wound.
Once epithelialization is complete, the new cells undergo angiogenesis. This is a creation of blood vessels in the repaired cells. These new blood vessels ensure that there is a continuous flow of blood in the wound so as to fasten healing. This period may take weeks to months depending on the type of piercing.
Nose piercing healing time ends with maturation. In some instances, this stage is known as remodeling of the newly formed cells. By this time, the wound may seem as if it has completely healed. This period takes a shorter time to pierced noses without jewels than the ones with some.
At this stage, the scab formed in the earlier stage falls off. The red skin left behind darkens. Tenderness also disappears and the wound becomes healed and tough on touching. Furthermore, the wound appears smooth.
How do you facilitate and fasten pierced nose healing process? This process can be facilitated or slowed depending on certain factors. The healing time can be minimized through adherence to the following practices:
We believe we have given you an insight on how long does it take for a nose piercing to heal as well as how you can speed up the process. We conclude by saying most take between four mouths to a year. The most realistic timeline is 6months to one year for most people.
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