This article was co-authored by Karissa Sanford and by How.com.vn staff writer, Dan Hickey. Karissa Sanford is the Co-owner of Make Me Holey Body Piercing, a piercing studio based in the San Francisco Bay Area that specializes in safe and friendly body piercing. Karissa has over 10 years of piercing experience and is a member of the Association of Professional Piercers (APP).
There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
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If you’ve ever thought, “Hmm, what’s that smell? Oh no…is it my septum piercing!?” then you’re not alone! A smelly septum piercing (also known as “septum funk”) is the body’s natural response to a piercing in your nose—in fact, it’s a sign that your piercing is healing like it should. In this article, we’ll dive into the common culprit behind that septum piercing smell, plus how you can clean and care for your jewelry to get rid of the smell and prevent future odors. You’ll be smelling the roses (and just the roses) in no time!
Things You Should Know
- Septum piercings smell when healthy discharge from your piercing traps dead skin cells, bacteria, and other organic material. The smell is totally normal.
- Clean your piercing twice a day during healing and at least a few times a week after healing to prevent or get rid of sebum buildup and smell.
- The smell typically only lasts while the piercing heals (2-3 months for most people) and isn’t a symptom of infection by itself.
Steps
Expert Q&A
Tips
References
- ↑ https://www.onlymyhealth.com/why-do-your-ear-piercings-randomly-smell-so-bad-and-how-to-get-rid-of-that-stink-1483940412
- ↑ https://uhs.berkeley.edu/health-topics/body-piercings
- ↑ https://uhs.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/piercingcare.pdf
- ↑ https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/lifestyle/can-i-go-swimming-after-a-piercing/
- ↑ https://authoritytattoo.com/septum-piercing-healing-times/
- ↑ https://authoritytattoo.com/how-to-clean-body-piercing-jewelry/
- ↑ https://uhs.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/piercingcare.pdf
- ↑ https://uhs.berkeley.edu/health-topics/body-piercings
- ↑ https://authoritytattoo.com/septum-piercing-healing-times/
- ↑ https://www.arcadiabodypiercing.com/fresh-piercing-aftercare
- ↑ https://hellogiggles.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-septum-piercing/
- ↑ https://authoritytattoo.com/septum-piercing-healing-times/
- ↑ https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/infected-piercings/
- ↑ https://authoritytattoo.com/septum-piercing-infection/
About This Article
It’s normal for new septum piercings to get funky from time to time. This happens when oils, sweat, blood and skin cells, and bacteria build up around the piercing as it heals. You may notice this smell the most for the first 2 to 3 months after the initial piercing. To prevent your piercing from getting smelly, clean it with sterile saline spray twice a day until it’s fully healed. Avoid touching the piercing or getting it wet when you’re not cleaning it, and keep makeup, sunscreen, and other skin care products away from it. Once the piercing is fully healed, take your jewelry out and wash it with saline solution or hot, soapy water to get rid of lingering smells.
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