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A Comprehensive Report on Nose Studs and nose piercing by Richard Soper

Most nose piercings are done on the fibro fatty tissue where it meets the greater alar cartilage these 2 parts give the nose its shape and often form a natural dip or ridge which is the best place for the piercing. However not all noses have this shape some just look flat. Also different piercers have different ideas about where they should be put. Nose studs are made in all sorts of shapes and sizes and different manufactures have their own ideas. Very little research has been done in this area and most design work for nose studs is either copied or based on an educated guess.

Over the last 15 years I have been designing and fitting body jewelry for many different body parts and have found the nose piercing to be the most intriguing of all. Firstly it is in your face, just below the eyes which means each and every person you communicate with face to face is going to see it. Every time you have a conversation it is being examined and judged.

Why should you not have a choice of shaft length...for example... so your stud is not moving about. Having a choice of shaft thickness to suit how the piercing was done, and the gage of the hole in your nose is important.

So what we are going to look at is the things you need to know

1) What size of stud will look best on you 2) What tail shape will be best for me 3) What gage of stud should I buy – this is the thickness of the shaft 4) What should it be made of 5) What size of stud will look best on you

What you need to consider first is 1) Are you going to be changing it on a regular basis ? And if so do you find it easy to change ? Nose studs are famous for being tricky to change – the truth is that some people can change them when healed, on a daily basis with ease but others just cant change them at all and will visit a piercer to have it done. The main reason for this is if you were pierced with a U shaped or L shaped stud and did not turn the inside bit around when it was healing, the skin can heal over the elbow of the nose stud making a little pocket of fatty tissue which will be in the way every time you want to put in a new one. The answer to this is to get an insertion pin, which is basically a steel tapered tube with a hole in the end. This means you can put a bit of KY or savlon (anything clean to act as a lubricant) on the pointed end have a gentle poke around to clear the pocket of fatty tissue then slide the whole thing through with the nose stud in the other end. This puts the stud in very easily but ensure you get the right size taper pin or you will be stretching and irritating the piercing every time you change. 2) Are you restricted to any work regulations as quite often companies have a rule that only a small discreet nose stud can be worn. 3) Are you confident and outgoing maybe a bit showy, what sort of clothes do you wear. I always think that evening wear requires a smaller stud to finish the look and not overpower the clothing, or even a gemstone to compliment. I one saw a customer of mine at a restaurant wearing a flowing silk purple dress, her Amethyst nose stud in platinum just complimented her so well. The casual and club look can be a bit more showy concentrating more on the impressive and relaxed feel. 4) What size is you nose ? Because if its really small a 10 point diamond is going to look huge. For larger noses a small stud can be quite nice because you are enhancing a feature but not attracting attention to it. 5) Where is the actual piercing on your nose?. Piercing placement can vary so much, for example if the piercing is done with a gun it will only go up you nasal cavity so far, so the piercing may be lower than you wanted. If you were pierced with a ring not a stud then quite often the piercing is lower than the natural dip. It maybe that you just wanted the piercing low.

2) Advice on choosing your tail shape. Pin U L ½ U Each and every manufacture is different. There are many different tail shapes, shaft lengths and thicknesses of nose stud on the market today, each with its own pros and cons. Really it is like anything else you wear and what is comfortable and works for you. Not many companies will distinguish between left or right nostril or shaft length so you have to know that what you are buying works for you. I would say that the most common tail shape for initial piercing done with a needle is the U shaped tail, hence this is the most commonly worn. However for people buying a second or additional jewelry the L shape is most popular. I would expect that over the next 12 months our sales of BMG pin shaped studs will become more popular than the L. This is probable because the L had been around a lot longer than the pin so people have remained in their comfort zone for a lot longer.

THE "U" SHAPED TAIL The "U" shaped tail is a stay put fitting which is suitable for most piercings that have a 1cm clearance from the nasal cavity. i.e. not too low on the nose or it may hang out. Also if you nasal cavities can be seen clearly when looking straight into a mirror (i.e. the nose peak is high) - play safe and stick to the "L" or the "Pin" - The right/left selection brings the tail in and upwards into the nasal cavity. The 18 gage "U" is suitable for an initial needle piercing by a professional body piercer.

THE HALF “U” SHAPED TAIL The "Half U" shaped tail is also a stay put fitting which is suitable for most piercings that have a 1cm clearance from the nasal cavity but also be careful if your nasal cavity is on view when looking straight into a mirror. This particular tail shape would be my choice for an initial piercing for most noses and is reasonably easy to insert as there is much more tail to find the exit hole of the piercing.

"L" SHAPED TAIL The "L" shaped stud is easy fit - This is the more usual stud suitable for most nose piercings. However if the fatty tissue of the piercing is swollen inside or has healed at an angle the L is not always long enough to clear the exit hole. Some people will be pushing the l into the fatty tissue rather than through it. The 18 gauge "L" is suitable for an initial piercing by a professional body piercer.

"PUSH PIN" TAIL Suitable for most noses - it just pops through your pierce via a small ball which is a little larger than the shaft. This type of shaft is getting more popular especially if you like to frequently change your jewelery - This style is also great for ears including the tragus (small triangle piece of cartilage at front of ear). The "Pin" is NOT suitable for an initial piercing this is because a) having just done the piercing the jewelry will have to be inserted into the piercing the small ball will stretch the new wound causing it trauma straight away in turn this could cause unwanted swelling leading to a possible infection. b) The fatty tissue on the inside of the nose could easily grow over the end of the tail (small ball) leaving just half a piercing with no exit hole on the inside.

3) Advice on choosing the Gage or shaft thickness: 6mm 23 gage is a thin option. This is generally used if the piercing was done with a gun and thin earring or if the jewelery has been changed to a cheap thin stud making the piercing shrink. 0.8mm or USA 20 gage - This may be easier to insert into your piercing and is generally suitable for most needle pierced noses. 1mm or USA 18 gage - This is the thicker out of the 3 choices being just a 1mm wire. Generally if your nose was pierced with a needle the wire on your stud will be 1mm or 1.2mm making this the correct selection assuming you have not changed your stud or have always replaced it with the same gage. Please note that some of the cheap nose studs sold in markets and cheap jewelry shops are as thin as 0.4. These nose studs have not been designed by professionals and are often made from intolerable metals such as silver or 9ct/10ct gold, even plated gold's have been used. Any professional piercing establishment will not sell these or recommend them as they could harm your piercing, however the BMG 0.6mm is a good safe option to get you out of trouble and allow you to wear an extremely high quality piece. Please print out the nose stud size guide to see for yourself the thickness of choice and size of diamonds. Nose Stud Size & Gage Guide Page - 7 - 4) Choosing The Right Metals: Your guide to the pros and cons of buying gold... In 2002 the European Union restricted the amount of nickel which can be used in the make up of gold. This means that gold body jewelery made particularly in the Far East and the USA often still mix nickel into gold – nickel is an intolerable metal to approx 14% of western ladies and 7 % of western men. Eastern cultures seem to be more tolerant. White gold, even if it is nickel free is usually rhodium plated to make it white the plating contains some nickel. Suitable materials for cheap jewelery are titanium which can be colored via an electrical charge being passed through it. Niobium, PVD coated metals, PTFE and high grade implantation surgical steel which can contain a trace element of nickel. However I want to touch more strongly on the pros and cons of precious metals and imitation precious metals. Plated Gold Generally speaking plated gold products have varying degrees of quality, some work and some don't. So that you are not caught out I can only recommend you avoid them in any piercing. The gold can deteriorate and peel off exposing the raw material underneath. The product can disperse harmful metallic irons and sometimes, adhesive films directly into the blood stream. Silver of any description Pure silver contains harmful alloys and can cause contamination very quickly due to the fact it is extremely corrosive. Silver is also the most heat conductive metal and exposure to extreme heat i.e. the sun or sun-beds can also cause problems. Although a piercing with low blood supply such as an ear lobe may tolerate silver it should never be worn in a nose piercing. I would recommend: Avoid completely and stay away from silver ended products where the silver is touching the piercing itself. Possibly the worst metal to use (in a pure form) for body jewelry

10K or 9K Yellow Gold 10K being the standard for USA gold - 9K being the standard for European gold. This is only 37.5%/40% gold and 62.5%/60% impure alloy. Low gold alloys corrode significantly and release metallic ions directly into the blood stream contaminating the wearer.

Dental gold is regulated by ISO 1562, stipulating specific alloying elements. 9/10-ct gold does not meet this standard and is not considered suitable for implantation. Recent dental research is pointing to low grade gold being responsible for the development of a permanent gold allergy.In Summary: Not quite as bad as Silver but avoid to maintain your general health and the health of your piercing. 14ct Yellow Gold This is 58.5% pure gold and 41.5% alloy. 14Ct gold is considered and proven pure to maintain a healthy piercing especially when (as with BMG products) no nickel is used in the alloys added. BMG 14-ct gold is produced with the hardening properties required to maintain the thread of a banana bar or barbell. I favor this for its purity and hard wearing abilities where the screwing of a ball onto a thread is required or extra strength like holding a tension clamped ball (BCR) is required. I would recommend: A great choice providing the Gold is mixed nickel free. We use a special formula making the gold hard, smooth, durable and pierce friendly. 18ct Yellow Gold This is 75% pure gold and 25% alloy. 18ct is proven pure when produced nickel free. Being softer than 14ct gold it is not appropriate when threaded ends are used. Over a period of time the thread may deteriorate making the securing balls work loose. I would recommend: A great choice for non- threaded jewelry such as nose studs, providing the Gold is mixed nickel free. White 18 carat gold Containing 17.3% nickel or palladium, 5.5% zinc and 2.2% copper is silver in appearance. Nickel is toxic however and its release from nickel white gold is controlled by legislation in Europe. Alternative white gold alloys are available based on palladium, silver and other white metals (World Gold Council), but the palladium alloys are more expensive than those using nickel. High-carat white gold alloys are far more resistant to corrosion. BMG Palladium Unplated 14ct gold This is a very unusual mix of 58.5% pure with a extremely high percentage of the remaining make up being palladium. Palladium is the sister metal of platinum and has a high tolerance for blood spore. The metal is white so unlike normal white gold it does not need plating to bring out the luster. Palladium is also hard and gives the gold additional strength required for both tapped ended products, and tension clamped jewelery It is also a cheaper alternative to platinum for nose studs. Platinum The purest and most elite of all precious metals. A hypoallergenic metal with the lowest risk of allergic reaction. Platinum is used in medicine particularly in the treatment of cancer. I cannot recommend this enough if you can afford the little bit extra. The Nose Piercing Methods with pros and cons. The nose is perhaps one of the most difficult piercings to do correctly and can go wrong. There are probably 3 main ways to pierce a nose. 1) Many noses are pierced with an ear stud using either a gun or pressure system similar to a paper stapler. This method is often quite successful but not recommended for the following reasons. a) the stud is straight and can fall out very easily, meaning the person with the piercing can either loose the stud or is continually putting it in and out from the start which can cause trauma and infection b) the implement used to put it in will have restrictions as it is quite large and often cannot reach the position for a good piercing meaning that the piercing are generally lower than the natural dip c) The sharpened jewelry is basically just forced into the flesh displacing the fibro fatty tissue which can bulk up and case a ring of raised red skin around the jewellery as the skin tries to get back into position but cannot because of the jewelry d) For the same reasons bruising swelling and trauma may occur which in turn increases the likelihood of infection and slows down healing. 2) A hollow needle piercing using a follow through piece of jewelery is another method often used. The needle cuts out a piece of the fatty tissue and replaces it with the jewelry This is a tried and tested good method for the piercing, if performed correctly. 3) The canula method is similar to the above and achieves the same result but the hollow needle is sleeved with a plastic tube so that when the needle is removed the plastic tube remain in place. Then the jewelry is pushed into the plastic tube and the jewelry is put into place. All of the above methods require sterile equipment, and jewelry The piercer should use new rubber disposable gloves changing them each time they touch any object other than the sterile equipment. This is basic procedure to prevent cross contamination. The area needs be be cleaned thoroughly before hand using Isopropronal alcohol or similar to sterilize the outside. It is more important however to sterilize the inside of the nasal cavity before piercing as this is the area which contains the dirty matter filtered from the air. This can be done with a small amount of sterilizing solution on a cotton bud or even better a small amount of iodine can be used.Please also note that "MRSA" commonly known as the "super" bug is an airborne virus commonly found in hospitals especially in the UK. If you are working or visiting a hospital on a regular basis and thinking of getting your nose pieced – think again as you will be at a very high risk of catching the disease. GENERAL

Richard Soper Managing Director Body Matters Gold Ltd or BMG Jewellery