I Tried It: Double Nose Piercing (2024)

Septum piercings were having a moment, but that moment may have passed. Where do we go from there in the piercing world? The double nose piercing, of course. A double nose piercing is any combination of two piercings in the nose. It can be two nostril piercings, either on the same side or the opposite side if you're obsessed with symmetry. Or it could be a nostril and septum piercing.

If you remember, I got my septum pierced last year and it was great fun. I thought, "Why not add to this?" and figured a second hole in my nose wouldn'thurt (okay, maybe literally it will). I decided to get a nostril piercing on my left side one morning, and by the afternoon I was at the piercing shop picking out jewelry. The piercer also had double nose piercings, one on each side of his nose. And the jewelry he carried was beautiful, a lot of Venus by Maria Tash pieces,which is a great brand for high-end body jewelry.

I chose a simple white gold stud to go with the white gold ring in my septum. I figured having two rings in my nose would be overkill—at least in the nostril/septum combination. This is actually the trick with more than one piercing in the same area. You have to keep it simple. Small studs are perfect, allowing more piercing on the same side without it looking overwhelming. Another option for two nostril piercings is two small, tight rings on the same side. The key is they have to be snug in diameter, or the look won't work. I also like the combination of one stud and one ring on the same side, with the stud just above the ring. If you're more into a symmetrical look, the way to go is with a stud on each side. But make sure your piercer does a good job of placement. You don't want things to look asymmetrical.

My piercer cleaned the area thoroughly, as he should. Hemarked where he thought I should get the second piercing and asked me to confirm if this worked for me. He said he chose the spot based on my facial features, the shape of my nose and location of some other piercings in my left ear. I thought it looked beautiful and told him to go for it. He also asked if I would ever switch the jewelry out to a hoop. I told him it was a possibility and he explained that there are two types of needles used for nostril piercings. One is straight, and made for studs only. The other is curved and could accommodate both studs and hoops. Obviously, I wanted the more versatile of the two, so I decided to go with the curved needle.

On the pain scale, this was about a six—only my left eye watered when I got the piercing. Cleaning it with saline as it healed was also pretty simple, especially compared with some of the other piercings I've gotten in the past (like the dreaded daith). The overall look was very "tasteful," as a friend commented. Again, I think the key is to keep the jewelry simple and complimentary and the whole thing will flow together. I think my second nose piercing is actually my favorite yet and it adds a more interesting dimension to my septum ring.