How to Clean a Nose Piercing Infection

A piercing in the nose is one of the most common body piercings throughout the world. It takes an average of about six months for the piercing to heal, and even after the initial healing period, removing the jewelry for even a short period of time can cause the hole to close quickly. The nose is also a dirty area of the body. The combination of all of these factors allows nose piercings to occasionally get infections. Despite their resemblance to keloid scars or swollen pimples, nose piercing infections are usually easy to manage.

Things You'll Need

• Sea salt
• Warm water
• Antiseptic ointment
• Antiseptic soap

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Instructions

• 1

  Apply a thin layer of antiseptic ointment over the entire outside area of the piercing at night. Never put anything inside of the nose area.

• 2

  Gently clean the piercing in the morning and evening with a mild antiseptic soap.

• 3

  Cut back on smoking if you are a cigarette smoker, as the exhaled smoke through the nostrils will irritate the piercing and infection.

• 4

  Mix sea salts with warm water and soak your infected nostril in the saltwater mix using a small, clean cup (try a medicine dosage cup) for five to 10 minutes at a time at least two to three times per day. This will help both to clean the infection and to heal it quickly. To do this, you can either dip your nose completely in the cup and breathe through your mouth instead, or tip your head to the side, press the cup against your nostril and make sure it is sealed with no air breaks, tip it back again.