Face-ology Health Care

Why Does My Nose Piercing Smell? Causes and Treatment

why does my nose piercing smell

Actually, what you’re smelling is a strong mixture of bacteria, skin oils, and sebum, a substance that your skin naturally secretes. You get what’s known as “piercing funk” in the piercing community when it’s combined with sweat and daily activity. On the jewellery in question, this “funk” will appear as a white crust or paste-like substance for some people.

Do All Nose Rings Smell?

The answer could be taken as a ‘maybe’ here. Nose rings usually smell for many people wearing them. But, nose rings made from certain metals or from different sorts of material might not develop a smell even if you wear them regularly. This condition is mostly administered in nose rings made of silver, gold, etc. It also depends on the way you’re taking care of the ring and the hygiene of your nose. 

Why Does My Nose Ring Smell?

  • Because It’s In Your Nose: The location of nose piercings is one of the main reasons why they can smell so bad. Consider the amount of snot or mucus in your nose every day. You end up with a very odious situation when you add sweat, grime, bacteria, dead skin cells, sebum, and sweat. Fortunately for you, this does not indicate that you are infected. It simply indicates that your piercing is undergoing the normal healing process.
  • Hygiene Practices: If you keep an eye on your cleaning, everything should be fine. Old nose piercings can also release offensive odors. This simply indicates that you don’t clean it enough. It could also indicate that the piercing site has been re-injured and is healing in some way. Follow the same aftercare steps you did for the piercing. The problem should be solved by this.
  • The Material: A “funk” on your piercings is completely normal, just like toe jam or belly button lint develops over time. However, it’s time to see your piercer or another medical professional for a second opinion if you’re experiencing pain, a greenish-yellow rather than pale-white discharge, a bump or ring that forms around your piercing, or a persistent smell that persists even after thorough washing.

It mostly just means that you should take better care of yourself. Piercings ought to be cleaned at least once per day, but not excessively! and not simply with a quick shower rinse. For instance, if you have a piercing that is removable, you should remove your jewelry and gently clean the area around your stretched lobes with mild soap. While the jewelry is out, be sure to thoroughly clean it as well.

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What Causes The Nose Piercing Smell And How To Get Rid Of The Nose Piercing Smell? 

There can be multiple reasons for your nose piercing to be smelling. It can be external reasons or internal reasons including infections or the like. We are going to discuss the major reasons why your nose ring is smelly and thereby provide you with ways to get rid of the same. 

1. What Goes Into Jewelry Matters

While this is true for any piercing/jewelry combination, we’re focusing on plugs because there are typically more options for jewelry composition for this piercing. It is essential to listen to your body and look for indications of what it likes and dislikes in order to properly nourish it.

Because your piercing doesn’t get enough oxygen around your jewelry, your skin and piercings cause piercing funk. Because acrylic, silicone, and metal are not porous, your body will experience this funk as it tries to heal around the piercing. You can still wear these materials even though they aren’t porous! It simply indicates that you should pay a little bit more attention to your hygiene routine in case you experience an excessive amount of this “funk.”

Treatment: The best organic plugs are those made of natural stone, wood, or bone because they are porous—that is, they have tiny, microscopic holes all over their structures and allow oxygen to enter and exit your piercing.

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2. Unreachable Oxygen

Another reason why your nose piercing or your ring stinks could be because the jewelry that you’re wearing does not have enough room for air or oxygen to get into the piercing. This makes it wet with mucus and lack of air and hence the smell. The smell could lead to some bacteria breeding over that area while giving out the pungent smell. If the condition persists, the infection could bloom in the affected area. 

Treatment: to avoid a situation like this one, you can opt for nose rings that are not too heavy or loaded with metal. Also, rings with relatively slimmer piercing parts are better as they allow air to pass through the piercing and don’t let bacteria grow.

why does my nose piercing smell

3. Unhygienic Practices

If you’ve been wondering why your nose piercing has started to smell all of a sudden, one of the major reasons could be your unhygienic habits. You might not be cleaning your nose properly or regularly. When you have a metal worn pierced through your skin, you need to be more careful about hygiene as the hole can develop infection and bacteria at any time. It is possible that you have not taken the ring out in a long time and cleaned the area thoroughly. 

Treatment: all you need to do is to blow your nose regularly if you feel the production of mucus. Also, make sure you take off the ring or pin in a few days and let the piercing be open and uncovered for a few hours or a day or two. You can take this time to clean the jewel as well as the area around your piercing thoroughly. 

FAQs

Why is my nose piercing stinky?

It could be because of a lack of hygiene, an infection, or the jewel that you’ve put in the piercing. 

What is a nose piercing supposed to smell like?

Piercings can sometimes smell like dead tissue, and at other times like sebum and sweat. 

Is it normal for piercings to smell weird?

Sometimes, it is normal for piercings to smell but if the smell persists for a long time, it can be a matter of concern. 

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About Author

Shashank Jain, founder of good-name, a young and energetic entrepreneur has always been fond of technology. His liking for technology made him go for engineering in computers. During his studies, he learned & worked on different computer languages & OS including HBCD, Linux, etc. He also has a keen interest in ethical hacking.

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