What Goes In First
Most new septum piercings start with an implant-grade titanium circular barbell or horseshoe, chosen for its simple shape and secure fit while the initial swelling settles. Depending on your needs, a septum retainer can sometimes be an option for the healing period too — a piercer will help you decide which makes more sense during your consultation. Not sure your anatomy supports a septum piercing comfortably? Our septum anatomy guide walks through what a piercer checks first.
Horseshoes vs. Clickers vs. Retainers
Horseshoe / Circular Barbell
The standard starting style, with removable beads on either end and a simple curved shape that's comfortable during healing.
Septum Retainers
A discreet, U-shaped piece that flips up and tucks into the nostrils, useful for work settings that require jewelry to be out of sight.
Clickers
A popular upgrade once healed, clickers offer decorative front-facing designs with the ease of a hinged closure for easy changes.
Segment Rings
A seamless-looking circular option some people choose once fully healed, offering a clean, minimal look.
Once you're fully healed, our septum piercing healing timeline can help you gauge when you're ready to consider a style change, and our guide on flipping your septum jewelry up covers how to do it once healed.
Why Material Matters
Implant-grade titanium is the standard we use for every septum piercing and every jewelry upgrade. It's biocompatible and highly resistant to the kind of irritation that lower-grade metals — anything with nickel content, for example — can cause in soft tissue. Gold-plated or costume jewelry might look similar at a glance, but the coating wears down over time and can expose the base metal underneath, which isn't worth the risk in a piercing that's still healing or newly upgraded.
When to Upgrade Your Jewelry
Wait until your septum piercing is fully healed before swapping jewelry — that's typically 6 to 8 weeks for a professional change, and around 3 months if you're changing it yourself. Changing too early is one of the more common reasons a healed-looking septum ends up irritated again. When you're ready, our jewelry change service ensures your new piece is properly sized and inserted correctly.
Getting the Sizing Right
Because nose anatomy is so individual, the most reliable way to find the right jewelry size is an in-person fitting. A piercer measures your specific placement and nose shape before recommending a piece — which is a big part of why guessing based on generic size charts online tends to backfire.
Ready to Choose Your Jewelry?
Whether you're booking a new septum piercing or upgrading a healed one, we're happy to walk you through the options in person. Browse our full jewelry collection or stop by to see pieces in person before you decide.