There are plenty of ways to pierce a nose. The common options have seen many people opt for nostril piercings that are bedazzled with rings and encrusted studs, and then there's the septum piercing – the edgy piercing that's got (or has had) the backing of Florence Pugh, Gigi Hadid and Rihanna to name a few. It's what's become the alternative piercing option that went mainstream thanks to its cool, easy to flaunt and equally easy to hide nature. But if you're looking for something entirely different, allow us to introduce you to the bridge piercing. If we've peaked your interest, read on to learn everything you need to know about this niche piercing.
What is a bridge piercing?
If there's one piercing that is still harder to come by than most, it's this. Bridge piercings are located across the bridge of the nose and usually placed at the site of the narrowest part between the eyes. Also known as an Erl (after Erl Van Aken, the first person to have a body modification in this location), it features a horizontal bar and, due to the low volume of flesh in the area, it is considered a surface piercing.
How are bridge piercings performed?
After a through check of the area and your suitability with the piercings, a professional piercer will mark the area and use a gauge needle to pushed through the bridge of the nose, followed by the curved barbell jewellery. While creating the puncture, the piercer will pinch the skin on the bridge of the nose to make sure they are inserting the needle deep enough to reduce the risk of rejection and migration.
Pain, Healing and Aftercare
We all have different pain thresholds so no two people will ever truly feel the same way about a single piercing. Having said that, since the bridge piercing is pierced through tissue rather than cartilage or an area with many nerves, it's safe to claim it may not be as painful as other piercings like the snug piercingor nipple piercings.
As for healing, you can expect bridge pericngs to take around 3-4 months to fully heal but the healing time varies from person to person. If your aftercare is top notch you'll have a far more speedy healing process. It is also worth nothing that with any surface piercings like this one there is a higher chance of the piercing being rejected, so look out for telltale sign, and if it does reject or mitigate contact your piercer as soon as possible.
Avoid knocking or putting excessive pressure on the area which will slow the healing process, this means be mindful of glasses, sunglasses and even the skincare and make-up products you use. The aim is to limit potential irritation and infections, and this can be done by gently cleaning the area twice a day with saline solution sprays, salt water solution or tea tree oil and cotton wool.
Cost of bridge piercing
This will depend which studio you are visiting and where it's based in the UK, but generally speaking you can expect to pay around £35-£40 for a bridge piercing.
What type of bridge piercing jewellery is best?
Always opt for a curved barbell as a straight barbell will cause tension on the edges of the fistula, which may cause migration. As for jewellery material, opt for quality metals like titanium (which is hypoallergenic) or gold.
Main image: @camila_cabello and @patrickta