It’s the facial piercing guaranteed to get a rise from old school parents – you know, ‘Is that a bull ring?’ and other such quips – but the septum nose piercing is this year's hottest piercing trend. Bonafide proof comes in the form of Rihanna (always) who has been gadding about New York this week in a very fetching bubblegum pink satin lace-trim camisole, with a septum piercing.
Whilst the trend isn’t new new (the enduringly cool and hard to emulate Zoe Kravitz has been rocking one since her pre-Fassbender days) Rihanna’s is apparently a sign that the septum piercing is becoming less polarising – and more mainstream. ‘We’ve done 30% more septum piercings this year than in 2013,’ says Clem, the manager of the Metamorphosis piercing salon at Topshop’s Oxford Circus flagship store. ‘What happens in the media definitely impacts piercing trends,’ he explains, citing Naomi Campbell’s belly button piercing – done at the bottom of her belly button, rather than the top – and Janet Jackson’s nipple piercing in nipplegate as two celebrity piercings which led to trends. ‘Girls always come in with a picture of a celebrity, so I am sure we will see more demand for them now Rihanna has got her’s done.’
READ MORE: Septum Piercings: Everything You Need To Know About The Piercing of 2016
Getting your septum pierced makes us pretty squeamish – it’s the most painful part of your nose to get a pimple, after all – but Clem actually assures us that, as nose piercings go, it’s the least high maintenance of all. ‘It’s a really good piercing to get as you can easily hide it. You can take it out for work and put a small instrument in to keep it open and no-one can see. It also won’t leave a mark if you want to remove it. It’s super fast healing, too.’
And what about the pain? It’s a thick piece of cartilage that divides your nostrils, right? Not so. ‘If you feel a bit behind that piece of cartilage between your nostrils [go on, do it], you'll feel a thin bit of webbing. That’s where you get the septum ring. So it’s less painful than the rest of your nose – although it’s still gonna hurt!’
Convinced you, yet?
Maybe these will convince you further
1. Sailor Moon
This crescent moon septum ring is full of "cosmic love" as much as that Florence and the Machine track, £22.00. It comes with a sterling silver ring, mini planets and a shining silver crescent moon. You also have the option to select an internal diameter (the space vertically inside of the finished ring) between 6mm to 12mm, and the gauge between 14g to 18g. Plus, this can also be worn as a helix, navel, nipple or lobe piercings.
2. Like a Love Song
Inspired by cute candy hearts and mushy love songs, this rose gold heart comes with sterling silver ring to warm the hearts of others, £45.00. There is selection of gauge between 14g to 18g, and diameter between 6mm to 12mm. You can also choose to wear this for either a helix, navel, nipple or lobe piercings.
3. The Fault in Our Stars
Be a superstar with this tribal-star inspired septum ring, £8.98. This sterling silver septum ring measures at 1.2mm, 16g with 13mm ring diameter. It also comes with a mini non-toxic polishing cloth to help you keep your jewellery clean and shiny.
4. Gold Medal
Keeping septum rings classic with another tribal-inspired one. This gold ornate Indian septum ring is also available in silver, and is measured at 16g, with an inside diameter of 8mm in width. This should definitely be in your collection of septum rings.
5. The New Classic
This multi-coloured titanium septum ring comes with a hinge, which makes it effortless to put on, £5.85. It opens at a hinge and clicks back into place without any fuss. It measures at 16g and is available in 2 diameters, 8mm and 10mm. It can also be used for a helix, tragus, rook and lip piercing. Ditch the basic for this new classic!
Now, are you even more convinced?
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Pictures: Corbis, Getty
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.