For many of you over 20, your world does not revolve around the doings of Miley Cyrus, aka Hannah Montana. She is the most influential person in the world for females less than 20. Recently, she decided to have a nasal piercing. Not suprisingly, more young females are requesting and opting for this piercing. But what are the implications.
Nose piercing is often associated with the country of India. In Ayurvedic medicine, a piercing placed on the right side is supposed to impose health with female reproductive organs. In Hindu, it honors the goddess of marriage and is considered a mark of beauty.
Typically the piercing occurs through the outside portion of the nose along the nostril. The main risk of a piercing is infection from use of unsterile technique. In addition, the piercing acts as a way for the inside and outside portion of the nose to communicate and can actually destroy the support of the nose which is called cartilage. Some people will actually pierce the septum with a bull piercing. This places the piercing through either the membranous or cartilage portion of the nose. Finally, other people place a piercing throught the bridge of the nose.
Questions about Piercings and the Nose
Q – Can you have a rhinoplasty with a piercing in place?
Generally speaking, you must remove the nasal piercing. There is fear that the piercing may close up after rhinoplasty.
Q – Can you have the piercing replaced after rhinoplasty?
This needs to be done with the surgeon’s guidance. In some rhnoplasty procedures, cartilage grafts are placed in the nose for aesthetic and functional purposes. If the piercing goes through this graft it may create an infection, loss of support from trauma to the graft and introduce an infection to other parts of the nose.
Q – Are their risks for piercings in an unoperated nose?
Yes. If the piercing is placed through cartilage of the nose, this portion of cartilage will necrose or die. There is also the risk of infection with a piercing. It is not too uncommon to see a permanent defect after placement of a piercing.