AboutBrian Skellie Expertise I can answer questions in regards to and not limited to: jewelry safety, specifically material, shape, proportion, and related issues; aseptic technique and sterilization as it applies to piercing safety; ethical issues of technique and bedside manner; the aftercare and recovery process for piercings.
Experience
Past/Present clients
Tens of thousands of one on one client experiences. http://www.piercing.org/ Body jewelry design and safety expert: Member ASTM committee F04(www.astm.org)
Member AAMI (www.aami.org)
Research advisor and educator for the APP for over a decade(www.safepiercing.org) teaching advanced studio setup, sterilization and equipment management, freehand piercing, aseptic/sterile technique and much more.
Distributor for SciCan StatIM sterilization and cleaning products. http://www.piercing.org/statim/
Expert: Brian Skellie Date: 6/2/2008 Subject: Nostril stupid nose bone trapped inside! :(
Question Hello,
I feel frustrated and stupid. I have several piercings in my body, and I love them all and have never had major issues.
I have my left nostril pierced 3 years ago. I have always had a screw in it. I was just walking around and this lady convinced me (i'm a stupid) of buying this nose bone type jewelry (the one with an ornament and a small ball at the end). I came home, I took out my cool screw and chenged it.
5 days after, when I wanted to change it back...is stuck!
The inside of my piercing is closed (it looks like a white dot, very thin skin) and it SHRINKED in the outside part. So I can pull the jewerly, but when the ball gets close to the surface it wont come out since it's shrink. I can't cut the ball since is closed also in the inside...it's trapped...
Any ideas?
I call the closer piercing shop (i'm outside my country) and they say they will charge me as a brand new nostril piercing, and not sure what will they be doing?
I have an appointment in 2 days, but I was wondering if there is something I can do?
Thanks, I'm desesperate :(
Marcela
Answer Nose bones are pretty unpleasant when they do this, and they can do this all too easily. We use threadless titanium barbells that have interchangeable snap together pieces for easy removal and reinsertion. Examples of these are at http://piercing.org/shop/ for you if you would like to try to tackle this yourself.
The most likely thing that you will find that a piercer will do is simply push or pull the jewelry out, then pass a guide back through the hole to aid reinsertion of a safe piece. You can do the same with the guide and jewelry I mentioned at the site above. It will probably be uncomfortable, but the jewelry will come out even if the tissue shrinks around it, you just have to pull a bit harder.
