A lot of us with nose piercings will jump around a bit, try a few different styles, and ultimately pick one or two go-to nose rings that fit well without very much difficulty... But what happens when you find a bunch of nose rings you like and most of them just plain don’t fit?
If you know your gauge size and the style you prefer but still find your nose jewelry sticking up or sticking out, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty. Every nose is different (and every piercing will be a little bit different too), so here’s a few common nose jewelry pitfalls. Trust us, most of them can be fixed!
Q: Instead of laying flat against my nose, why does my nose ring stick up leaving a gap?
A: If the actual gem or decorative portion that’s visible sticks up, you need to look at the "rise" of your jewelry. Rise is the length of the portion between the base of your nose ring’s gem and the curve.
Many common nose screws or L-shapes have a rise of 6 or 7 millimeters. For those with slightly thinner nostrils, a 5mm rise might be needed for a proper fit, so look for an item with that smaller measurement.
Q: Why does the corkscrew part of my nose screw stick out at the bottom of my nostril?
A: If this happens, it could mean you either have a slightly smaller nose than average, or that your piercing lays slightly farther down your nostril. Neither of these are a bad thing, but they can make wearing screw style jewelry a little more difficult. If switching to a nose bone style item is comfortable, that can be a quick and easy fix. For those who would prefer to stick to screws, trying an item with a less pronounced curve or one that doesn’t make a full revolution may solve the issue.
Q: I want to wear a nose hoop but my piercing is a little higher on my nostril. How can I get a hoop that will fit without looking over-sized?
A: If regular hoops don’t seem to be quite big enough, but larger universal circulars stick out too much, a good fix is getting a custom bend. In this case, you can purchase a type of extra long and straight nose ring called a fishtail, and take it to your piercer to get a hoop custom bent for your unique nose.
Other nose ring questions? Ask us in the comments!
