What You Should Know About Bridge Piercing: From Pain Level To Aftercare Tips

If you are thinking of getting a bridge piercing, then you can rest assured that it will never go unnoticed. This eye catching facial piercings style sits right at your eyes, thus making them stand out even more. Besides, it heals relatively fast and does not hurt too much. While you may think that it is limited in jewelry, this is not even closely true. There are many various styles to match any taste, from a feminine bridge piercing barbell to a daring nose bridge chain piercing. If you want to learn more about it, our guide is here to enlighten you.

Bridge Piercing. What Is It?

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So, what is a bridge piercing? This is the kind of horizontal face piercing where you get the bridge of your nose pierced. The nose bridge piercing has another name, the Erl piercing. The most common location of nose bridge piercing jewelry is, you guessed it, through your nose bridge, hence the name. If you are not sure where it is, this is the part of the nose at your eye level. It is typically the thinnest one.

Although the nose bridge piercing looks as if it penetrates the bone, this is far from reality. The skin that covers your nose bridge is actually pretty thin, so puncturing it does not hurt that much. That is why for the bridge nose piercing, the holes should be made in the skin, not the bone.

 

Types A Bridge Piercing

The bridge of nose piercing can be worn in several ways. Below, we have put together the most popular ones:

• Horizontal: The most common way to wear the bridge piercing is horizontal. As the beads are located at an equal distance from your eyes, the piercing looks reflected and well balanced.

• Vertical: In contrast to horizontal, vertical piercing threads your skin from the middle of your eyes to the nose beneath the bridge.

• Double Bridge Piercing: Some individuals opt for two separate bridge piercings, placed parallel to each other. This creates a symmetrical look and allows for creative jewelry arrangements.

• Level with the eyebrow piercing: It is a good idea to complement your eyebrow piercing with the horizontal one. Yet, place them on the same level for a more impactful look.

 

The Piercing Process

A seemingly simple bridge piercing process relies on a few critical steps that ensure that you end up with a safe and satisfactory result. Let's follow this process step-by-step so that you know what to expect:

Consultation: Before you proceed with an actual piercing, you must discuss any specific anatomical features, potential needs, and preferences with the artists. A dedicated expert will provide all the necessary information on what to be aware of when it comes to precise bridge piercing procedures.

Cleaning: The area to be pierced must be thoroughly sterilized before the process. The professional will use a special antiseptic solution to succeed with the goal and minimize the risk of infection.

Marking: Even though you may have a precise placement of your piercing etched on your mind, the piercer will mark the placement with a surgical pen so that you can visualize the actual placement and agree or alter it according to your taste.

Equipment: The artist should wear sterile gloves and use sanitized tools to proceed with the procedure. Usually, these tools include a hollow needle, forceps, and a receiving tube.

Piercing: Present-day piercers use a single-use hollow needle to pierce your skin. The receiving tube is used to guide the needle so that there's no risk of excess tissue damage.

Jewelry insertion: The piercer will insert the chosen jewelry into the hole right after the needle is out. Usually, a small straight barbell is used for the purpose. You can experiment with the jewelry after your piercing heals properly.

Final inspection: A devout piercer's last step is to check if the placement is correct and if the jewelry is secure. After that, the expert will tell you how to look after your new piercing and highlight potential risks to keep an open eye for.

All in all, there's nothing extraordinary about the bridge piercing as long as it is carried out by a trained professional with sterile equipment at hand. If you think about getting your nose bridge pierced, you should start with the studio research and proceed with the actual process when you find a reliable place to get it done at.

How Much Does A Bridge Piercing Cost?

 

How much is a bridge piercing depends on several factors, such as the jewelry cost and the price list of a specific salon. On average, it varies between $40 and $90. But this is not the procedure you should skimp on. If the piercer does not do everything right, you may have to deal with the bridge piercing rejection. So, make sure to find an experienced piercer and reputable salon. You may either browse the internet for reviews or use the word of mouth, asking your friends for recommendations.

Bridge Piercing Jewelry

The most popular bridge piercing jewelry is a barbell and there is a good reason behind this. Because it is symmetrical and features beads on each end, the jewelry sits on your nose bridge snugly without losing balance.

Although many people opt for barbells that are straight, this is not the only and often not the best option. The thing is since our nose bone has a curved shape, if you insert a straight barbell, the skin can get irritated and tight. So, it is better to choose curved shaped jewelry, especially for initial piercing.

Bridge Piercing Pain Level

Obviously, it is not always possible to say exactly how much it is going to hurt, since everyone has an individual level of pain threshold. Yet, as a rule of thumb, bridge piercing pain is considered quite moderate, as you only get your skin pierced, without incorporating cartilage tissue. The skin on your nose bridge is going to be clamped with a special tool and punctured with a needle afterward. So, it will feel more or less the same as the ear cartilage piercing. The clamped skin may even bother you slightly more than the pinch itself.

Healing Period

Since only a small part of your skin is involved, bridge piercing healing takes less time compared to the majority of nose piercing types. You can expect it to heal in 8-12 weeks. During this period, you should not remove the nose piercing jewelry and follow the aftercare tips that your piercer should have instructed you with. Even if it looks as if the piercing has healed earlier than expected, this may only be the outside tissue, whereas, from the inside, it will still be unhealed. Hence, patience is key if you want the best result.

Aftercare Rules

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Bridge nose piercing aftercare does not differ much from other face piercings. You should keep in mind that consistency and diligence are essential in this case. Besides, if you take care of it properly, it almost guarantees that you will not end up with an infected bridge piercing or get a bridge piercing scar as a result. So, make sure to stick to these rules:

1. Every time you know you will be touching your bridge, you should start with clean hands. Yet, avoid touching it without the need and do not play with the bridge piercing jewelry.
2. Cleanse the pierced spot with a saline solution every day. You can use a piece of gauze for this, soaked in the solution beforehand, or by simply spritzing it from a spray bottle.
3. Provided the piercing artist approves it, the bridge of nose piercing can be washed using gentle soaps. It should be rinsed well so that there is no residue left.
4. Use paper towels to absorb excess water.
5. Change your pillowcases regularly to make sure they are clean.
6. Keep your pierced site away from public water places, such as the ocean, the lake and even the swimming pool.
7. Avoid damaging the bridge piercing with glasses, hair brush or clothes.
8. Wait for your piercing to heal completely before removing it.

A bridge piercing is another great way of self expression through the facial piercing. As it is exactly between your eyes, it allows you to draw extra attention to them. You can start with a small bridge piercing if you are unsure whether it is going to work for you or even a fake bridge piercing, upgrading it to a double bridge piercing or another bold style after a while. Our guide should have provided you with decent insight into the topic.

Bridge Piercing Infection

If you have some of the following symptoms, it may mean that you have introduced infection to your bridge piercing. So, you know that you have an infected bridge piercing if it is:

• Sore and tender.
• Overly red.
• Oozing with blood for a long time.
• Emitting green or yellow pus.
• Changing the color of the skin surrounding the bridge piercing.
• Getting hot in the pierced area.

To treat the infection, you need to take several essential steps, namely:

1. Clean the infected piercing area using a saline solution and remove the pus, debris, dirt, dead skin and other discharge from.
2. Use heat on the wound to encourage your body to respond with increased circulation.
3. Take antibiotics if needed and prescribed by the
4. If the doctor asks you to take out the nose bridge piercing jewelry so that the wound could heal, you should explain to them that it works like drainage. Removing the piercing before the infection drain may cause an abscess as a result of closing the
5. In case the skin in the pierced area is hard, dark and swollen, you are most likely dealing with an abscess. If it is too serious, the doctor may even insist on permanent removal of the jewelry and surgical excision of the infected.

Bridge Piercing Jewelry Cleaning

Being done with the procedure does not mean that you are all set for the life. You must clean your piercing jewelry to avoid the risk of infection and make sure that it heals properly. There are a few tips to help you ensure that:

Gather the necessary supplies: You should use only non-alcoholic solutions such as saline wound wash to proceed with the process. Use disposable applicators or cotton swabs to apply the solution.

Cleaning process:

• Wash your hands with soap.
• Soak the cotton swab with the solution. In case you are using a home-made remedy, you should combine a ¼ of a teaspoon of non-iodized sales and a cup of warm water. Make sure that the salt is well-diluted before applying the solution to the wound.
• Start cleaning around the jewelry and pay attention to the entry and exit points of your piercing. Make sure you are as gentle as possible.
• Rotate the jewelry gently while cleaning the piercing. However, keep your piercer's primary advice in mind. If they haven't suggested such a rotation, you shouldn't try it on your own.
• Should you notice any crusties or discharge around the jewelry, you should moisturize them at first so that they are easy to remove. Don't try to scratch at the dried lymph or pick it forcefully so as not to traumatize your bridge piercing.
• When you are through with the cleaning, you should pat the area around your piercing dry. You can use a disposable tissue for the purpose. It is unadvised to use your regular towels since they usually harbor bacteria.
• The best frequency for such cleaning sessions is twice a day. When your piercing starts to heal, you can reduce it to once a day.
• Keep away from any harsh cleaning products, including but not limited to hydrogen peroxide and alcohol-based solutions.
• Make sure you don't over-rotate your piercing since it may affect the healing process negatively due to the ongoing tissue irritation.

These are just the basic tips to stick to after getting your nose pierced. However, you shouldn't skip on any advice given by your piercer in the first place.

REFERENCES:

• A bridge piercing is a facial piercing through the skin on the bridge of the nose... Source
• Considering a Bridge Piercing? Here’s What to Know Source