Nose Piercings

I’ve been scanning the Cannes 2013 images and can’t get enough of Sonam Kapoor and her gorgeous nose ring. Let’s face it, the girl is drop-dead gorgeous and really knows how to make heads turn. But this time round it was her nose that was doing all the talking. Her ‘jacket-sari’ was a demure ivory white and this went beautifully with all the drama that her nose ring caused. It might have looked tacky on any other outfit, but Sonam paired the piercing with the right attire and carried it off with grace (I also loved her feline eyeliner!).

Nose piercings have been around for centuries, and have steadily gained more nods from mainstream fashion over the past decade. It is safe to say nose piercings originated from the Indian subcontinent. They were a part of a religious ritual where young girls entering puberty got their noses pierced. It was also believed that piercing the left nostril increased a woman’s fertility and helped in childbirth.

There are many other myths associated with nose piercing. In Mughal India the story goes that a certain promiscuous young prince used to pick up young virgins for his sexual rendezvous’. He would not only take their virginity, but their nose rings as well and in time he had a collection of these to boast of.

Nose rings, or ‘nath’ as they are called in India, have been a part of Indian tradition for centuries. Brides of India still wear fancy nose rings on their special day.

Nose rings have now become a part of mainstream fashion dispelled of myths and traditions. Many celebrities sport nose piercings, either as a stud or a ring.

Alyssa Milano

Miley Cyrus

Pink

Sonakshi Sinha

Kareena Kapoor in '3 Idiots'

A nose stud is very similar to an ear stud, but the post is much thinner and it has no closing. Instead the end is hooked and you can adjust the bend according to your nose curvature.

A nose ring is much the same but the ring curves all the way round.

It can be quite challenging finding a nose ring that fits your nose given everybody’s nose curves differently. I looked all over for one but always ended up with ones that looked oddly larger than my nose, or wouldn’t fit into the nostril at all. I finally got a jeweler to make me a very fine 22 carat gold wire which I put through my piercing, and as gold is soft and malleable, I pinched it into shape and trimmed off the excess wire. Here’s a pic of my nose ring (sorry it’s not a great click, I just took it with my phone):

Are you still contemplating on getting your nose pierced? A nose ring can accentuate your look. Your nose is one of your most prominent facial features, and a little drama there can be very alluring. You can go for the classic sparkle of a tiny diamond stud, or add a touch of rebellious boho glam with a bold nose ring. Getting a nose piercing is not like getting a tattoo. If you don’t like the look, you can take it off at any stage and it will heal up with hardly any scarring in no time.

Once you do get your piercing done, have patience and let it heal completely before you decide to change your stud. Hygiene is extremely important as piercings of any kind can get easily infected. When I got mine, I went camping a few days later and ended up with an infection that swelled up into a hideous boil. A friend recommended I put salt (the regular kind you sprinkle on your chippies) on the infection, and it worked like a charm. The swelling went down within two days and I have no scars at all.

I got my nose pierced at a tattoo parlor in New Zealand. The lady used a shotgun and I didn’t feel a thing. I was told to rotate the stud from time to time to let it heal evenly.

A friend of mine got hers done in India in the traditional wire way. Her nose was directly pierced with a gold wire and the wire was left in her nose as a nose ring till it healed. She said it was painful, but she had no infections (this is the same friend who recommended the salt bath for my infection).

I still get many compliments on my nose ring. I personally prefer tiny studs or the very thin nose ring I am wearing right now. It’s subtle and goes with everything I wear. But I would love to try a Sonam inspired style sometime soon… for a special, planned out occasion ofcourse!

-          Big Sis.