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Nose Piercing, is the Bᴏᴅʏ Pɪᴇʀᴄɪɴɢ of the skin or cartilage which forms any part of the Nose, normally for the purpose of wearing jewelry; among the different varieties of Nose Piercings, the Nostril Piercing is the most common.

Nose Piercing is one of the most common varieties of Bᴏᴅʏ Pɪᴇʀᴄɪɴɢ after Ear Piercing.

Nose Piercing is a Body Modification practice often associated with India, Pakistan, Nepal and throughout South Asia.

Nostril Piercing is also part of traditional Australian Aboriginal culture.

Nostril Piercing has in recent decades become popular in the industrialized nations, as have other forms of Bᴏᴅʏ Pɪᴇʀᴄɪɴɢ.

Afterwards, Punks and other subsequent youth cultures in the 1980s and 1990s adopted this sort of Body Modification.

Today, Nose Piercing is popular in the United States Of America, the UK, Canada, the Caribbean, Australia and Europe, with Nose Piercings being performed on either the left or right Nostril.

Both men and women have Nose Piercings, though they are much more common on women.

There are several different types of Nostril Rings.
Among the most popular are The Loop, The Stud (with an L-bar closure), The Stud (with a ball closure) and The Stud (with a flat backing).

* See also: Body Modification, Bᴏᴅʏ Pɪᴇʀᴄɪɴɢ, Ear Piercing and Navel Piercing.

In Genesis 24, Rebekah receives a Gold Nose Ring and two bracelets from the servant sent by Abraham.

Although occasionally seen earlier (the French actress Polaire arrived for her 1913 tour of America wearing a Seed-Pearl Ring in her left Nostril) it's only been in the last two decades that Nose Piercing has gained a mainstream popularity in Western culture.

Presently, it is the second most-popular Bᴏᴅʏ Pɪᴇʀᴄɪɴɢ desired by teens and young adults.

In 2007, a study by career publisher, Vault.com, surveyed nearly 500 employees from across the United States and 87% believed having piercings or tattoos would not reduce their chance of being hired.
Respondents explained:

"Regardless of who the real person may be, the stereotypes associated with piercings and tattoos are changing. In general, individuals with tattoos and Body Piercings are not being looked down upon as did in previous generations".

"I see more and more people with Body Piercings in business and everyday work settings. It's just a different generation", says another employer.

Another study was held by a Group of 20 sociology majors at Columbia University in 2001.
They surveyed 100 New Yorkers looking for a job, 50 with Nostril/Cartilage Piercings and 50 with Eyebrow/Tongue Piercings. It was said that the 50 with Nostril and Cartilage Piercings received jobs that those with Eyebrow and Tongue Piercings could not.

"Many people are used to the Nose Piercings, it is seen as a cultural icon in the Indian and African Communities", says student Jaleel Sanchez.
"Many people with Facial Piercings are seen as 'rougher' or 'less educated' and these stereotypes are hurting many people looking for work", said Professor F. Holloway.

Nose Piercing is considered more acceptable than Eyebrow or Tongue Piercings.
Eyebrow Piercings were created during the 1980s during what most teens considered the Punk Rock era and are since associated with emotional behavior and Heavy Metal music. When Nose Rings are more seen with Indians, and more professional people such as doctors, teachers, lawyers and many political figures.

"I personally do not judge my students or colleagues depending on their Facial Piercings. I would say 25% of the faculty here have Nose or Cartilage pierced. But, there are probably more at NYU or other liberal arts universities", says Holloway.

Nostril Piercing is a Bᴏᴅʏ Pɪᴇʀᴄɪɴɢ practice often associated with India, Pakistan, Nepal and throughout South Asia.

Nostril Piercing is also part of traditional Australian Aboriginal culture.

Nostril Piercing has in recent decades become popular in the industrialized Nations, as have other forms of Bᴏᴅʏ Pɪᴇʀᴄɪɴɢ. Afterwards, Punks and subsequent youth cultures in the 1980s and 1990s adopted this sort of Body Modification. Today, Nostril Piercing is popular in the US, the UK, Canada, the Caribbean, Australia and Europe, with Nostril Piercings being performed on either the left or right Nostril.

Both men and women have Nostril Piercings, though they are much more common on women.

There are several different types of Nostril Rings.
Among the most popular are The Loop, The Stud (with an L-bar closure), The Stud (with a ball closure) and The Stud (with a flat backing).

In India, the outside of the left Nostril is the preferred position of the Nostril Piercing as this is supposed to make childbirth easier. This is because Ayurvedic medicine associates this location with the female reproductive organs. In India, Nostril Piercings were regarded as a mark of beauty and social standing as well as a Hindu's Honor to Parvati, the goddess of marriage, a practice dating to the 16th century.

Nose Piercing is still popular in India.
They are often part of Indian wedding jewelry.

In Maharastra, women wear very large Nose pieces that often cover the mouth or the side of the face.

It is common for Pashtun and Pahari women to have both Nostrils pierced.

Many South Indian Tamil also follow this tradition.
The tradition follows that the woman has her Nose Rings to pay for her funeral if she has all of the Gold taken from her. Nose Rings or Gold studs cannot be easily removed from the woman.

Many women from the Asian subcontinent are cremated with just their Nose studs as jewelry is removed before the funeral.

Indian widows usually remove their Nose studs as a sign of Respect.

Septum Piercings are less common than Nostril Piercings.

The Nasal Septum is the Cartilaginous dividing wall between the Nostrils. Generally, the Cartilage itself is not pierced, but rather the small gap between the Cartilage and the bottom of the Nose (sometimes called the, "sweet spot") typically at 14gauge (1.6mm), although it is often stretched to a larger gauge.

The Nose has many nerves running through it and as a result, Nose Piercings can be painful, although it varies by individual.

Nose Piercings heals within a month and a half to three months, also depending on the individual.
It should only be stretched by 1mm at a time and it is advised to wait at least a month between stretches. If you go past a certain point, usually about 8mm, the cartilage gets forced towards the top of the Nose, which can be uncomfortable.

There are many types of jewelry generally worn in a Septum Piercing including:
Captive Bead Rings (CBRs), rings that close with a bead held in the center by the tension of the ring, circular barbell (as shown in the picture above), a circular bar with a bead that screws on to either end, a "tusk" which is a straight or shaped piece of material which is generally tapered on either end, or pinchers.

For large gauge Septum Piercings, many choose to wear plugs, as they do not weigh their Nose down, which is helpful in the healing process. This allows for the Nose Piercing not to be damaged by the sudden movement of the jewelry.

Bengali women traditionally would wear the "Nathori" as a sign of being a married woman.
The Nathori would be Gold with a tear drop that would move along the Noes Ring. This is now declining as many women prefer the Nose Studs.

Another option is a Septum Retainer, which is staple shaped.
This type of Nose Piercing is particularly easy to hide when desired (for example, to comply with a dress code). A Septum Retainer makes it possible to turn the jewelry up into the Nose, thus concealing it. With black jewelry flipped-up into the Nostrils, this Nose Piercing can be made practically invisible.
A circular barbell can also be hidden by pushing it to the back in to your Nose, but it may be uncomfortable.

Septum Piercing was a popular trend among South Indian dancers (Kuchipudi, Bharatnatyam) and among certain Native American peoples in history; the Shawnee leaders, Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa, for example, had such Nose Piercings. The Septum Piercing is popular in rural areas of India, Nepal and Bangladesh. In India it is called the "Nathori" and popular with the Banjara ethnic Groups and Adivasi Tribes.

Lord Krishna and his consort Radharani are often depicted wearing the "Nathori" style jeweled Nose Piercings.

Bridge Piercings are inserted through the small flap of skin at the top of the Nose, between the eyes, though never through the bone.

Curved barbells and straight barbells are the most commonly used in this Nose Piercing, while seamless rings are less common.

However, Bridge Piercings generally have a high rate of rejection, and thus are less common than any other Nose Piercing.