Types of Nose Piercings: Every Placement Explained with Pain, Healing and Jewelry

The main types of nose piercings are the nostril, septum, high nostril, double nostril, bridge, rhino, nasallang, Austin bar, and septril. Nostril and septum piercings are the most common starting points. High nostril, bridge, and rhino are intermediate to advanced placements that require more anatomy-specific assessment and experienced piercers.

Nose piercings span a much wider range of placements than most people realize before they start researching. From a delicate nostril stud to a bold rhino piercing through the tip, each type sits in a completely different location, heals at a different rate, and works with a specific set of jewelry styles. This guide covers every major type of nose piercing so you can make a confident, well-informed choice.

All Types of Nose Piercings at a Glance

Before diving into each placement individually, a side-by-side comparison makes the most important differences immediately clear. The nine types below cover the full range from beginner-friendly to specialist-only, organized by experience level.

The table shows a clear pattern: beginner placements heal faster, offer more jewelry options, and are more forgiving of everyday lifestyle factors. Advanced types require specific anatomy, extended healing commitments, and highly experienced piercers. Most people start with a nostril or septum and expand from there.

Beginner-Friendly Types of Nose Piercings

The beginner tier covers the three placements that work for most anatomies, heal within a manageable timeline, and offer the widest range of jewelry once fully healed.

Nostril Piercing

The nostril is the most common of all nose piercing types globally and for good reason. It sits on the natural crease, either left or right side, at the point where the nostril begins to curve outward. The placement can be adjusted slightly up or down along the crease depending on facial structure, and an experienced piercer will mark the spot and confirm it before proceeding.

Pain rates at 3 to 4 out of 10. Healing takes 4 to 6 months on average, though the internal channel continues maturing for closer to 6 to 12 months. Initial jewelry is typically a flat-back labret stud or a nose screw to minimize movement during healing. Once fully healed, the nostril accepts the widest jewelry range of any nose piercing type: L-shaped pins, nose screws, seamless hoops, hinged rings, and decorative studs all work here.

Septum Piercing

The septum piercing passes through the columella, the thin strip of soft tissue at the base of the nasal septum, rather than through the cartilage itself. This location is often called the sweet spot and is the reason septum piercings heal faster than most other nose piercing types. With good placement and consistent aftercare, initial healing completes in 6 to 8 weeks.

Pain rates at 4 to 5 out of 10. The piercing causes the eyes to water naturally due to nerve proximity, but the sensation passes quickly and is typically described as a reflexive response rather than genuine pain. The most practical feature of the septum type is concealability: a horseshoe barbell or clicker can be flipped up inside the nose when needed, making it invisible from the outside. Jewelry includes horseshoe barbells, septum clickers, seamless rings, and pinchers.

Not everyone has a clearly defined sweet spot, and choosing an inexperienced piercer risks hitting cartilage, which is significantly more painful and slower to heal.

Double Nostril Piercing

The double nostril places two piercings on the same side in a stacked or offset arrangement, or one on each side for a mirrored look. Healing and pain match the single version since the tissue is the same. Both piercings can be done in a single session or across separate appointments depending on personal preference and piercer recommendation.

The stacked same-side variation suits people who want a more layered look without committing to a completely different placement. Matching studs create symmetry; mixing studs and hoops adds visual contrast.

Intermediate Types of Nose Piercings

Intermediate nose piercing types require more specific anatomy, longer healing periods, or greater precision from the piercer. They are not appropriate as first piercings but are well within reach for someone who has successfully healed a beginner placement.

High Nostril Piercing

The high nostril piercing sits above the standard nostril crease, closer to the nasal bridge where the cartilage becomes denser. This is what distinguishes it from a standard nostril: it passes through thicker cartilage rather than the softer tissue of the crease.

Pain rates at 5 to 6 out of 10, and healing takes 6 to 12 months. The most important practical difference is jewelry restriction. Because of the angle and position, hoops cannot be worn at the high nostril placement. Only studs, nose screws, and L-shaped pins work here. High nostrils are often pierced in pairs for visual balance, since a single high nostril on one side can look unintentional without a complementary element on the other.

For the complete detail on nose piercing healing stages and what to expect at each phase, the nose piercing healing guide covers the full timeline from initial swelling to full maturation.

Bridge Piercing

The bridge piercing is a surface piercing placed horizontally across the skin on the nasal bridge, directly between the eyes. Unlike every other type on this list, it does not pass through the nasal cavity or contact cartilage at all. It goes through a thin fold of skin at the top of the nose.

This surface classification has meaningful implications. Surface piercings carry a higher risk of migration and rejection than tissue piercings because the body can treat the jewelry as a foreign object and gradually push it toward the skin surface. Choosing an experienced piercer, using appropriate jewelry, and following strict aftercare significantly reduces this risk.

Pain rates at 4 to 5 out of 10, and initial healing takes 8 to 12 weeks. Jewelry is exclusively surface barbells, either straight or slightly curved depending on anatomy. The bridge creates immediate visual symmetry and frames the eyes in a way no other nose piercing can achieve. For a complete guide specific to this placement, the nose bridge piercing guide covers pain, cost, healing, and jewelry in full detail.

Advanced Types of Nose Piercings

Advanced nose piercing types require specialist piercers with documented experience in these specific placements. They involve significant tissue trauma, extended healing periods, and in some cases, prerequisite piercings. None of these are appropriate as first or second piercings.

Rhino Piercing

The rhino piercing, also called a vertical tip piercing, passes vertically through the tip of the nose. Both ends of the curved barbell are visible, one emerging from the underside of the nose tip and one from the top surface. The result is one of the most dramatic single nose piercings available.

Pain rates at 7 to 8 out of 10, reflecting the significant tissue the needle passes through at the nose tip. Healing takes 9 to 12 months. The jewelry is a curved barbell sized to the specific anatomy of the nose tip. This placement is highly anatomy dependent: sufficient soft tissue at the nose tip is required, and not all facial structures support it safely.

Nasallang Piercing

The nasallang piercing appears to be two separate nostril piercings but is actually a single straight barbell passing through the left nostril, the septum, and the right nostril in one continuous path. This tri-nasal structure gives it immediate bilateral symmetry.

Pain rates at 8 to 9 out of 10 because the needle penetrates three tissue layers in a single pass. The precision required makes piercer selection critical. Healing takes 4 to 6 months. Jewelry is a straight barbell only, sized to span the full width of the nose.

Austin Bar Piercing

The Austin bar piercing is similar in visual concept to the nasallang but passes only through the nose tip horizontally without entering the septum or nasal cavity. It is rare and requires a piercer with specific experience in this placement.

Pain rates at 6 to 7 out of 10, and healing takes 2 to 3 months. Jewelry is a straight barbell. The Austin bar is chosen by people who want the bilateral symmetry of the nasallang without the septum involvement.

Septril Piercing

The septril is the rarest and most complex of all common nose piercing types. It requires a previously stretched septum piercing as a prerequisite, using that existing channel as the entry point. The jewelry passes half-vertically through the bottom of the nose and exits at the nose tip.

Pain rates at 8 to 9 out of 10, and healing takes 12 to 24 months. Because of the prerequisite requirement and the extreme healing commitment, this piercing is appropriate only for experienced piercers and experienced piercees. Jewelry includes curved barbells and small nose bones.

For a broader look at how different nose piercing styles compare and which aesthetic directions each one supports, the different nose piercing styles guide covers the visual and stylistic distinctions in detail.

Which Type of Nose Piercing Is Right for You?

Three questions narrow the decision quickly:

• How much healing can you commit to? Nostril and septum heal within weeks to months. High nostril and bridge take up to a year. Rhino, nasallang, and septril require one to two years of consistent aftercare.
• Do you need to hide it? The septum is the only fully concealable nose piercing type. Nostril piercings can be made less visible with a small flat stud. Bridge, rhino, nasallang, Austin bar, and septril cannot be hidden.
• Is this your first nose piercing? Start with nostril or septum. Move to high nostril or bridge after successfully healing a beginner placement. Reserve advanced types for after significant healing experience and a specialist consultation.

Jewelry and Material Across All Types of Nose Piercings

Different nose piercing types require different jewelry styles, but the material standard applies across all of them. Implant-grade ASTM F-136 titanium and solid 14k or 18k gold are the recommended materials for both initial and healed nose piercings. Nickel-containing metals cause contact dermatitis that can be mistaken for an infection, slow healing, and in some people trigger persistent irritation bumps that resolve only when the reactive material is removed.

For the nostril, standard options are flat-back labret studs, L-shaped pins, nose screws, and hoops once healed. For septum piercings, horseshoe barbells, septum clickers, and seamless rings. For bridge and surface placements, surface barbells only. For rhino, nasallang, Austin bar, and septril, straight or curved barbells sized to the specific anatomy.

The nose piercing jewelry covers studs, hoops, screws, and clickers across all nose piercing placements in multiple materials and sizes. For implant-grade titanium specifically, the titanium nose piercing jewelry includes ASTM F-136 pieces sized for nostril, septum, and bridge placements from initial healing through fully healed upgrades. For a complete breakdown of every nose jewelry style and how each one sits in the piercing, the nose ring jewelry guide covers every style in detail.

Conclusion

The nine nose piercing placements covered here range from the universally accessible nostril and septum to the specialist-only rhino and septril. Choosing the right type comes down to anatomy, healing commitment, concealability needs, and experience level. Starting with a beginner placement and building from there is the most reliable path to a successful nose piercing, regardless of which advanced type you may eventually want.