So just yesterday, I got my septum pierced (YAY! Everyone seems to be doing this lately...)

The actual piercing was a breeze, but it's been bothering me now. I've been doing twice-daily 5-10 minute sea salt soaks just like my piercer told me, but a lot of the time this leaves my septum stinging like crazy. Also, every so often the skin inside my nose feels really dry. It isn't actually dry, as I've looked up there with a mirror, but the skin feels taut.

Oh, and although my septum didn't bleed when it was pierced, when I swab around the piercing with a Q-tip dipped in sea salt to get rid of any crusties or whatnot, there is occaisonally a bit of blood on the Q-tip.

Is all of this normal? (sorry for so many questions, I'm a piercing newbie, I only have stretched lobes that were initally pierced when I was 2 XD) 

 how much salt and water are you using?

 it could be because there is too much salt in the wate, a good rule I learnt is it should be as salty as your tears :)

 And the tightness might be the salt left over and drying, make sure to rinse out your nose after your sea salt soak with some clean water so it doesn't dry onto your skin.

 And blood for the first couple of days is normal if its just a little on the q-tip.

quinnn:

 how much salt and water are you using?

Around 1 teaspoon per 8 oz of water (which is what was suggested to me by the piercer) 

Aerodynamic:

 it could be because there is too much salt in the wate, a good rule I learnt is it should be as salty as your tears :)

 And the tightness might be the salt left over and drying, make sure to rinse out your nose after your sea salt soak with some clean water so it doesn't dry onto your skin.

 And blood for the first couple of days is normal if its just a little on the q-tip.

 

 

 I do rinse out my nose after, it generally starts stinging after this. I'm starting to think it might be that water went too far up my nose. :P

Cosmic Surgery:

Around 1 teaspoon per 8 oz of water (which is what was suggested to me by the piercer) 

Wow, that explains the stinging.  You should generally use 1/4 MAYBE 1/2 tsp sea salt per 8oz water.

katy:

Cosmic Surgery:

Around 1 teaspoon per 8 oz of water (which is what was suggested to me by the piercer) 

Wow, that explains the stinging.  You should generally use 1/4 MAYBE 1/2 tsp sea salt per 8oz water.

Well, the aftercare card DOES say one teaspoon or less. I guess I just need less. :P

Thanks though. 

 1/4tsp salt in 8oz water.  1/2tsp is way too much salt. 

hopefully you didn't do any permanent damage.

 I use about 1/8 tsp per cup of water with most of my piercings.  A friend of mine uses 1/2 tsp and it works for her.  Fiddle around with the amount until you find the one that compliments your body's natural salinity; a great starting place is 1/4 tsp sea salt per 8 oz water

 yea i had blood on mine for the first 3 days if i remember correctly

just try not too mess with it too much no matter how much u love ur new piercing :D

My bad, I meant an 1/8 to a 1/4 :)