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My Indian nose piercing

A good real life experience of a foreigner getting her nose piercing in India. A must read all the foreigner who are planning to get their nose pierced in Indian.

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https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/asia-indian-subcontinent/india/my-indian-nose-piercing

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"As I traveled through India last year I grew more and more to love the nose piercing, seeing all the beautiful Indian women with a sparkle of gold against their warm skin.
So I got my nose pierced by a funny man who told me he would chant his mantras so I wouldn't feel any pain. That was 3 months ago. A couple of days ago I went to the doctor who cut the stud out of my nose with a pliar like tool he borrowed from a tradesman. Although I tried I could not get the thing to budge, and body piercers wouldn't do it, hence the eventual doctor visit. Apparently once the back part (inside the nostril) is attached to the stud it sort of all locks in place, an immovable, permanent piece of jewelry."

Partly I just wanted to tell this tale, but a little piece of advice... if having your nose pierced in India inspect the piece of jewellery in it's entirety before having the thing put in your nose.

Comments about; My Indian nose piercing

It's probably not a great idea to get body piercings in India, anyway.

Most who get piercings in sterile conditions in the west deal with an infection here and there, not to mention a sensitive healing period where you're supposed to take special precautions to keep your piercing clean.

I can't imagine that getting a piercing at some random shop in India would be the most sanitary experience, or that aftercare would be easy in India. keep in mind that a piercing is, for a month or 6 weeks, an open wound in an exposed place on your body. all the guidebooks warn to avoid situations that could cause open cuts, and to take care of any skin breakage impeccably. so i don't see how it could be a good idea to knowingly undergo such a thing there.

Your story about the jewelry itself doesn't jibe, unless Indian jewelry is VERY different from that used in the west. when i got my nose pierced in the US, the stud itself was, in fact, one piece of jewelry, not a stud and a backing. the interior end of the jewelry was twisted to a blunt coil to prevent the stud from falling out. when i eventually wanted to remove the jewelry, my piercer was happy to go in with needle nose pliars to unbend the end and pull it out. ANYONE would have to remove it with pliers, not just a doctor. it's possible that the doctor you went to (in India? your home country?) simply isn't familiar with body piercings and the types of jewelry used, and felt it would be easier to cut the stud rather than dig around in your nose trying to figure out how to get it off.

All piercing jewelry DOES sometimes need to be removed, and I've known many people who got piercings in India who were able to change out their jewelry with no problem, even in the US. Indian nose jewelry is not considered "permanent" -- see the traditional bride's nose ring, NOT something you'd wear around every day, and also not something you'd want to cut with pliers.

The bottom line is that a nose piercing is not equivalent to an ear piercing, and the jewelry is not a stud with a backing which can be easily taken out by a newbie. this would be the case anywhere you got your nose pierced.

You should ALWAYS do your research before letting someone stick a needle through you. no matter what country you're in. question #2 should be, "will i be able to take it out if i need to, and how do i do that?" after question #1, which would of course be about hygiene and safety. "what will you do to help the pain?" should be at the end of the list, if at all (in my experience having your nose pierced feels about the same as getting a vaccination -- the pain should not be severe enough for this to be much of an issue).

Points for ponder about Indian Nose Piercing

Pain; nose pierced by a funny man who told me he would chant his mantras so I wouldn't feel any pain.
Sterile conditions; Piercing is not in sterile and hygiene conditions especially if your are a foreigner might get infected easily.
Healing period; would you be able to keep the piercing clean and hygiene while traveling in Indian.
Types of jewelry used; in the US, the stud itself was, in fact, one piece of jewelry, not a stud and a backing.