Back a few years ago I decided to get my nose pierced again. I’d had it done twice before and twice before I’d decided I no longer wanted it and took it out. I told my friend Krista I was going to get this done again and she said, “Get both sides pierced. Only one side is ’80s.” She was joking around, of course, but I ended up getting both sides pierced anyway. Not long after that I had to get an MRI done and had to remove my jewellery. I couldn’t get them back in after that and for a third and likely final time, I retired my nostril piercings.
I’d had these (and many other piercings) done by Shawn at Epidart. Coincidentally, Shawn just happens to be the piercer of this lovely set of nostril piercings as well. (See how I tied that in there?) Here’s hoping “LoveHatesYou” keeps hers longer than I kept mine!
photo by Chelle Wootten
I remember back in the 80s, it actually was quite popular for awhile, to have multiple nostril piercings but I don’t see it as much anymore. Or maybe I just don’t notice. Nostril piercings seem to have become almost as acceptable in the work place as earlobe piercings. I ask you once again dear ModBlog reader, do you think nostril piercings are becoming (or simply are) as acceptable as standard earlobe piercings? Would you say that it’s more acceptable for a woman to have her nose pierced than a man when it comes to employment dress code, or would you say there’s really no difference?
BME/News and Modblog highlight only a small fraction of what
at the moment I only work a crappy retail job, but my manager has a better reception to my lip rings and stretched lobes – I can wear whatever jewellery I like in them really, but if I have my nostril pierced it has to be a stud, which I don’t mind, a stud is better for healing, but even after that, only ever a stud and stretching beyond whatever a “normal” size is, is most certainly unacceptable o.O
I think it’s incredibly acceptable, even in seemingly conservative areas. I’ve had mine for nearly ten years and most people don’t seem to notice. This could be because there are bigger more awe-inducing holes elsewhere. But even my partner’s mother just got her nose pierced. She’s in her 50′s and works in a very corporate setting and she’s never had any issues.
Nostril piercings are becoming increasingly acceptable!
Last summer, I worked at a pretty old-fashioned Boy Scout camp. My nostril piercing was never commented on, even by the crusty old guys were pissed that a FEMALE was at a Boy Scout camp.
I actually got my nostril pierced when I was 17 – my sister had just turned 16, and my mom decided to come with to get hers done as well! I wasn’t going to, but that’s a pretty epic bonding moment.
My mom, who’s in her late 40′s, with four kids and a pretty high-powered job, has gotten overwhelmingly positive responses to her piercing. Many people, who are unable to get it because of their jobs (one was a reporter, and other such careers) have apparently gotten really excited to see someone else with it.
It also makes people ask if she has any other piercings or tattoos, to which she says, “If I wanted you to know, you would know the answer to that.” (The real answer is “No”, but she thinks it’s a tacky question.)
Now that my dad is going into politics, she is not taking it out for that either. I’m super excited to see how that part of our lives shapes up as well.
i await the “this isnt hardcore, modblog is shit blah blah” posts.
i like double everything, but i dont think i could ever pull off nostrils
I love the look of double nostrils.
(But I prefer studs rather than cbr’s.)
But she’s very pretty and I assume she could pull off anything. 🙂
I’ve had one side of my nose pierced for 7 years, the other side for a few months, and now that I have both sides done, people don’t even notice I have one. My father, who is obscenely against body mod, only called me an asshole once when I first pierced my nose myself, and I was 13. They must be the new cartilage piercing. 😛
deffo more accepted, i managed to get away with mine for the last two years i was in school, very common now, a bit like tragus and helix piercings so i think more people are getting used to them.
Definitely nose piercings become more mainstream accepted in workplaces. At my work, I have to remove all my facial piercings, but I can leave in my stretched lobe jewellery. I have 3 lip piercings and a septum. But all the girls with nose studs and rings can leave them in. Very annoying.
Gandy – I know. I figured it would happen but it was a risk I was willing to take because I wanted to make this post. It’s unfortunate that people can’t accept that body modification doesn’t mean this is only for extreme mods. We all start somewhere. I also like double everything.
I wonder if eyebrow piercings are as mainstream acceptable as nostril piercings in the workplace?
I fucking love it!
To me a nostril piercing is extremely mainstream and acceptable. Studs seem to be more common, but hoops are working their way in there. I think it’s a great thing that facial piercings are becoming more accepted in the workplace, though I know not all places will allow them.
Also, who is this girl in the photo? She’s unbelievably beautiful.
As for the workplace thing. A lot of women have nostril piercings for cultural/religious reasons, like Indian women so that might be a part of why nostril piercings are more accepted. Also a little nostril stud isn’t very noticeable, it doesn’t stand out as much as an eyebrow piercing or a lip piercing. This chick with the double rings however probably would have to at least put studs in at most jobs because it’s a lot more noticeable than a ring in just one side.
Radical Kiba – I only know her sig is “LoveHatesYou”.
I remember back when I started working as a teacher’s assistant in a middle school, there was a teacher there with a nostril piercing and I was surprised. Pleased but surprised.
Vomit – It’s true a lot of Indian women have nostril piercings and that seems to open it up for women in general. I wonder if there is a double standard there and it’s less acceptable for men or if it’s just the same? Or are men just less likely to have their nose pierced these days? It was all the rage with the hair bands back in the day. 🙂
I find the rings to be a bit funny.
I have had my nose pierced now for 18 years and never had problems with work. I currently have a total of 24 body piercings (22 visible) and 2 micro dermals on my wrist and work for a large law firm in Manchester, England. I have never had a problem getting a job and have never had to take any of my piercings out. I often get asked about my piercings but have never had any negative comments. The only funny thing I have found is that even with all my visible piercings the firm I work for have said they wouldn’t find snakebite piercings as giving a professional look so have said they would prefer me not to have snakebites done, never mind can’t have everything.
It seems that now nostril and eyebrow piercings are becoming more acceptable in the workplace.
The receptionist at the Mercedes Benz dealership I went to yesterday was wearing a nose stud, a teller at a bank I use, and the clerk at my post office both wear nose studs. I’d say it is pretty mainstream.
jen at my old chool i had a maths teacher with 1″ lobes, so for someone to have them LONG before it became “trendy” at my school, and to be at an inch as well as being a teacher shows how fairly lax some places are about piercings, but then again the schools now changed so much with dress code and uniform and its been a good 3-4 years since i was at school, he may well have moved, but still.
and in regards to 15 yearold trolling modblog, bitching at everything that isnt quite hardcore, well maybe one day they’ll see that bodymod is just so wide, and not all about the biggest this, that, or whatever and start loving it for everything it is. but still, i suspect those types of people may just find body mod as a trend, and grow out of it in 2 years, who knows who cares.
most of the places in my town require us to remove nostril piercings unless they are a religious thing.
on the picture related note… the large BCR’s in the nostril piercings slightly annoy me. i like mine to be fitted to my nose…thats just a personal thing though. they really suit her 🙂
I like two.
I have worked as a pizza delivery boy (a la Fry) at two major chains, and both were very anti-piercings. I had to put tiny clear retainers in my nostrils, take out the rest of my facial piercings, and they didn’t like the fact that I have a tongue piercing (but I didn’t have to remove it). Interestingly, neither cared about the fact that I have a surface piercing on the nape of my neck, even though it is a lot more visible than my tongue ever is.
Since graduation, I have worked in two laboratory positions, one in City Hall (for a mid-sized city) and one for a huge, multi-billion dollar government contractor. Dress codes and strict rules aside, neither care about any of my piercings. In fact, i add more, and no one even seems to notice.
I don’t know what that really means, but I do find it interesting.
In my field of work, they usually will allow the women to have the more visible piercings before the men can show the exact same piercings. I hate this so much, and try to call them out every time, and they just tend to ignore me.
Yet another time when its just fine for a female because it’s fashionable, but guys are still looked at as being an out of prison heroin addicted scum of the earth piece of shit for having one
Does anyone else Just want to wash this girls hair, cause I do it looks pretty greasy, and she looks like the long lost Olsen triplet who went to the good side and became an individual and not a slave to the masses putting out crappy movies, clothing and doing more coke then Tony Montana!
Oh yeah and two looks good!
Gandy – It seems like more visible mods on teachers is more acceptable in other parts of the world than it is here. I never see it. I’ve yet to flat out ask if it would be ok for me to not keep my arms covered when I’m teaching but I suppose if I get a full time teaching contract at some point, I’ll inquire because it gets really hot!
i work in retail & i have my septum (stretched), both nostrils, both sides of my lip pierced & my earlobes stretched to 1-1/16″. although the public likes to voice their mean opinion (that i’m “very unattractive”) most people aren’t too worried by it & neither are my bosses.
I think the double nostrils look great. And as for workplace, I think is is totally acceptable.
From what I’ve seen, it seems as though the standard side nose studs are becoming just as acceptable as ear lobe piercings, but only for women, and pretty much just the studs (not rings). But hey, that might just be where I live.
. Well i’ll be, there’s actually almost zero negativity in this thread. Some people are as quick to complain about trendy complaint slingers as others are quick to complain. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves with the preemptive strikes. I personally dont see anything wrong with body modification being a trend in some peoples lives and a mainstay in others. Whatever your flavor, your age or your experience you are welcome at bme! Hopefully people can be positive and respectful with their opinions. For me l, I’ve had multiple nose piercings at various points and they’ve always been a discussion point during the hiring process, but ultimately ok. The tattoos and stretched ears… always have to cover em or take wk out (until I started working non profit social service. Now it is “come as you are”
I think Nostril piercings are becoming more accepted, but mostly just studs. You see them on people of all walks of life. From Young girls, to people well into adulthood, my Mother in Law being a person I can think of off the top of my head, that is a Grandma 😉 (and also heavily tattooed from the ribcage down).
I’m lucky enough to be in a industry that generally doesn’t mind body mods (I am a hairstylist). But out of all them, my stretched lobes get the most looks/comments. Typically ranges from Shock to “that is sooo cool!” from random soccer moms. I am very fortunate to be in an industry that celebrates (for the most part) individuality and personal artistic expression.
My husband is a united states Army Flight Medic, where tattoos are accepted, and most the time embraced, but piercings are obviously a no-go, due to army standards.
I see it at the pharmacy, the post office, even at the grocery store. It’snot something that interests me, but yes, definitely “mainstream”
i have both nostrils and my septum done. the guy who did them did my septum about a year and a half before the nostrils. when i went back to get my nostrils he said “you’re gonna look like a fuckin dork” wtf?! i told him to just do them. that is the only time i haven’t tipped someone who pierced or tattooed me. seriously tho, what a dick thing to say. and if i do look like a “fuckin dork” it’s not because of my nostril piercings.
Little studs are pretty widely accepted, although there are still ultra-conservative places that won’t tolerate any sort of mods at all. I work in a job that requires a pretty corporate appearance, and I have quadruple nostrils – but I wear retainer studs in all of them for work.
I think she’s beautiful, but I think her face would be better suited to smaller jewelry.
Who talked one of the Olsen twins into double nostrils?
Definitely looks like an Olsen twin. Glad I’m not the only one who noticed, Jared.
I work full time in retail and the official dress code at my store is one pair of stud earrings and one nostril piercing.
I wear all my piercings every day at work including stretched lobes, big conches and 3/4″ septum and no one says a thing. But maybe I’m just lucky.
Perhaps it ties in with religion/traditions? I’m not sure which religion/tradition it’s associated with but here in England, a lot of Asian women have nostril piercings (on the left side, as it is apparently meant to increase fertility). Employers may not be able to ask them to remove them on a religious basis, and therefore it would be unfair if they asked people of other races to remove their nostril piercings, and so it is becoming more accepted?
Just an idea!
i work in an office and have both nostrils pierced with studs in them (purple titanium), and i’ve had no issues…i left them in for my interview (i took out the eyebrow, septum, and labret just in case, and i left in my 3/4″ plugs), and wore everything on the first day.
then again i’ve also worked for places that were super strict and i had to follow a ritual of taking everything out and putting it back in every night (which sucks so bad)
i’m glad it’s becoming more acceptable because retainers are a pain in the ass
I have both nostrisl pierced and I work in retail. They ask me to take out most of my other piercings but they dont mind me wearing one (!) stud. I used to wear smaller studs in both and I think they more just didnt notice but nowadays I wear a ring in one so they ask me to take that out.
She looks like Sarah Connor from Terminator 2.
I work in retail and I can wear my 2 nostril piercings at work, as well as all my ear piercings. I do have to remove my other facial piercings: labret, septum and bridge. I think the only reasons I can have my nostril piercings because I work overnights; I’ve heard rumors at the place I work about management making day people take theirs out.
I definitely agree with the fact that nostril piercings are now accepted in the workplace due to the fact that indian women have them for religious reasons. I work for a company that sells body jewelry, and my non-indian customers always complain to me how their job forced them to take out their monroe piercing or labret piercing, but their indian co-worker was allowed to keep their nostril piercing. I think thats bullshit/”piercing prejudice”… a hole in your face is a hole in your face…who cares where it is!!!
“piercing prejudice” pah, you wanted the hole put there, deal with the consensuses of your actions or work around them.
i worked with food and yet kept my lobes and septum all the time because i sat down and talked to my bosses and we found a happy medium between me keeping my jewellery in, and me working there, rather then stamping my feet when i was asked to remove my jewellery and claim “discrimination”
i think its still more acceptable for a girl to have piercings. for instance, i am asked to remove ALL of my visible piercings at work. (6 of them). while my female co workers are allowed there monroes and nostrils and ears.
I agree with gandy, You know how society works before getting the piercings/any mods, so you have to deal with the consequences, and sometimes that means conservative bosses/co workers, etc.
While I think it is wrong to judge someone based on their mods, it happens, you get used to it, and get over it. That’s why i don’t get mad when people stare at me and my husband, what do you expect when we are covered in tattoos? People are going to be curious, especially we are in the south right now, AND we have kids. So going to kid functions or picking up and dropping off at school, people are going to look and sometimes ask questions.
whaha, that’s nice ))
I feel that the reason nostril rings are now more accepted (especially when worn with a stud) is because of the foreign women who ritualistically have nostril rings (I think its associated with a religious belief, or a cultural tradition). Their equal rights allow them to keep their nostril rings in, and thus making it more accepted for women to have their noses pierced at most jobs. I definately think it is viewed more offensive on men. I find it attractive, on the contrary, but because of societal norms, it’s not common thus deemed offensive. I also think that two nostril rings would be less accepted than one nostril stud, based on the interpretation of “normal.”
The power of social judgement is sickening…
On a lighter note, she looks absolutely stunning with the double nostril rings, and her eyes are intense!
I think the nostril (and several other piercings) are acceptable. My fifth grade teacher (in a catholic primary school, no less) had 3 ear piercings on one side, two on the left and a nose stud. No one made a fuss. The real objection comes, mostly, when people start using larger gauges or unusual jewelry in it. But then again, people who wear flashy, ‘unusual’ clothes or non-mod jewelry ususally don’t do too well on job interviews, either.
I’m not really liking the double nose piercing, though. Too much symmetry to make a face work, I think. Gold star for originality, first time I’ve ever seen it.
Nostril piercings are most definitely more “acceptable” in the work place as long as they are studs, though I’m not sure how well “mainstream” jobs take to male nostril piercings. I also don’t think I could walk down the street without noticing a million nose piercings.
As for having both nostrils pierced, I’ve had both mine pierced for at least 2 years now, I have had a stud in one side and a hoop in the other (Like I currently do) and I’ve also worn 2 studs for the most part a lot of people didn’t even notice I had both nostrils pierced, even with the 1 stud, 1 hoop combination. It took my mom a good couple months to realize I had both nostrils pierced and she normally notices everything.
I see everyone from 14 to 74 with nostril piercings, so it’s definitely becoming mainstream.
I have double nostrils, and 7/8″ lobes — I do get some slack at my rather conservative workplace (Tractor Supply — all piercings are against dress code, along with all “body mutilation”). No one has ever complained about it, with the exception of telling me not to stretch my ears any further — they hardly even noticed my nostril studs when I got them. However, other piercings (including one manager’s eyebrow ring, and one co-worker’s monroe piercing) were deemed unacceptable.
When I worked in fast food, I had to remove all of my piercings (nostril, septum, lips, multiple ear piercings). That’s the only experience I’ve had with having to remove them, and both men and women were treated the same.