What can I do about my stinky nose ring?

Question

I've had my nostril pierced for a few years, and always wear an 18ga nose screw in it. For the past few months I've notice an unpleasant smell, which is pretty annoying since it's in my nose. It isn't the least bit irritated - it isn't sore or red or anything, so I think infection is out of the question.

Should I be cleaning this piercing daily even thout it is totally healed? I don't change the jewelery more often than once every few months, and I'm not sure if that's what the problem is. None of my other piercings get smelly (when I noticed the nose-smell, I took out all my earrings [which also never get changed] and sniffed them, to see if anything strange was going on there too) - just the one I can smell all the time!

What can I do to tame the stink? What is causing it? Thanks in advice for any advice you can give me (except for telling me to take it out - I'd rather deal with the stink than do that)!

it is NOT an infection. I've inspected it and there's no redness, swelling or tenderness. Also, there is no puss. This thing is totally healed and I promise it is not infected. I know what an infection smells like, and this isn't it.

Answer 1

even though my nose piercing is healed i still clean it every day! its still a hole i your body that can trap bacteria and other things in it, so of course it still needs to be cleaned. not cleaning your piercing is just as bad as not cleaning out the dirt in your ears.
if you put lotions, face wash and other things on your face on a daily basis, which you more than likely do, then you need to clean your piercing.
just because it is not a new peircing does not mean that you should not still clean it!

Answer 2

Bad Smell In Nose

Answer 3

Get a bottle of MedRX, it's an antiseptic. You may have to take it out for like two days and swab the opening with the antiseptic, but if you don't want to, just swab the stuff around your nose ring. It will kill whatever is causing the smell (usually a bacteria of some kind just festering in there). Hope this helps!

Answer 4

first cleaning it with rubbing alcohol and make sure you get the smell off your nose by cleaning it....leave the nnsoe ring out for a day or two (still clean it with rubbing alcohol everyday) then go to a piercing place and ask them of the smell...i'm just saying you should clean it first because i don't know about you, but it would be pretty embarrassing to bring a stinky smelling nose ring to a piercing place....they prolly don't want to smell it....i think i know what kinda smell it is...prolly the same type of smell that earrings get when you don't clean them often and believe me, i know that smell...it's nasty!

Good Luck! Happy New Year!

Answer 5

Smelly Nose

Answer 6

Bacteria is collecting in the hole. Buy some SEA SALT, remove your nose ring and soak a cotton ball in a solution of warmed water with sea salt. Apply the cotton ball to the hole on the outside and another cotton ball on the inside. Do this for 15 minutes. The sea salt should draw out and kill any bacteria residing.

Answer 7

put the nose ring in hydrogen peroxide for a while and clean it. that should work. My earrings smell sometimes because I barely ever take them out, you just need to clean it. Your peircing shouldn't close up when you are cleaning it...or just change the jewelry when you are cleaning it/

Answer 8

Infection.

Answer 9

see what type of metal this ring is and then try a ring made of gold or silver ,mabey try a platinum one.Some peoples skin react different to the different metals.

Answer 10

go to a peircing place and ask if that is common