2B.2b Piercing-Specific Designs: Jewelry For Septum Piercings
Description
This article is from the Piercing FAQ, by Anne Greenblatt with numerous contributions by others.
2B.2b Piercing-Specific Designs: Jewelry For Septum Piercings
Septum Retainer: A U-shaped piece of metal, either rounded or
squared-off, usually between 5/16" and 3/8" wide and approximately
3/8" long. The spread of the shanks should be adjusted so that the
retainer may be comfortably flipped up into the nose but snug enough
to prevent losing the retainer. Wire in gauges larger than 10 is
more difficult to shape into a small U shape. Some manufacturers
make large gauge retainers with thinner shanks so that the retainer
can be accurately shaped and adjusted. For piercings larger than
8ga, plugs or eyelets may be more comfortable or more readily
available than retainers.
Septum Spike / Tusk: A solid piece of tapered metal between 1" and
4" long. Septum spikes may be straight, curved, or circular; curved
spikes are often called tusks. Some designs have a notched center
which keeps the spike centered and secure in the piercing. Some
manufacturers make spikes from wire one gauge larger than the gauge
by which it is listed to prevent the spike from slipping out of the
piercing.
Threaded Septum Spike / Tusk: Similar in appearance to the spike,
the threaded tusk is comprised of two pieces which screw together
with a thinner center bar worn through the piercing to give the
illusion of wearing a very large gauge tusk.
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