teenage girl looking down image by Galina Barskaya from Fotolia.com

Nose piercings are a popular type of facial augmentation. The most popular areas to get pierced on the nose are the nostril and the septum, which is the flap of skin between the nostrils. Nose piercings come in studs, seamless rings and ball rings. Any of these types of nose rings will fit into a pierced nose. With so many options, you will probably want to change out your nose ring and replace it often. Change out a nose ring by first removing the old jewelry, then replacing it with the new style.

Remove studs with a flat backing (which is inside the nostril) by grasping the decorative gem or ball and twisting it counter-clockwise until it comes off. Pull the gem and the backing in opposite directions to remove. Reinsert the stud by pushing the jewelry backing through the piercing with the flat part against the inside of your nostril. Place the hole in the gem or ball against the end of the backing protruding from the hole. Twist the gem or ball clockwise to screw it back on.

Take out a stud with a hooked end by gently pulling the gem or ball away from your nose, then in a downward motion to pull the hook through. Reinsert the stud by poking the hooked end (with the hook pointed downward) through the piercing. Then, lift the stud up and push the straight part of the backing through the hole.

Twist a seamless nose ring, or a ring without a ball, in your nose so that the area where the ends of the ring meet are outside of the nostril. Grasp one end of a seamless ring with a pair of body jewelry expansion pliers. Hold the other end with your fingers. Gently pull one end of the ring towards your face and other end away from your face to expand the ring. Slide the ring out of the hole. Reinsert by sliding the ring back into the hole. Push the ends back together with the pliers, then twist the ring so the ends are inside the nostril.

Remove a nose ring with a ball connection by positioning the pliers directly below the ball and grasping tightly. Hold the other end next to the ball with your hand. Stand over a napkin or bowl to keep the ball from becoming lost. Gently pull the ring away from the ball with the pliers until the ball falls out. Reinsert by slipping the ring through the piercing. Stick one end of the ring into one grooved side of the ball, then push the other end of the ring into the other side of the ball. Tighten with your fingers.


Some seamless rings simply snap and unsnap. Pull the ring apart with your fingers to remove. Snap it back together to reinsert.


Never force a nose ring out. This could cause injury or destroy the jewelry. Have a professional remove the jewelry if you cannot do it on your own.