Nose Jewellery Types and Nostril Placements Explained

The short answerFive things go in a nostril: a flat back labret (threaded or threadless — the most secure), an L-bend, a nose bone, a nostril screw, and a hoop. If yours keeps falling out, it is almost certainly a bone or an L-bend, and a flat back is the fix. Nostrils are usually 20G (0.8mm) or 18G (1.0mm), not the 16G used for ear cartilage.

The five types, and what actually holds each one in

Flat back labret. A straight post with a flat disc that sits inside the nostril, and a decorative top on the outside. The top either screws in (internally threaded) or presses in on a bent pin (threadless). Nothing holds it by friction, so nothing works loose. It is the most secure option, the one you can sleep in without thinking about, and the standard for a healing nostril.

L-bend. A straight post bent at ninety degrees, so the short arm hooks inside the nostril. Genuinely easy to insert and remove, which is also the problem — it is held in place only by its shape, and a sneeze, a towel or a jumper can lift it out.

Nose bone. A straight post with a small ball or bulge at the far end that sits behind the nostril wall. Cheap and widely sold. Two drawbacks: the bulge has to be forced through the channel every time you fit it, and the retention is only as good as the tension of that bulge against tissue.

Nostril screw. A post with a curve or half-spiral that follows the inside of the nostril. Once seated it is secure, and there is nothing protruding inside to feel. The trade-off is fitting: it has to be rotated in at the right angle, many are custom-bent by a piercer to an individual nostril, and it is the hardest of the five to put back in yourself.

Hoop. A seamless ring or hinged clicker passing through and out. 8mm is the standard nostril diameter — smaller sits tight against the nose, larger stands away from it. Not for a healing piercing: a hoop rotates in the channel with every movement of your face.

Type How it stays in Security Easy to fit yourself? Healing-safe?
Flat back labret Fixed disc inside, fixed top outside Highest Yes Yes
Threadless push pin Tension pin inside a hollow bar High Yes — easiest Yes
Nostril screw Curved post following the nostril High once seated Hardest Sometimes — ask your piercer
L-bend Shape alone Low Yes No
Nose bone A bulge held by tissue tension Low Yes, but forces the channel No
Hoop (8mm) Closed ring High Moderate No — it rotates

Nostril jewellery compared. Gauges follow how you were pierced — 20G and 18G are standard for nostrils, not the 16G used in ear cartilage.

Why your nose stud keeps falling out

This is the single most searched nose jewellery problem, and it is nearly always a hardware question rather than an anatomy one.

Bones and L-bends rely on friction and shape. Both work while everything is still — and both come out during sleep, while drying your face, or when a jumper goes over your head. People conclude their piercing is closing or their nostril is unusual, when in fact the piece was never mechanically retained.

A flat back labret solves it outright, because there is a disc on one side and a fixed top on the other. If you are losing studs, that swap is the whole fix, and it is covered in more depth in the nose stud sizing guide.

The one legitimate anatomy factor is post length. A nostril wall varies in thickness between people, and a post that is too long lets the piece rock and work loose. Most nostrils take a 6mm to 8mm post; a piercer measuring yours will get it right in seconds.

Standard, high and double nostril placements

Standard nostril sits on or just above the natural crease where the nostril meets the cheek. It heals in roughly four to six months and takes any of the five jewellery types.

High nostril sits noticeably above that crease, further up the side of the nose. It is the same piercing through denser tissue in a less forgiving spot, and three things follow: it heals more slowly, it usually cannot take a hoop at all because there is no rim for a ring to wrap around, and it is fussier to fit because the inside of the nose is narrower up there. A flat back stud is effectively the only sensible jewellery, and a piercer who does high nostrils regularly is worth seeking out.

Double nostril means two piercings, and the two versions look completely different. Same side — usually stacked, one standard and one slightly higher or further forward — reads as a deliberate cluster and lets you graduate stone sizes. Opposite sides reads as symmetry and is the more classical look; matched studs work better here than mismatched ones.

If you want both eventually, get them one at a time. Two fresh nostril piercings mean two channels irritated by every tissue, every pillow and every pair of glasses at once.

Which nostril, and the bridge piercing

Left or right? There is no anatomical or medical difference — nostrils are symmetrical and neither heals better. In some South Asian traditions the left nostril is customarily the one pierced, which is a cultural convention rather than a physiological one. Beyond that, the deciding factors are practical: which side you sleep on (the other one heals more easily), which way you part your hair, and how your glasses sit. Pick the side you actually want to look at in the mirror.

The bridge, or Erl piercing, passes horizontally through the skin at the top of the nose, between the eyes. It goes through skin only — not cartilage and not bone — which is why most people report it as far less painful than they expect. It takes a straight barbell, usually 16G or 14G.

The honest caveat is that a bridge is a surface piercing: it enters and exits through the same plane of skin rather than passing through a body part, and surface piercings are more prone to migrating or being rejected than a nostril or a septum. Anatomy matters more than usual here, and a piercer who tells you your bridge is not suited to it is doing you a favour rather than losing a sale.

Common questions

What's the difference between a nose stud, nose bone, L-shaped pin and nostril screw?
A flat back labret stud has a disc inside the nostril and a fixed top outside — nothing works loose. A nose bone is a straight post with a bulge at the end held by tissue tension. An L-bend is a post bent at ninety degrees, held only by its shape. A nostril screw has a curve that follows the inside of the nostril: secure once seated but the hardest to fit yourself.
What is a high nostril piercing?
The same piercing placed noticeably above the natural nostril crease, further up the side of the nose. It passes through denser tissue, heals more slowly than a standard nostril, and generally cannot take a hoop at all because there is no rim for a ring to wrap around. A flat back stud is effectively the only practical jewellery.
What is a double nose piercing?
Two nostril piercings, either on the same side — usually stacked, one standard and one higher or further forward, reading as a deliberate cluster — or one on each side, which reads as symmetry. If you want both, get them one at a time rather than healing two channels simultaneously.
Which nostril should I get pierced, left or right?
There is no anatomical or medical difference; nostrils are symmetrical and neither heals better. In some South Asian traditions the left is customarily pierced, which is cultural rather than physiological. The practical factors are which side you sleep on, which way you part your hair, and how your glasses sit.
What is a nose bridge or Erl piercing and does it hurt?
It passes horizontally through the skin at the top of the nose, between the eyes, and takes a straight barbell at 16G or 14G. It goes through skin only — not cartilage or bone — so most people report it as less painful than expected. It is a surface piercing, which makes it more prone to migration than a nostril or septum, and suitability depends on your anatomy.
What gauge is a nose piercing?
Most nostrils are pierced at 20G (0.8mm) or 18G (1.0mm) — finer than ear cartilage, which starts at 16G (1.2mm). Buying a 16G stud for an 18G nostril is one of the most common online sizing mistakes, and forcing a thicker bar through the channel is not a fix.
Why does my nose stud keep falling out?
Almost always because it is a nose bone or an L-bend, both of which are held in by friction and shape rather than by hardware. A flat back labret, with a disc inside the nostril and a fixed top outside, solves it outright. The one legitimate anatomy factor is post length — too long and the piece rocks and works loose.
Can I wear a hoop in a new nostril piercing?
No. A hoop rotates in the channel every time you move your face, wash, or sleep, which keeps healing tissue disturbed. Wear a flat back stud until your piercer confirms the piercing has healed — usually four to six months for a standard nostril — then switch if you want to.
Keep reading Nose stud sizing guide Septum jewellery explained Titanium nose jewellery

Sizes and healing times on this page are typical ranges, not guarantees — anatomy varies and healing differs from person to person. Your piercer has seen your piercing and we have not: check with them before changing jewellery, especially on one that is still settling.