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My nose has been pierced for almost twenty years, and in that time I've tried many different jewelry options. Aside from unusual items like safety pins or other found objects, there are several standard types of piercing items for noses. Each has its benefits from both aesthetic and practical standpoints.

Two broader categories of nose piercing items include curved jewelry such as rings and curved barbells, and straighter jewelry such as barbells, nails and studs. Within each of these broader categories are multiple choices for the soon-to-be pierced.

As far as rings go, the options include captive bead rings, curved barbells, and "seamless" rings.

A captive bead ring is a metal ring with one bead in the middle; it looks a little like a choker with one round pendant would look. They are called that because they are one ring of metal kept shut with one bead that is held "captive" by the tension of the ring. This highlights one of the potential disadvantages of the ring, which is that it is difficult to remove the ring without a tool, at least if you don't want it to be misshapen once you're finished. It is also means that you can damage certain kinds of beads if you do not use such a tool. Finally, you might need help removing or changing this kind of ring. Another disadvantage to the captive bead ring is that the bead itself "migrates" around and can end up inside your nostril quite often. This means you might end up moving it back a lot, and who wants to look like they're pulling something out of their nose all of the time?! Also, if the bead is inside your nostril, it can accumulate any fluids that are also in there, so you might have to clean it so it looks nice.

An advantage of the captive bead ring for the nose is that the bead is decorative and there are no other bulky pieces that are part of the ring. Another is that for the same reasons that it can be difficult to remove, the captive bead ring is also fairly stable and secure in your nose. If your goal is not to change the ring frequently but to have a decorative look with a ring style, this may be the right piece for you.

A seamless ring is an option for nose piercing, although usually not as an initial piercing for purposes of healthy healing. This kind of ring is one smooth piece of metal all the way around, and the way it works is that there is a portion of the ring that is overlapping and fits inside the rest. In this way, the ring is pulled apart slightly, slipped inside the pierce, the overlapping

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