It’s slowly become a visible cue, a silent nod, and an implied accessory. Whether it’s flipped, stretched, or decorated, it offers a sly suggestion to those who just get it.

The needle pierces the columella, or the sweet spot, just below the cartilage separating both nostrils, and finally sits a small metal ring. For some the pain is unbearable, for others it’s barely a pinch. Whatever the discomfort, this piercing has grown in popularity within the past few years, and for good reason.

Where identity is often policed or questioned, the septum piercing provides an unspoken understanding to communities falling under the LGBTQ2S+ and alternative umbrellas. This typical facial piercing offers a commonality and a sense of belonging to many who carry a horseshoe or circular ring under their noses.

“I think they look really cool,” says Lillie Sylvestre, a freelance makeup artist living in Toronto, who got her septum pierced at the age of 16, much to her mother’s dismay.

Sylvestre remembers the day she decided to get her piercing. A friend was decided on getting one and decided to bring her along, where she was later convinced. She was into the idea because of how it could transform you into a more alternative person and add an accessory to one’s look while still being able to conceal the piercing holes, and flip up the ring if necessary.

“Now she doesn’t care about it,” Sylvestre said of her mother. “Maybe it was just because I was 16 and trying to be all angsty.”

Septum piercings have grown in popularity since 2022, as shown by data collected through Google Trends, where searches for the piercing rose significantly that year and have remained relatively steady since.

“It’s honestly become a pretty common piercing for something that maybe at one point was like ‘nobody gets those,’” says Maria Litsas, manager at Adrenaline Toronto, a tattoo and piercing shop located on Queen Street West.

“Definitely certain communities will tend to get it to stand out or to reclaim their body,” said Litsas.

“I remember I got it because I was like, I need to look queer or alternative, maybe it was just a coincidence that queer people started getting septum piercings,” says Sylvestre. “It’s kind of turned into a stereotype of ‘oh, if you have a septum piercing, you’re probably not straight’.”

Where traditional heteronormative roles remain dominant in society, obvious piercings, dyed hair, and tattoos may provide comfort to those attempting to express their sexuality.

Earrings are now commonplace; however, septum, eyebrow, and lip piercings are currently at the forefront of self-expression.

Though they aren’t a requirement to prove your sexuality, piercings and general body modifications have been popular within the queer community for several years. For example, in the 1970s the mono piercing – an earring worn on the right lobe – was popularized by gay men as a nod to their sexuality.

Over time, tattoos became more socially accepted and were not married to queer identity, but piercings have not received the same embrace. In an article with Out Front, Keegan Williams says they were tied to “queerness, kink, and alternative culture,” remaining a common piece of queer uniform.

“100 per cent I think people see a septum piercing and they go ‘bisexual’,” says Sylvestre.

To further understand the demographic of those with septum piercings, the Toronto Observer created a form that was shared on Instagram and Reddit forums to determine the age and sexuality of people with the piercing. After the form was open for a week, 83 people responded.

Since the phenomenon of the mono earring; nose rings, eyebrow piercings, belly rings, and other piercings have become more accepted or tolerated, particularly within Gen Z, as they’re the most likely age group to have septum piercings. This is visualized on the chart provided, as 50 per cent of respondents (42 people) are of ages 18-22.

Although newer generations have somewhat embraced overall body modifications, workplace dress code may not be as progressive with facial piercings nor tattoos. While there is no written rule against them, employers are still allowed to ask their workers to hide or remove any piercings or tattoos at their own discretion. The fear of workplace acceptance is one to consider when so many young people are getting their septums pierced.

Ryan Seager, vice-president of former insurance company TruStar, explains that traditional and conservative routes regarding dress code are often industry specific, and the starting place for acceptance towards piercings depends on the modernity of that particular workplace.

“It’s so important to me that everybody who shares membership of that team feels that their individuality is not just accepted or tolerated, which often seems to be the case,” says Seager, “but in a way celebrated, because we’re seeing people express themselves very differently across piercings, body modifications, gender expressions.”

Seager says hiring managers and executives need to consider the former core of the workforce — baby boomers — are retiring, and new generations are the continuation of the corporate workforce, making it more important to celebrate the individuality of Gen Z and those that follow them.

“Very capable people with body modifications, broadly speaking,” says Seager, “will gravitate away from some other very important segment to the Canadian economy and the local economy, and that just creates that diversion from progress that we worked so hard as a society to meet and develop today.”

As a makeup artist, Sylvestre has rarely had to deal with corporate workplaces and hasn’t had to adhere to a traditional dress code. Regardless, she said she would only want to be in a workplace where piercings are accepted. She recognized how unfair these dress codes may be to those with facial piercings, looking to work in the corporate world.

“If you can do the job that’s given to you, why does it matter if I have a–hole in my nose?” she says.

Although the overall acceptance of facial piercings remains divisive, the ability of septum piercings to promote identity expression and keep up aesthetic appeal makes them empowering to queer communities — and also a fashion statement.

Like most body modifications, septum piercings come with considerations — from pain to healing. But for most people, the reward outweighs the strange smell the ring can develop when fiddled with too much, and the fear of workplace discrimination.

The septum piercing is more than a trend. It’s a statement, an expression of sexuality, and a story. Not to mention, they look really cool.