Problems with Belly Button Piercing - Is My Belly Button Piercing Infected?
By Whitney05
Belly Button Piercing
Navel piercings are probably one of the most popular piercing for females, besides the basic ear lobe piercing. Belly button piercings are most common among youth between 12 and about 18, but that doesn't mean that middle-aged women can't sport a navel ring.
Because the piercing is quite common, there is a lot of information on the web about it, but not all of the information is accurate. The most common inaccuracy is removing the jewelry of an infected piercing; never do that, as you can block in the infection causing an abscess beneath the skin. You want to have proper drainage so that the infection and pus can properly drain and heal.
When researching information about navel piercings, you want to make sure that you get the right information and the proper knowledge before you show up at the tattoo shop. By doing proper research, you'll find your healing time will be a breeze, and you'll potentially be able to reduce any, if not all, potential risks.
Keep in mind that it does take about 6 months to a year to properly heal a navel piercing. When you think that the piercing is healed within a few weeks, think again. The outer area heals well before the inside of the piercing. Keep cleaning and keep following proper aftercare for several more months.
You want to avoid developing an infection as best as you can, as an infection is the most common complication and risk of getting a belly button piercing. Bacteria can easily get into a new piercing, grow, and cause a mild to severe infection. Any type of pollutant, whether it's from your sweat, polluted water, dirty fingers, etc., can all easily cause infection.
It is very important to wash your hands before and after cleaning your piercing.
Risks of Belly Button Piercing
Belly button piercings are commonly pierced on the upper rim of the navel, but there are other positions that a navel piercing can be pierced at (bottom, left, and right rim of the navel). In any location, there are basic risks that should be considered.
The overall navel location is subject to sweating, bending, and basic irritation. Siting, running, turning around, and other bending positions can irritate the piercing, as can tight clothes and activities that involve a lot of motion or contact.
- Infection (most common problem with belly button piercings)
- Excessive bleeding and nerve damage (caused by inexperienced body piercer, piercing the navel close to a nerve)
- Allergic reactions to the jewelry (stainless steel, 8 karat gold, and titanium are ideal for piercings)
- Keloids (thick scarring at the piercing site)
Concerns to consider:
- Wrong jewelry- either the size, type, or metal (jewelry too small may cut off blood supply, as can jewelry that is very thin or too heavy; CBR's and rings can irritate the piercing, and can snag easier causing more irritation and potentially tears; the wrong metal can cause allergic reactions)
- Piercings performed with piercing guns (too much trauma to the piercing site, especially as piercing guns only use stud jewelry, which is WAY too small for a navel piercing and the piercing gun itself cannot be properly sterilized)
If you want to get a navel piercing, you want to make sure that you choose an experienced body piercer. You also want to make sure that you know proper aftercare processes so that you don't irritate the piercing.
Because developing an infection can be pretty serious, you want to be very careful. An infection is something that shouldn't be messed with, which is one of the main reasons that I like to recommend that young teens who do not have parent permission to get a piercing, don't get one. If an infection develops, you will have to tell your parents, which will get you into bigger trouble because you went behind their back to do something you were told not to.
But, anyway, below you will find the signs and treatment options for an infected belly button piercing.
Signs of Infected Belly Button Pericing
Sometimes it can be hard to tell if your piercing is infected or just irritated. You want to pay close attention because an infection can worsen, whereas it may just take a little time to sooth an irritation. Careful and proper aftercare should prevent an infection, but sometimes people are just more prone to complications than others.
Keep in mind that it can take 6 months to a year to heal a navel piercing. Depending on how your body heals, it may heal in a shorter time frame, or a longer one but 6 to 12 months is about average. During this time, you will have a higher risk of infection, especially during the first few weeks or month after initially getting the piercing.
Common signs of an infected belly button piercing include:
- Pain around the piercing (expect some bruising and sharp pain
after getting the piercing, but you may have severe pain caused by an
infected piercing)
- Burning sensation
- Swelling around the piercing area
- Greenish- yellow discharge (A clear to yellow colored discharge is normal in a healing piercing, but dark yellow to a greenish- tint is pus, which is caused by an infection)
- Foul odor
- Warmness around the piercing
- Redness around the piercing
- An abscess may form if the infection is not treated in time (abscesses can be fatal if not treated)
- Abdominal pain, abdominal infection, and food poisoning (if the infection spreads to the entire abdomen)
Navel piercing infections don't go unnoticed. If you think that you have an infection, you need to check out the below treatment options.
Treat Infected Belly Button Piercing
If you think that your belly button piercing is infected, don't ignore the symptoms and hope the infection goes away on its own. You want to get the infection treated before it develops into an abscess or spreads to your abdomen.
- Clean the piercing with saline or diluted sea salt. You want to treat the piercing as though is is a new piercing so that you can help kill the bacteria causing the infection.
- DO NOT remove the jewelry, especially if you are experiencing drainage. If you remove the jewelry, the piercing will not drain properly, which can cause the an abscess to form as the hole closes up.
- Consider using an antiseptic cream for a mild infection. You don't want to leave any of the ointment or cream gobbed around the piercing, as this can attract more bacteria, but you can put a little on the piercing, wiping away the excess. Try carefully pushing the jewelry in and out so that you can get some of the antibiotic cream into the piercing.
- If there isn't any pus, consider using a hot compress to increase blood circulation to the area. (Make sure the disinfect the compress with hot water and table-salt.)
- You can try using hydrogen peroxide to help drain the pus and clean the area, but NEVER overuse hydrogen peroxide and do not use it as an aftercare option, as it can dry out and irritate a new piercing. Use peroxide just once a day so that you don't overuse it.
- Have a physician look at the piercing. You may need antibiotics, especially if the infection is starting to spread, or has spread.
Prevention
The best way to treat an infected belly button piercing is to prevent developing an infection. In order to do this, you need to consider proper aftercare of a new piercing. Always wash your hands before and after cleaning your new piercing!
Take good care of a new piercing. Use saline or diluted sea salt (not table salt) to soak the piercing twice a day for the first few weeks, and at least once a day until healed. Do not fiddle with the jewelry or change the jewelry until the piercing is healed. Avoid tight clothes and activities that can cause friction or damage to the piercing.
Avoid tanning beds until the piercing is healed, and avoid wearing dangly belly button jewelry at any time during the life of your navel piercing; dangle jewelry and other heavy jewelry can cause irritation. Avoid using CBR's and other round rings, as this can irritate the piercing and these will snag much easier than a banana barbell (snagging will irritate and may tear the piercing depending on how hard it was pulled).
Most importantly maintain proper hygiene is the best way to avoid an infection, as once bacteria gets into the new piercing, infection will set in.
Belly Button Barbell
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Flower Crystal Rhinestone Belly Navel Button Bar Ring
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6Pcs Mix Leopard Print Stainless Steel Rubber Barbell Navel Belly Button Ring
Current Bid: $3.12
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Belly Button Ring Assortment 14 Gauge 7/16" Qty 20
Current Bid: $3.99
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Navel Piercing Tips and Info
Comments
Hi i had my belly pierced on December 8th 2011 i changed my piercing April 7th 2012 and it has been hurting ever since it feels itchy and every movement i make affects it..What does this mean??? some HELP!!!!
Helo, ive had my belly done nearlly and year now. However underneath the bottom whole there is a bubble looks like its full of blood its been there for a while now im just not sure how to get rid of it, any suggestions please im really worried? Thankyou
Your belly ring WILL get infected before it gets better! You just need to keep it clean and do not play with it except to twist it so it won't get stuck. Some belly rings might also cause you to get infected so make sure you clean all your rings and holes properly. When I got mine pierced it got a green bubble and snot looking stuff came out. I had to change my belly ring and clean it extremely well multiple times a day. All you can do is keep it clean. If it doesn't go away within a week or is bruised or looks really bad you should most likely go see a doctor.
i got my belly button pierced about a week ago and the top ball has started to sink in to my skin its starting to worry me. its really red and it stings sometimes. anything that can halp please im up for suggestions.
What do you do when your bellybutton has an abscess?
Hi, i got my navel pierced on dec. 26, 2011 and i cleaned it twice a day first with the bactine then with sea salt. But for about two weeks now i've hadthis clear kinda yellow ish sticky stuff come out the top hole. It does not hurt to move it or to spin the piercing around the bactine bubbles bt does not sting the sea salt mist just goes in. The bottom hole seems tight to the ring while the top hole is easily move able. My question is it infected? The stick ish stuff jus come to the top when i lightly touch around the hole and i just wipe it off with a cotton ball throw that one away and get another to clean around the hole.
So I got my belly button pierced about 3 days ago and I was cleaning it and I lifted the too ball and I got a whitish clear skin looking thing out from back there. Is that okay?
ok so i have had my belly button pierced for 4 months now and i have been cleaning it twice a day. today i was cleaning it and i saw this glob of this greyish-greenish stuff mixed with blood(yucky). i have had no problems with it so far and i have had no pain except for when i got it pierced. is this an infection and if it is is there anything i can do to prevent it from getting worse?
plz and tank u! ?
i got my belly peircing done on 14th january 2012 and it is now the 3rd march 2012, i regulary clean my peircing but i normally get crust around the top of the bottom ball and the other day it started to bleed again and it wont stop bleeding can somebody please help me!! courteney2011@live.co.uk
Why is top of my belly button pierving hole is bigger
Ok so i had mi belly button puerced for abt a week now. N tha top hole has streched so now mi top ball is sitting n tha whole wat shud i do????
Okay so jve been searching up lately about navel piercingly so I can prevent infections. Im 14 and I just got my belly pierced feb 18 2012... And now it's feb 22 and I been cleaning it 2 times a day with this soap the piercer gave me. It's called TATTOO GOO for tattoos and piercings . . I just want to say thank you so much for thus information .. But when they pierced my belly I fainted and he told be it was normal because I was nervous .. But there is this yellowish coming out of the bar when I clean it. It's like gooey . But I have no scabs . I clean it well . But I'm just wondering . Would it get infected . ? Answer me at negra221@hotmail.com (: thank you it will mean a lot .
is it possible to get infected after 7 months of belly pierced?
Okay, So, I got my belly button pierced february 9th and itd s little red and kinda itches. It has little crustys around the bottom top ball and i squeezed it when i was cleaning it and light greenish stuff came out. I'm not sure if this is okay, but i called my piercer and he said to just clean it how i have been and if it gets worse to go down there so he can look at it. I'm pretty sure its fine and whatever is wrong with my piercing will go away. Well, I hope it. ?
Hey dudes
I got my belly dune last Saturday
And today I cleaned it like normal n I had a fray coloured puss web I sweazed it but I clean it 2 times a day with tcp and hot water , and hot water and sea salt and I put tea tree oil 5% on it to
Omg some one help me ?
I had my belly button pierced about a week and a half ago, everything seemed fine, slight itchind and soreness for the 1st few days. Ive been cleaning it 3x a day, once with saline soak and 2x with savlon anticeptic spraay and keeping it very dry, for the past few days, the top ball looks very very red and sore, not too painful though and a bit itchy, and it looks like there may be a scab forming under the top ball at the hole, i dont know if this is normal or if the piercing is irritated or getting infected. please help, at a glance it looks like the 1st top picture on this page of the priecing.
i got my belly button done on th 3rd of december 2011 so abt 2 months agoo.. and the ball you screw in the top has fell out now twice during my sleep and i shouldnt cause i havent even been playing around with it! last week in school it was realy hurting me so i checked it out and the ball was out so i had to put a plaster on it til i got home, me and my friend had to go to her house and she had to give me on of her balls we just washed it with water.. mine is red only down inside my actuall belly button in that part its all red and there is constandly like all gooy gell stuff coming out of it every 5 minutes and all hard crispy stuff if sticking to the bar .. and like sometimes it smells do its not swelling or anything like that tho .. it absolutley disgusting ive been cleaning it like mad anol .. any advice would you say thats infected ?
This very educational , da same day i got my BB(9days ago) i googled hw 2 take care of it...mine is cleaned twice a day i move it sumtime so it dnt get tite no swelling or smells, just da yellowish pus which is gud ,my hole looks gud i can c thru it almost nd it looks gr8 ! A lil pain i had da 1st few days,bt now its subsiding ! It itches nw nd again take its part of da healing process. I wear loose clothing nd gve it enuf air as well, taking care of it is key priority ! Thnx again 4 da tips nd advice !
Hey, so I got my belly pierced about 3weeks ago and around the hole of the piercing, it's red and crusty, it doesn't hurt alot. Could it be infected?
Hi! So I got my belly button pierced back in July (so 6 months ago?) I haven't had any problems with it but I haven't changed it yet. I started to notice that it just isn't healing. Not to mention it's getting really nasty green crusties and puss when the crusties are gone. I've been cleaning it, but haven't been using the salt water treatment anymore. I looked at my belly button today and on the bottom ball underneath its like red and swollen and it's coming out of the hole from my piercing. It won't go away when I wash it in the shower.
It's really freaking me out and I have noooo idea what to do anymore. I really don't want to have to take my belly button out, so someone please help!
Oh and it doesn't hurt. The only time it's sore is if I really bump it by accident.
Help!
I got my belly button pierced about a month ago, and it fell out while I was out last night. I won't be able to get another piercing for a day or two. Will the hole close? And will I get an abscess? There was some whiteish pus coming out of it recently and the area is a little red but it's not sore to touch and I don't think it was an infection.
Ok so ive had my piercing for 2 months and it was alright. The kin on the top amd mostly buttom kept sticking to the ring and when i tried to unstick it, it would ooze (eww sry) than after having it for 7 weeks i tried changing it and i still have the ring i changed it with in. But it is like swollen and kind of hard around the ring and about 3 or so millimeters away from the ring and it hurts 2 touch it, and it still oozes a like yellow liquidy puss. Also, at one point it was kinda red around the top but i started putting bactine on it and the redness went away. Does this mean its infected or what??
Olright, so my ring got stuck on my blanket while I was sleeping so When I got up it pulled really hard, hurting really bad. It's not red, tender, and hurts to be touched/cleaned. It bled a little and is crusty with a scab around it, not to big or noticeable though. Should I just keep cleaning it until it goes away or should I use a cream like Noesporin? Or maybe should I maybe take ring out and thoroughly clean it then put it back in? How long will it be this way until it heals?
@savannah
Well the redness could be caused by the type of ring you have in such as stainless steal , gold ect , it may also be caused by friction moving it too much. If you begin to see any purple blackish color & green yellow puss comes out & it begins to get swollen , then be causious that it might be an infection , go back to your piercer & ask what to do . Also changing it back to your old ring could help , but it kinda dosn't make a diiference now because its allready been taken out & messed with . Just keep cleaning it daily about 3-4 times a day & make suree you wash your hand befor & after
Hoped I helped you out(:
After I changed my belly button ring it has been a little red and it hurts while i clean it, It's been 5 and a half months so i was sure it would be okay to change. It doesn't look bad at all, just a little red on the top; no real sign of a dramatic infection. Does anyone know if this redness is being caused by my new ring itself or is it an infection? Should i take this one out and put my orignal until the entire 9 months are done? Thank you. :]
Please help asap!
So I got my belly button pierced about 5 months ago , I changed my ring & now ive noticed at the botton of my hole I have a red bubble looking thig!? Is that an infection or is it rejecting it . My mom tells me its fine if I keep cleaning it w. Alchohal & take a antibiotic but I just dont know I would gladly apreciate a response thanks (:
Hi, iv just had my belly pierced, its the 2nd day now, its only a little red.. But the litrtle ball at the bottom sits at the very back of my bellybutton & u can barely see it. My friend ssay its just cuz the skin is tight & once it loosens up it will stick out alot more & i can position it & it will most likely stay in place. But im still concerned... & my belly button is kinda scrunched up.. is this normal?? help...
Me and my bestfriend got our bellys pierced together five days ago. Hers was hurting,couldn't even see the bar. She was cleaning it with saline and with antibacterial soap. Turns out she was infected! I am not hurting or anything..what should I do? Should I get it checked out or relax? Opinions? Ty relionenonly@gmail.com
Hello everyone, Great website :)
COULD SOMEONE HELP ME PLEASE!!!!!!!!
~im 14 and Iv had my belly button pierced for 6 an half weeks know and its a bit red and swollen, and its a bit painfull to move because of the swelling. IS THIS NORMAL HEALING OR INFECTION???? someone help please x
I got my navel did a year ago it still hurt sometimes and my ring keep pushing up. i need help asap
I had mine done over a year ago. And I took it off 2 months ago cause it got infected now I have a dark bump on my belly button where the top ball to close the ring is..and I've been getting a pretty bad belly button pain..would anyone know what to tell me it is I have? The doctor told me it could be cause of my piercing but I took it off a while ago...I need better answers from anyone who thinks they know about this. Thanks!
I just had my belly pierced again. I waited for about 3 to 4 months. It rejected about 4 months after I had it done. This time i have a bioflex bar in. Its very light weigh and it bends with me.@ Zahra Make sure there is no infection. Have your piercer check it. Get it a few months to heal up. Then he can do it again. @ karen Dont have your daugter clean it to much. Her body can heal it on its own. Does she have a bio flex bar in? With a metal bar it can put a lot of pressure on her skin. Thats what happened to me.I bend down a lot in my job. Does she do hot water soaks? A little puss is normal.
I hav had my belly button pierced for abwt 2 months now an it's all fine but I've noticed it's not been pierced straight it's slanting right. if I close it will it fully close and can I repierce it? and when?
HI i just got my belly button pierced like 3 weeks ago, and i been cleaning it, but with just normal water. ANd like clear and green stuff is coming out of it. Is this normal? is it healing or is it infected? i am kinda worried. Please answer my question. ASAP. oh and it is kinda red around the top ball. is it becauase it is healing or infected?
Heey i got my belly button pierced about 5months ago ever since the skin in-between the top and bottom of the belly bar has been swollen and pink. With flakey bits of skin coming off, its yuck and has ooze coming out and smells terrible, iv tried cleaning it with salt water, anti bacterial cream and tcp. nothing has worked it helped with the ooze and smell the the belly bar has not unswollen and looked anywea near normal, iv done anti biotics and it didnt help it did not even get rid of the infection for a little while. iv pretty much given up so my questions are, Is their anything else i can try? if i take the bar out is their a high chance of me getting a abscess? and if i take it out and get in redone in a couple of months time is their a higher chance of it getting infected again?
My 13 year old daughter got her beely button pierced 4 weeks ago. Just after the needle went through she moved and the needle slipped back up through the bottom hole. The piercer had to move and wiggle to find the hole to push the needle back through. My daughter was fine afterwards with no pain at all. I asked all the questions about cleaning and sporting activities and even took her back a week later for it to be checked out. All was going well, she cleans it extremely well at least twice a day but for the last couple of weeks strings of puss have been coming out of the top hole. It is a yellowish colour, possible slightly green as well. I have made her clean it even more but this hasn't helped. She has no pain at all, it doesn't hurt to touch and she can freely move the ring. Is the puss just a natural part of the healing or is there more to it. She is very active with dancing and acrobatics and we were told that as long as she felt comfortable and had no pain it was ok for her to do this. Can you please let me know what you think. Thanks
To everyone who has had their belly pierced for about a week or less, don't stress about any redness or soreness - you've just had a needle stabbed through your belly button and like any other piercing it's going to hurt. Think of anytime you've had a scab or cut... It goes red around it and scabs when it's healing, your belly button will do the same. As long as you are cleaning it 2-3 times a day it should be fine. If the greeny puss comes out (which I have experienced. So gross btw) make sure you don't touch it too much and just keep it clean and give it air, and it should soon pass. If you are really worried the best thing you can do is go see your GP or doctor and if it's serious they can give you some antibiotics which can aid the clear up of any infections quite well. Hope this helps and don't stress too much guys:)
will someone please answer my question im really worried thanks?
i got my navel pierced aug. 31 and on the bottom of top hole it has a little red bump or spot and no stuff is coming out of it which is good i guess and it dont really hurt but im just worried about that spot or bump is that normal i clean it everyday so?
Angie, what your describin sounds like what happened to me, i just used the cleaning solution that i was using when i got it and it just went away
I have a problem with my belly button piercing, like someone said it seems like "flesh" is coming out like inside the belly button area. What do I do exactly?!?!?!!? I really need help. Should I buy sea salt and clean it with that and warm water??
Please answer my question! Thanks
So i got my belly button done over 2 months ago, and it was doing fine. I've been cleaning it with a saline solution. In the morning it gets crusty on top. I took it out to clean it and it was bloody and had whitish ooze coming out of it. When i tried to wipe it away, it wouldn't move. I used my finger nails to pull at it (i know, gross) and it came away from the hole in a very stringly manner. When i squeeze it, the same blood and ooze occurs. What do i do? Am i rejecting it? Should i put in a plastic barbell?
I got my belly button pierced about 2 days ago and its still red, on top and bottom. Very little lite green discharge is coming out, but the tattoo people said it was normal. Do you think its infected already?
Hey, I've had mine done for about 4months and it was infected but i got rid of the infection by cleaning it with diluted dettol, but now the skin around my bar is soo tight and i can't move the bar, it doesn't hurt at all unless i try to move it. will this get better on its own or should i be doing anything to loosen it? If anyone can help ide really appreciate it:) ihearticecream@hotmail.com
This may seem a bit premature to be asking, but I got mine done yesterday and the pains completely gone. After about an hour of having it done it stopped hurting and it only hurts if I knock it, but I've been having really pains in my stomach like when you're going to throw up. I was just wondering if this is normal and if it's not any suggestions?
Hi! I got my navel done just over a month ago, and I am wondering if I can change the bar while it still has yellow stuff coming out? -tash.
Hiyss. Ive had my belly button done for 3 days n it is gettin itchy, and abit red at the top? please can you help me
i got my belly button pierced 4 days ago, it was looking good, but today i noticed the top ball is irritated, and under the top ball is a little black spot.. i have no clue what it is. help this chicka please
hay again have my belly button dun a week now bu theres like a clear puss cumin out of it and my friend said thats normal its just healing and cleanin itself out is that true?? please help mee
hi i got my belly button pierced 4 weeks ago and i think its heeling fine. no puss or redness or anything like that but it has dead skin by the top ball and its kinda greyish in that area too. i wash it normally with h2ocean and everything. is it infected? or will it be?
Hey I got mine pierced about 2 weeks ago & my top ball sinks into the hole, do I need a bigger one ??
@ Vanessa Just keep it clean. That top ball is a bitch. The redness will be there for awile. Its normal. just keep it clean. Dont bend to much if you dont have too. You really have to pamper it.
hay i got my belly button done bou 3 days ago and everything looks fine except the the top ball , on my skin it a lil red around it and i havnt got a clue whats goin on HELP ME PLEASEE
@mxm538
Thank you so much! :)
@ Meg Just keep doing what you are doing.Keep it clean, dont play with it. Just keep watching it. Go to your piercer and talk to them about any concerns you have. I just went to mine. I had mine for 4 months. but because my job I bend down to much and I have very soft skin. it wasnt healing and he took it out.he will do it again but with a much lighter ring , bio flex. You should be Ok just keep it clean.
Hi, I'm kinda freaking out. I'm only 16 and got my belly button done last Friday. It's been totally fine and hasn't even hurt that badly until recently. I've been noticing it getting more and more red and even a bit swollen around the upper part. I've tried to look at it closet and underneath the upper ball is a little bit of crusties. I have not picked at them and try to just avoid moving it as much as possible. It aches every so often and I have no idea what could be wrong with it!! When I woke up this morning it was kind of itchy (the feeling you get when you have a scrap or wound and its healing..but I don't know) I also noticed today that there is more redness around my whole belly button and its still sore. Ive been taking care of it and pampering it with a mild antibacterial soap and soaking it in salt water. I really really hope its not rejecting or infected! It's freaking me out. Tomorrow I'm going to the beach, will that help out?
Does anyone know what is going on?
need to know where H2Ocean is? Piecing studio, Hot Topic or even online . Price ranges 5-25$ :)
i had my BB done a little while bak and i had an emergency trip and forgot all my cleaning supplys for it so i callded my piercer and she sed i can use cleaning clothes that are in first aid kits and afterwards add a little neo to go or something of that sort hope this helps some of you
I just got my piercing 4 days ago and last night it started to get red on top and it's just sore when i touch it. What can i do? Can someone help me?
Kelly just keep it clean and just pamper it. Mine did the same thing. Make sure you have plenty of room with your belly ring. If both holes touch the belly ring, you should get one bigger.if you have plenty of room to move it thats good. Dont play with it.Just keep it clean. if it was infective you know it by all that gross green puss.if you dont have that your good. just pamper it. Try not to bend down to much .
Hi, I got my navel piercing about 7 days ago. It was fine the first 5 days but on the 6th day which was yesterday, the top part started to be a little swollen and reddish. It hurts a little when I try to bend down. It's a little worse today. I'm unsure whether is it infected or not. Can someone help?
Thank you :)
@mxm538
Well i play softball..and I do sleep on my stomach..but I played with it all through basketball and volleyball season and I never seemed to have any problems with it then..
I just had a white spot on top of a red bump. I just soaked in hot/warm water and it seem to draw out a little puss which was that white spot. Im not using sea salt cause it seems to dry my skin, but I do have a antiseptic wash with sea salt in it.
@ Elle You could have irratated it by changing it. Keep it clean, soak it ,wash it, leave it alone. Don't play with it. @ lkc Have you done anything to it, like bump it,any rough clothing.?Sleeping on it? @ Emily You maybe bumped it or it got caught on something..
i got my belly button done in january and it is now july, but yesterday it was red with a little part that was white and today the little white part is a cut. any ideas as to what it might be?? thank you :)
I've had my belly button for almost a year. I never had any problems, it was always healing just fine. Lately it has been very sore. I have a small bump under my skin between the two parts of the ring (where the bar is under the skin). I've always taken such good care of it...but no one seems to get the bump where I have one...anyone have any idea?? Please help..
I don't know if mines is infected because i changed mines a few weeks ago, and it was to small, and started to hurt, and got a bit red, so i changed it, and it's still really red, is it infected? or do i still have a chance of using some antiseptic cream or something?
@shannon no green puss is not good.
why is there green puss comeing out of my belly butten is that natrul
Well today I changed my belly ring, I didn't want to but I lost the stone in the bottom ball. So I bought myself a new ring,and wipes to clean and used H2ocean on the bar to help to move it into the hole smoothly. It worked. Only problem was that damn top ball was tight so I had a hard time to loosen it.But I did. So my belly is a little irratated but its ok.Its been about 3 months for me now. Its still pink in color.
Mine has like a red lump under neath of it idk what it is my dad said it looks like its knotting up and i got it done may 2nd and it looks great except for that lump idk what to do about it
i got my belly button pierced 2 mts ago and last night i accidently bumped it in my slrrp. i woke up and a few hours later i adjusted the bar like pushed it down and a little drop of blood and little bit of green puss came out. is it infected?
im 12 years old and i got my piercing about a month and half ago they said it should be healed on the top and bottom by now but theres just a little red spot beside it and i think the hole has stretched im rly scared and i dont know if its infected aybe its just rejeting it it will probably go away in a couple of weeks just like my nose piercing did if u have any suggestions or anything that this could be please tell me and do you know anyways to make it heal faster ??!!! please tell me !
Hi, I got mine pierced in March and it was healing just fine (my 2nd time getting it pierced). I changed it about a week ago to a white gold jewelry that I got at a jewelry place. It was still a little red but not hurting or anything. And when I had it pierced the first time it stayed red for a good while as well. This morning I noticed a bump on the top hole, after I cleaned it with Epsom salt and water, the lump kinda opened and it's been emptying pus I guess. Any suggestions? Is this a sign of infection or just healing? My first one didn't give me this much trouble so I'm worried now. You can also email me if you have helpful tips.. hockey_chick_40@hotmail.com
i have had my peircing for two months now, and it doesnt hurt but it has like a little 'blister' type looking thing beside the top ball, some days it looks like you can hardly see it, or like its getting better but i dont know if its an infection ? i clean it with salt water twice a day. is it infected ? :/
This is my second time getting my belly pierced and they seem to pierced it directly through my scar which they said they wouldn't because the first time it was pierced too low. I'm not happy with it because I'm scared it will rip out due to having very little skin over the barbell.. I don't know any of my friends who's was pierced so low so is it my piercer or my belly button shape ????
i had my bbr 3 weeks ago and i tought it was healing find, but now it hurt when i clean it. it's painfull when i move the ring up and down is it part of the healing process.
My belly ring I think has accumulated scar tissue around the top and it's lighter in color, but when I go to change the piercing it starts closing up almost instantly. In the time it takes me to set down one and pick up the other and try to put it in its already started closing. I have had the piercing for almost 6 months. It hasnt always been like that, there's been some irritation recently and it sometimes gets crusty around the top. But when i'm putting the new piercing in I have to kind of force it through and then it starts bleeding and its a mixture between blood and some whitish fluid, I don't think its puss...I don't know what to do or what's causing it to close up so fast. Help??
extremely helpful!!
hey i got a belly ring about a month ago ....its like dark around the holes .It pus every now and then and the color of it is like light yellow and sometime clear. The question is about the color of the holes . What does it mean ?
My friend showed me this remedy, and what u do is every few days until the area is almost cleared up(only do this if your piercing is close to infected) U pour hydrogen peroxide into a container or something, then soak the metal ball(s) and barbell in it.. Then u take saline and shoot it through the bottom hole until u see it come up trough the top hole. After that u take the things out of the peroxide and put it back in. It's been working for me so far.
You poor thing :( Jessi Have you changed it and thats when the bump showed up? Is the metal a good quality? Are you wearing tight fitting cloths to cause the friction? Is it pussing? Im just asking so we all have a clearer picture to help you.
So, I've had my belly button pierced for 5 months now and when I hit my 3 month mark the previous redness around the top ball turned into a surfaced bump thing and it almosts looks like a blood blister next to the top ball. I went in to the place that I had the piercing done to have them check it. They said it was a "fricton burn" from moving it around too much. They said if I up my dose of the sea salt and water then it should heal in no time but its been two months and nothing has happened... Any suggestions?
Nice to meet you Vicky! If anything my BB has made me feel younger, and happier with my self.I guess you can say I met my milestone,and to celebrate I got my BB done!
Hi mxm538 - just wanted to let you know from your earlier comments that you are definitely not too old for anything you want to do. I am almost as old as (or as young as) Madonna and she has a bb ring too
Hello all! Well its been one month for my bb. Its doing good. i stopped using the dail soap, it was a bit to strong for my skin. Now just using Dove for senstive skin in the shower. Cutting back on the sea salt wash too.Just not playing with it and giving it as much air as I can.
Hi, I had my belly piercing done last Thursday (8 days ago) and think it is starting to heal nicely. It didn't look the best on Monday and there was a little bit of white pus but I realised after reading up about the healing process that this could be normal and due to the wound cleaning or pushing out traces of dry blood/tissue. I made a solution using a cup of warm boiled water from the kettle, 1/4 teaspoon of non-idodised sea salt and 1 capful of tea tree oil, which is really soothing and healing. I put it in a clean jar and pour a little into a medicine cup to use 2-3 times a day with a clean cotton wall ball. The trick is to saturate the barbell and gently move it so that the solution gets into the hole and flushes out impurities and disinfects it. Be gentle,and let the solution do the work. Wear a towel around your waist but pat dry once or twice with a tissue as it is more sterile. Good luck
hi, ive had my belly button pierced twice before and this time ive had it in for about 4 months then i decided to change the barbell to a smaller one. it started hurting then a big bump appeared in between the top hole and the bottom hole. ive had this before and i used bactine spray and sea salt soaks to get rid of it and it went away but this time ive had it for over a month already and it wont go away ! help =/
Mrs Ericka I would wait a few months before going into a pool. When you see there is no more redness, maybe then ,but I would clean it right away after your swim. My inched a little bit too. Your skin is drying out which may be the cause of it.
hey I've gotten my navel pierce 4/17/11 and I cleans it about 2 to 3 times a day . And it looks good as well .what I want to knw do it suppose to itch around it and also when can you change the ring . ad when can I get in a pool.
Well Im way over 25:) But I just had my BB done 2 weeks ago. Its a little red still be and some dry skin too. But im always cleaning it, giving it lots of air as much as I can. I really am getting a lot of info here . Thanks for sure.,,,
hey, so i got my belly pierced exactly a week ago, and I had to swim in the ocean with it, (my parents dont know, but i am telling them). i looked around on the internet the night before i went in the ocean and read that it was fine as long as i clean it afta, so i did. now it is a bit red around the top ball but there is no lump or anything, and it is a bit sore again. im not sure if it is infected so pls help!
I got my belly-button pierced 5 weeks ago and it hurts so bad! I Can't even stand the pain to clean it. It's all red and puffy! I wanna take it out but after going through the time, money, and pain taking it out isn't an option. What about if I take anibiotics...... will that help any? I got an industrial piercing a year ago and it got infected so i took an antibiotic from the doctor and my infection went away. Sooo hopefully it will be an option for my belly-button.
had my belly pierced about 3-4weeks ago, and the bottom of the peircing is fine and normal colour, but the top is red and occasionally scabs, sometimes when i clean it it pusses a yellowy coloured stuff, whats going on? is it infected?
Is sterling silver a good metal to use???
can i use ALZARA dead sea product as a saline solution ?
any 25+ women here with bb rings?
This was a very good hub!! Another good thing for piercings is H2ocean i love that stuff!!
This article helped quite a bit. I've had it pierced for about 6 & a half weeks. It's definitely my favorite piercing! It's a little red, and a bit crusty, but I've been cleaning it 3 times a day up until the 6 week mark, now I'm just cleaning it in the morning and at night... Nothing is coming out, and it's not bleeding. So I assume it's just healing? I've had a few other piercings, and they never rejected the surgical steel, so I know that isn't a concern. Let me know if anybody else has had the same thing happen as me. Thanks :)
So Everyone seems really helpful here so I thought I'd ask, I just got my bellybutton pierced, and I was wondering if I should move it every now and then or not touch it at all? My boyfriend said I should move it every few hours or it'll heal into the barbell. I just wanna be sure.
how do i kno its infected.i got it three days ago
Hey I got my belly button pierced on December 16 and it seemed healed so I changed it out. I know dumb idea. Well it was a dangly one and now it's got a little bit of the clear yellowish stuff coming out of it. So I put a stud in. It gets a little itchy sometimes and is a bit red. Is it swollen?? Please HELP!!!
I got my peircing done this month (aprox 10 or so days)
it is still a bit red but for the most part looks fine except for this black spot either in or on the skin where the top ball is and there seems to be dried sort of skin (sort of like a callouse but softer and isnt there when wet)
Is this normal? or should I do something about it?
Fab article :)
thats really made me feel better about my piercing because for some reason i thought it was infected :P Iv had it done for like...2 weeks and its nit bled or had pus so iv actually worried about that....does that mean its not healing?
also if you lift up the piercing (its pierced fairly shallow because i have no 'shelf' on my top belly button) its a bit scabbed in front of the ball at the top (making it a bit stiff)
is that all normal ?? :)
I got my belly button pierced about 3 weeks ago. it doesnt hurt any more but its red at the top and dry and it some times itches really bad. is this normal?
hey so i got mine pierced a week tomorrow and its red and kinda feel irritated. There's a little bit of dry skin, but no puss that i can see or smell. i clean it twice a day with unscented soap that the piercer told me to use. I don't know if i should do anything else and i dont't know if im getting an infection, since it is red and kinda sore.
ANY COMMENTS??
Sounds like you may be allergic to the metal of the jewelry, especially if you have had these problems for so long. As long as the piercing is not infected, I'd recommend removing the jewelry, letting it heal, and going back to have it repeirced with a different metal.
I have had my belly button pierced for a little over a year and I have always had problems with it. It is always sore and the past few months it will start bleeding but not enough for it to get on my clothes. Whenever I look at it there is crust on it. Underneath my top ball it is red and underneath the bottom ball it looks as if some of my flesh is coming out?? IDK but it looks wierd and always hurts. I have been using sea salt and hot water to care for it. What do you think is wrong with it??
hay i a worried about mine i have had it done for just over 4 months and it is red at the top and there is this red stuff comin out the top when i lift it up i use savalon antiseptic spray should i use something else or not i really dont know what to do it looks like the one with the gold ring you know the top of it please tell me soon what i should do now!!!!!!!!!
welp i have had mine done since december 11 a day after my birthday but i have a lil red spot under my top ball and it does not hurt my belly button stopped hurting after a couple days i been using ointment and alchahol pads and greenish white stuff is coming out i dnt kno if it is normal i was told it was but i dont kno juz write me at my email jessicashelton74@yahoo.com
I got my belly pierced on thursday and it is not bleeding or pussy it is very tender and red. I think it is infected and i went back to the shop and the piercer said it may be infected but she doesn't know. also under my top ball there is a cut. and my top belly ball sinks into my belly and i think it is infected but i dont know and neither does my piercer... please help....
@ttrash: Thank's and yeah I've got 4piercings in each ear & my tounge pierced? I will go back to the piercer - (I hadn't had any other of my piercings done there?)xx
Oh wow,
doesn't pain is more than the jewel itself?
I got my belly button pierced about three months ago. It seemed to be healing fine but then for about the past few weeks it has become tender to the touch again, as well as getting really red and swelling around the top hole. Since I have had the piercing, the top hole has been the one I have had more problems with. The last week, though, the bottom one has been getting red again :( For about the first month, I soaked it in a salt water solution using the shot glass technique. After that I got busier and so have been using the salt water spray... I think that I probably need to go back to soaking it, but not sure it will do the trick? I think I will ask my doctor about trying an antibiotic. Has anyone else had success with this? It does itch at times, which I have taken to mean it is still healing in some ways. The darker red around the holes and extreme tenderness, though, are really concerning me. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much!
ive had my belly button pierced for 10 months itll be a yr in january. it was infected a few months ago, but i got rid of it. i changed the barbell last night to a titanium piece but it was hard to put in! i had to put it in upside down! is it rejecting?? or migrating?
Jai, your piercing may be rejecting. Rejection sometimes just happens to people on all their piercings; do you have any others? Go back to your piercer and ask them for their opinion.
This is a great hub, I just wanted to add that any plastic derived jewelery also shouldn't be worn during the healing process. Because of its porous nature of plastics, as the tissue heals, it will grow into the plastic and moving the bar will cause irritation and swelling. Once healed though, plastic type bars are a great, more flexible alternative to steel.
I had mt navel pierced (belly button) about 3months ago and it won’t heal! About 2/3weeks after it being pierced I noticed a “bubble” on the top hole. I have no idea what it is but it’s sore, red in colour and has an unpleasant smell! I’ve tried TCP (diluted and pure), salt water (regurally) and germoline cream! It often oozes and crust’s and I’m not sure if it’s INFECTED, REJECTING or just HEALING? I don’t want to take it out just in case it’s part of the healing process.. In urgent help, any advice?xx
Hey Erica, sounds like a possible infection. Go back to your original piercer, or another piercer you trust and have them take a look.
Okay, So i've Had My Belly Button Pierced For About 4 Months Now. There is What Seems To Be A Blister On The Bottom Hole, it Has A Hole Of its Own And it Has A Thick Discharge Coming Out Of it. Btw it Does Hurt :/ Anybody have Any Suggestions? :/
i had my belly button pierced 10 days ago. it is red around the top ball and its made a dent in my open skin.. is that normal? any tips please
HI. I got my belly button pierced like 2 or 3 weeks ago. it does look red but it stopped hurting and would that mean it is still infected. my mom got me neosporn to rub around it is that fine as a normal aftercare? please HELP ME!!!! And does a ring that looses it color and like kind of makes your belly button look gray cause an infection? I would appretiate the help. thanks.
Michaela~
Heyy Cierra, my belly bar doesnt cover my belly button either, but its just that my belly button is bigger then some of my friends, i dont know if yours is but thats why mine does lolx
i got my belly peirced a week ago and it was healing fine and then a couple days ago it started getting red where the barbell goes under the skin((its red on top where it would be)) im assuming its bc i keep moving and twisting my body in my sleep ((cant stay still!!)) but there is no bleeding or puss. just hurts a bit and is red. whatsa goowin on?((ps ive had it done b4))
Okay, Im 15. & I got my bellybutton peirced about 2 months ago. & my question is.. how do you know if its pierced wrong? Because my botton ball of my bellybutton ring doesn't sit in my bellybutton like everyone elses, & the piercing place I went to are VERY profesional. They've done tattoo's & piercings on celeb's also. My piercing lays a little below the top of my bellybutton, so is that normal? PLEASE HELP! It's been bugging me, thanks so much. -Cierra.
this has been very helpful just got mine done and i love love love it==]
hi mine has a little redness but nit that much this page that i have read it is very good thank you for the tips
very good article and kudos to you for the wash your hands peat and repeat lecture :) this nurse gives you a thumbs up (But I dont think a navel piercing is forme...I will stick with the two in my ears!!!!)
Very helpful article! You have to be very careful to keep clean and dry piercings in places that are covered or tend to sweat.
Hannah 4 weeks ago
So me and my sister went last weekend so about a week ago to get our belly buttons pierced together...we both have had the same symptoms so i guess everything is ok...there is no oozing no itching it doesnt hurt sting or burn its just a little sore and a little red around the top balls...that is normal right?