Infected Belly Button Piercing: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention

In the 90s and early 2000s, belly button piercings were all the rage. After fading from popularity for a few decades, pop stars and celebrities are bringing them back into the zeitgeist. We can't say we're surprised, given the resurgence of early aughts style across the board!

Newcomers to the world of body piercings may not realize how much TLC a new piercing needs. You may think you'll get to show off your new body jewelry this summer only to realize that you have an infected belly button piercing.

What are the signs of an infected belly piercing? How can you treat it and, more importantly, how can you prevent it from happening in the first place? Read on to find out.

Basic Piercing Care 101

When you decide to get a new piercing, one of the most important things to commit to is basic piercing care. Not only can proper aftercare reduce your risk of infection but it can also help to minimize the appearance of piercing scars. Here are the three steps to take daily as your piercing site heals.

Clean the Piercing Site

At least once a day (and preferably twice a day), you need to clean the skin around your belly button piercing. Wash your hands before you get started. Make sure you're using a saline solution or soap that does not contain:

• Alcohol
• Fragrances
• Hydrogen peroxide

Use a clean, disposable cotton ball to swab the piercing site and surrounding skin with saline solution. If you're using soap, form a gentle lather, rinse with clean water, and allow the area to air dry.

Don't Touch Too Much

When you're cleaning your belly button ring, don't rotate or pull on the jewelry. Moving the piercing can damage the skin and slow down the healing process.

The piercing site may release a thin white fluid as it heals, which can form into a crust when it dries. Use a disposable Q-tip or cotton ball to soften and wipe the crust away. Never pick it off with your hands.

Avoid Contaminants and Irritation

In general, you shouldn't touch your piercing site with dirty hands, which can introduce bacteria to the unhealed wound. You should also avoid contaminants found in:

• Bodily fluids
• Pools
• Hot tubs
• Lakes
• Beauty products like lotion or perfume

If you do decide to swim before your piercing heals, cover the area with a waterproof bandage designed as a wound sealant. Normal bandaids won't do the trick.

Why Do Belly Button Piercings Get Infected?

Any piercing can become infected when you don't take good care of it, but belly button piercings can present more of an infection risk than your typical ear piercing. Let's take a quick look at why belly button piercings need special attention.

Location

Swift healing is an important part of minimizing the risk of infection. Unfortunately, it's easy to snag belly button piercings on clothing, causing friction that can reopen healing wounds. Because it's hard to truly sterilize clothing, it can also introduce bacteria.

Moisture

The belly button is naturally warm and moist, which can make it difficult to keep the area clean throughout the day. Research shows that it's also harder for moisture to evaporate around piercings, changing the type of bacteria that naturally flourish on the skin. While a changing microbiome won't inherently cause an infection, it does mean that you'll need to be diligent in cleaning your healing piercing twice a day.

Healing Time

Before you get any piercing, it's important to know how long it takes that area of the body to heal. Belly button piercings can take 6-12 months to heal and often look healed before they really are because the piercing site will heal from the outside in. Before you get your belly button pierced, make sure you're prepared to keep up with aftercare for up to one year.

Signs of an Infected Belly Button Piercing

You're bound to notice a bit of tenderness in the hours and days after you get your belly button pierced. How do you know if you've gone from typical discomfort to a piercing infection? Here are some of the top signs of an infected belly button piercing.

Pain and Swelling

A small amount of swelling for a few days after getting your belly button pierced is relatively normal. The area may also look a little red and feel tender to the touch.

That said, these symptoms should get better after a few days, not worse. They also shouldn't come back weeks or months after you get the piercing.

Some early signs of infection include:

• Significant swelling
• Pain that persists or gets worse after the first few days
• Red lines that radiate from the piercing site
• Noticeable warmth around the piercing

A warm compress can alleviate some of this discomfort. It may also help the infection to drain, but it isn't a standalone solution to piercing infections.

Certain Types of Discharge or Pus

You're likely to notice a thin white liquid coming from the piercing site as it heals. This is the liquid that can form into a crust that you should gently remove with saline solution or soap, and never your hands. The crusted area may feel a bit stiff or itchy, but it shouldn't burn or hurt.

Other types of discharge indicate an infection and shouldn't be ignored. Take note of any discharge that is yellow, green, brown, or has a foul smell. This type of discharge may or may not be accompanied by swelling and pain.

Fever or Upset Stomach

An untreated infection can start to have a wider impact on the body as your immune system kicks in to try to fight it off. This tends to result in an elevated temperature, full-blown fever, or chills.

Some people also experience stomach upset like nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite when their belly button piercing becomes infected. However, if that's your only symptom from this list, there's a good chance your belly button piercing isn't the culprit.

Infection or Something Else?

You might notice some issues arising with your new belly button piercing that aren't bacterial or fungal. For example, some people develop keloids around new piercings, usually weeks or months after getting the piercing. Keloids are harmless, resulting from scar tissue overgrowth, but you may not like how they look.

Other problems that can cause irritation around a piercing site include tearing and allergies. Tearing occurs when the jewelry is too heavy for an unhealed piercing site or when the jewelry snags on something like clothing. Allergies to the metal used in jewelry can cause symptoms like itchiness, redness, and hives.

Does your piercing look like it's moved? The skin sometimes rejects new piercings, meaning that in the process of healing, it's trying to push the jewelry out. Talk to your piercer if it looks like you're dealing with piercing rejection.

Treating a Belly Button Infection

The good news is that when you catch a piercing infection early, you can usually treat it at home. Let's talk about piercing infection care (and the signs that you should call your doctor, after all).

Keep Your Piercing In

Your first instinct might be to remove your piercing when you notice the early signs of an infection. Unless your doctor explicitly tells you to remove it, keep it in.

If you remove the jewelry before your belly button piercing heals, it's going to close up. This can trap the infection under the skin. Keeping the jewelry in keeps the hole open, allowing the infection to drain.

Bathe the Area

Though it may feel uncomfortable, keep up with cleaning your piercing. Saline solutions and fragrance-free soap are antibacterial and can help fight the infection.

Once again, make sure you're using clean, disposable materials like cotton balls or swabs. Never use the same materials again and again to clean an infection. Remember, even a recently washed cloth can still have bacteria on it.

Avoid Antibacterial Creams

There tends to be conflicting advice when it comes to antibacterial creams and infected piercings. As a general rule of thumb, you're better off avoiding antibacterial cream like Neosporin on your infected belly button piercing unless a doctor tells you otherwise.

These creams tend to be petroleum-based, which can cut off oxygen to the pierced skin. This can actually slow down the healing process, making you more at risk of developing a worsening (or future) infection.

Know When to Talk to Your Doctor

When you're dealing with early signs of a belly button piercing infection, like redness, swelling, and a small amount of pus, you can try treating the infection at home with diligent cleaning. However, there comes a point when it's time to get your doctor involved.

Call your doctor if your symptoms get worse or don't start to dissipate after five or six days. If you develop a fever or chills, you may need an oral antibiotic to help your body fight the infection.

How to Prevent an Infected Belly Piercing

People who have a higher risk of infection may want to limit the number or type of piercings they get. That said, a belly button piercing can become infected regardless of any pre-existing conditions. Here are some important ways to prevent an infected belly piercing.

Start with the Right Jewelry

You should always wear high-quality belly button rings no matter how long you've had your belly button pierced. Materials like surgical steel, titanium, and gold are all safer, healthier, and less likely to trigger skin allergies than lower-quality materials like copper.

When you're getting your belly button pierced, it's just as important to use a barbell piercing. Don't switch to dangle rings or captive bead rings, which can create extra friction or add extra weight, until the piercing site is completely healed.

Go to a Trusted Piercer

Belly button piercings require precision, know-how, and sanitary tools. Only get your belly button pierced by a licensed professional with experience. Never let a novice pierce such a sensitive area of your body.

Like most unique piercings, a belly button piercing should never involve a piercing gun. Your piercer should puncture the loose skin of your navel with a sterilized hollow needle. If a piercer suggests using a piercing gun on your belly button, cancel your appointment and go elsewhere.

Stay Dry and Clean

Moisture is key when it comes to excess bacterial growth. Unless you're willing to use a waterproof wound sealant bandage, avoid swimming, spending time in hot tubs, or taking baths. After showering and cleaning your belly button piercing, let the area air dry before you put on any layers.

It's not always easy to keep yourself from sweating, but wearing loose clothing can help. Steer clear of high-waisted pants and tight tops. A loose, clean shirt is a great choice because it can help keep contaminants away from your new piercing without making you sweat or creating friction.

Practice Basic Piercing Care

Nothing is going to be as effective in preventing belly button piercing infections than practicing basic piercing care. That means cleaning your piercings with the right solutions and materials, steering clear of harsh chemicals and fragrances, and refraining from touching your piercing with dirty hands.

If you have any questions about what to use or how to clean your piercing, don't hesitate to clarify with your piercer. Many parlors will either sell a cleaning solution or recommend a specific brand that you can find at a drugstore. Proper twice-a-day cleaning can reduce your risk of a lot of unwanted side effects, from infections to longer healing times.

Invest in Quality with Body Pierce Jewelry

When you don't take the process seriously, it's easier than you may realize to end up with an infected belly button piercing. From choosing the right jewelry and piercer to committing to aftercare, there are tons of simple ways to cut down on that risk.

You deserve to wear jewelry made by a company that loves piercings as much as you do. Not only does Body Pierce Jewelry sell high-quality body jewelry made of metals like surgical steel but we also offer a 90-day warranty and a satisfaction guarantee. Stay up to date with our new arrivals and shop our whole collection today.