Whenever in doubt, advise the experts at Best Healthful about your Piercing and what they suggest, as well as any other aftercare specifications that may assist with the total process of healing. Her goal is to help students adopt a less stressful view of standardized testing and other academic challenges through her articles. Swimming pools, hot tubs, lakes, and river systems should really be prevented within the first year following your initial piercing. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. While ear piercings typically heal in 6 to 8 weeks. Try to sleep on your back and avoid tanning beds at least for the first couple months of healing. Sarah has over 10 years of experience teaching and practicing phlebotomy and intravenous (IV) therapy using physical, psychological, and emotional support. If you develop a chill and fever, you should see your doctor as soon as you can to see if you require antibiotics for a potential infection. Once the solution is ready, pour it into a bowl and dip a cotton swab. Take care of your new piercing and it most likely won't get infected. Youll also be at more risk of infection. Repeat this step twice a day, and voila! Run warm water over your belly, penetrating for about two minutes, then wash it with salt and water soak. If youre under 18, you must have a parent or guardian present to sign off on your piercing. 1 How do you shower with a new belly button piercing? Important: Read This Before Getting a Belly Button Piercing. Belly Button Piercing Aftercare. References Belly button piercing may not be for everyone depending on the kind of lifestyle you live. WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. And that means you will get an infection if you dont clean it regularly. To disinfect an infected piercing, hold a saline compress against your belly button for 10 minutes. My question is im scared to risk it in the shower so I'm gonna have to be careful while using my shampoo and conditioner. It could be better if you also carefully used the appropriate saltwater solution measurements. An infected belly button will be swollen with redness, and it will cause pain and produce smelly dischargesjust like earrings. The best time to apply this oil is after washing the navel area. If you've had your tongue, lip or cheek pierced, rinse with an alcohol-free, antiseptic mouthwash after each meal and before you Pat the area dry with a clean towel. There is no such thing as being too fat for a belly button piercing. First off, take a shower beforehand. Pain or tenderness whenever the area is touched or the jewelry moves. don't take bath!! The reason is that a towel can become implicated in your piercing, causing the skin to become swollen and irritated, possibly leading to infection of your piercing. 4 Can I go swimming or snorkeling on holiday with a piercing? My piercer never told me anything about You can make your own or dissolve 1/8 teaspoon of sodium in 1 cup of warm, extracted, or water bottles. for the first three weeks after being pierced as they contain bacteria which can increase the risk of infection. If you ignore this rule, youre asking for an Wash the area with lukewarm water and then clean with a sterile saline solution or a mild liquid soap. If you think you have an infection, first of all, contrary to what you might think, you should leave the jewelry in your belly button. and I'm still cleaning it with peroxide. At least every day, dab the area with clean gauze or a saline-soaked paper towel. Sarah Gehrke is a Registered Nurse and Licensed Massage Therapist in Texas. One downside to belly button piercings is that. Taking it out could cause further complications, including the formation of abscesses in the area. To create this article, 30 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. I have another quick question. If this occurs, see a doctor and report your piercer. If youve gotten other piercings in the past, be mindful of how your body has reacted. The easiest way to treat an irritated belly button piercing is to keep the area clean. Getting a belly button piercing does not mean that you cannot swimming with it on. Opt for a shower instead of bath. Rubbing alcohol slows down the recovery by killing new healthy cells in that area. A skin condition around your belly button (like a. The College Entrance Examination BoardTM does not endorse, nor is it affiliated in any way with the owner or any content of this site. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Many argue that mild soaps are appropriate for washing the new piercing. How to take care of your belly button piercing after piercing? Other indications of an infection include excess crust around one or both of the piercings holes, persistent pain or soreness to the touch, skin sensitivity, the ability to see the piercing through the skin, or any movement or loosening of the piercing itself. WebSleeping can be a challenge with a new belly button piercing, but there are ways to get a good night of rest. Now, celebrities and regular people alike are rocking this style with pride. I got my answer. Then, dry it with a paper towel or something soft. Lie down on a sofa or bed to allow the piercing to soak in the salt solution for 10 to 15 minutes. Sometimes, if you get the wrong type of jewelry, you can end up with a nasty allergic reaction around your piercing. Navel piercings can range in cost, but theyre $40-$60 at most piercing places. You could soak cotton in the solution combination and gently dab from around the area before washing it with a paper towel. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Lavender oil can be purchased at the supermarket or chemist's. If you reach the six to nine month mark and arent experiencing any of the issues detailed in the previous section, you can check the piercing to see if its fully healed. The piercing also needs room below and behind the flap so that the area doesnt become irritated in the healing process. You can still do sit-ups and other exercises when your piercing is healing as long as you dont experience too much discomfort from the movement. They tried to follow by a non-bacterial mild soap and water sanitizing. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. They heal slower than many other types of body piercings, and they require a significant amount of aftercare. If everything feels and looks good, Id recommend going back to your piercer so they can verify that youre completely healed. How do you shower with a new belly button piercing? Anytime the jewelry gets moved, your skin could tear. Clean your piercing every day with saline solution or a mild soap, taking care to wash around both piercing holes and your belly button. (Sorry, I know it's a little gross, but it's important to know what something bad looks like.). "I been cleaning my piercings with peroxide then I was told not to do that and wanted to know why. Ask below and we'll reply! Do you want to explore how you can clean your belly button piercing while taking a shower? If you dont have a solid flap of skin on the top of the belly button, sometimes piercers can go for the lower lip of the belly button instead (though this is a rare option). Another issue that is common with belly button piercings is migration and rejection of the jewelry. Let soap stay on the piercing no longer than 30 seconds. Once your piercing begins to recover, you should keep on going to clean it for four weeks. Piercing places sometimes take these rules further and say they wont do certain types of piercings on minors or wont pierce anyone under the age of 16 even with the consent of a parent or guardian. Is it normal for a navel piercing to be red and sore after the first week, even if it is washed daily? Migration and rejection dont mean the piercing is infected, so they arent overall health risks, but they come with more aesthetic problems when theyre not addressed. How to Clean Your Belly Button Piercing? This guide will take you through the piercing process and show you how to avoid potential problems as you heal. Avoid swimming, taking baths, and strenuous exercise until the irritation (or infection) goes away. How to clean your belly button piercing with antibacterial Soap and Water. Take a shower instead, if you can. In that case, you could always ask the professional who Piercing your belly button to suggest the most appropriate saline solution item for optimal healing. A heavy ring might irritate your piercing. Go with a barbell rather than a ring because theres less risk of the barbell getting caught on stuff in the healing process. You shouldn't get this done with a piercing gun since it can damage your tissue and raise the chances of infection. To learn more, like how to treat your piercing if it gets infected, scroll down. The cleaning process only requires a few minutes out of your day and will ensure that your piercing looks good in the months and years to come. A clean towel and gauze are other good alternatives. Showering with a New Belly Button Piercing You should never soap up a new belly piercing directly, because soap can dry out your skin and irritate a new piercing. Read the below guide to learn how you can do it expertly! From Cyrus risqu, sexy stage shows to Albas casual presence and Beyoncs queen-like elegance, it looks good with everything. This will probably also be hot and painful to the touch. Its for occasional use to reduce irritation and inflammation. There may also be some swelling, redness, and discoloration, but these issues should dissipate fairly soon after you get the piercing. Belly buttons are typically pierced with 12 gauge jewelry, which is around 2 mm in diameter. How Can You Clean Belly Button Piercing While Taking Shower? Here are a few suggestions: Can you swim and snorkel on holiday after piercings? Its also important to avoid soaking your new belly button piercing in anything but a sterile saline solution until its healed; bodies of water both big and small like baths, What ACT target score should you be aiming for? All rights reserved. Lean on the side of cautious - it's always better to get something checked out and have nothing wrong, than to try to tough it out and make a problem worse. Its just polite not to be smelly when a stranger has to touch your belly button. In cases of the disease, you must also clean the piercing for very much longer durations because it may take anything between six months to a full year for the piercing to heal sufficiently. Make sure you clean the area regularly until it's fully healed. Some people believe that outie belly button piercings are the only "true" belly button piercings because they actually involve piercing the inner part of the navel. The easiest way to clean your new piercing is in the shower. This is much larger than the jewelry used in a typical ear piercing, which is 1 mm or less in diameter. You should try to avoid jewelry made of nickel or sterling silver because these metals are the most likely to cause allergic reactions in people with sensitive skin. Try to live a healthy, responsible lifestyle at least for the 24 hour period before your piercing. Many people prefer to use gentle soaps like Cetaphil. They clean the spot by lathering a tiny amount of soap in the palm of their hands and softly washing your piercing to consider removing any crusts that may have formed around the piercing. Before applying soap, soak your navel area for a few minutes (do it during your shower for I have another quick question. In addition to the cleaning routine, follow these tips to avoid getting an infection in the first place. wikiHow is a wiki, similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. This article has been viewed 539,095 times. Don't play team sports like soccer or basketball until your piercing is fully healed. A saline solution is the safest option to clean the navel area. (left ear, used under CC 2.0). Irritated belly button piercings should clear up quickly with proper treatment, so youll be well on your way to feeling better soon! Clean with antiseptic cleaner and apply an antibacterial cream. Since belly piercings are surface piercings, they do run a higher risk of being rejected. At home, how would you clean your belly button piercing? To reduce your possibility of rejection to migration, you should keep up a good aftercare routine and clean the piercing on a routine basis. Here's a quick rundown of most important things to remember when getting a belly button piercing. These ointments clog the piercing holes, which works against the bodys healing mechanism. Whether youre rocking a two-piece bathing suit or want to show off a midriff-baring top, having your belly button pierced gives you an air of confidence and style. Some standard cleaning and antibacterial solutions wont work for navel piercing. Like any other piercing, you can take a shower but avoid taking a bath. If it does become infected, check to make sure that you are not allergic to the metal. Always use a mild soap with no scent because a strong antibacterial soap can be too harsh on the sensitive tissue around your piercing. Web6. Check this article to learn how to care for your innie or outie belly button. Can I go swimming or snorkeling on holiday with a piercing? Migration and rejection dont mean the piercing is infected, so they arent overall health risks, but they come with more aesthetic problems when theyre not addressed. Dont ever let anyone pierce you with a piercing gun! Be sure to use sea salt to make your solution, not table salt! I just got mine pierced yesterday. So, how do you keep your belly button crumb-free? To learn more, like how to treat your piercing if it gets infected, scroll down. in Nursing from the University of Phoenix in 2013. Twisting the ring also means that you are touching the piercing more than necessary, which increases the risk of bacteria from your hands being transferred to the navel and causing infection. How would you shower when you have a new belly button piercing? Care for belly button piercing starts from proper washing. To clean your piercing, soak a q-tip or cotton ball with a saline solution and gently wash your piercing holes and belly button twice a day. Heres how to tell if its infected and what to do next: For fever and chills, its essential to seek medical attention as soon as possible. Most people can shower normally after a belly button piercing, but its important to avoid getting soap or shampoo directly on the piercing. Then, wipe it gently with a soft tissue or cotton bud. In addition to checking the laws in your state. Washing the pierced hole and surrounding areas more than twice a day can dry up the skin oil. If you dont have a solid flap of skin on the top of the belly button, sometimes piercers can go for the lower lip of the belly button instead (though this is a rare option). Its okay if sudsy water runs over your belly button piercing when youre showering, but you should wash it exclusively with sea salt solution. Signs of an allergic reaction include: If you think you may have an allergic reaction, go back to the piercer, and ask to switch your jewelry out for a different type of material. While ear piercings typically heal in 6 to 8 weeks, a belly button piercing is usually not fully healed for six months to a year (which is why many people suggest getting your piercing in the winter so you can show off the fully healed final product come beach season). If youve gotten your ear or nose cartilage pierced before, that type of piercing usually hurts more than a belly button piercing. Subscribe to Updates You can faintly see the rejection scar from my eyebrow piercing in this picture (I waited too long to take it out because I liked it so much). of Health and Human Services, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/eb\/Treat-an-Irritated-Belly-Button-Piercing-Step-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Treat-an-Irritated-Belly-Button-Piercing-Step-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/eb\/Treat-an-Irritated-Belly-Button-Piercing-Step-2.jpg\/v4-728px-Treat-an-Irritated-Belly-Button-Piercing-Step-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"