How to take care of navel after piercing

Avoid touching the navel. Of course you should touch the piercing with clean hands when cleaning the wound, but you should avoid fiddling with, twisting, pulling, or squeezing the piercing unnecessarily. ^[9]

• Any excessive touch (especially with unwashed hands) can leave the wound vulnerable to opening and bleeding or infection.

Do not remove the navel piercing. You need to leave the navel piercing that was worn when you first got it pierced during the healing period (4-10 weeks). ^[10] If you remove your jewelry before the wound heals, the piercing may close, making re-piercing more difficult and painful.

• Further irritation can cause scarring and slow down the body’s natural healing process.

Avoid applying ointments. Ointments or creams will prevent the wound from being exposed to air and “breathing”. Ointment blocks the air and locks in moisture with potential bacteria inside. ^[11] Even as antibacterial ointments, these products significantly hinder the healing process and facilitate infection.

• You should also avoid strong solutions like hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol. These antiseptics can kill the regenerative cells in the wound.
• Antiseptic solutions containing benzalkonium chloride should also be avoided, as they can also interfere with wound healing. ^[12]
• Similarly, you should also avoid using any oils, lotions, sunscreens, and makeup in the piercing area. These products can clog the piercing and cause infection.

Wear loose clothing. Tight and tight clothing can irritate a new piercing by friction and obstructing fresh air. You should try to wear loose-fitting, breathable materials like cotton, and stay away from synthetic materials. ^[13]

• In addition, you should be careful when changing or undressing. Quick or strong movements can cause clothing to get caught in the navel piercing and cause injury.

Keep away from dirty water. Similar to avoiding baths and showers instead, you should also avoid places where the water doesn’t circulate. Don’t go to bodies of water like pools, hot tubs, and rivers for the first year after navel piercing. ^[14]

• The reason is because the above water sources are in contact with the piercing for longer, and the water can become contaminated.

Lie on your back or side while sleeping. You should lie on your back or side for the first few weeks after getting your piercing. This way, you won’t put extra pressure on a fresh and sensitive wound like lying on your stomach. ^[15]

Evaluate symptoms. If you have complications with your navel piercing, you need to first evaluate your symptoms to know what to do about them. Note the discharge from the wound, the degree of pain, swelling or redness, and any changes in the piercing site (such as a lump, the jewelry being moved, the wound opening wider than usual). often around metal piercings, etc.) Depending on the symptoms, the piercing may just be irritation, infection, or an allergy to the metal. ^[16]

• If symptoms are mild, it is more likely that the piercing is only mildly irritated. The more severe the symptoms, the more likely the wound is infected or allergic.

Treat irritated wounds. If your piercing is healing normally but is accidentally yanked or lying on top of it, itching from lake water or cosmetics, this may be a mild case of irritation. The piercing area can become irritated if the jewelry is worn too tight or too loose, causing it to move too much or get caught in the skin. Piercing irritation manifests as mild discomfort and symptoms of irritation. Symptoms such as mild swelling, mild redness, and mild discomfort (without severe pain and discharge) are thought to be mild symptoms of irritation. Apply the cleaning procedure with saline solution and treat the wound as if you had just had a piercing.

• Consider applying a cold compress (a small piece of cloth or towel dipped in cool water) to your navel. This will help ease your discomfort.
• Leave the jewelry in the piercing. The wound may be further irritated if you remove jewelry from the piercing.
• If you have any questions, ask your piercer, or visit them for an examination.

Treat infected wounds. Some discomfort, bleeding, and bruising after navel piercing are normal, but you should watch out for signs of infection. When infected, the wound is often significantly swollen and red around the piercing site. ^[17] The skin at the piercing site may be warm or slightly hot, and may also have a green, yellow, or gray discharge with a foul odor. You can also get a fever when your navel piercing is infected.

• If you suspect your navel piercing is infected, see your doctor as soon as possible. If you’re not sure if your wound is infected, you can contact your piercer to see if your symptoms are normal or related to an infection.
• Do not remove jewelry if you think your piercing is infected. Removing jewelry can irritate an infected wound and close the opening of the piercing, preventing the wound from draining properly.

Treat allergies. Allergic reactions can occur several hours or days after the piercing. Usually, an allergy is the body’s reaction to the metal in the jewelry. Nickel is a common metal that causes allergic reactions in piercings. Signs of an allergic reaction include itching around the piercing site leading to a rash, heat, enlarged piercing or swelling and inflammation around the piercing site. ^[18] During an allergic reaction, the skin around the jewelry may also tighten or loosen.

• Jewelry rejection is a common feature of allergies. Your skin is trying to minimize contact with the jewelry, resulting in an enlarged piercing.
• In this case, contact your piercer immediately so they can replace the piercing and you can see your doctor to begin treatment for the wound. Your doctor may give you a course of antibiotics.

Try home remedies. If the initial symptoms are relatively mild, or the infection seems to be in its early stages, you may want to consider some home remedies to treat it before you see your doctor. Some soothing home remedies include:

• Apply . As noted above, both hot and cold therapy can ease discomfort on an irritated piercing. A warm compress dipped in saline solution and squeezed out water can clear the wound and stimulate blood flow (white blood cells that help heal) to the irritated area. ^[19] Cool therapy can relieve the heat radiating from the piercing area.
• Soak chamomile tea . Soak a chamomile tea bag in a cup of boiling water. Wait for the tea to cool down (about 20 minutes), dip a cotton ball in the tea and place it on the piercing for about 5 minutes. If you want, you can do it at least once a day.
  • You can also freeze the tea into ice cubes and use it to relieve pain, itching, or swelling.
• Painkiller . If your piercing is painful or achy, you may want to consider taking pain relievers to ease the discomfort. Try to choose a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. ^[20]