How can I get my navel piercing to heal faster?

Question

I had my belly button pierced almost 6 months ago, and I know they said it could take like a year to heal completely, but it seems like it never will. Just when I think it's better, it gets sore and crusty again. Any tips on how to speed the healing process besides the daily cleanings and salt water?

Answer 1

I suggest you also take a multi vitamin to help your body assist itself in building and repairing cells in the area.

Cleaning it daily and sea salt soaks are good, but you need to make sure you aren't playing with it too much, have not knocked the piercing around. I'm almost curious if this irritation is from over cleaning. I suggest to tone the cleaning down a bit, but still keep the area generally clean.

I never had problems with my 6 navel piercings and the cases I know of where the piercing heals up and gets worse, there is usually a small infection or rejection is taking place. Plus, some people are just slower healers by nature, nothing you can do about that

I wish you luck with your piercing.

Answer 2

I had mine pierced and it actually depends on your body. Some people are quick healers.

It took a year for mine to feel completely normal and now I dont even notice it anymore.

What I did was keep it clean with anti-bacterial soap and I sprayed it with bactine every day - twice a day for a year (Once in the morning and once at night) or as often as you feel the need. When using the bactine make sure you rotate your navel ring/piercing - working the bactine inside of the piercing. Bactine also has some numbing qualities so it relieves the pain a little. Also wear low rise pants so as not to catch the ring on anything. Loose shirts help too. You are gonna be conscious of it for a while. Any little brush up against it sometimes can cause you to wince.

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES USE ANY TYPE OF OINTMENTS OR CREAMS TO SPEED THE HEALING PROCESS. Ointments get caught up with lint from your clothing and can get inside the piercing causing an infection.

It takes a while but if you do this - it should help you. The trick toy to keep it from crusting is to move the piercing daily.

Hope this helps you.

Answer 3

i took this from a site that a belly button piercing shop put up..
Good luck healing: Try the lavender oil one..it seems good.

Navels take a long time to heal because the navel is on your waist, which is like the hinge of your body, it's subject to a lot of movement and you clothes constantly rub and irritate the piercing

use a mild antibacterial soap (containing Triclosan), in the shower (once a day only!). Cup your hand under the piercing and soak it for 1-2 minutes, then put 1-2 drops (no more!) of the cleaning solution in your hand, lather it up and apply the lather gently to your navel. Leave the lather on for 1 minute, then soak the piercing once again and wash thoroughly to remove all the
solution. Leaving the solution on your skin can cause irritation

use Sapoderm soap dry your navel thoroughly after cleaning, this should be done with a paper tissue as towels can harbour bacteria.
DO use Lavender oil as it promotes healing and lubricates the wound reducing tenderness.

DON'T wear tight clothes such as pantyhose, tight jeans or skirts (during the healing phase) because they can cause the piercing to grow out, which means that the piece of flesh taken by the piercing gradually diminishes until the ring finally comes out; after the piercing is healed you may wear anything you like. Try to avoid synthetic fabrics that don't let the wound breath, try to wear clothes that give the piercing as much fresh air as possible.

Answer 4

well just keep using the aftercare soap they should've given you...and as far as helpin it heal well dont mess with it...dont touch it unless you are cleaning it. if you keep messin with it you could be tearing up the tissue that is tryin to heal.

Its probably sore bc it gets a lot of movement, that which wont help it heal, if you got a ring then it will take longer to heal because the ring is more susceptable to moving around a lot more....if you have a curved barbell...it will take the process of healing less time...

but in general it depends on how fast YOUR body takes to heal a wound, in this case being a piercing. Just be patient, and keep on cleaning it....and if forms crustys thru the day...DONT touch them...leave them alone until its time to clean it out again....

which also reminds me to let you know the proper way of cleaning it...
In the shower would be best....do all you normally do during ur routine...and leave cleaning the piercing the last thing you do beofre you step out of the shower. so once you're done with your shower routine you want to get the medicated soap (Provon is really good) and a q-tip...get about a pea size drop of soap on the q-tip and clean the piercing...not too hard. until it works up a nice lather....after that then just rinse it by lettin the water do its thing...and ur done. and remember dont touch it after you are done cleaning it.

Answer 5

When I got mine done I used a couple things to help the healing process. I went to the grocery store and bought "sea salt" if you put about a tablespoon of this in a dixie cup and add hot water (not hot enough to burn you, just as hot as you can stand) shake the cup to stir in the salt. Then dip a q-tip into the cup. once you have the q-tip wet rub it all over your navel piercing. Do this no more than 2 times a day, and when you are done wash with your anti-bact soap. One other thing I learned also helps with pain. take a iburprofin and cut it in half. then crush the tablet into tiny piceses, once crushed add this to hot water again in a dixie cup and apply to your naval in the same matter as mentioned above. This helped me. Good luck to you. Happy Healing :)

Answer 6

my aftercare pierce pamphlet says zinc tablets can be taken to increase the healing process. my navel piercing is also over 6 months old and is still gettting crusty. but the best thing are the sea salt soaks! good luck

dont put neosporin hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol! i hope you know that by now.. they are al VERY harmful to piercings.. old or new..

Answer 7

Try cleaning it with Peroxide and Rubbing Alcohol 2x a day. After you clean it put some Neosporin on the top hole and bottom hole. This will help it heal alot faster.
Hope this helps and good luck!

Answer 8

Mine NEVER healed after a year... I took it out. I think they pierced too deep. Good Luck

Answer 9

In the shower clean it with ivory soap (the bar, not the liquid) and use bactine multiple times a day. Make sure when doing each, that your hands are clean, and that you move the hoop/bar back and forth slowly through the hole.

Answer 10

Make sure you aren't wearing tight clothing. It irritates it, and makes it harder to heal. Try not to change the jewelry and also make sure the jewelry you are wearing isn't irritating it. Leaving it alone and not playing with it will help too!