Is My Navel Piercing Infected?????!!!?

Question

i pierced my own bellybutton two days ago with a safety pin. It was the stupidest thing to do, but i wasnt thinking at all. I still want to keep the piercing, but it's been swollen and hurts to touch it. The only discharge is clear, and there is no bad smell to it. There's SOME dark crust at the bottom, but it just looks like blood. I was really worried, so i got a q-tip with alcohol on it, and wiped it all down, including the safety pin itself. I treat it with alcohol twice a day, and then soak it sometimes with a cloth dipped in hot water.

I just really dont know what an infection would look like, and i'm SERIOUSLY WORRIED, because it hurts to touch it, and its still red......

Answer 1

ok, first of all, please don't tell me you still have the safety pin in there. It will never heal with that. You need to find a surgical steel round ring to put in there for it to heal . AND, whatever you do, Do NOT rub it down with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, that could slowly guage your piercing. AKA: not good! Make sure that once you have put a good ring in there, clean in 3 times a day with antibacterial soap. Your best bet is to use ivory, it has no added perfumes, or any of that bad stuff that might iritate that piercing. As for if it is infected now, It sounds like it might be a little irritated but nothing really serious. Just do all the things that I have previously listed and you should do fine. OOOO put neosporin on it at night. That way, it can dry out during the day.

Answer 2

If you used a non-sterilized needle you may have a serious infection. Try this for a day or so.....

This is what worked for me.......You need to dry the infection out. Take a glass of hot water filled half way (Not too hot that it burns), and add about two table spoons of sea salt. While you are standing or lying down place the glass over your belly ring and make sure the the lip of the glass seals itself around your piercing. Lean back and or ly down for 20 minutes to soak the infected area. When you are done dry it good and try to avoid letting your clothes rub on it. When you are in the shower try to turn and twist the ring to help remove any debris from it but be careful not to push it into the actual whole of the piercing.

IF IT DOES NOT GET BETTER SEE A DOCTOR RIGHT AWAY AND REMOVE THE JEWELRY. DO NOT USE NEOSPORIN OR ALCOHOL! It will only make it worse. Good Luck!!!

NEXT TIME GO TO A PROFESSIONAL AND HAVE IT DONE, PLEASE. THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE THERE FOR.

Answer 3

tumor=swelling
rubor=redness
calor=heat
dolor=pain
Those are four signs of infection. Check with your doctor now, a serious infection could spread like wildfire under your skin. You need antibiotics, it is probably a staph or strep infection. I have seen piercings turn ugly, and I have also seen people die from skin infections. Of course, by the time somebody is in the ER, it is usually the worst case scenario, LOL, so I have only seen the more serious ones. I hate digging out those posts when they get disgusting, hopefully yours is only a mild case. If you still want the piercing, then wait until infection clears completely, and then get a professional to do the job.

Answer 4

You poked a hole through your skin and you dont expect it to hurt really bad and be swollen??? I am sure it will be fine but if I were you I would take it out and wait till your old enough to go get it proffesionaly done. I have three peircings and I did my nose my self an it hurt and got red and swollen for a while. If your not going to take it out at least keep doing what your doing. Dont use peroxide. That will rust the saftey pin and cause an infection for sure. Only use peroxide on your belly if the saftey pin isnt in. If you start to have any other color discharge or smell take it out and get to the doc for anti biotics.

Answer 5

ok seriously take out the piercing let it heal and get it done by a professional. you used a safety pin which is dirty no matter what you do to it, you probably didnt have gloves on which isnt good. the jewellery that is normally and used in such piercings is a fatter gauge so you wont be able to change it too easily either. so please be smart and remove it and let it heal. there are people who are trained in these things and they know what they are doing, trust me i have 9 piercings and if done properly and cleaned accordingly they will heal beautifully and cause no problems.

Answer 6

you are doing the right thing=make sure you keep it up and if you notice yellow pus where it is red buy polysporin
it takes a little longer then ears to heal cause it isn't in the open air all the time=hope you get it healed=any thing we pierce ourselves or by professionals is going to hurt for a short while

Answer 7

Keep it clean. Navel piercings take up to three months to heal and I'm pretty sure they all get infected at one point or another. It hurts because you just put a hole in yourself. Just keep doing what you're doing and if it gets worse you may have to go see a doctor.

Answer 8

why in the hell would you do that, if u wanted to you should have gotten a profesionalist and someone who uses something other than a safety pin. u obviosly have an infection.(and you are obviosly cheap)

Answer 9

Ouch! Put a topical antiobotic on it. Have the doctor or school nurse take a look at it. Hope it feels better.... and... in the future let the pros do these things. (even they screw up though).

Answer 10

take the damn thing out and let it heal up as god intended.