what do i do with an infected bellybutton piercing?

Question

i got my bellybutton pierced just after christmas and its red and sort of sore....what can i do??? i tried using disinfectent but it did nothing!

Answer 1

Navels take a long time to heal. They experience a lot of irritation from clothing, body movement, bad aftercare advice.

Infections are usually accompanied by green pus (yellowish or whitish is fine and normal), the area will be hot to the touch and swollen.

It sounds like normal irritation in your case.

Have you changed the jewelry since you got it pierced? You could be reacting to low quality jewelry or jewelry which is too large (gets caught more and causes more irritation). Make sure you don't wear dangly jewelry in it untill it's properly healed (and then don't wear it often, or at all). Make sure you have good quality surgical steel or titanium jewelry that is the right size.

What disinfectant did you use? Most are way too harsh to use on a healing piercing and will only make things worse. Don't use iodine, bactine, antibacterial soap, ointments, tea tree oil or any of that stuff. All you need is a mild sea salt solution. Do soaks 2-3 times a day (fewer when it calms down) and then LITHA (leave it the hell alone)

You should see imporvement in the next week or two.

Go to see your piercer just to be sure it's not anything more serious. Most people get irritated and infected confused, but it's better to be safe than sorry, and the only way to know for sure is to be able to physically examine the piercing.

Answer 2

Iodine?! I cannot understand why people who know nothing about piercings try to give advice.

DO NOT take out the ring. When you have an infection, you have to let it drain out. If you take it out, the skin will close up, and the infection will be trapped with nowhere to go. That'll make it worse.

You didn't say what kind of disinfectant you're using. You should only be using something recommended by your piercer (ie. Dial liquid soap, H20 Ocean spray, Sateen soap, etc.). You should also get some sea salt, mix it in warm/hot water and soak your piercing for about 10 minutes everyday. You can get a shot glass or Dixie cup to do this.

Most importantly, don't touch it! You should only be really touching it in the shower when you are cleaning it. The more you touch it, the more you will irritate it.

A piercing can takes months to heal, so just be patient. Be sure NOT to do certain things like clean it with cotton balls or Q-tips (the cotton can get stuck on the piercing and act like a sponge collecting bacteria) or cleaning it with things that can irritate the piercing like iodine, Neosporin, peroxide, or alochol.

If it is still acting up and you've been folling the after care rules, go to your piercer.

Answer 3

Disinfectant? What kind? What you are using could just make problems worse. And usually infections just don't disappear.

DO NOT remove the jewelry, this can cause the infection to get trapped inside. The area needs to drain, leave the jewelry in place until the area heals completely!

First, visit your piercer. Perhaps the area is just irritated or you are having a reaction to something you are cleaning it with. If they tell you that its serious, I would strongly suggest going to the doctors and getting antibiotics.

Answer 4

I certainly have 3 piercings in my navel (a hoop on the two factors and a barbell interior the middle, in case you have been questioning) and that i recommend antibacterial cleansing soap as defined by ability of others, a sea salt soak over the section, and a dab of tea tree oil on the genuine and backside of the piercing. The oil has healing residences and could additionally help dry out any an infection devoid of annoying the floor. additionally, do no longer p.c.. at it! Ever! the only time you will desire to touch your piercing is once you're cleansing it. determine you're no longer allergic on your rings as suggested above and good success.

Answer 5

you do not need to go to the doctor. I had my belly pierced a year ago and when i change the rings it gets like that too. DO NOT use dial or iodine or anything like that. Just get a cup and put 1/4 teaspoon of natural sea salt in really hot water and put the cup over your belly button lean back and let it soak for 10 minutes. Do it when you wake up and when you go to sleep. It should clear up in a few days. Also, you must use steel belly rings, cant use any of those cheap ones from the mall.

Answer 6

Personally, I had to take out the hoop that was in it and put in an actual true belly piece-not a ring. After some treatments with warm water and sea salt, it healed up real nice. I haven't had any problems since. Now I'm waiting for my cartilage piercing to heal up. Hope this helps!!!

Answer 7

I had a serious infection when I got my belly pierced, but I was determined to keep it.
First, wash your hands thoroughly
Secondly, take out the belly ring and soak it in boiling salt water (sterilizes it). Make sure you're using a stainless steel ring as well.
Thirdly, wash your piercing with very hot salt water (as hot as you can bear it). This kills the germs.
Fourthly, apply iodine on the piercing (available at your local pharmacy). Iodine stains but it fades away after about 4 days.
Lastly, put the ring back in.
Keep doing this until the infection is gone and the piercing has fully healed.
And don't fiddle with it!
Good luck :)

Answer 8

Try using a triple antibiotic ointment that you can get over the counter. Make sure it's clean and then apply your ointment. If this does not work, call your dr and have it checked out. anything you see red streaks going from it then get to a dr. You could get blood poisoning.

Answer 9

Try some antibiotics, but first remove the piercing from your bellybutton and do not use it till you're OK

Answer 10

Clean it out with alcohol and put neosporin anntibiotic
ointment 3x per day. Use hypoallergenic or sterling silver
rings. Always dip them in alcohol for an hour before wearing
them.