Belly Piercings – The Healing Phase.

Ever wonder what you should be doing after getting a new belly button piercing? Wonder what you should avoid after getting your belly button pierced? Read over our handy list of what to avoid after getting your belly button pierced and what you should do to promote healing for your new belly button piercing.

DO'S:

Wash hands before touching the belly piercing.
Eat healthy, exercise, and get plenty of sleep to promote quick healing.
Change bedding frequently to avoid infection.
Wear comfortable and breathable clothing (if your piercing is under wraps).
Say yes to the shower and no to the bacteria laden bath!

DON'TS:

Avoid the “tines” of caffeine and nicotine for a healthy immune system for a quicker healing time.
Avoid harsh soap, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, Bactine, and BZK ear care solutions. Use a mild soap and water to clean around the piercing.
Don’t use ointments or your piercing will be gasping for air.
Don’t overdo the scrubbing when you are cleaning an area.
No cosmetics on piercing, no body fluids, and no oral contact or you risk a nasty infection.
Avoid stress to promote a healthy healed belly button piercing.
Now is not the time to swim across an Olympic sized pool or a kiddie pool. Swimming altogether is not recommended.
Avoid friction or tight clothing. Your piercings does not need abrasive action right now. It needs to be able to breathe comfortably to promote better healing.

It is wise to have a professional piercer put your initial belly button rings into place. They can help you determine the right size and the right type of belly rings for you. You know you have healed and are ready to move on to new belly rings if the piercing site is no longer tender. Always wait until the minimum healing time has passed, as instructed by your professional piercer. Always wait until the piercing no longer exhibits any secretions or crustiness. Even with healed piercings, select your belly button ring jewelry wisely. Some body jewelry can be worn for fun for a few hours, but you may not want to wear it every day or all day. There are many varieties of navel rings available for piercings. You can go with organic belly button rings such as bone, horn, wood, stone, and other materials made by Mother Nature. You can select silicone and acrylic belly rings. You can select 316L surgical steel navel rings to avoid allergic reactions found with other metals. For some piercings the swelling will go down enough when it is healed that a new smaller size of barbell is often recommended. If unsure, consult your professional piercer to determine if you are now ready for that smaller gauge. Belly piercings are typically done with a 14 gauge needle, but after the initial piercing is healed and you are ready to change your jewelry, you may move down in size to a smaller, thinner, 16 gauge belly button ring.

Treating your pierced navel with care during the initial phase of healing is of the utmost importance to the long term success of your belly button piercing. Not everyone’s body responds well to their first belly button piercing. Remember, a foreign object is being inserted into your skin, and there is always the chance that your body will reject the piercing. Watch out for these signs, like redness, pain, swelling, crustiness, secretions, inflammation, etc. If your pierced area is still exhibiting these signs after a few weeks there is a good chance that your body is simply not going to take to the piercing and you may need to consult your professional piercer to have it removed.

No matter what you do, pay close attention to your piercing while it is healing, especially within the first few weeks. Respond to the signals that your body sends you. And most importantly, once your belly piercing is healed – switch out that original barbell and get yourself some new, fun and flirty belly button bling!

Byline:
Lisa Giurato is a contributing writer for the website BellyBling.net, where she crafts content about general piercing topics and promotes the latest jewelry trends to online shoppers.