Can You Clean Your Belly Button Piercing With Epsom Salt

Do you know what happens when a piercing gets infected? It turns into an ugly, red-hot mass of pus and pain. Yikes!

So how do you keep your piercing clean? With a bit of help from us, of course. You can stay infection-free and beautiful with our tips and care guide.

A navel piercing is a way to make a statement. It refers to piercing through the skin around your belly button to wear an ornament.

Here's Why You Shouldn't Forget To Clean Your Belly Button

Once upon a time, belly button piercings were only for people who wanted to appear edgy, dangerous or “not like the other girls or boys, ” but now it’s becoming more and more common.

Piercings in that area have long been a symbol of self-expression, and with good reason: The navel is one of the most visible areas of the body, so why not make it your own?

Whether you’re rocking a two-piece bathing suit or want to show off a midriff-baring top, having your belly button pierced gives you an air of confidence and style.

Easy Tips On Cleaning Your Belly Button Piercing

From Miley Cyrus to Jessica Alba to Kim Kardashian and Beyoncé, belly button piercings are all the rage for stylish, fashion-forward people.

Each individual has their unique way of rocking the belly button piercing look, whether with a feminine charm or a more hard-edged approach.

You first need to know that the metal has to be safe for the skin just after piercing. In other words, no nickel allowed! It’s best to choose surgical-grade stainless steel or titanium jewelry at first.

Healing An Infected Belly Piercing

Mix things up and do experiments with colors and patterns. But it’s good to keep the ornament simple most of the time.

It is important not to go with an amateur piercer. Piercers should be trained professionals who are completely dedicated to their craft:

A yellowish fluid may come out of the pierced spots and form a crusty material, which is normal. It may feel itchy, but you should not pick it.

Dirty Belly Button: Why And How To Clean Your Navel

It may take four weeks to 1 year to heal the piercing completely. It is essential to maintain this cleaning routine to avoid infection during this period.

After recovery, you can clean your piercing whenever you clean your belly button (which could be every time you take a shower).

Rub the area with a cotton ball soaked in a saline solution. Then, dry it with a paper towel or something soft.

How To Clean Your Belly Button Piercing (and Prevent Infections)

Before applying soap, soak your navel area for a few minutes (do it during your shower for convenience). Lather your hand and gently rub the pierced area.

Then, rinse it with warm water until all traces of soap are gone. Take the water off with a paper towel or soft cloth (making sure to pat dry instead of rubbing).

Always use a mild soap with no scent because a strong antibacterial soap can be too harsh on the sensitive tissue around your piercing.

Why Does My Belly Button Smell? The Three Ways To Clean Your Belly Button

A saline solution is the most effective remedy. Make it at home by combining 1 cup (or half a cup) of distilled water (or cold, boiled water) with two (one) teaspoons of sea salt.

Once the solution is ready, pour it into a bowl and dip a cotton swab. Gently rub the cotton swab around your piercing until the area is clean.

You can also soak the navel area with saline water and wait for 10 minutes before washing with fresh water. Then, dry out the navel with a soft tissue.

Piercing And Pregnancy

A saline solution is the safest option to clean the navel area. There is no harm in it unless you use it repeatedly (more than two times a day). However, it does not remove dirt, cream residue or skin oils.

Soak the crusty area with a cotton bud that has been soaked in warm water. Wait a minute or two to allow the crust to turn soft.

The best time to apply this oil is after washing the navel area. Put a few drops of lavender oil on a cotton bud and dab on your piercing hole.

This Is How To Change Your Belly Button Ring

Using a Q-tip or swab, gently wipe away any excess ointment or liquid from around your piercing hole. You mustn’t apply too much pressure when cleaning this area because it can irritate your piercing or cause infection.

Regular cleaning of the wound is necessary for preventing infection and quickening recovery. However, over-cleaning can create a reverse effect and slow down the healing.

Washing the pierced hole and surrounding areas more than twice a day can dry up the skin oil. It will cause flaky skin, making the pierced holes smell very sour.

How To Care For A Newly Pierced Belly Button!

For example, you should completely avoid rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide. These chemical compounds kill healthy new cells, extending the healing time.

If the piercing is too itchy or dry, apply a piercing aftercare mist spray or wash the navel area with saline water.

Infection in a belly button piercing is not uncommon. Don’t panic. Here’s how to tell if it’s infected and what to do next:

I Got My Belly Button Pierced 9 Days Ago And I'm Just Curious As To If It's Doing Ok? I Use Sea Salt & Hot Water To Clean It, I Was A

If it’s a pus infection, draw it out from the affected area and clean it with a wet cotton washcloth. Then, rinse with clean water and dry out the area.

Your next step is to apply an antibacterial cream three or four times a day. If it does not improve after 24/48 hours, seek medical attention.

Do not remove jewelry until the infection has cleared up. Its removal may close up the hole, keeping the untreated infection inside.

How To Clean Navel Piercings: 14 Steps (with Pictures)

A belly button piercing is beautiful, and it can be a great addition to your style. But some health issues can cause adverse effects and slow down the healing.

A. Of course you do. Daily cleaning is necessary from the beginning until the piercing has healed completely. Do it once or twice every day. Also, don’t forget to clean it every time you sweat.

A. Washing the pierced area with a saline mixture (half of a teaspoon of sea salt in one cup of water) will help it heal faster. If the doctor suggests, apply an antibacterial cream or take antibiotic pills.

The Belly Button Piercing

A. An infected belly button will be swollen with redness, and it will cause pain and produce smelly discharges—just like earrings. Other symptoms include feeling feverish, nauseous or dizzy. Consult a doctor if any of these symptoms occur.

A. Mild liquid or antibacterial soap works well if you don’t have sea salt at home. Remove the crusts gently with a wet cotton ball, and then use the liquid soap to wash the piercing area and navel ring.

Tags: how to clean your belly button piercing, belly button ring, infected belly button piercing, tight fitting clothes, sensitive skin, wear loose clothing, body piercings, belly button piercing aftercare and healingWhen you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site.

How To Correctly Clean Your Belly Button Piercing By Danny567

Karen L. Hudson is a tattoo artist and contributing writer for . She has been an amateur artist as a hobby since grade school, and served a 12 month tattoo apprenticeship in a tattoo studio.

Caring for a New Piercing Benefits of Sea Salt Soaks Can You DIY a Sea Salt Soak? How (and When) to Do a Sea Salt Soak

From nostril to navel (and beyond), a new—or first!—body piercing is pretty exciting. But of course, aftercare should not be an afterthought. Your piercer should send you home with some instructions, and most likely, they involve gently cleaning the piercing with mild, non-antibacterial soap and warm water every day. (That's what one of our fave celebrity piercers, Brian Keith Thompson of Body Electric, suggests.)

All About Cleaning Your Belly Button, According To Dermatologists

For extra care, a warm sea salt soak may also be beneficial. Sea salt has long been revered for its potential cleansing and healing properties, so it's no wonder sea salt for piercings has become a recommended method of caring for new jewels. To learn all about sea salt soaks, we tapped dermatologist Dr. Rachel Nazarian, MD, FAAD, and piercing experts Cozmo Faris and Blue Galiano.

Cleaning your piercing should be relatively easy. Keep it simple and gentle with something like Dr. Bronner's Baby Unscented Pure Castile-Soap ($18). A small amount is all that's needed to cleanse the area.

Faris also recommends using a saline solution for piercings twice a day, followed by allowing the piercing to air dry. I suggest a sterile gentle mist saline wound wash because it makes more efficient use of the product, he says. There are several brand names producing it, but any product labeled sterile wound wash and lacking additives should do the trick.

The Truth About Belly Button Piercings

Nazarian concurs. I recommend either sea salt soaks or sterile saline sprays, she says. Both keep the skin free of bacteria, lessening the chance of infection, and are well tolerated to minimize irritation.

Typically, healing a piercing is more about not doing things versus specific do's. As