Bacteria can infect a belly button piercing before healing is complete. Symptoms can include pain, discoloration, and swelling. Improving hygiene and using antibiotic ointment can help.
Complete healing can take 9–12 months. In the meantime, a piercing is technically a healing wound, and it may be sore, red, or irritated. Intense pain, swelling, or a fever, however, can indicate a severe infection.
It can be challenging to keep a belly button piercing clean and irritation-free, especially when there tends to be friction from clothing. This makes belly button piercings more prone to infection than piercings in other areas.
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The piercing process itself can transmit blood-borne infections, such as HIV and hepatitis B and C. The risk is greater when piercing equipment and jewelry are not sterile, especially when the piercing needles have been shared.
Always choose a safe piercer. Anyone who is unsure whether their piercing conditions were sterile should consider being tested for these infections.
Anyone with a weakened immune system should talk to a doctor before getting a piercing and immediately seek medical care for any signs of infection.
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A person’s immune system may be weak if they have, diabetes, HIV, AIDS, another chronic illness, or if they are taking chemotherapy.
Issues other than infection can cause pain or discomfort around a belly button piercing. See a doctor about any new or unusual symptoms, as the cause can be difficult to identify.
The Association of Professional Piercers recommend using metals, such as surgical steel, titanium, or nickel-free gold, that are less likely to cause reactions.
Common Belly Button Infections To Know About
Allergic reactions usually begin as soon as a person inserts the jewelry into the piercing. The reaction may be intense, involving a painful rash or swelling, or it may be minor but grow steadily worse.
If the jewelry has caught on something, and the new piercing looks larger or feels painful, a person may have an injury.
These injuries increase the chance of infection. They can also change the shape of the piercing or cause it to heal incorrectly.
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A rash, redness, peeling, or irritation could stem from a preexisting skin disorder. Injuries to the skin can trigger some disorders, such as psoriasis, and a piercing is one such form of injury.
When there is no infection, but the skin shows signs of irritation, a doctor will ask about recent changes involving the piercing, such as using a new cleaning solution or jewelry made from a different metal.
The doctor can usually diagnose the cause of irritation after performing an examination and taking a complete medical history. However, the doctor may also need to take blood tests or a sample of the skin.
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Describes damage to the intestines that had been caused by a belly button piercing and resulted in death. However, the person had pierced themselves, and the authors described the piercing as very unusual.
A doctor may recommend removing the jewelry and allowing the piercing to close, or replacing low-quality jewelry with some made from a metal less likely to irritate the skin.
It may be a good idea to go to a member of the Association of Professional Piercers, an organization that requires members to practice safe piercing and provides related education.
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A piercing is an injury to the skin that takes time to heal. Caring for the piercing as if it were any other sort of wound can significantly lower the risk of infection.
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Best Ways To Treat A Belly Button Infection Naturally At Home
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the skin around your piercing. Infections or some other icky complication can affect nearly 1 of 4 body piercings away from the earlobe, research shows.
So, how can you tell if your belly button piercing is infected? And how should you treat that festering hole? For answers, we turn to family physician Simon Hodes, MB ChB.
Let’s start with the basics: Even when a belly button piercing goes well, you can expect some tenderness, redness and even crusting at the spot for 12 to 18 months. After all, you did just put a hole through your skin and into your body.
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“While earlobe piercing is very common and usually straightforward, your belly button is probably an area of your body that doesn’t really want to be pierced, ” says Dr. Hodes. “So, if you’re going to do it, make sure you’re in it for the long haul.”
It can take up to a year or longer for the “wound” from a belly button piercing to fully heal, explains Dr. Hodes. That’s a lengthy timeframe that extends your risk of eventually getting some sort of infection.
Why does it take so long? Think of all the bending, twisting and stretching your midsection does during the day. All of that movement doesn’t exactly help speed along your body’s repair process.
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“The healing process is not quick, ” notes Dr. Hodes. “An infection can flare up a long time after the initial piercing is done. So, good hygiene and belly ring care are essential from Day 1 to reduce the risks of problems.”
(On that note, think carefully about getting a belly button piercing if you’re considering a pregnancy in the next 18 months, says Dr. Hodes. New piercings can be problematic and often need to be removed as your stomach stretches.)
So, how do you know when trouble arrives? Here are four telltale signs that dirt or bacteria may have entered your pierced navel and caused an infection.
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Swelling from an infected piercing can range from an annoying irritation to an abscess (or pocket of pus). The spot may feel warm to the touch, too. “There’s a whole spectrum of infection seen, from minor local skin infection to more severe infections that may require drainage, ” says Dr. Hodes.
An infection can lead to bright red marks or discoloration on your skin. “It’s the sort of change that will be noticeable.”
It’s generally not a good sign when a wound leaks pus. The discharge from an infected piercing could be yellow, green, gray, brown, white or bloody red. “If the ooze is smelly, then it’s more suggestive of an infection, ” says Dr. Hodes.
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Although rare from a piercing, an infection that takes root and rages could leave you with a fever and chills. In extreme cases, your body’s response to the infection could lead to sepsis and a need for urgent medical attention.
Red and itchy skin around a piercing also could signal an allergic reaction to whatever jewelry is now dangling from your midsection. “The symptoms can seem very similar to an infection, ” says Dr. Hodes.
In general, an allergic reaction to jewelry metal will more closely resemble hives or dry, itchy eczema patches. It’s also less likely to ooze.
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“If you suspect an allergic reaction, you may want to try oral antihistamine or a topical hydrocortisone cream from your local pharmacy, ” advises Dr. Hodes. “If that doesn’t calm it down, consult a care professional.”
Metals regarded as safe for body piercings include stainless steel, titanium or gold (14- or 18-karat). Jewelry made from lower-grade metals such as nickel, cobalt and chromates is more likely to cause issues. “However, people can react to any foreign material, ” he adds.
If you suspect an infection in your belly button piercing, it’s time to up your cleaning game. Your piercing should be cleaned twice a day. (That rule holds true whether it’s to prevent an infection or to treat one, too.)
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“You need to commit to keeping your piercing clean from Day 1, ” Dr. Hodes reiterates. “If you don’t, it’s far more likely you could run into problems.”
Don’t remove the jewelry if you suspect an infection, either — except on medical advice. “You want to leave it in place to keep the hole open if possible, ” directs Dr. Hodes.
Check in with a care provider if you really start to feel unwell or the swelling and redness refuse to go away (or get worse) even after you’ve tried a few home treatment options
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“If you feel like the infection is spreading and progressing, it’s time to see someone, ” states Dr. Hodes. “Follow the golden rule of worry: If in doubt, check it out.”
Infections can take root in your belly button piercing even with the best of care. Again, anytime there’s an open wound on your body there’s a risk of something funky getting in and creating an issue.
Go into it with the understanding that a typical recovery period can be six months to a year, but that it may take as
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