I got my belly button pierced about a month ago. I have been cleaning it with DIAL soap and salt water a couple times a week. I have been developing some reddish skin stuff comming out from the top of the piercing. The bottom of the piercing seems fine but the top doesnt.
It seems like when i push the barbell up, skin comes with it. I REALLY WANNA KNOW HOW I COULD FIX THIS SO IT COULD HEAL PROPERLY!
PLEASE answer as soon as possible.
THANKS!
You are overcleaning and severely irritating your piercing. The red skin is actually a bump which is being irritated by the action of pushing up and down the barbell. You no longer have to do anything to your piercing. If you keep doing these things to it, your problem will increase and eventually you will develop an infection.
At this point, do not clean or use the salt water anymore. When you shower, just soap around your navel and then let the warm water run over the piercing and anything inside will be rinsed out.
What you may start to notice is crusties forming around the jewellery. When this happens, after your shower, the crusties should be softened and then you can take a Q-tip and remove them easily. The tissues around the piercing may look dry and chapped, if so, then take another Q-tip and a water based moisturizer (we use St. Ives) and apply until absorbed. DO NOTHING ELSE.
You may even start to notice that the swelling in the piercing decreases and you will start to see more of the barbell. If so, after the piercing looks healthy you can change to a shorter barbell.
Keep in touch with your progress
I haven't cleaned it in a couple of days and it already looks like it has improved. I also changed my piercing to a shorter barbell and it was fine and looks fine as of right now.
Do you think I changed it to early?
Glad to read that your piercing is already showing signs of improvement.
Your piercing is almost 6 weeks old and we do change them around this time at our shop.
Until the bump is completely gone, try not to change it too often as this may also irritate the piercing. Leave it alone and let your body do the healing.
As you know i changed my belly button ring after a month.
It seemed fine for like 3 days and now it is hurting all the time. It looks a little red on the edges, but is still pussing out white, not yellow.
I did go tanning and i was wondering if i could have burned the healing skin? I was wondering what I could put on it to make it calm down and not be in pain when something touches it.
Thanks a lot and get back to me ASAP!!
The bad news is that you did in fact sunburned your skin inside the piercing as it has yet not developed the protective barrier (the granulation tissue) to protect it from ultraviolet light.
We strongly recommend not doing the tanning bed for a couple of weeks and use an aloe gel product inside the piercing to help it heal.
Keep in touch with your progress
