The safest option is to wait until the wound has healed completely, which can take nine months to one year. It takes longer than other body piercings because of the constant movement of the jewelry. Your core is always moving, so the belly button jewelry also moves and irritates the new piercing.
Generally, belly button piercings will take 6-12 months or sometimes longer to have fully healed. The first time you take your jewellery out, we recommend getting a piercer to help you as they can assess whether it has healed enough for a changeover without irritating the piercing.
You might think it's safe to change your belly bar, but if it's done too soon you could experience redness, swelling or infection. If you're still in the healing process or have irritation from the belly ring, the skin will become red or pink.
Belly Button Piercing Aftercare. Unlike pierced ears, which take 4-6 weeks to heal, your belly button may not fully heal for up to 1 year. You'll go home with tips on how to keep your new piercing clean and prevent infection.
We generally recommend a minimum of 6-8 weeks before changing to slightly shorter, sterile jewellery. These piercings can sometimes take up to 12 months to fully heal, so be patient and make sure it's ready!
Navel piercing healing process. The navel piercing takes some time to heal. In a matter of weeks, it will appear healed, but it takes between 3 to 6 months for the piercing to heal internally.
Use a saltwater mixture (1/2 tsp sea salt per 1 cup of water) to help remove any dried healing secretions. Follow with a mild antibacterial soap and water cleansing. You could also use either one of these cleansing methods alone. First, remember to wash your hands with antibacterial soap.
Symptoms can include pain, redness, and swelling, and improving hygiene 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.
Gently rub the cotton swab around your piercing until the area is clean. Instead of a cotton swab, you can also use a wet paper towel or a clean gauge. 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.
Does getting a belly button piercing look good? Yes, because it draws the eye in - AKA it makes you look slimmer. It's simple science: the eye is drawn to the piercing so your stomach automatically looks flatter.
It can close as fast as 3 months. It really depends on how long you have had it, and how long you have the piercing out for, as well as your own rejection rate.
Rejection usually happens in the weeks and months following a new piercing, but it can also happen years, even decades, later.
Symptoms of piercing rejection
more of the jewelry becoming visible on the outside of the piercing. the piercing remaining sore, red, irritated, or dry after the first few days. the jewelry becoming visible under the skin.
Pierced areas, especially sensitive areas like the navel, can get infected months and even years after they were pierced, though infections most often occur very shortly after the time of piercing, as that is when the portal door is wide open.
If it's a brand-new piercing, removing the jewelry could cause it to close up in a matter of hours. During the healing period, the jewelry acts as a boundary to hold the skin in a specific shape while new tissue is regenerated. If removed, that tissue will grow back over the piercing site.
Most belly button piercings are done with a curved barbell preferably made of 14k gold, 18k gold, or high-quality titanium. The standard size for a navel piercing is 14 Gauge (aka 14G). You should never use a barbell thinner than 18G since a higher gauged needle presents more risk of rejection, tearing, and migration.
Even if you don't develop a yeast infection, the accumulation of sweat, dirt, dead skin cells, and lint can cause your bellybutton to smell. Omphaloliths. As dead skin cells and sebum — the oil secreted by your skin — accumulate in your bellybutton, they can form an omphalolith over time.
Crusting after body piercing is normal—this might just be the result of your body trying to heal itself. While perfectly normal, these crusties should be cleaned carefully and thoroughly whenever you notice them.
While cleaning your new piercing, it is not necessary to rotate or move the jewelry back and forth. If the jewelry does move freely while cleaning, that is fine. Make sure not to force it to move.
Your piercing might be infected if: the area around it is swollen, painful, hot, very red or dark (depending on your skin colour) there's blood or pus coming out of it – pus can be white, green or yellow.
You're also going to want to avoid any exercise that includes a lot of movement in your stomach region. Definitely avoid doing any sit-ups until after your piercing has healed, as the movement will irritate the piercing and prolong the healing process.
It is best to try to avoid sleeping on that area for at least the first few months. If you find that you must sleep on your belly, make sure you clean your sheets often and that you avoid clothing or blankets that may catch your jewelry and snag it.
Workout and wardrobe choices
However, as long as you keep your piercing absolutely clean, it is safe to work out after having it done and while it is healing. If you want to be on the safe side, consider taking your exercise outdoors for the first week or so.
What piercings reject the most? Surface piercings have the highest rejection rate. Surface piercings such as microdermals as well as eyebrow piercings and navel piercings reject the most because they are closest to the surface of the skin.