Allow warm water to run over your piercing when you shower (but don't scrub your navel piercing with soap; letting sudsy water run over the piercing is fine). During the day, you can spritz or rinse your navel piercing regularly with a saline wash, like Recovery Saline Solution.
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.
You should avoid swimming for at least 24 hours after having a piercing, and ideally until it has healed properly. While it's still healing, it's important to keep the piercing dry as there's a risk of infection.
Wash your piercing daily.
Simply add a small amount of soap to your fingertips, and massage and lather the soap onto your piercing for about 20 seconds. Use the shower water to thoroughly rinse off the soap residue. Exit the shower and dry your piercing using a dry paper towel rather than a bath towel.
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. I've had my belly pierced for maybe a month and a half now.
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.
Good news: most people say that belly button piercings don't hurt that much. They're comparable to ear lobe piercings in terms of pain. If you've gotten your ear or nose cartilage pierced before, that type of piercing usually hurts more than a belly button piercing.
Sweat will not irritate your new piercing but it could introduce bacteria causing infection. Clean your piercing thoroughly in the way that is prescribed to you by your piercer after you finish your workout, and refrain from touching it while at the gym or out on your run.
Piercing Healing and Exercise
The good news is, as long as you're keeping your piercing clean, it shouldn't be harmed by your workout routine. “Clients don't need to completely avoid exercise after a new piercing, they just need to exercise with care.” Brooks says.
It is a good idea to wear loose fitting clothing for the first few days as tight-fitting clothing can pull or rub against your new piercing. This might seem like a long healing time, but with the proper after care and attention it should go smoothly!
Avoid baths, hot tubs, swimming pools, saunas, lakes, etc. for the first three weeks after being pierced as they contain bacteria which can increase the risk of infection.
the piercing remaining sore, red, irritated, or dry after the first few days. the jewelry becoming visible under the skin. the piercing hole appearing to be getting larger. the jewelry looking like it is hanging differently.
Aftercare: when can you change your belly bar? In general, expect to wait three months to a year before you're able to switch out the original jewellery. You must wait the amount of time necessary — don't be fooled by the healing process.
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.
Experts recommend cleaning a piercing no more than twice each day. 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.
Clean gauze padding should be worn over navel/nipple piercings during the night for the first few nights. This should be done for the first 1-2 weeks during the day as well if wearing tight clothes/bras or participating in physical exertion (such as sports / gym) or work that may cause friction around the area.
A cold compress and/or ice will help reduce swelling and slow bleeding. Secrete a whiteish-yellow fluid which may dry on the piercing. This is normal and will stop when the piercing is healed.
A Normal Piercing… May be tender, itchy, or bruised for a few weeks. May be slightly red. Redness may persist for several months to a full year in a navel piercing.
A. It's normal to have some redness, swelling or pain for a couple of days after getting your ears pierced. But your ears should look and feel better each day. If you find that your ears do great and then suddenly start to become red, inflamed or crusty a week or two later, that's usually a sign of infection.
Wash the piercing with antibacterial soap once or twice a day. A new navel piercing needs to be cleaned thoroughly at least once, and preferably twice a day.
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. During that time, you need to keep up aftercare practices, including avoiding swimming.