Belly button rings may take up to one year to heal, which leaves them vulnerable to infection for an extended time. The March of Dimes explains that an infected belly button piercing may feel warm, appear red and swollen, and feel tender or painful to the touch. Pus may or may not leak from the piercing site. The most common cause of piercing infections is improper aftercare. Left untreated, a belly button ring infection can turn into a potentially serious systemic infection.
Step 1
Clean piercing twice each day with warm water and antibacterial soap. Wash the entire piercing area as well as the ring. Gently remove any crust on the piercing and around the hole. The Center for Young Women's Health warns against pulling crust from your skin because doing so can cause tissue damage and bleeding.
Step 2
Apply saline solution to your belly button ring by soaking cotton balls or sterile gauze pads in a mixture of 1 tbsp. salt and 8 oz. of warm water. Use the salt-water solution after washing to encourage healing and reduce inflammation.
Step 3
Rinse your piercing very well. Make certain all soap residue is gone before drying your piercing. Leaving soap on your skin can cause dryness and irritation.
Step 4
Dry the affected area with clean paper towels. Cloth towels are less sterile than paper towels and are more likely to snag your piercing.
Step 5
Follow your normal aftercare instructions while your infection is healing. It may be beneficial to cover the affected area with gauze during sleep to prevent snagging your piercing and to keep any topical medications away from your clothing or bed linens.
Step 6
Consult your doctor if you develop a severe infection. Symptoms of a severe infection include severe swelling or pain, redness that extends outward from the piercing site, a foul smelling discharge and fever. These symptoms may require treatment with oral antibiotics.
Tips and Warnings
- Avoid removing your piercing if it becomes infected unless instructed to do so by your doctor. Removing a new piercing will cause the hole to close up, trapping any infection inside and creating an abscess. While belly button ring infections are more common in new piercings, infections can occur in healed piercings when bacteria enter the piercing hole and multiply, according to the Center for Young Women's Health.
- The Association of Professional Piercers recommends against the use of topical antibiotics and other ointments on piercing sites because they interfere with oxygen circulation and cleaning and may delay healing.
Things You'll Need
- Antibacterial soap
- Cotton balls
- Sterile gauze pads
- Non-iodized salt
- Paper towels
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