How To Keep Your Belly Button Piercing Clean

Navel piercings are one of the most popular piercings that piercers offer. When they first gained popularity, it was mostly teenage girls aiming to look like the top female popstars of the 90s. However, people of all ages and genders get their navels pierced.

Belly Button Anatomy & Piercing Placement

A navel piercing is an anatomy dependent piercing. This means that you must have suitable anatomy to get this piercing done; the piercer needs to ensure that they can pierce through the inside of the navel so the piercing will heal properly. If the piercing is just through the skin of the stomach, it will not be able to heal correctly.

Each belly button is unique and some people have what are considered "advanced navels," or those that have a variance in anatomy and require a high skill level to perform so that they're well placed and can heal well. This does not mean that they're more difficult to do, just that they need a piercer with the professional know-how and experience to do them correctly.

Advanced navels consist of:

Outie belly buttons: These belly buttons are extremely common, but they require a bit more skill when it comes to ensuring they're placed properly. When your piercer does an anatomy assessment, they should make sure you have the proper navel shelf to support the piercing.
Post-pregnancy belly buttons: When the stomach stretches during pregnancy, it can end up permanently altering the skin. Similar to people who experience permanent stretchmarks after pregnancy, some people have loose or sagging skin around or on their navels. While this doesn't necessarily affect the ability for these types of navels to be pierced, it does affect what jewelry it needs to be initially pierced with.
Surgically altered belly buttons: Some surgical procedures, such as laparoscopic surgery, C-sections, tummy tucks, etc. result in a surgically altered belly button. In these instances, there is a possibility that the changed tissue has too much scarring or is no longer viable to pierced. This is because scar tissue decreases blood flow, which will make it more difficult for it to heal. However, it doesn't mean that you cannot get your navel pierced; instead, you may just have to make sure you go to a piercer who has experience with reconstructed navels and knows what to take into consideration to properly pierce them.

The bottom line is that when you sit, stand, and lay down, the bottom of the piercing needs to rest safely and comfortably inside your navel.

Belly Button Piercing Jewelry

When getting your belly button pierced, the standard size jewelry is a 14 gauge. This is an industry standard; there is rarely 12 gauge jewelry for this piercing. The gauge number is referring to the thickness of the bar. If the bar were any thinner, it could cause irritation to the piercing. For example, it could cause the barbell to cut at the piercing or be pulled out. The length of the bar is typically 7/16"; it is a little long to accommodate for any swelling, drainage, and healing. After your navel piercing is fully healed, you can visit a professional piercer to change the barbell out to what is comfortable and the right size for you. For example, some people use a 5/16", while other people prefer 7/16". It depends on the style and type of belly button jewelry you're looking for.

The Piercing Process

Because a belly button piercing is anatomy dependent, your professional piercer will begin by looking at your navel anatomy and ensuring it is suitable for the piercing. Next, your piercer will clean and sterilize your navel with antiseptic to make sure there are no bacteria on the surface area. Your piercer will then mark the piercing placement to ensure it is lined up properly and you are happy with where it will sit. Your piercer will use a hollow needle to pierce the navel and then insert the jewelry moments after. When the piercing is complete, your piercer will discuss proper aftercare with you.

It is not recommended that you get pierced with a piercing gun because it can cause more trauma to the area, damage the tissue, and increase the chances of infection. Unlike needles, piercing guns cannot be fully sanitized using an autoclave, which means there's greater risk for spreading bacteria.

Navel Getting Pierced

Belly Button Piercing Aftercare

It's important that you follow proper aftercare during the healing process. However, with proper aftercare, the healing process is usually 6 to 8 months.

The first thing you should do before touching you piercing is to wash your hands. This is to ensure that you don't pass any bacteria on your hands to your healing piercing.

Next, you're going to want to clean your piercing once or twice a day with a sterile saline solution. You can purchase pre-made ones, such as the NeilMed Aftercare Spray, or you can make your own sterile saline solution using a DIY recipe. Put the solution in a small cup and lean over the cup so that it is fully submerged in the solution. Apply pressure so it forms a suction and allow your piercing to soak for 5 to 10 minutes. Rinse the piercing with water afterwards and pat it dry with a paper towel.

It's also advisable to wear low-rise pants and/or loose, breathable garments to ensure that your clothes don't press or rub against your new piercing. It also helps your piercing get proper air circulation as it heals. Additionally, if you sleep on your stomach, try to sleep in the fetal position on your side while your piercing heals.

You also don't want to use any of the following products on your piercing as it heals: Neosporin, Bactine, alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide. These products kill everything, including what is trying to heal; they break apart the scabbing that you're trying to keep intact. Use of such products can lead to:

migration
excessive scar tissue
postponed healing

Additionally, you want to avoid all public bodies of water, such as pools, Jacuzzis, the beach, ponds, lakes, etc., while your piercing is healing so you don't introduce new bacteria and cause an infection.

How Long Does a Belly Piercing Take to Heal?

Typically, navel piercings take anywhere from 6 months to a year to heal, but this varies from person to person. The reason for the longer healing time is the fact that the abdomen is avascular, meaning it lacks blood supply. It is also subject to the most stress due to the normal movement of the body and friction from clothing.

Another big part of healing the piercing is how well you take care of your body overall. This means focusing on your total health, nutrition, and sleep schedule.

After 4 to 6 weeks, the piercing might not be as swollen and appear healed, but it is still healing.

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!

How to Avoid Allergic Reactions

It's not uncommon for people to have allergic reactions to metal. For example, piercing jewelry made out of nickel is a known culprit for people with sensitive skin. Therefore, when you get pierced, you want to ensure the jewelry is high quality.

Types of high quality metal that will prevent allergic reactions include:

Platinum
ASTM f-137 Surgical steel
ASTM f-136 Titanium
Solid 14- or 18-karat gold
Niobium

What Not to Do

Making sure you are pierced with high quality jewelry and cleaning the piercing twice a day are the most important aspects of healing this piercing. Make sure you are not using products such as; Neosporin, Bactine, Alcohol, Hydrogen Peroxide, or Antibacterial soap. These products are extremely harsh on the piercing and it can cause damage to a newly pierced area. These products kill everything, including what is trying to heal! They break apart all the scabbing that you are trying to keep intact. This will cause problems with your piercing, which include: migration, excessive scar tissue, and postponed healing. Only use your pre-made solution on the piercing, and avoid all public pools, Jacuzzis, lakes, ponds, and oceans. These bodies of water can introduce new bacteria into the piercing and can lead to infection. If there ever looks like there is a problem with the piercing, go back to your piercer before trying to self-medicate.

Disclaimer: If you are experiencing problems or have questions about your navel piercing please see a professional piercer or a medical doctor.