Belly Button Piercing Care

Congratulations on your new piercing! Proper Belly Button piercing care is instrumental in the healing process.   As with any other body piercing, the belly button may swell, be tender, have some bleeding, and  possible discharge.  It may be painful and can take up to 4 months to a year to fully heal.  The “EZ Heal navel guard” is a body piercing protective device that aids in the healing process, by way of, providing a protective shell around the navel (belly) area.  The “EZ Heal navel guard” can protect the belly piercing from clothing, sheets,  and /or foreign objects, from making contact with the jewelry, which may pull or irritate the piercing and cause infection, as well as, impact during physical activities, to a certain extent, such as contact sports.

Some of the day to day experiences that one can take for granted will definitely make itself known once you pierce that part of your body.  “EZ Heal navel guard” provides a safe environment for the piercing to heal as you go through the daily routines of a typical day.  The following are some helpful things you can do to aid the healing process and have a more positive experience:

• ALWAYS wash your hands before touching the piercing
• Other than cleaning, leave it alone. Contrary to popular belief, it is NOT necessary to rotate the jewelry during the healing process.
• Avoid cleaning with “Betadine”, “Hibiciens”, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, care solutions containing “Benzalkonium Chloride (BZK), any type of ointment (ointment does not allow for air to circulate and assist in the healing process), “Dial”, or other harsh soaps.
• Do saline soaks about 2 to 3 times a day. You can use a small paper cup or something similar, and place the cup with the saline mixture inside upside down around the navel piercing.  Once you get the suction let it soak for about 10 minutes.  You may want to have a towel handy to quickly soak up any of the excess water that may leak out.  * For other body piercings, it may be easier to soak some gauze pads in the saline solution and then apply* Rinse the piercing after the soak to remove any residue that may have collected on the area.
• You can purchase a premixed saline solution (just make sure it does not contain additives) or you can make the solution yourself. Mix about ¼ teaspoon of a non-iodized sea salt into about 8oz of warm distilled (or bottled) water.
• When showering make sure to use a mild fragrance free soap. Lather up about a small amount of soap, apply to the area, and let it sit for about 30 seconds.  Then rinse thoroughly with water.
• Avoid undue trauma such as clothing and playing with the jewelry, as this may prolong the healing process.
• Avoid swimming or submerging the piercing in water for prolonged periods of time.
• Avoid all personal beauty products such as lotions, perfumes, and body sprays on or near the pierced area.
• Don’t hang charms from the jewelry until it is COMPLETELY healed. Keep in mind that the body heals from the outside in.  The piercing may appear to be healed on the outside but the inside will still be tender and not fully healed.
• If you remove the jewelry from the piercing, do not leave it out for prolonged periods of time, even old or well healed piercings can shrink or close in minutes, no matter how many years you have had your piercing.
• If you have a piercing with a ball on the ends, with clean hands, periodically check and make sure the ball is screwed on tight, as they have a tendency to loosen and fall off. If that occurs, carry an extra ball to replace it quickly.

And as strange as this is going to sound, avoid over cleaning….