Cleaning Belly Button Piercing

Belly button infections, scarring and bleeding are some of the common side effects of this popular form of body piercing. Caring and cleaning belly button piercing allows the wound to heal up faster and reduce the chances of contracting an infection. This can be quite a difficult task as lint and dirt can easily settle in the area. Also after the piercing, the pus and the blood settle in the area forming a hard crust on your belly button. This needs to be cleaned thoroughly so that the wound gets enough oxygen to heal. Here are some tips for cleaning navel piercing.

How to Clean a Belly Button Piercing

Using Antibacterial Soap: Once your belly button is pierced, do not clean it the very same day. In fact leave the piercing alone for a couple of days. For cleaning the navel piercing, you need to wash the area with an antibacterial soap. Wash your hands before the cleaning process and using a Q tip soaked in warm water remove the hard crust in the navel. Apply soap to the area and then rinse off completely with water. Follow this cleansing regime two times in a day. If heavy workouts and exercises have made you sweaty, then clean the area with lukewarm soapy water.

Salt Water Soaks: Salt water soaks are one of the best methods of cleaning the piercing wounds and promoting the healing process. First wash your hands thoroughly with liquid antibacterial or antimicrobial soap and then add a pinch of sea salt in the bottom of a small disposable cup. Fill it with hot water and invert it over the navel piercing wound. Let it stay there for around five to tend minutes and then rinse off. Dry with a clean paper towel. This is an excellent antibacterial solution and hinders the bacterial infections. Do not use table salt, kosher salt, Epsom salts, and iodized sea salts. Pure sea salts are available at most grocery stores.

Use Cotton Swabs: Clean your piercing wounds with water and then use a cotton swab to clear off the dust and the grime. Do not use cloth towels as they can harbor germs and bacteria which may infect the piercing.

Healing Products: Along with the cleaning products, you also need to speed up the healing process of the belly button piercing. Vitamin C supplement and lots of orange juice plays an important role in healing wounds. Along with this you can also use tea tree and lavender oil soothing liquid to cool an irritated piercing. In addition to this, Emu oil has been discovered to also produce exceptional results when healing a piercing.

What Not To Do
When it comes to caring and cleaning your belly button piercing, there are certain things that you should completely avoid. These include:

• Do not use hydrogen peroxide as it not only kills bacteria, but also the white blood cells of the affected area when attempting to heal your piercing. The peroxide can cause irritation and lengthen overall healing time.
• Using rubbing alcohol on the fresh wounds will dry the skin and irritate the raw piercing and lead to a navel piercing infection.
• Antibacterial ointments or similar products should be completely avoided. These not only clog pores but also kill the good cells trying to heal the piercing.
• Do not fiddle around with your navel jewelry and instead leave your piercing alone.
• Avoid swimming pools and spas. If you must, be sure to clean your navel immediately afterward with antibacterial soap or wear a waterproof bandage over a new piercing to avoid bacterial contamination.
• Do not touch your new belly button piercing with dirty hands. Make sure that you always wash your hands with an antibacterial soap before touching the piercing.
• Avoid tight clothing around the piercing as it restricts the oxygen and delays the healing time.

While cleaning belly button piercing, if you find pus accompanied by a foul odor or blood, then it is a signal that your piercing is infected. Make sure that you consult your physician. With proper care and cleanliness you will soon have a fabulous navel piercing that you will be proud to show off.