Your new navel piercing should be washed daily one or two times in the shower with a mild soap. We recommend Dr. Bronner’s castile soap, which comes in a variety of formulas and is available for purchase at www.exoticbody.com. After using your normal body products in the shower, apply a small amount of soap to your finger and gently wash the area around and up to the piercing wound. If the jewelry has any “crusties” or discharge, also clean the jewelry with the soap as well. Then rinse WELL under running water. It is okay to rotate the jewelry during rinsing, as to remove any soap that may have entered the piercing during the cleaning process. In addition to using mild soap, you may wish to clean your piercing or remove any dried “crusties” several times a day as needed. We recommend a product called H2Ocean, a sterile sea-salt spray. This can be sprayed directly on the piercing to assist healing, or used on a cotton-tipped swab to remove any “crusties” from the piercing or jewelry. H2Ocean is also available in-house or through www.exoticbody.com

Many pierces have found that Vitamin C (3000mg mineral ascorbate form), multivitamins, and Zinc supplements ( 60 mg/ 120mg for about two weeks) speed healing time and regeneration of tissue. Hot soaks and compresses, with the optional addition of 1/4 tsp sea salt per cup of clean water, are strongly suggested for navel piercings. To soak, invert a cup of water over the navel, forming a vacuum, or soak in well cleaned bathtub. Make a compress with paper towels to insure cleanliness. You can do this once or twice daily for about 10-15 minutes. Avoid wearing belts, tights, tight pants or restrictive clothing for about a year. Similarly activities which constrict the area are discouraged.

Your piercing will not be completely healed for several years. Even after the piercing as healed, reinsertion can be difficult and sometimes impossible. Jewelry should not be changed during the initial healing period, usually about 6-10 months. Be sure to wear appropriate jewelry in your piercings, even when fully healed. Jewelry designed for your earlobes is never appropriate and can damage your piercing. If you must remove your jewelry call your piercer and S/he will be happy to assist you. It’s no problem to permanently remove the jewelry. In most cases, only a small indentation will remain. We encourage you to call your piercer. S/he will be happy to assist you.

Infections are caused by contact with bacteria, fungi, or other living pathogens. Piercing infections can usually be traced to one of the following activities: Touching the piercing with unwashed hands or letting someone else touch the piercing. Oral contact with the piercing, including your own saliva. Allowing bodily fluids to come into contact with your piercing (your urine is sterile to your own body).

Redness and swelling. A sensation of heat at the piercing site. Pain, especially throbbing or spreading pain. Unusual discharge. It may be yellowish, greenish or grayish.

While it’s never inappropriate to visit your piercer-friendly physician, a call to your piercer may save you a trip. If possible visit your piercer and show him/her the piercing. Also tell him/her about any circumstances which may have led to an infection. Please don’t remove the jewelry! This may aggravate the problem by closing off the drainage for the matter. The effectiveness of an oral antibiotic depends on selecting the right one for the job. This can only be done by a physician! I Think My Piercing is Growing Out! Navel piercings tend to migrate towards the surface somewhat as they heal. If the piercing is too shallow, the jewelry is inappropriate or inappropriate aftercare is occurring, the piercing may reject (migrate all the way out of the body). If you suspect that your piercing is rejecting, please call your piercer. The solution may be as simple as changing your cleanser.