I've had my belly pierced for 6 weeks and I think I have an infection because green stuff is coming from it. I've been cleaning it everyday since the first day I got it and I don't know why it got infected because I've been really taking care of it. I really don't want to take it out and I'm still cleaning it hoping the infection will go away but does anyone know anything else I can do. I can't go to a doctor to get anti-biotics because I don't have health insurance to pay for it and I'm starting to get really scared because I don't know what will happen if I don't get medicine for it. Can anyone please help me?!

If you don't get medicine for it, the infection will spread and get worse. You need to go to the doctor and get some antibiotics in any way possible that you can. The earlier you catch it, the more likely it is that you can save the piercing (you asked about taking it out, but that is not really a concern, the infection is).

If you can't make it to the doctor soon, take the piercing out. The barbell/hoop will just continue to irritate it.

Do you know how much anti-biotics cost? And is there anything I could get OTC

One of the antibiotics that is usually given for an infected piercing is caled Keflex (Cephalexin), and the price varies depending on where you go, but for example at Walgreens Pharmacy I see that it costs $82.99 for 40 250 MG capsules. (Walgreens | Pharmacy | Drug Information & Prices | Keflex (http://www.walgreens.com/library/finddrug/druginfo1.jsp?particularDrug=Keflex&id=2790))

You still need to see a doctor to determine the severity of the infection, and what antibiotic you need. Keflex is only an example of what they may give you.

Belly button piercings rarely DON'T get infected. Currently I only have one, however I use to have three belly button rings. (one in the centre and two diagonally)
There is a product you can get called H2Ocean. They make a piercing spray, which is simply purrified sea water. But it comes in a can, with an inner liner, so it's sterile.
I would recommend this to anyone!
One of the biggest mistakes people make I find, is taking care of their new piercing TOO much. You should not use the standard ear lobe piercing aftercare stuff for other piercings. It, along with other common cleaners such as clear soap and water, will dry your piercing out very quickly. (You don't want this.)
If you cannot buy the H2ocean, buy some sea salt. Then mix some with warm water, so it disolves, and use a Q-tip to clean the piercing. Every morning and every night.

Belly button piercings take the longest time to heal out of all the 'standard' piercings, so be patient, and good luck!

I always try and steer people clear from using H2Ocean, because it will severely dry out your piercing, just like a saline/salt solution would anything else. For example, if you have ever been to the beach, have you ever noticed how dry and chapped your skin is when you get out of the ocean water? Well it is 10 times worse on a piercing, because a piercing is actually an open wound. Also, it will not cure an infection. If you do use it, try and use it as little as possible.

I agree about the fact that belly piercings rarely don't get infected. They are in such a awkward place, and can catch on anything. And you are absolutely correct about taking care of a piercing too much. That is one of the biggest causes of irritation.

I always try and steer people clear from using H2Ocean, because it will severely dry out your piercing, just like a saline/salt solution would anything else. For example, if you have ever been to the beach, have you ever noticed how dry and chapped your skin is when you get out of the ocean water? Well it is 10 times worse on a piercing, because a piercing is actually an open wound. Also, it will not cure an infection. If you do use it, try and use it as little as possible.

Perhaps it's something that can be different with every body type then. However I never had H2ocean when I had my belly button done, so it can be different in the spot also. I have used it for cartilage, eyebrow, nipple, and side facial surface piercings, all with h20cean being my primary mode of healing, and they have all healed up perfectly! I really mean perfect, I was surprised! :)

Perhaps it's something that can be different with every body type then. However I never had H2ocean when I had my belly button done, so it can be different in the spot also. I have used it for cartilidge, eyebrow, nipple, and side facial surface piercings, all with h20cean being my primary mode of healing, and they have all healed up perfectly! I really mean perfect, I was surprised! :)

Wow good job! All of my piercings have healed perfect too (thank God.. lol) but I never used H2Ocean. A lot of the problem is how much people use it. Sometimes people think if they use it every 5 minutes they are doing so much good to the piercing, and they are definitely not.

Honestly when you get a piercing the best thing you can do is leave it alone. The more you clean it, play with it or put something on it, the longer it is going to take to heal, and the more prone it is to irritation and infection. I usually recommend cleaning and twisting the barbell twice a day, using antibacterial soap (making sure you wash your hands first of course), and other than that leave it alone. After having it about 4-6 weeks, I reduce cleaning to once a day to give the piercing time to heal.

I'm glad you have had good experiences with H2Ocean though. I have seen that stuff cause some nasty things, like dried out and crusty piercings with big red irritation bumps.. yucky! But like I said, it depends on how much of it you use. :p

Try some triple antibotic sauve on it ,if problem keep up take it out, let it heal , And do it again. You might be allergic to the metal try something real (like gold or silver)

Try some triple antibotic sauve on it ,if problem keep up take it out, let it heal , And do it again. You might be allergic to the metal try something real (like gold or silver)

Triple antibiotic is a big no no on piercings, but I do agree that she may want to check into being allergic to the metal. Green discharge is usually infection though.

I would try the following recipe for a week and see if it helps improve the situaion before getting antibiotics on no insurance... then if after a week, you don't notice an improvement, go to a local clinic:

On all of my piercing, I have always used this formula, and I always heal wonderfully.

Keep the piercing in, and use a small amount of dial soap+warm water to clean around the piercing using a q-tip. Rinse the site with arm water and pat dry (dont rub dry). Rinse the wound with peroxide and rinse off with water. Pat dry. Take a small cup and mix warm saline solution (the kind for your eyes - warm in microwave) and sea salt (small amount). Take the cup and press the lip of the cup to your skin covering the naval. Press the entire opening of the cup against your skin so that the suction forms. Lay on your back for 5 minutes. Stand up again at the end of 5 minutes and remove the cup. Pat dry. Take a small square of medical gauze and cover the entire naval and piercing with the medical guaze, then use medical tape to tape all four sides so that nothing can get in. Do this first thing in the morning and again before bed. Do not allow the area to be uncovered for a week. This will keep your clothes from pulling on it and keep bacteria out. After a week, you should notice an improvement.

A breakdown of what this formula is doing...
The soap is a mild form and will help keep it from getting too irritated, but keep it clean
The peroxide will kill any bacteria already present
The saline and sea salt will help fool your body into believing the piercing is meant to be their, and it will stop attacking the piercing
The gauze will keep any irritants out and keep the piercing from snagging.

If you do notice an improvement after a week, keep up the same routine for a nother week, and then remove the peroxide from the regimine after that week is up. Continue with the cleaning and saline for 2 more weeks, then remove the guaze from the regime and move to once a day.

Oh! And remember to twist the piercing and move up and down...

Good luck.

lauder21 disagrees: Everyone heals differently, so yes I realize this may work for you, but I would disagree as it's too harsh of a routine to be using on a piercing.

Check the rules of this site before disagreeing... whether you personally agree or not... ask a piercer my information is correct in this situation, you must kill the bacteria...

I am sorry you have taken what I said personally and appear to be offended by it, but I have just read the rules to the site and have found nothing wrong with what I have said.
The only thing I've done wrong now, is writing this as it's not on the topic of the thread however I feel I must apologize for hurting your feelings, dear.
But I did say everyone heals differently. For example something I have used over and over, Nauticalstar believes will dry a piercing out too much. But -- it works for me!

I am sorry you have taken what I said personally and appear to be offended by it, but I have just read the rules to the site and have found nothing wrong with what I have said.
The only thing I've done wrong now, is writing this as it's not on the topic of the thread however I feel I must apologize for hurting your feelings, dear.
But I did say everyone heals differently. For example something I have used over and over, Nauticalstar believes will dry a piercing out too much. But -- it works for me!

Everyone is always going to have different opinions and methods. Al's problem was that you gave her a disagree, when you could have disagreed in a post rather than give her a bad mark. Disagrees are reserved for when you are factually wrong, and since everyone is different, her method could work. :)

Thank you! I am new here, as you can see, so I was not aware that the agree/disagree was a... like a user integrity type of feature, I saw in other posts people using this feature, and it says "comments on this post" above it, I was simply under the impression it was a way to put a comment into that post, without adding tons of one or two sentence posts.
Sorry, but thank you :)

You're welcome, and I balanced Al out for you. ;)

You didn't hurt my feelings hun, you should just remember that we are only supposed to give disagrees if the information is blatantly incorrect. You only disagreed on a personal level, and I understood that. No hard feelings.

** Edit** thanks nautical for explaining...

And lauder don't mind me, I may seem pissed, but its just my hormones... lol

Go to the doctor.

I Think The Infection Went Away, I Used Peroxide On It A Few Times And It Got Kind of Dryed Out But It Took The Infection Away Because I Haven't Seen The Green Stuff Come Out. But I Told My Mom And She Said To Wait A While To See If It Comes Back And Then She Will Take Me To The Clinic

Yep, unfortunately, when using peroxide, you do run the risk of it drying out a bit, but, ultimately this is better than infection... I would cut out the peroxide for now and just keep it clean.

The Triple Antibotic Sauve Was If She Takes The Peircing Out. Sorry Wrong Wording

I Think The Infection Went Away, I Used Peroxide On It A Few Times And It Got Kinda Dryed Out But It Took The Infection Away Because I Havent Seen The Green Stuff Come Out. But I Told My Mom And She Said To Wait A While To See If It Comes Back And Then She Will Take Me To The Clinic

I am very glad you are better and it wasn't severe enough to have to go to the doc. :)

Thanks guys.! Right now its just a little sore and tender but I think its going to be OK. I stopped using the peroxide a few days ago and I'm just using the dial anti bacteria soap once a day [sometimes twice a day]. I put a little bactine every now and then. Right now the only problem I have is that I think I'm allergic to this belly ring because I have a rash under my belly and its uncomfortable so I was trying to change the belly ring back to the one it was pierced with because it was surgical steel but the guy at the piercing place put the ball on too tight so its hard to get the ball off... any suggestions?

Go back to the piercer and have him take the ball back off. He put it on too tight, and it is his responsibility to get it off. Most piercers are happy to do this at no charge.

Where exactly is the rash? If you are allergic to certain metals, some belts can cause a rash as well if you wear one that contains the metal you are allergic to.

Yea because I'm allergic to nickel so that's the reason I can't wear belts but the rash is underneath my belly button like on my stomach and its itchy.
Well right now I just cleaned my belly piercing and its kind of sore:(
It burns a little but I don't know, maybe because its irritated??
Ummm.. well I been putting bacetracin on the rash hoping that it will kind of clear it up and make it stop itching
And about the ball being too tight... well that's the reason I went back to the piercing place in the first place so that he could change the belly ring for me because I couldn't get the ball unscrewed because it was too tight and I told him that but he put it on tight again. I really don't want to go back because they seemed kind of bothered that they had to change my belly ring so maybe if I get latex gloves then it will be easier to take the ball off?
And around my piercing is kind of red is that normal?

For the rash, if what you are using does not clear it up try hydrocortisone. That will usually clear a rash right up. But make sure you don't get it on the piercing itself.

It could very well be sore because its irritated. Is the green discharge still gone, or did it start back up? If it is irritated, you should decrease cleaning and twisting it. The more you do these things, the more irritated it will get. As long as there is no green or funky smelling discharge, cleaning it all the time is not necessary. The redness could also be due to irritation. Is there any swelling?

As for the piercer, to be honest with you, if he gets irritated at you for having him take the ball off that is his own fault. You told him it was too tight before, and he put it on too tight again. He's the one that should take it off. If you don't want to go back to him, have someone you trust, who is strong, take the belly button ring off. But tell this person to be careful, and do not tug on the jewelry.

If you don't start getting good luck with this piercing soon, it might be in your best benefit to take it out.

The green discharge isn't coming back but today when I was in school I looked at it and it had a little green crust on it but I don't know if that was the green discharge because I haven't seen it in almost a week. I think the green crust was from the rash though. Its not swollen or nothing but yea I agree that its irritated and I think I kind of made it worse today because I had a tight shirt on and it kept getting caught on the belly ring. I've been cleaning it once a day [before I go to sleep] and its sore when I clean it and I think because I sleep on my stomach that's making it irritated too. I'm just really going to try to keep this piercing because I've wanted my belly pierced since I was 7 years old and FINALLY now that I'm almost 17 my mom let me get it done lol. But I'm going to go to walmart this weekend and get a hypo-allergenic belly ring and see if that works any better

Good luck with finding the right jewelry.

I know it may be hard to break old habits, by try to avoid sleeping on your stomach until this issue is taken care of. Sleeping on your stomach not only puts pressure on the piercing, but it suffocates it as well, which means it doesn't allow any oxygen in, and oxygen is key to a healing piercing. Also, avoid clothing that will easily get caught on the piercing. Try and wear longer shirts so the bottom of your shirts don't get caught on the jewelry.

If the green discharge returns a second time, I strongly recommend to try and see a doctor if at all possible.

WHATEVER YOU DO DON'T TAKE OUT THE PIERCING.

It's even more important not to take it out if u do have an infection because if u take out the ring, then the infection will be stuck inside your body and not have a way of getting out. (since it's way of drainage.. via the ring.. is now gone)

Go back to the person who did the belly piercing and she what she recommends to do. I would get it taken care of by going to the doctor right away. You can always make payment arrangements on the Doctor bill; besides your health is more important than a belly pierceing.

I have just recently gotten my belly re-pierced, I had it once before and cleaned it morning and night but the infection was so bad that the top ball dropped into my skin, so I just took it out.. as I said I re-pierced it its been 6 days now and it feels swallon and I feel like its just getting more and more infected, what should I do?

I have a question. I have had my belly peirced twice already and the first time I had it I was stupid and took it out and changed it with a belly bar from argos after three days, it went infected and pushed itself out. A year and a half later I went and got it done again and it fell out in p.e at school, so I went to argos and put a belly bar in from there. It went infected so I took it out. I recently found out that there is something in the argos belly bars that would have caused my belly to react like that. Before I changed it , it was fine and I have recently got my tongue peirce and that is okay too. I want to get it done again as I am really depressed with the scar on my belly, and I want to go on holiday and be confident in a bikin. What should I do? Please help me xx Hayley xx

Omg well I'm just a girl that loves to get belly piercings I think they are cute. But I have had my top done for ever now they told me to use only antibacterial no smell liq soap wash three times a day with the antibacterial no smell liq soap on a q-tip don't wash more than 30sec. Each time you clean your belly piercing. I did thisand have never had a prob with it.now that was my top one that went well like I was saying I love belly piercings so I went to get my bottom done they changed there minds and came up with its better to clean it with h2o which is a sea salt. I did that thinking they know what's best so I did this and just a few months arter my bottom belly ring came out my skin before that the skin just got thinner and thinner now I have a ugly scare on my belly. I have just got my sides done and I'm doing the antibacterial no smell soap and its doing great.so it might just be me but I don't trust that h2o sea salt at all. I'm just fine without it I also know friends that didn't go by what I'm telling you and they used the salt and there piercings haven't came out like mine did but all of them have a ugly ball of dryed up skin on there piercing I mean all of them that used the sea salt and h2o sea salt cleaner got this it just doesn't sound right to me. Put 2 and 2 together so I hope some body takes this in and thinks smart they will tell you that you can use the soap so just don't fall into there dumb sayings they just want 2 sell there h2o sea salt cleaner to make money because didn't u know every sell than person makes they get more money on the pay so its just a game they really don't care if it works or not for you. So just think smart and good luck anybody that wants a cute belly... always gangsta barbie

Omg well I'm just a girl that loves to get belly piercings I think they are cute. But I have had my top done for ever now they told me to use only antibacterial no smell liq soap wash three times a day with the antibacterial no smell liq soap on a q-tip don't wash more than 30sec. Each time you clean your belly piercing. I did thisand have never had a prob with it.now that was my top one that went well like I was saying I love belly piercings so I went to get my bottom done they changed there minds and came up with its better to clean it with h2o which is a sea salt. I did that thinking they know what's best so I did this and just a few months arter my bottom belly ring came out my skin before that the skin just got thinner and thinner now I have a ugly scare on my belly. I have just got my sides done and I'm doing the antibacterial no smell soap and its doing great.so it might just be me but I don't trust that h2o sea salt at all. I'm just fine without it I also know friends that didn't go by what I'm telling you and they used the salt and there piercings haven't came out like mine did but all of them have a ugly ball of dryed up skin on there piercing I mean all of them that used the sea salt and h2o sea salt cleaner got this it just doesn't sound right to me. Put 2 and 2 together so I hope some body takes this in and thinks smart they will tell you that you can use the soap so just don't fall into there dumb sayings they just want 2 sell there h2o sea salt cleaner to make money because didn't u know every sell than person makes they get more money on the pay so its just a game they really don't care if it works or not for you. So just think smart and good luck anybody that wants a cute belly... always gangsta barbie

My advice for you is to either go get seasalt and mix it into a small cup of water and soak your peircing as much as you can with it, like use a q-tip to put it on the infected part and try to get it on your piercing as much as you possibly can or put it in the cup and lean ove and tilt the cup over your piercing and hold it there for about 5 min. or the best thing to do is go to the doctors and get the antibiodics cause these infection are not something you can just ignore there serious. DO NOT TAKE THE PIERCING OUT! It will trap the infection inside and have no where for it to go.. good luck.

Taking the piercing out is the worst you can do, you trap the infection inside your body.

My belly ring has what I'm guessing is an irritation bump. Does that go away, and if so how can I treat it?

I got my belly button pierced for a week and I cleaned it and everything and it got infected I had to take ito ut because it hurt wayyy but I still clean it and put this healing cream on it.. dose anyone know if I keep caring for it even though I took the piercing out if the hole will close?

You should take it out and clean it with a alochic pad and then put it back in and then go get some h2o cleaning stuf you can get the h2o at a pericing place. That shouls work

My belly button ring is infected to it scabs... and it has yellow gooey stuff coming out when I clean it.
I never cleaned it enough like I should have. IS it to late for it to get better or what do I have to do?

Use sea salt and water. Mine was infected and what I did twice a day was took sea salt and water in a shot glass poured it over the piercing. I find rubbing with a qtip irritates it and NEVER take out the piercing because then when the hole closes the infection will stay INSIDE your body and will spread and could damage the rest of your body. Try the sea salt, it really worked for me. :)

Mines is not having green stuff coming out but I think my belly ring is infected too because my stomach turned black were its pierced and I don't want to take mines out either... I have no clue what to do but I think the best thing for you to do is to go see a docter!

Use turmeric powder from the supermarket, costs $2.00 at the most at your local supermarket, I have got one and it got infected like this and I used turmeric and in a few days the infection was gone and never came back :)

Go to the doctor str8 up !

Go see the doctor str8 up !

I Use That And I Have No Idea If I Have An Infection Because These Are The Things Im Expirece


Are These Things Signs Of Infection?
______________________________

Redness
Puss
No Pain
White Stuff Inside

Im Using The Tripple Antibitic Its Working Good It Looks Much Better But Like I Said I Don't Know If I Have An Infection!

Oh my gosh! I have the same thing and I don't know what to do! But I have been using my saline solution for my contacts to clean it and at first I thought it was the fake metal but I am going to go to rite aid and talk to the doctor guy and see what he recommends (:

My belly button piercing is also infected. The guy that did my belly button piercing (at Skin Thrills tattoo and piercings. AWESOME PLACE) told me to use antibacterial soap and a saline (salt) solution and clean it twice a day. I have done this and I thought the piercing was healed and not infected. It wasent red. Did not hurt and I never got any puss or anything out of it. However, when I got my new piercing in the mail today I realized that it was a little swollen. And when I went to put the new barbell in it pushed puss and blood out of the hole and the end of it would not come through enough for me to put the ball on the end. But I was able to put my old one back in and it is the same length! Why is this? Please help

Mine is not that bad but it was really helpful you saying that cleaning too much and messing with it can cause irritation. I have been cleaning it 3x a day, and twisting my belly ring a lot. That's probably why its hurting more than it did and why its getting really red. I thought possibly the ring shape was irritating it. They gave me the circle hoopinstead of a barbell. Should I change the ring?

I weight 239 wood it be OK for me to get my belly pierceds

Your never supposed to take the piercing out if you have an infection...

I got my belly button pierced on the August 18th (its the 23rd today) I clean it 2 times a day, in the morning when I wake up and at night before I go to sleep. I'm not sure if it's infected or just healing but the top like ball is red around and kind of ichy and the bottom seem to be fine. I lie on my belly and it doesn't hurt. But I do touch the ring or whatever and move it, could that be part of the problem? Any tips/ seguestins please?

I have had my belly button pieced for a yr now and it still hasn't really healed I get puss out every now and then its not sore or anything like that just seems to get puss in it and if I take the ring out to clean just for 5 secs I have trouble putting it back in? Any advice?

Belly button piercings are hard to take proper care of. I have my top and bottom navel.both have got infected.. first you go to any
Local shopping store and buy sea salt. Get a little shot glass and put a half of teaspoon of salt and half warm water.. mix and apply by either holding the glass on the percing or use a Q-tip and apply it to the top and bottom. Move the bar around *with clean hands*** and make sure the water gets inside. Keep on doing that for about 2\3 weeks about 3 times a day as needed.. afterwards purchase H2O ocean spray and apply it 2 times a day. The infection should clear in a few weeks, always clean your
Hands before touching the piercing, this is what idid and now I have 2 amazing looking piercings, goodluck!

Hey,
I'm in the same boat as you I got my belly button pierced I think a little over a week ago maybe more and my belly button got infected and I was cleaning it everyday. I found a way to make the infection slowly go away because when I noticed mine it was reddish around the hole and light pink around that. If you put some hydrogen peroxide around the hole it will fizz if there is an infection and once it stops fizzing get a Q-tip and dry it off then once its dry put a triple antibiotic around each hole. I also use a antibiotic that has pain reliever in it to and from yesterday the pink rings around it went away I'm just dealing with the area around the holes now. Its not as puffy anymore its starting to drain which means its trying to heal. You can also get a wash cloth and get it wet with steaming hot water place on top as a hot compress it will bring the infection to the top so it can drain...

I heard about the sea salts I might have to try that because I put antibiotic on it twice a day it helps with the sore-ness and itchy-ness and even the color