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)

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.

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Originally Posted by nauticalstar420

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.

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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! :)

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Originally Posted by lauder21

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! :)

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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)

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Originally Posted by peaden1711

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)

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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.

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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.

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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!

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Originally Posted by lauder21

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!

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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.