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ashiiboo · Dec 15, 2006, 08:59 PM

Ok I got my belly button pierced on dec 9.and now it is leaking a clear sticky liquid that stick to my belly and on my barbell I looks green it that normal?And what colour is that puss when does it start pussing .How long do I have to wait to change the barbell.When is it fully haled;) .

sallgood · Dec 16, 2006, 03:01 AM

Its puss don't worry... and wait a logn time to take out the barbell... jsut clean it a lot and put lots of neosporine on it.

ashiiboo · Dec 16, 2006, 10:54 AM

Ok but what is the clear sticky liquid that sticks to my barbell.how long will it do this for I clean it like 3-4 a day is that good or bad.

s2tp · Dec 16, 2006, 11:00 AM

Ashliiboo

What are you cleaning it with? When I got mine done years ago, they gave me sea salt to cleanse it with. And your supposed to wash it 3-4 times a day, but don't play with it! Your hands have a lot of germs on them so by playing with it you will get it infected, which it sounds like it already is... just keep cleaning it with sea salt... I think there are other things to use too.

I have been told NOT to use peroxide or neosporin cause they try to 'heal' the piercing... which it tried to close it. I am not a doctor by any means though, so hopefully J_9 will get to your question with a professional answer...

Good Luck

J_9 · Dec 16, 2006, 11:17 AM

I don't know too much about piercings, but I do know about drainage!! :eek:

If it is clear there is nothing to worry about, this is normal for some people.

If it is yellowish or greenish it is infected and needs antibiotics to clear it up. Anything of any color other than clear signifies an infection.

I hope this helps a little!!

ashiiboo · Dec 16, 2006, 11:23 AM

There is no color its just clear all my friends say that means its healing.I use sea salt and Bactistat soap to clean it in the shower the place gave it to me.I use the sea salt at least 3 times a day and the Bactistat soap twice a day.

J_9 · Dec 16, 2006, 11:24 AM

Sounds like you are doing the right thing!! ;)

ashiiboo · Dec 16, 2006, 11:26 AM

Ok thank you do u have your belly button pierced.
Ok I got my belly pierced and when I clean it and every thing it still feels like there is soap in it or the salt water but I rinse it really good so I don't no and I'm getting kind a scared I only hade it picered 4 days.I think it is healing really good though how long should I clean it for?I clean it 2-4 a day.what should I get to clean it I have the pink soap they gave me and the sea salt is there like a cream or spray that I can us in the day or something?

OK now my belly button is all dry on tip of the barbell is there any cream I can get.how do you no when is is fully healed

DedElf · Dec 17, 2006, 08:01 PM

#1. They used a barbell when they pierced it. No reputable piercer will use a barbell for a new piercing other than the tongue and genitals. It hinders healing and doesn't allow for expansion from swelling. It also doesn't allow you to actually clean inside the piercing.

#2. The leakage is normal. The crusting is normal. Just pick the crusty crap off when you wash. Dial antibacterial soap is the best thing for it. Ordinarily I'd say move the piercing so the soap actually goes through the hole but its impossible to do that with a barbell so you're going to have to hope it dribbles in. Love my piercing after care products are a good quality product in my opinion. And believe it or not, listerine. Listerine kills just about anything. I use it at home to sterilize my jewelry when I don't feel like using alcohol or peroxide.

#3. Never listen to your friends. They might have the piercing themselves but any information they give you is going to be second hand at best, and utterly wrong at worst. More likely than not, the information is going to be flat out wrong.

I would recommend waiting 6-8 weeks before switching jewelry. If you aren't healed enough by then, you should just take it out and forget about it.

Navel piercings are the ones I see get infected or rejected the most often. I think it has a lot to do with the piercing's popularity with teenage girls and their notorious habit of not caring about anything but looking good and being popular. No offense to any teenage girls who may be reading this.

Everyone's body is different and responds to piercings and other body modifications in different ways. If you want actual facts ask a professional. Most states require that piercers actually know what they're doing before they give them permission to poke holes in people.

rosemans_girrl47 · Dec 19, 2006, 10:20 AM

Okay, I have my belly button pierced and I haven't really had problems with mine. I do know that clear/white liquid is completely normal but green/yellow discharge means infection! If the discharge is green/yellow you need to go get it looked at by your piercer, doctors don't always know what they are talking about when it comes to piercings. Your aftercare sounds like overkill, you are only supposed to use the soap in the shower once a day and you are only supposed to do two sea salt soaks a day. Over cleaning could be causing it to be irritated. If I were you I would cut the soap usage down to once a day and only do two sea salt soaks a day.

Another thing, 6-8 weeks OMG.. You really need to wait about 6 months before switching jewelry. At 6-8 weeks your piercing is still very very fresh and switching youe jewelry that soon will cause it to either get infected or reject.

ashiiboo · Dec 19, 2006, 07:26 PM

Ook thanks u I did cut it down alil because it was getting dry and stuff do u no if there is any other stuff to clean it with

DedElf · Dec 19, 2006, 09:39 PM

<<Piercer

rosemans_girrl47 · Dec 20, 2006, 07:30 AM

Okay, it should not puss at all. The clear/white liquid that should start coming from your belly button is called lymph and that should start after 1-2 weeks. If it looks green then you have an infection! You should wait about 6 months before you change the jewelry. You will be able to tell when it is healed by not seeing any redness, when the redness is completely gone your belly button is healed. I clean mine with unscented ivory soap in the shower once a day. Tea tree oil is also good for your piercings but it is very strong so make sure you dulute it!

ashiiboo · Dec 20, 2006, 07:22 PM

Around my barbell it is dry. Why is that?

rosemans_girrl47 · Dec 20, 2006, 07:33 PM

That could be from over cleaning, but then again it could be from just healing. As your belly button heals the skin around the barbell will get tight and then loose all the time, don't freak when this happens (I did lol) You will also notice dead white skin peeling away from your barbell, this is normal too. Just cut down on your cleanings, only clean with soap once a day and only do two sea salt soaks a day! Is the liquid coming from your belly button still green?

ashiiboo · Dec 20, 2006, 07:38 PM

No I don't think it was green it looked it because it was all dry and stuff.ya I am cutting down on the cleaning.how long sis you have yours pierced for.do you have msn?

DedElf · Dec 20, 2006, 08:21 PM

I don't see a reason for posting this since people have already decided the professional who has been licensed and practicing since '99 isn't the person you're supposed to listen to (and we wonder why people think teen girls aren't the brightest?) but so far the only thing most people have said that you'd ever hear a professional say is "Green puss is a bad sign".

Ivory soap isn't the greatest. Its not antibacterial so you're not killing the germs, just making them smell good. Using a mild antibacterial soap, like Dial, get a lather built in your hand and gently wash the area, moving the jewelry through the hole. Since the jewelry is a barbell that's going to be difficult. Should have gone with the retainer hoop. Barbells aren't starter jewelry.

A good rule of thumb with cleaning a piercing is three times a day for the first week. When you turn the jewelry to keep it from sticking to the skin and ripping it, you need to wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap. Also wash the area after you turn the jewelry. Next to your mouth, your hands are the most disguisting place on your body... and never under any circumstances let saliva, semen or vaginal fluids get anywhere near it.

Any piercing that takes six months to heal is 100% a sign that the owner of the piercing didn't take care of it. Again, if it takes longer than two months to heal I recommend my clients take the piercing out, let it heal on its own and try again a couple of months after that. Hopefully having one failure under their belts will cause them to take better care.

If the area surrounding the piercing is swollen, bright red and painful its infected. Greenish or yellowish pus isn't always a sign that its infected, it's a sign that you aren't keeping it clean and it will get infected before long if you don't start taking care of it.

If its still doing its song and dance in another week, take the damn thing out and let it heal over on its own.

The healing process itself can be affected by numerous external factors. What the jewelry is made of, what you are using to clean it with, any creams or lotions you are using to "help" the healing process.

Stress can also affect the healing process. That said, I looked at other posts the original poster has made to see what's going on in her life and I see the stress level as playing a role if the piercing isn't healing. Had she come to my shop and I had any inclination that the things she posted about were going on, say I heard her on her cell phone talking to a friend about the situation, I would have exercised my right to refuse service and suggested she wait until her life had calmed down before she thought about getting a piercing. Just one of the many reasons I've joined a movement to get the federal government to step in and make it so parents and guardians can't sign for their minor child to get pierced.

Which leads us to Bacitracin. Two dollars at walmart.

I never recommend sea salt solutions. I just don't like it. Bacitracin is the best thing on the market for helping the piercing heal. Neosporin is a definite no-no for reasons that most people only pretend to understand when you explain it to them so my usual answer to the question "Why not?" is: Because I said so. If you're going to use something other than bacitracin I recommend "Love My Piercing" aftercare solution. Basically just saline solution with a kick. I don't recommend drinking it.

I've had my lip pierced three times, no problems. My nose pierced, no problem. My tongue... no problem. Both ear lobes guaged down to an inch... other than the fact that guaging hurts... no problem. Industrial... no problem. Used listerine on the oral piercings, cleaning my lip with Dial and using bacitracin on them after. Used dial and bacitracin on all the others. Just as I instruct my clients to do.

The dry skin will go away. The crusties will go away. After the second week, if you feel comfortable with it, you can start applying a small amount of hand lotion to it just take care to not get the lotion IN the hole. Hemp is a good brand for use with piercings and tattoos. Its all natural so it won't screw with the healing process.

And keep your navel clean. You really don't want to know what all fungus and other crap starts to grow in there if you don't.

But hey, I'm just a licensed professional. What do I know?

ashiiboo · Dec 26, 2006, 02:46 AM

Now there is some more leaking and now its really dry on top of the barbell what can i do is there any creams for it

DedElf · Jan 5, 2007, 12:54 AM

I see no reason to repeat myself. If you were going to listen you wouldn't be asking again. Personally, I would have to say any problems coming from the piercing are a result of a failure to listen to the piercer when they did the piercing, since you have shown that to be a major flaw of yours here on this thread. Ciao.

Hell_On_Heels_07 · Jan 10, 2007, 03:09 PM

OK... I also just recently got my belly button pierced. I got it done on new years day (turned 18 on new years eve.. haha I've been waiting forever! ) OK.. so now that I finally have this done, I've been very anal about it. The guy that pierced me said that I should not clean it with sea salt... but he said to mix listerine (brown) with water.. so I've used that. I know you said that was good, so I'm not worried... I also do have white crusties, but it doesn't hurt at all... it's just dry skin, right? Anyway, most of my questions have already been answered when I read this through... but... why exactly is it bad to start with a barbell? That's the only option they had at the piercing studio.. I don't think they had rings. Is it really really bad? I don't seem to be having any problems. I can move it around and clean it without much pain, actually, it doesn't even hurt at all anymore. It hurt for only like 2 days. Now I can't even tell I have it. What's wrong with a barbell?