You aren’t supposed to rotate fresh piercings because it pulls any dried plasma back into the piercing, which slows healing time and also increases the chance of bringing bacteria into contact with the open wound. Other than salt soaks, the best aftercare is LITHA–leave it the hell alone.
I wanted to get a tattoo on my lower leg last year when I was working retail for a middle-class plus size clothing store. My boss told me not to do it, because I would regret it later and never be able to get a good job after school because of it. Also she wanted us to wear the store’s capris in summer, and told me I’d have to cover it up which would be a big hassle.
Shortly after she said that and I got the tattoo anyway, I landed a government summer student job making more than twice what I got paid at the store, and I landed the job again this summer. Needless to say, I don’t work at the store any more. My co-workers, mostly middle-aged women, don’t care about my tattoos and reacted in a ‘OMG-I’m-a-mother-but-then-again-this-isn’t-my-kid-so-it’s-cool’ kind of way when I dyed my hair pink last month.
God, you’re being defensive. You have no idea why Turek said “Don’t do it.” You assume it’s because s/he has some anti-piercing bias and is just being a jerk, based on a freakin’ 10 word post. You need to chill the hell out. Maybe Turek, like my best friend, got massive infection from a navel piercing, which turned into a cyst, and had to have an in-office surgery to deal with it. Is that possible? Did you even ASK, or did you just jump all over him based on very little, which is the very behavior you decry in others when it’s done to you?
Sigh.
Anyway, yeah, it’s too late for me to tell you not to do it, but from what I’ve heard, this piercing doesn’t last long for a lot of people for the reasons adequately outlined in this thread already. Stay on top of the regimen for taking care of it, as it’s definitely necessary. Good luck with it.
I’ve had a belly button piercing for ten years. I’d recommend making sure you go to a good quality piercer, first up. Follow their cleaning instructions religiously to reduce the risk of infection. Touch it as little as possible afterwards, and don’t wear pants with a tight waistband for some days afterwards, as that will irritate it (and really hurt).
As for the pain, I seem to remember it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as a tongue or ear piercing, as they numb the area somewhat before the piercing. It’s all over pretty quickly.
You’re the one being defensive. I have no idea, nor do I care why Turek specifically advised against it. I’m assuming that if s/he had a good reason, they would elaborate just like you did here. I was specifically referring to the phenomenon of posters in general who feel the need to shit all over threads where the OP Is asking advice about a piercing/tattoo they are interested in. I think you’re the one who needs to chill the hell out, sweetie.
I don’t have a dog in this hunt. I like to see belly button piercing, but I am not pierced myself anywhere. So no feelings pro or con on the subject. But when I read
:eek:
At this point I have to wonder if maybe Turek’s advise isn’t good afterall.
YMMV Hey your body, your life, have fun.
It varies, it really does. I popped in to say that I’ve never had a problem with it but that I faithfully followed the shot glass of salt water treatment, every day for 3 months, even though there was no sign of infection whatsoever. I did it on and off (probably about twice a week) for about a year after I pierced my bellybutton though every thing appeared normal (I’ve had my bellybutton pierced since 2000). I also followed the LITHA treatment, which helps immensely with piercings. On average people tend to get somewhat lax about the saltwater treatment, which actually promotes healing and they either taper off or only do it when it’s oozing. I also firmly believe that if the piercing stays flat to your stomach you’re a lot better off because it isn’t going to snag and hitch on your clothes and get knocked about. When I re-pierced my nose in law school I had it done with a ring which was a fatal mistake. It was constantly getting knocked about and moving and I ended up with an infection really quickly. OTOH this time around I got the stud and have no problems.
Also, as far as piercings go, the most problems I’ve ever had have been with my ears/cartilage, a far more conventional spot to pierce than either the nose or stomach. Well, neither of those is terribly unconventional these days but you know what I mean!
That’s silly. I have nothing to defend. I don’t know Turek and I don’t have a problem with body piercing per se, so I have no reason to get all torqued up like you did. All I do know is that Turek, in 10 words or less, suggested the OP not get the piercing. You made a ton of assumptions, including calling him a jerk and assuming an anti-piercing bias, on zero evidence. I was merely pointing out your stridency and overreaction.
Maybe you shouldn’t assume about other people, just as you don’t like people to make assumptions about you based on your piercings and tattoos. There was little provocation here for your tirade. Seems like misdirected anger to me over comments not in fact made by **Turek ** in this thread.
No, sweetie, I don’t think I called anyone names for no reason. “Don’t do it” is valid advice, under the circumstances, whether you like to hear it or not. This is a message board, and when you ask for people’s input, you might not always get input that agrees with yours. That sucks but it doesn’t entitle you to call them thread-befouling jerks. Relax, and only freak out on people who are actually insulting you, maybe?
Normally I’d agree with you, but in this case, I have to say that from what I’ve seen, bellybutton piercings are a horrible idea. I know a lot of people with a lot of holes punched in them, and no one I know has ever had a bellybutton piercing for very long. I’m not sure if it’s because they’re popular enough that people who don’t know much about piercings get them on impulse (often over spring break), or if it’s something specific about the location. But they always seem to lead to horrific infections and pus being squeezed out of places and other such unpleasantness. Whereas most other piercings don’t seem - as far as I’ve seen - nearly as prone to such problems. If a friend asked me, I would certainly advise them not to get their bellybutton pierced.
Other than that, based on my own experience with piercings, jacob wrestling sounds right on the money. Make sure you go to a good piercer who uses good sterile procedure. During each of the seven or so piercings that I’ve gotten, the piercer carefully showed me that they were unwrapping new needles, and the tags on other equipment that indicated that it had been autoclaved. Make sure you find a piercer who is similarly committed to making sure everything is sterile.
anu-la’s advice about hot saltwater soaks is good too. My piercers have usually recommended sea salt in particular (apparently the iodine in iodized table salt causes problems, but I’m not sure how significant a risk that is.) It’ll help relieve the pain and it’ll get help get the crud that forms on new piercings off without having to fiddle around with it.
I have no doubt that opinions vary on such things, but this is definitely not what I was advised by my piercers. They always recommended gently cleaning it, including rotating or moving the piercing to ensure that any crud got removed.
Anyway, good luck. Hope you don’t regret your bellybutton piercing later, as everyone I know personally who’s gotten one has.
I’ve had mine for 7 years, and have had no problems with it. They can be problematic, it’s true, but I’ve had no problems with mine.
A huge thing, which has been mentioned several times in this thread, is to avoid irritating it. If your clothes feel like they’re rubbing against it, wear something else. I think (and correct me if I’m wrong, this is just a WAG) that part of the problem with belly button rings can be that they are constantly irritated by clothing and are in a position to be bumped around a bit, unlike facial and ear peircings. Even nipple piercings are more protected, since they (if you’re a woman anyway) will generally be supported and held in place by your bra. This was the case with my experience, anyway.
I had decided not not post again since my (admittedly hair-triggered and slightly tongue-in-cheek) post earlier met with such disdain, but since others feel the need to defend me, I’ll have a go at it.
I’m not anti-piercing nor am I anti-tattoo. In fact, I was contemplating getting a tattoo a while ago and posted here asking others to give me reasons NOT to get one. My thread. In the end, I decided not to do it.
I think for MOST people the best thing is to NOT get a pierced or a tattoo and I think the best advice is to tell people not to do it. If, after careful consideration and thoughtful contemplation of the consequences, they decide to go ahead with it, then more power to them. But anything that slows people down when making a decision like that is a good thing, in my mind.
This is what I was advised as well. Rinsing off the “crud” then soaping it gently with the surgical soap, gently rotating it through. Then rinsing it and rotating it twice as many times to clean it. Mine healed fine and I loved it. I took it out when I got preggers (good thing, my tummy got HUGE). Now I am going to re-do it on top of the old one.
I would LOVE to see a cite for this (bolding mine). And I didn’t go on a tirade. Just expressed my frustration at the people who pop into these threads to express an opinion that wasn’t asked for. Turek hasn’t come in to qualify his/her statement with a horrible expericence such as the one you are attributing, so I’m going to assume it’s just their opinion, an opinion which was not solicited or welcomed by the OP. Seems to me all the assumptions and overreaction is coming from you.
Back to the OP. When my now wife got her belly button pierced, she had the usual problem of infection like so many others. She tried this cream, that spray, just about everything out there. She finally tried Tea Tree Oil, found in many oriental shops. It worked like a chram at clearing up any infection and kept it from returning. We now use Tea Tree Oil for other minor cuts and scrapes too…
I don’t disagree that you’re entitled to your opinion, but in this case (and many others) the posters aren’t asking for opinions on if they should get a piercing or tattoo, but are looking for information about the experience. It’s really rude to assume that your opinion on someone else’s appearance matters, unless they have expressly solicited it.
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My co-workers, mostly middle-aged women, don’t care about my tattoos and reacted in a ‘OMG-I’m-a-mother-but-then-again-this-isn’t-my-kid-so-it’s-cool’ kind of way when I dyed my hair pink last month.