Infected Belly Button Piercing – Symptoms, Causes, Signs, Home Remedies, Treatment

Infected Belly Button Piercing – Symptoms, Causes, Signs, Home Remedies, Treatment






Belly button is more private than other parts like ears, nose and lips. More and more women are interested to get belly button piercing done. There are few cases of developing an infection and very few cases of rejection. The navel area does not have compatibility with the jewelry and hence it rejects it. There are some risk factors associated with belly button piercing and there are some fashion factors and enhanced beauty factors in relation with belly button piercing.

Symptoms :

Belly button would normally do not develop any infection except in few cases of using unsterilized needle and intolerance. Some of the signs of belly button infection include pain in and around the navel area, redness, tenderness and discomfort. It is quite normal for having mild pain initially after piercing and the discomfort would be there for 2-3 days. For some women it can cause soreness and yellow discharge which is nothing but production of lymph fluid.

Causes :

The major cause of belly button Piercing Infection is using unhygienic instruments and following poor hygiene. Touching the navel area frequently can increase the chance of getting infection. You would carry contaminated particles in your fingers that are transferred to the newly infected site causing bacterial infection. If the bedding is not clean or if the clothing is not clean you can get infected. Using dirty hands for cleaning the navel can also lead to serious infection.

Signs of Serious Infection :

• You can feel irritation and itchy feeling around the belly button.


• The skin around the navel becomes highly sensitive and cause pain even by slight rubbing of your shirt.


• Thickness of the navel area has reduced significantly and you can see the ring has become looser than it was before.


• The size of the button grows around the area of piercing.


• You can find Keloid or bumps developing on the site of navel piercing.


• In severe cases it can produce discharge of fluid from the hole.


• The area of belly button has developed swelling and causes significant pain.

All the above symptoms indicate serious infection and it is time for you to check with your GP.

Home Remedies :

• It is enough if you keep the belly button clean and dry.


• Wear only loose clothing and avoid using tight waist bands etc. It can delay the process of healing not allowing free air inside.


• Change the jewelry only after proper healing and if you are not sure you can always seek help from professional piercer for changing it.


• Avoid touching the navel frequently.


• Avoid bathtubs for few days since it may carry plenty of bacteria and virus. Opt for taking showers.


• Never use the soap or soap solution directly on the site of piercing.


• To reduce swelling and pain you can use sea salt solution. Clean the area with this solution 3-4 times a day from the next day of piercing. This would considerably reduce the chance of infection.

Medical Treatment :

• Over the counter painkillers like ibuprofen and similar drugs can be used for managing pain.


• Take mild antibiotics if you are sure that it the area is infected.


• Your doctor would suggest you suitable antibiotics in case of soreness and bump formation.