Is your belly button piercing red and swollen? How to tell if its an infection or normal irritation

• An infected belly button piercing causes swelling, pus, fever, chills, and even an upset stomach.
• If the belly button piercing is infected keep it in and clean the area with antibacterial soap.
• To avoid an infected piercing, clean it twice a day, avoid tight-fitting clothes, and soak the area daily.

Belly button piercings are a popular way to modify your body and show off your personal style, but they come with the risk of infection. Infected belly button piercings can be painful, unsightly, and dangerous if left untreated. That's why it's best to take good care of your piercing to prevent infection in the first place.

Here's how to know if your belly button piercing is infected and how to treat it.

Symptoms of an infected belly button piercing

If your belly button is freshly pierced, it's normal to experience some redness and swelling around the piercing, says Howard Sobel MD, board-certified dermatologist at Sobel Skin and Clinical Attending Dermatologic Surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital.

However, if the swelling becomes severe and is accompanied by pain that feels like soreness, this may be a sign of infection, Sobel says. Other symptoms that signal you may have an infection include:

• Smelly discharge/pus from the piercing
• Fever
• Chills
• Upset stomach

Important: "An infection tends to be constant pain and swollen with drainage of pus. An allergic reaction will be more itchy and sometimes look like a hive. Always use metals that are safe for your skin, like surgical steel, platinum, or solid 14 or 18 karat gold," says Sobel.

How to treat an infected belly button piercing

To treat an infected belly button piercing, it's important to keep the piercing in. You may be tempted to remove it, but if that happens, you risk the wound closing up and trapping the infection inside your body, Sobel says. Keeping the piercing in also allows any pus to drain.

You also need to make sure the area stays clean. "Remember piercings are open wounds, so it's important to keep them clean while healing," says Sobel.

Sobel says you should also follow these three steps which will work together to care for the infection:

• Clean the area with gentle antibacterial soap, and dry it with a clean towel twice a day, morning and night.
• Apply an antibiotic ointment two times a day after the area is cleaned.
• Use alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to keep the wound clean, once a day, at night after cleansing the affected area.

If the infection persists even after following these care tips, or if you're experiencing the more severe symptoms such as fever, chills, and upset stomach, you should see a doctor. Sobel says that in this case, you might need oral antibiotics to help clear up the infection.

If you leave infected piercings untreated, it can lead to a more serious infection, an abscess, or the infection spreading. Therefore, it's crucial that you take action if your piercing is infected.

How to care for your belly button piercing to avoid infection

There are steps you can take to care for your belly button piercing, especially when it's first healing. To maintain the health of your piercing, Sobel says you should:

• Clean the piercing regularly with warm water and a small amount of soap twice a day.
• Soak the area in a sterile saline solution for five to 10 minutes daily. You can do this by soaking a cotton ball with the solution and then applying it to the area.
• Avoid tight fitting clothes that can irritate the area. Instead, opt for looser tops and pants.
• Avoid hot tubs, pools, and lakes where chemicals or dirt may irritate your piercing.
• Cover the piercing with a large bandage when you exercise so that you avoid irritation while you're working out. This will prevent it from moving around and to prevent any further irritation from sweating or clothing rubbing the infected area.

Compared to other piercings, belly button piercings have a long healing time. It can take up to nine months for this type of piercing to heal completely. However, you only need to avoid going in those bodies of water or tight clothing that may irritate the piercing for about three months, says Sobel.

Insider's takeaway

A belly button piercing can be a fun type of body modification, but you must be vigilant during the healing process to avoid infection. That's why it's important to follow your piercer's aftercare instructions and know the signs and symptoms of a possible infection.

If you think your belly button piercing is infected, be sure to take action ASAP, and see a doctor if things aren't improving after some at-home care or if your symptoms are severe.

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