Healing

Monday July 21st, 2008 @ 3:13 AM

Filed under: Navel

I had my navel pierced about a month ago and today it fell out–The top of it came loose and I dont know if this was because of things brushing against it or water?). Anyways, the whole piercing came out and I was told not to put it back in (risks infection) and to just let it heal. I was wondering if I would be able to get it done again if I wait until it fully heals? Also, should I put anything on the area while it heals? Will there be any bumps or scars after its healed? And do you know approx. how long it will take to heal? Thanx.

Who told you to leave the jewelry out and not put it back in, for fear of increased chance of infection?

The reality is if you actually walked into a studio, with the jewelry in a bag, they could have processed and autoclaved (Sterilized) the jewelry for you and then proceeded to re-insert the jewelry using a taper.

This is why you should NEVER listen to any friends, family or misc. person as they all have their own piece of information to get. If a studio actually told you not to put it in, then I say who was spaced out and forgot they had an autoclave to sterilize said jewelry in question.

If it’s been out now for more than a couple days your best bet is to let it heal up now. As for treating it you should still be doing sea salt soaks at least once a day. Personally I’d suggest waiting roughly 2 months or even a bit longer before attempting to consider re-piercing it again. And when you think its ok to re-pierce visit a studio and get their opinion on if its suitable to re-pierce yet or not.

Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | Comments

Crooked navel, planning to stretch

Sunday June 22nd, 2008 @ 12:24 AM

Filed under: Navel

I got my navel pierced on the night of my 18th birthday, the 15th of June. I like the look of large navels and want to stretch it to 8g or 6g over the next 2-3 years. I let my piercer know this and he took it into account and spent a long time positioning the marks so it would be centered and at a good depth. After getting it I didn’t notice, still too excited about having it, but the next morning I saw that it is slightly crooked. The funny thing is the top is centered to the top, and the bottom is centered to the bottom, but they still look slightly off.

I’m also not sure if this is just because it was placed slightly deeper to account for stretching, if it’s just slightly swollen and crooked from that or if it really is slightly off.

I’m not sure if I should take it out and have it repierced in a better position, or if it’s so slight that it won’t make a difference, wait for it to heal, stretch it anyway, and perhaps scalpel it slightly if it ends up still looking crooked after I finish stretching it.

What do you think? Thanks for your help!

Unfortunately, it’s hard to really get much detail from the picture. It does look like it might be somewhat off, but that could be due to something as simple as how the jewelry happens to be resting…or as you mentioned, swelling.

I would suggest giving it a week or so and see how it looks then. At that point, most of the swelling should be gone, so you can eliminate that as a factor. If it still seems crooked, I would probably suggest removing it and having it redone. When you start stretching piercing that are off, sometimes it can actually make them look less off. Many times however, the stretching simply accentuates the “offness” even more.

When it’s all said and done however, it comes down to how much it bothers you. It’s your piercing and you’re the only one that has to be happy with it.

Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | Comments

Piercer wrong?

Sunday June 22nd, 2008 @ 12:04 AM

Filed under: Navel

i went with my cousin today to get her navel pierced and i think the woman was wrong with a bunch of things she said

*a CBR and a curved barbell heal equally well (doesn’t the CBR get caught more?)

*you can use table salt to clean it

*twist/rotate the jewelry at least 10 times twice a day when you clean it

she was just rude in general, she treated us like idiots and her personally was just awful (she seriously said she’s right and everyone else is wrong), i was going to get a piercing too but decided against it because i didn’t want her to touch me

also 2 questions I’m really not sure on but don’t trust her

*how long before you can swim in a private pool?

*after the swelling goes down does the jewelry in a tragus piercing need to be changed to something shorter?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

can you recommend a good piercer and tattoo artist in the Philadelphia area?

I was tempted to pass this question up, since I think much of what is asked has been answered before. Then I decided it was important for people to see what you did…which was not get pierced by someone you were uncomfortable with. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard stories similar to yours (rude piercer, sketchy information, bad overall attitude etc.), except it ends with the person saying, “But I let them pierce me anyway.” Most of the time I’m hearing the story because I’m trying to help the person with a troublesome piercing.

People…please…don’t hesitate to leave a studio if you are being treated poorly or getting a bad vibe or simply don’t feel comfortable. Even though the piercer is the “expert” in the situation, it doesn’t give them the right to treat you like crap. Don’t put up with it.

Okay, on to your specific questions:

1) Captive Bead Rings do not heal the same as curved barbells Curved barbells heal significantly faster in almost (there are always exceptions) all cases. It’s as simple as that.

2) You can use table salt to clean a piercing. It’s probably not the ideal thing, but there are many worse things you could use. I’d rather have one of my clients mix a salt water solution using table salt than I would have them cleaning their piercing with soap al of the time.

3) The moving it 10 time, twice-per-day thing is very wrong. That’s horrible advice. Moving the jewelry frequently irritates the piercing as well as increases the chances of dragging nasties back into the piercing.

4) I typically suggest avoiding hot tubes, lakes and swimming pools (even private ones) for about a month. If you’re going to go in one before that, I suggest covering it with a water-proof bandage.

5) The jewelry in a tragus piercing doesn’t absolutely have to be shortened. Most people do shorten it because they like the way a snug-fitting piece of jewelry looks better than one with extra room on it. In some cases, if the jewelry is left long, it can interfere with healing because it moves around too much. That doesn’t happen too frequently though.

Sorry for being so long-winded.

Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | 5 Comments

navel piercing rejection 2x

Friday June 20th, 2008 @ 9:16 PM

Filed under: Navel

I had my navel pierced 2 times and both times the piercing surfaced. My friend (who is a kick ass piercer) suggested that I try a micro dermal implant for my navel. I would really like a navel piercing. Am I just destined to not have one or should I lose some weight first? Other plus sized women have navel rings. What should I do?

With Navel Piercings, the problem isn’t so much about you being “plus sized” or “skinny”,etc. The problem is if you’re simply an ideal candidate for a navel piercing. Any piercer worth their salt will analyze the navel area of each person looking to potentially get it pierced. They should be doing so by having the individual in the following positions: Sit, Stand, Lying down. If your navel area collapses, if there’s creasing occurring,etc then your navel piercing will be potentially open for complications afterwards.

Without having you here in the studio though, I unfortunately am unable to provide any further insight. However do know that even a Microdermal can be prone to complications as well, depending on how your navel is.

Perhaps you’re better suited for a larger gauge size piece of jewelry. Perhaps you need a slightly longer piece of jewelry then what you’ve had in? Perhaps you are better suited for a J-Bar not a Navel Bar? Perhaps you might even be better suited for a Microdermal?

But in order to assess the situation further its something that would have to be analyzed and troubleshooted in person, not over the internet.

Also just out of curiosity why did your “kick ass piercer friend” suggest a microdermal? Even with friends who are piercers, you need to ask WHY they think that would work over what hasn’t been working. Anyone can suggest something, but the main concern is if its backed by logical facts and reason, or not?

Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | Comments

Removed navel piercing

Wednesday June 18th, 2008 @ 7:02 PM

Filed under: Navel

I had a standard navel piercing done about 5 years ago now. Last year, after a little while of not loving it and repeatedly losing jewelry out of it, I took it as a sign and stopped putting jewelry back in. Both the top and bottom holes closed up very quickly, probably because of a bit of irritation it had at the time due to jewelry falling out, the hole shrinking a bit before I replaced it, and therefore stretching the piercing as I forced it back it. Anyways my question is about the fistula. I can still feel it there under the skin. Like I have a tunnel of flesh there that’s sealed on both sides. Will that ever go away? It’s been about a year since I took the jewelry out and it still feels just as ‘there’ as it did in the beginning. It’s not a huge deal, but for some some reason it being there just irks me. I almost want to get it pierced again just to give it a purpose, haha.

Thank you!

Yes it will. It may become softer over time and you may be able to aid that process by massaging with a nourishing product like vitamin E oil, but I’m afraid it is a part of you now.

Posted by Tiff Badhairdo | Permalink | Comments

Navel Piercing - Trouble inserting jewelry

Tuesday June 17th, 2008 @ 3:05 AM

Filed under: Navel

I can’t get my jewelry back in…. I had surgery 6 weeks ago and the ring has been out since then.. it’s an 8 year old piering. I know the hole isn’t closed, due to being able to get a regular earring in and I’ve been trying to ‘work’ and ’stretch’ the hole but it doesn’t seem to help. I’ve worn a 14 guage ring since it was originally pierced, should I try a 16? Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

This does tend to happen when people go in for surgery and leave their jewelry out, even after 8 years of having the piercing.

What you most likely need to do is bring your jewelry to a piercing studio and have them taper the pierced pathway to a 14ga. Basically they will simply lube the 14ga insertion taper up and slide it through properly so not to cause too much trauma to the body, and then follow through with the jewelry.

This is a much safer/easier way of jewelry insertion, instead of trying to cram a piece of dry jewelry through a dry fistula.

Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | Comments

Piercing Yourself

Sunday June 15th, 2008 @ 11:22 PM

Filed under: Navel

I have wanted my Navel pierced for a while, but my parents will not let me. I went out and bought a 14g hollow needle and a ring to fit. I want to do the piercing myself or with the help of friends, but I was told I need a clamp or the bleeding would be really bad. Could I possibly get a step-by-step walk through of how to properly do it yourself? (I will not go to a parlor, so I don’t want any of that.) Thank you.

I can’t speak for the other ASKBME volunteers, but I’ll say you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone who calls themselves professional who’s willing to do a step by step walk through on a piercing, particularly in a public forum on someone who refuses to go to a professional.

Posted by Shawn Porter | Permalink | 22 Comments

Navel Piercing

Wednesday June 11th, 2008 @ 7:38 AM

Filed under: Navel

So I’ve had my piercing for about 7 months. Recently, I’ve been having sex. I think it stretched out the piercing because there is a bigger hole. It kind of looks like it is going to tear. How do I reduce the stretching? or What should i do about it?

Do I DARE make the various of HILARIOUS quick comments involving this vaguely interesting question?

Nah I can’t, its just TOOOOO easy for me ahahaha

To just quickly bypass the comic relief you can try to cover the piercing with a bandage…You can also try and stop having sexual intercourse that revolves around chest to chest contact or any contact where your piercing is being caught, impacted. Or you could always stretch your piercing to a larger size and that larger size will make the piercing more stable and capable of taking a bit more “punishment” And if you’re worried you cannot get “good looking jewelry” in the larger gauge sizes, don’t worry too much because there are many reputable companies out there who make 12ga, 10ga, 8ga and even larger curved barbells that can be anodized, have various gem settings,etc.

And on a final note girls, just because you have a deep navel, just say “NO” when your partner wants to “Try a different hole” *drum and cymbal crash*

Thank you! I’ll be here all night! Please try the fish!

Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 2 Comments

clamp mark

Sunday May 18th, 2008 @ 9:22 AM

Filed under: Navel

i got the lower part of my navel pierced early yesterday, and since then there has been this huge, red, hideous clamp mark around my piercing. i thought it would go away within a few hours but its still bright red, is this normal? the piercing itself is fine, isnt swollen or infected, but the clamp mark is not fading! how long will it take till its gone?

This is one of the main disadvantages of using clamps, particularly with navels. Sometimes it cannot be helped, especially with ‘tough’ navels. Give it 2-3 days and the graze should be less noticeable if not gone completely.

Posted by Tiff Badhairdo | Permalink | 2 Comments

hypertrophic scarring

Wednesday April 30th, 2008 @ 9:59 PM

Filed under: Navel

I have had a large lump of hypertrophic scarring around my navel piercing for months now. It appeared about 4 months after I got it pierced and hasn’t gone away. I did manage to get rid of it a few times, however it just came back. I’ve tried everything; tea tree oil, sea salt soaks, just leaving it alone, and nothing works! I’ve started using bio-oil and it seems to have reduced the scarring, however i’m not sure if it will ever completely go. Have you got any advoce?

The problem can be a result of a few things. Often suggestions of Tea Tree Oil, Bio-Oil,etc are only temporary fixes to long term problems. What type of jewelry do you have in your navel? Is it a Curved Barbell or a Ring? Do you know the type of metal the jewelry is? If its a Curved Bar is the threading on the post (External Threaded Jewelry) or does bead have the threading and you screw it into the post (Internal Threaded Jewelry)?

If it’s the jewelry that is the problem no amount of oils, solutions,etc will cure it, except for putting in a better piece of quality jewelry (Implant Grade Internally Threaded). If it was pierced incorrectly somehow then no matter what you do, the scarring can continue to occur.

Also one must factor if the jewelry length is too short, how often you exercise, heck even certain times of laundry detergent can be the culprit to what causes the scarring to occur.

This is definitely something that would be ideally sorted out via troubleshooting in person. That way a qualified/reputable piercer can assess the situation in person and give a more accurate opinion.

Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | Comments