Can A Belly Button Piercing Get Infected After Years?

Getting a belly button piercing can be an overwhelming experience. Nevertheless, it’s certainly fun at the same time as you’re never sure what to expect, and the worse part is about not knowing if it will look good or not.

A belly piercing is something everyone should get if they want to add to their style. Unfortunately, by getting one, you have to remember to invest a lot of time and care to ensure your belly button piercing heals quickly. Once you get a piercing, it becomes prone to infections, which can be frustrating and painful at times..

To avoid this, you should practice effective aftercare, which isn’t that difficult to do, you only have to remain consistent. Belly button piercings take time to heal, and it’s different for everyone.

The moment you stop taking care of it properly, you’re most likely to suffer from an infected piercing, even if it has been over two years since you got the piercing.

It is not uncommon for a belly button piercing to become infect several years ago getting it. This article will guide you on what you can do and how infections take place in the first place.

Why Do They Get Infected Years Later?

One of the most common reasons for a belly button piercing to become infected years later, is the fact that it didn’t heal properly in the first place. The healing process differs for everyone.

For some, it heals within the initial three weeks of the piercing, while for others, it can take around 2 years. Even after your belly piercing has slightly healed, there are still chances of infection if you don’t take care of it properly. This is one of the most sensitive parts of your body, so even the slightest exposure to bacteria means a higher risk of infections.

One of the main reasons a belly button piercing suffers from infection years later, as mentioned earlier, is not taking care of it properly. You have to really clean your piercing with saline solution till it has properly healed. This is especially important when you wear tight fitted clothes. All you need to do is clean it once a day and that’s more than enough to keep your belly piercing safe.

Another reason why it could get infected after all these years is because the piercing may have gotten something caught in it. You may have tugged on your shirt, which may have caused your belly piercing to get caught in the fabric and shift out of place. Sometimes, this could also cause a tear in the piercing which is quite painful when it occurs, but also opens the wound up for an infection.

Another reason you may experience a belly button piercing infection is due to an allergy you may have caught from the jewelry. The metal part in your piercing jewelry might not be sterilized or of high quality, which may have led to an infection.

For this, you must immediately get your piercing changed, but before doing anything, you must contact a professional and follow their advice. Doing something on your own without any proper consultation could make the infection worse, and will make you regret getting the piercing in the first place. You don’t want that, do you?

What Are Symptoms of An Infection?

Usually, when you’re experiencing a belly button piercing infection, you can instantly tell as the side-effects are very prominent. For some it may be hard to detect, as the symptoms aren’t that intense, but it still puts you at the risk of an infection.

If, you see any of the symptoms mentioned below, around your belly button piercing, it’s most likely that your piercing is infected.

Additional Discharge/Pus

When a belly button piercing gets infected, of the first things you usually tend to experience is a weird smelly discharge, also known as pus. Pus can also occur if the belly piercing isn’t infected, but if pus keeps coming out and doesn’t stop, it’s a sign that you may have an infection.

To keep a closer look out for an infection, take note of the color and smell of the puss, as these changes could indicate an infection. Yellowish puss instead of clear is a sign of an infection, especially if you sense a strange smell.

Redness

The moment you touch your belly piercing, you will notice the area getting red which is normal, and is somewhat part of the healing process. If the redness appears again after a while and gets worse, this could probably mean you have an infection.

To be sure, touch the redness with clean hands and if you notice the area heating up, you may have a big problem.

Intense Pain

If you have a belly button piercing infection, you will surely experience pain that will grow worse day by day. This pain usually occurs due to soreness in the area. If you haven’t engaged in any physical activities that may have caused the pain to arise, it’s likely your piercing that is causing the soreness.

Cyst Formation

Cyst formation is also a possible sign of a belly button piercing infection. This is when you notice a round fluid-filled cyst on your piercing. Cysts usually drain on their own, but if you notice change in the color of the drainage it’s a possible sign of a cyst infection.

Fever

Fever is also a possible sign of an infected belly piercing. The symptoms gets worse within time if you have an infection, and especially if medications aren’t helping the fever to go down.

H2Ocean Piercing Aftercare Spray, Sea Salt Keloid & Bump Treatment, Wound Care Spray 4oz
BRIOTECH Pure Hypochlorous Acid Spray, Multi Purpose Topical Body & Facial Mist, Eyelid Cleanser, Support Against Irritation & Redness Relief, Dry Skin & Scalp Treatment, Packaging May Vary, 3.4 fl oz
NeilMed NeilCleanse Piercing Aftercare, Fine Mist, 6.3 Fluid Ounce
Dr. Piercing Aftercare Swabs - Saline Solution for Piercings - Earring Nose Belly Ear Piercing Cleaner - Saline Wound Wash, Ear Hole Cleaner - Keloid Bump Removal Treatment, 36 swabs (1-Pack)
Name
H2Ocean Piercing Aftercare Spray
BRIOTECH Topical Skin Spray
NeilMed NeilCleanse Piercing Aftercare
Dr. Piercing Aftercare - Medicated Swabs
Size
4oz
4oz
6.3oz
0.8oz
H2Ocean Piercing Aftercare Spray, Sea Salt Keloid & Bump Treatment, Wound Care Spray 4oz
Name
H2Ocean Piercing Aftercare Spray
Size
4oz
BRIOTECH Pure Hypochlorous Acid Spray, Multi Purpose Topical Body & Facial Mist, Eyelid Cleanser, Support Against Irritation & Redness Relief, Dry Skin & Scalp Treatment, Packaging May Vary, 3.4 fl oz
Name
BRIOTECH Topical Skin Spray
Size
4oz
NeilMed NeilCleanse Piercing Aftercare, Fine Mist, 6.3 Fluid Ounce
Name
NeilMed NeilCleanse Piercing Aftercare
Size
6.3oz
Dr. Piercing Aftercare Swabs - Saline Solution for Piercings - Earring Nose Belly Ear Piercing Cleaner - Saline Wound Wash, Ear Hole Cleaner - Keloid Bump Removal Treatment, 36 swabs (1-Pack)
Name
Dr. Piercing Aftercare - Medicated Swabs
Size
0.8oz

How Do You Care For It?

A great thing of an infected belly button piercing is that you can take care of it at home if it hasn’t gotten too out of hand. However; no matter what symptom you spot first, it’s advisable to contact a health professional or your doctor so that they can advise you  on what to do next and detect if it’s an emergency situation or not.

The best way to care for an infected belly piercing is by cleaning it daily at least once or twice a day. To clean your belly piercing, you will need a saltwater mixture or saline solution.

You can make the saltwater solution by simply add 1tsp. of salt in 5 ounces of water. With the help of a clean cotton swab, dip it in the solution and rub it around the piercing.

You could also just leave the cotton there for 10 minutes. For a better effect, submerge your piercing in the solution. Doing this twice a day will really help.

Once you’re certain that you have a belly button piercing infection it’s important for you to wash your hand with antibacterial soap so you don’t infect your piercing further in any way. You must also apply an antiseptic cream on the piercing for mild recovery.

Make sure you don’t leave any cream on the piercing for too long as this could attract more bacteria, worsening the infection. A hot compress is also a good way to care for the infected piercing, especially if you have puss coming out form the area.

Using a hot water compress helps increase blood circulation in the piercing area. Tea tree oil may also work to soothe the skin in case of soreness and redness.

If you’re following all these tips, make sure not to make the mistake of removing your piercing jewelry without consulting your piercer first. If the symptoms worsen with time, and none of this helps, you should seek immediate care from your doctor before things worsen and get more complicated for you.

Conclusion

With the help of this article, you can now be sure of what to do when getting a belly piercing, and be careful when it comes to taking care of it. If you’re experiencing an infection, it is best to contact a professional and seek medical help as soon as you can.