Can You Wear High Waisted Pants With a Belly Button Piercing?

Getting a new piercing is exciting! Belly Button piercings are an exceptionally popular piercing and are easy to take care of as long as you follow care instructions from your piercer. While belly button piercings require basic levels of care, one particular concern for these types of piercings is getting caught or compressed by clothing. If a new piercing is continually caught on clothing or does not get enough blood flow due to tight clothes, it can become infected. 

High-waisted pants are known to cause problems with new belly button piercings. High-waisted jeans, leggings, and other tight, high-waisted pants can compress the piercing and potentially catch on clothing. High-waisted clothing can cause irritation to the site and even cause long-term problems with healing. 

What to wear to your belly button piercing appointment

Do not wear tight clothing to your appointment. You want to wear clothing that is loose and comfortable and falls well below your navel. Your piercer will often not let you put on pants that land on your piercing because of the additional risk of infection. 

It is best to wear low-rise, loose-fitting pants such as sweat pants or leggings that you can wear lower on your waist. High-waisted pants that cover your new piercing are not sterile. As we wear clothing throughout the day and sweat, bacteria become trapped underneath the clothing. If this bacteria gets into your piercing, it can cause a severe infection that can result in the removal of your belly button piercing. 

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Is it possible to cover up a belly button piercing to protect it so you can wear high waist pants?

It is not advisable to wear any type of bandage or cover over a new piercing. Even if you are trying to protect your piercing from high-waisted pants, a bandage can actually create the same problems that pants can. Bandaging and covers limit airflow to your piercing, and as your body becomes hot throughout the day and your sweat, moisture can build up underneath the bandage. Moisture is extremely dangerous for new piercings because it is a breeding ground for bacteria. 

Bandages are never recommended for belly button piercings. A new belly button piercing needs air to heal properly. Unless the person who gives you your piercing specifically tells you to keep a bandage over your new piercing, you should not. Covers or padding to protect your belly button piercing from high-waisted pants can make the healing process take much longer than it needs to and can cause permanent issues with your piercing. 

 What are other alternatives that women can wear with a belly button piercing?

While your belly button piercing is healing, you should plan on wearing loose-fitting clothes or pants that do not reach your belly button. There are plenty of options, such as mid-rise or low-rise jeans that will not touch your belly button piercing. If you enjoy wearing leggings, make sure to fold your leggings down so that they will not irritate your new piercing. Loose-fitting dresses are also an excellent option. When picking clothing, try to choose options that will not snag on the piercing and will not cause irritation. 

After your piercing heals

 Belly button piercing will finish the initial healing process when they are most susceptible to infection after 6-12 weeks. However, for your piercing to completely heal, it can take nine months to 1 year. After this time, your piercing should be completely healed. When it is completely healed, the risk of infection is much lower.

After your belly button piercing has completely healed, you will be able to resume wearing high-waisted pants. Once your piercing has healed, high-waisted pants should no longer cause irritation, and your piercing will be less prone to infection. If your piercing does get snagged by clothing, it will be less likely to cause problems.  

If your belly button piercing is red or swollen at any point or is causing your pain, you might have gotten a post-healing infection. If your piercing gets too irritated, it can still get infections at any point. Post-healing infections are usually minor and often will clear up on their own with proper cleaning. If you think that you may have a post-healing infection, resume not wearing high-waisted clothing as this can make your piercing infection worse.

Things to remember

Belly Button piercings can take up to a year to heal and during that time are very susceptible to infection and irritation. Wearing the proper clothing with a new piercing is key to keeping your piercing healthy and clean. Avoid high-waisted pants such as jeans, leggings, or other high-waisted clothing items for the duration of the time your piercing is healing. It is critical that you do. Not cover your piercing. 

Covering piercings with things like bandages can trap moisture and create breeding grounds for infections. Unless your piercer specifically instructs you to put a bandage on your piercing, do not. After your piercing has completely healed, it is okay to continue wearing your favorite high-waisted clothing.