Even though belly button piercings are one of the most popular body modifications in the United States, many people don’t realize that your belly button could turn black during the healing process.. A piercing that turns black is going thru a process known as hyperpigmentation. Though it may look scary, it’s actually very common and can be correctly with regular cleaning and moisturizing.
There are many reasons why your belly piercing may turn black, and while this may all sound shocking and unpleasant right now it shouldn’t let you down on getting a belly piercing. There are just a few things you must know to avoid this from happening. To learn more about a belly piercing turning black and what you can do to fix it read further below.
Is This Normal?
Yes, a belly piercing turning black is pretty normal; however it is not necessary for everyone to experience it. One of the main reason behind your belly piercing turning black is hyperpigmentation. Hyperpigmentation is a normal thing that happens after you get your belly button pierced as this is a natural response your body gives to all the trauma caused through a piercing.
Your body sees a piercing an external threat to yoru body; hence the response results in hyperpigmentation. Other than the body’s natural response there are other reasons that could cause your belly button piercing to turn black.
Bruising is another reason behind the blackness of your piercing, and this usually comes with discoloration. Bruising is common, especially when you have newly got yoru belly button pierced. There is nothing you can do to prevent bruising as it comes with the package of getting pierced, and through bruising comes discoloration which causes your belly piercing to turn black.
Another reason behind your belly piercing turning black is because you may have use poor quality jewelry. Cheap jewelry made from poor materials might not have a good reaction to yoru skin or to any product applied on yoru piercing area. Such jewelry also comes in contact with body fluids such as natural oils and sweat, which then causes metals to tarnish and leave a stain on the skin. This results in your belly button piercing turning black; however you can keep cleaning the area with a saline solution to get rid of the darkness. You must also avoid purchasing low-grade alloy jewelry to avoid this issue.
How Do You Get Rid Of It?
The good news is that there are a few things you can do that may help get rid of the blackness around yoru belly ring piercing. You have to make sure to continue doing a few of these things so that you achieve effective results. Mentioned below are the few things you can do to remove blackness around yoru belly piercing:
Change Your Belly Piercing
There is a strong chance that the blackness around your belly button piercing is caused by the jewelry; hence the first thing you must do is replace your jewelry. Now you can only do this once tour belly piercing is healed. If it hasn’t healed as yet, you will have to wait, and till then can keep cleaning the area. Once the piercing has fully healed replace the jewelry with an implant-grade jewelry made from surgical stainless steel.
You have to be very careful when busing the second pair of jewelry as this time you don’t want to go wrong. When buying piercing jewelry you have to make sure you’re buying the right grade. The correct grade to purchase is 316LVM and 316L. These grades decreases and prevents any sort of irritation caused by the jewelry. These jewelry grades are available in most of the jewelry stores outdoors, and online. Don’t forget to inquire the grades before purchasing the jewelry.
Clean the Belly Piercing Area Properly
Cleaning your belly piercing is one of the second things you adhere to you after you have removed your original piercing jewelry. When it comes to cleaning there are just a few simple steps you have to follow. These steps involve cleaning the entire belly button area with a saline solution. You can make one at home, or purchase one from any pharmacy or store. After you have thoroughly cleaned the area and got rid of all the dirt or stains caused by the original jewelry you can then put in the new one.
Continue to clean the piercing area gently even after you have changed it to prevent any bacteria gathering. It is best to remove the piercing twice a week and soak it in a saline solution, this will help clean any bacteria and dirt present on the jewelry. You can do all of this freely once your piercing has fully healed, otherwise you cannot remove the jewelry. You will gradually notice the blackness disappear slowly within a month’s time if you continue to clean regularly.
Laser Treatment
If the blackness around your piercing is too stubborn and dark then you have the option of a laser treatment. This treatment isn’t feasible for everyone as it is very expensive, and not worth using for a small area. But you will see amazing results, and you will notice your belly piercing area clean as ever.
Chemical Peel
You can also go through a chemical peel treatment, also known as Alpha Hydroxy. This treatment is very effective for treating different skin issues, and may work well with tarnished skin as well.
How Do You Know If Your Piercing Is Infected?
Your belly piercing is very prone to infection especially if you have just got it done. Infection is another thing that can cause your belly piercing to turn black. There are many things that you may feel or see on yoru belly piercing that indicates an infection. To tell if your belly button piercing is infected there are a few things you can keep a watch for. Mentioned below are a few signs that tell you if your belly button piercing is infected:
- Swelling
- Redness
- Discharge in brown, yellow or gray and might have a stench
- Upset stomach
- Dizziness
- Vomiting
- Fever/chills
- Red lines on the piercing
These are the few symptoms experienced when yoru belly piercing gets infected and this is mainly caused through bacteria or an allergy. Bacteria is most likely to gather in your piercing when it comes in contact with foreign objects. This is why you must regularly clean yoru piercing area. If you notice any of these symptoms happening with you, you must immediate contact your piercing professional and they will guide you on what to do next.
Should I Take My Piercing Out If It’s Infected?
Taking out your belly piercing if its infected is not a solution to the infection, infract it might only further spread the infection within yoru skin. You should definitely not remove it, especially if your belly piercing hasn’t healed as yet. You can only remove the piercing if yoru health professional has advised you to. Removing the piercing while you have tan infection will leave the infected area open will gather more pus, and once you remove the piercing it will eventually start to close.
Hence, all the discharge gets trapped inside the piercing hole this way leading towards the formation of abscess. The moment your realize you’re suffering from a belly button piercing infection, you must immediately contact your piercer or health professional and they will guide you what to do next.
Takeaway
Now that you have an idea on why your belly button piercing may turn black, and what you can do about it, its time you stop panicking. This a good way to try to prevent this from happening if you still haven’t got a belly button piercing, and it’s definitely time you get one!