Its nothing big, you might have just pulled it on something by accident or torn it a little bit on the inside of the piercing. Just wash it with saline solution for the next few weeks and it should be fine. Sometimes the area around my earings turn red for no reason at all and its because I just slept on it funny.
Everyone is too quick to scream "INFECTION!" on here. I need a little more info though. How old is it? How are you cleaning it?
There are a few possibilities.
1. If it's fairly new, within a month, it'll be red for a few days or even weeks. You DID just shove a foreign object through your skin.
2. You've been overcleaning. If your using something too strong, like neosporin or alcohol or peroxide, or your cleaning more than 2 or 3 times a day, or you have sensitive skin, you've likely just dried out the skin. This seems to be a common problem, when people think more cleaning is better. More cleaning is NOT better because it dries out the skin, creating tiny cracks for bacteria to get in. You should be using salt water or a spray (like bactine) or just soap and cleaning no more than 2-3 times a day.
3. Your allergic to the metal. This is pretty common as well, though it's hard to diagnose, as it appears similar to the symptoms of overcleaning (red, dry, itchy, flaky).. I've been allergic to the metals in my piercing before.. They usually just refuse to heal.. have frequent, minimal infection, hurt to move... And the skin around the hole usually goes red and flaky. In this case, you should switch to a better quality jewelry... Pure gold is the best, though it's expensive (can be about 50 dollars or more for a good one.. though it's a good investment), surgical steel is the next best.
4. it's irritated and you've simply bumped it on something.
5. It's rejecting (your body just doesn't like it, and is pushing the ring out through your skin).. In this case, you'll notice the holes will seem irritated, and won't heal up... It's normal for it to grow out a little (you'll be able to see more bar) as your body gets used to it and swelling decreases, but if more and more of the bar seems to show over a few weeks and the holes remain irritated, it's likely rejecting. Navels are usually nearly surface piercings and some people just can't hold onto them. This is the only case you should take it out, as once it starts rejecting, it likely won't stop until it grows out. The earlier you take it out, the less scarring you'll have, and you can pierce it again in a few months. Take at least a month to make sure it's actually rejecting, as it's not an overnight thing.. It'll take a few months to grow out. I left my eyebrow ring in about 5 months while it was rejecting, and I do have scars, though they're pretty small and hidden by my eyebrows... It should have came out around 3 months earlier.
6. Best thing to do would be to just pay attention to it, and monitor any changes. If it gets worse, call your piercer and ask what you can do, or go into any piercing shop. If there is yellow or green pus, it's infected, though navels are prone to infection, and will usually clear up with regular salt water soaks. If it gets flaky and dry, it could be overcleaning or allergy. If it clears up right away, it's either some mild irritation (maybe you rolled onto it in your sleep) or it was just a stage of healing. If it stays irritated and more bar appears, it's rejecting (and it's the only case you should take it out.. and continue to clean the holes)..
Good luck!
If you email me the details, like how long ago you got it and how long it's been red, any pus, etc, i can give you a better diagnosis,,, though it sounds like nothing to worry about!
DONT do what the person above me said and take it out.. Thats the worst thing your can do!
Also remember it takes a navel piercing about a year to fully heal, and you shouldn't take it out for about 6 months after you got it~
Let this be a lesson on getting piercings.
#If you have any other info about this subject , Please add it free.# |
