How to Know If Your Belly Button Ring Is Rejecting

Belly button piercings are quite popular with young people, even though proper aftercare is a bit more complicated than it is with newly pierced ears. Your belly button piercing is much more susceptible to infection, mainly because a belly button generally gets far less air than your ears. In addition, a metal irritation or allergy will also cause soreness and infection. You need to monitor your belly button piercing daily for at least six months to check for infection and hardware rejection.

Things You'll Need

• Mirror
• Surgical grade steel belly button ring

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Pay attention to itching and irritation. Most people experience skin irritation when the chrome or silver plate wears off a cheap belly button ring, exposing the nickel beneath. If your belly button piercing itches or burns and is "weepy" and red, it could be because your body is having an allergic reaction to a nickel-based belly button ring.

• 2

  Monitor pain level. Pain is your body's way of telling you that something is wrong. Carefully examine your belly button piercing with the help of a mirror every day. If you experience pain beyond what is expected for a new piercing, it could be that your body is rejecting the piercing and/or the hole is becoming infected.

• 3

  Look for redness and swelling. An infected belly button piercing is red, swollen and extremely painful. There may also be pus or other fluid present. An infection may mean you are not following proper piercing aftercare steps or that your body is unable to accommodate a belly button piercing and is rejecting it. If you see any signs of infection in the mirror, consult with a medical professional immediately.