How to clean a belly button piercing: what to use, how often, and where sources disagree

Clean a belly button piercing with sterile saline wound wash and clean disposable gauze, and otherwise leave it alone. That is the Association of Professional Piercers (APP) routine, and WebMD’s advice on the core step is the same. The sources disagree about soaks, soap and creams, which is why this page shows them side by side.

The routine

1. Wash your hands thoroughly before cleaning or touching the piercing for any reason. The APP is explicit about this.
2. Spray sterile saline wound wash on the piercing. WebMD says to look for a commercial saline solution labeled for wound wash. Piercing aftercare products explains how to read the label.
3. Dry with clean disposable gauze. The APP says cloth towels should be avoided because they can harbor bacteria and snag on jewelry.
4. Do not twist it. The APP says moving or rotating jewelry is not necessary during cleaning and may actually irritate the piercing.

Twice a day is the routine our aftercare guide uses. The APP does not give a number, and WebMD says cleaning too often or too much can slow down healing.

Where the sources disagree

We follow the APP, because it is the professional body for piercers and it spells out what to avoid. A blank in the table means the part of the page we read did not state it. The NHS’s page on infected piercings suggests warm, salty water to soften crusting, which is another approach.

Clothing and movement

WebMD says to wear clean, loose and soft clothes, because tight clothing and rough fabric will rub against the piercing. Healthline says tight garments can irritate the area and trap bacteria. The APP advises avoiding friction and pressure from clothing, excessive motion of the area and playing with the jewelry. That is why waistbands matter for a navel.

Showering and water

The APP says showers tend to be safer than baths, because bathtubs can harbor bacteria. If you bathe, clean the tub well before each use and rinse off the piercing when you get out. It says a waterproof transparent film dressing is available at most pharmacies and is ideal for nipple, navel and surface piercings. Swimming with a new piercing sets out what each source says.

Jewelry

WebMD lists medical-grade stainless steel, 14-karat gold, titanium and niobium, and the Cleveland Clinic lists stainless steel, titanium and gold of 14 or 18 karat. The APP says to leave the initial jewelry in place for the entire healing process unless there is a problem with its size, style or material, and that a qualified piercer should do any downsize. Our guides give eight to twelve weeks for a navel downsize. Piercing downsizing explains why.

How long

Healthline and WebMD say up to a year, our guides give 24 to 52 weeks, and the Cleveland Clinic says tenderness, redness and crusting can continue for 12 to 18 months even when it goes well. The APP warns that a piercing may seem healed before the healing process is actually complete. How long a belly button piercing takes to heal explains the stages.

When to see a doctor

WebMD lists redness, swelling, yellow or green discharge, pain when you touch the site and fever. The NHS advises an urgent GP appointment or NHS 111 if you think a piercing might be infected, and to leave your jewellery in unless a doctor tells you to take it out. The Cleveland Clinic says the same. Irritated or infected piercing has a symptom table, and infected belly button piercing covers the navel.

Not medical advice

This page is educational. If a piercing is hot, has spreading redness, thick coloured discharge or red streaks, or you feel unwell, see a doctor the same day.

This article is for education only and is not medical advice. If a piercing is hot, swollen, spreading redness, oozing yellow or green discharge, or you have a fever, see a doctor today.