How to take care of a belly button ring!

I just got my belly button pierced! :) And because this piercing takes an extremely long time to heal [6 months to a year!] it's really important to know how to properly take care of it! So I'm going to share with you what I know.

How to properly wash it 

Method #1:

This method uses soap and water! I prefer to do this in the shower, it's a lot easier. 

1. Wash your hands! 
2. Use a Q-Tip to remove any buildup around the piercing. 
3. Use an antibacterial soap [ I use Dial]
4. Take a pump or two and lather it up in your hands.
5. Take the soap and wash around and in your belly button.
6. Push your ring in and out of your skin repeatedly with soap on it. This will clean your actual piercing. 
7. Rinse off with warm water and make sure to get all of the soap out by pushing the ring though several times with water running over it.
8. Dry it off with a paper towel or tissue. Don't use a towel they carry bacteria! Which is what you just worked very hard to get rid of!

Method #2:

This method requires salt, warm water, and a cup.

1. Use a Q-Tip to remove any buildup around your piercing.
2. Warm water and add salt! [ 1/4 tspn for 1 cup of water, its better to use sea salt]
3. Put this into a cup or a shot glass works too.
4. Hold the cup flat and slowly turn it over onto your belly button. Start off bent slightly forward.
5. A suction should be created.
6. Lay down and let it soak for at least 15 minutes. 
7. Stand up and lean forward and slowly remove the cup.
8. Rinse it off with warm water.
9. Dry with a paper towel or tissue.
10. This should thoroughly clean your piercing and loosen any buildup you get around it. 

I recommend using both of these methods on a daily basis to prevent getting an infection and to help the healing process. 

Do:

• Make sure your hands are clean before touching it.
• Wash it at least twice a day. Using the 2 methods above. Morning and at night is preferable
• Use a piercing spray or mix water and sea salt [1/4 tspn for 1 cup of water] in a spray bottle and apply that.
• Use sea salt! Regular table salt contains iodine which can irritate your piercing.

Don't!:

• Play, touch, or mess with your piercing! You should only touch it when you're cleaning it. Bacteria from your hands could get in it! 
• Wear tight, restricting clothing. It needs to breathe!
• Use rubbing alcohol to clean it. It will destroy the scar tissue forming in your piercing and prevent it from healing properly. Same goes with peroxide.
• Sleep on your stomach!

**WARNING!!!**

If you feel your body rejecting the piercing, which happens very rarely, remove the ring immediately! Do this when you feel it being pushed out. If you don't you can get a really ugly scar!

There's pretty much everything that I know on how to take care of your belly button piercing! :) I really hope I helped! If you have anything else to add please leave it in a comment! :)