Well my names Natalie and I live in Australia. With only one place that did piercing in my town there wasn't many alternatives so I chose to get my navel pierced at Adele's Hair Salon. I checked that she had her piercing certificate and it was displayed on the wall.
At A Glance Author NaUgHtY nAt... Contact NaUgHtY nAt...@bme.anon When A year ago Artist Mel Studio Adeles Hair Salon Location Parkes NSW Australia Depending on what type of barbell I wanted to get pierced with the price would vary. I chose a barbell with one jewel and it was dark blue. This was going to cost me $75 AUS. I was pretty nervous even though I have a pretty high pain threshold. Mel asked me to lay back on this chair/table and pull up my shirt. She then cleaned my navel area thoroughly with hydrogen peroxide..I think! I was trying to lay back and not watch while taking very deep breaths. My sister and my mum had come along to watch.
Mel asked me if I had any allergies and if I was scared of needles, which I replied no to both. She then proceeded to clamp my navel. I think I was panicking and sucking in while she was doing this so she couldn't get enough flesh. So she stopped and told me to relax and then she easily clamped it. I think this is what was the most painful part of the whole process. Then I laid back and closed my eyes because watching needles go through any flesh bothers me. I can't even watch injections on TV. Mum and my sister kept looking in and gasping and then turning around, which didn't really help. I felt the needle go through but it didn't really hurt. Well a tiny bit but nothing unbearable. In a matter of seconds she had the jewelry through and the ball screwed on.
We talked about cleaning the piercing and she told me to wash it twice, once in the shower with Dettol pushing it up and down so that it would get into the piercing and then put Betadine on it before I went to bed. I followed her directions religiously but to no avail. After about two weeks or more the piercing was very red and if yellow pus would come out of it. My best friend Stacie had her navel pierced about 5 months before and she told me that Surgical Spirits worked for her. So I purchased some Surgical Spirits from the chemist. I cleaned twice a day with this and it seemed to work for a while, but then it seemed as if my navel grew immune to it and became red again and still had discharge.
I was pretty upset about my piercing and was doubting ever getting it. It was a spur of the moment choice to do it to so I was regretting it a lot. I woke up with money and thought what can I spend this on. I encourage to think out piercings a lot more and research the piercing studio before you get it done.
I went back to where I had it pierced at and paid about $4 for them to clean it for me. They took out my barbell and cleaned it with hydrogen peroxide and then put Betadine on it. Every time I went to show one of my friends they would be like "eww". Which didn't make me feel to great about it either.
Then I went to cleaning with sea salt soaks. Just like before this worked for a few weeks and then just had no effect. I would put a table spoon of salt in a cup and then dissolve it in warm water. Then I would hold the cup over my navel area for a few minutes.
Thinking about removing the piercing I talked to my manager at work and she swore by Tea Tree oil. This seemed to work fabulous, it wasn't red anymore and I was proud to show off my piercing to all my friends.
Then one day I laid down on my bed and removed my barbell to clean it thoroughly. I think me constantly changing it before it was fully healed might of affected it. Green pus just oozed out of the piercing and just didn't stop. Mum walked in and nearly fainted, and she's seen some pretty bad things being a nurse. She dragged me back to the salon where I got the piercing and they cleaned it with Hydrogen Peroxide. She then gave me a bottle to take home. After a few weeks of cleaning with this every thing was fine.
My navel piercing is now healed and is fine, with minimal scarring around it. I recommend not changing your barbell before it's fully healed. Also, not changing your cleaning method as often as I did. I now also have my tongue pierced and in a few weeks I'm getting my tragus pierced. I agree piercings are addictive. When asked why I get them I think I get piercings because I think it improves that area. For example I hated showing off my stomach until I got my piercing. My tongue because I think tongue's are ugly. And I'm getting my tragus pierced because my ears stick out. It just helps me accept myself better I think.
Well I hope that was a help to someone out there. Thanks!