NAVEL-JEWEL PIERCING AFTERCARE

NAVEL JEWELS

Navel jewels are a quite recent invention, in my opinion they are the most superior type of jewellery for the initial piercing because they heal faster and are less likely to have problems than piercing with a ring. Rings tend to stick out and get knocked about by movement and clothing, this tends to aggravate the wound and hamper healing. Navel jewels sit flush in the navel and don't move around as much, they are also easier to change yourself (after the wound is healed) because they unscrew, unlike rings which you need a circlip plier to undo, I also think they look much nicer than a ring. Navel jewels must be pierced exactly vertical and they must be pierced through the upper part of the navel.

There are variety of different navel jewels available; coloured balls, plain Surgical Steel, plain 22ct gold plated Surgical Steel, small and large Heart shapes in Steel and gold plated steel, Surgical Steel with small and large sized crystals and 18ct solid Gold with a choice of crystals. I am constantly designing new navel jewels so you don't get bored by having the same old jewellery; you can change to suit your mood.

THE HISTORY OF NAVELS & THEIR PIERCING

Navel piercing is a modern invention and has never been recorded in primitive cultures; however the navel has long been recognised as an erogenous zone, because of the difference between men's and women's stomachs. Women's stomachs differ from men's in that they are more rounded in the lower part, are longer than men's, have a greater distance between the navel and genitals, and are more deeply recessed than men's; these features are often exaggerated by artists to make women appear more feminine in paintings.

The invention of the Bikini in 1953 caused a big stir because the navel was seen as being sexually provocative because of it's similarity to the female genitals. The Bikini revolutionised women's lives, along with the liberation of their clothes their lives in general became more liberated. The process was completed when Madonna started the craze for showing off the midriff in the 1980's. The ability to flaunt their sexuality in public has given women more power and confidence in themselves.

"It is easy to pinpoint the moment when body piercing went mainstream. Christy Turlinton came out at a London Fashion show, and in the middle of her navel was a ring! The next day Naomi Campbell showed the world that anything Christy could do, so could she. A gold ring with a small pearl pierced her navel. And then at Isaac Mizrahi's show the two came out together, navels bared and beringed: body piercing as a Supermodel totem" Suzy Menkes The New York Times September 1994

"I have the most perfect belly button - an inny. When I stick my finger in my belly button, I feel a nerve in the centre of my body shoot up my spine" Madonna Time Magazine 1985

"I like it , I think it's fun!" Naomi Campbell. "I always thought it was a pretty feminine thing to do - and you can always take it out" Christy Turlington.

Shortly after Naomi and Christy had their navels pierced no one was surprised when Madonna, Cher and Janet Jackson were all seen sporting navel rings. Now anybody can joins the ranks of Celebrities and Supermodels by having their navel pierced.

THE HEALING PROCESS

Navels take a long time to heal because the navel is on your waist, which is like the hinge of your body, it's subject to a lot of movement and you clothes constantly rub and irritate the piercing. It usually takes 3-4 months to heal, but it can take up to 12 months for some people to heal. Don't be alarmed the only difference between a healed and unhealed navel is a very small amount of redness just around the area where the ring pierces the body, and it's hardly visible. The healing time depends on a variety of factors: health, weight, diet, clothes, profession, and most importantly how carefully you care for it.

The navel is a depressed scar which tends to collect dirt, and if not dried properly after bathing can become subject to fungal infections ie. Candida Albicans (Thrush) even if it's not pierced. Once it's pierced extra care must be taken with cleaning to prevent infections, I can't stress strongly enough that it must be looked after carefully!

The first 4-5 days your navel will look fine, then you will start to get a very small amount of redness where the ring pierces the body. You will start to get crusting around the ring, this is just dead white bloods cells from the healing process. The piercing will discharge small amounts of milky fluid, this is not a sign of infection its just the result of you body trying to heal a wound with a foreign object in it. If the discharge becomes thick and yellow, or you develop any pain or excessive redness, this is a sign of possible infection, please return and see me, or see a doctor.

After 6-8 weeks the discharge and crusting should lessen, and there should only be a small amount of redness around the piercing. The piercing is not fully healed until all redness disappears, if you stop cleaning it before it is fully healed you may develop an infection.

PREGNANCY

There are several options available to keep your navel piercing once you become pregnant. You can usually keep your original ring in the piercing till about the sixth month of the pregnancy, at this stage the expansion of the skin means that you will have to either take the ring out, replace it with a larger one or a piece of fishing line. Fishing line will keep the piercing open till after the pregancy when you may replace the jewellery. If you have removed the jewellery and the hole has closed up it can be re-opened using a special taper pin, I will do this for you free of charge.

DO's & DON'Ts TO HEAL YOUR NAVEL PIERCING

THE NUMBER ONE REASON FOR INFECTION IS TOUCHING OR PLAYING WITH THE PIERCING, ONLY TOUCH THE PIERCING WHEN YOU ARE CLEANING IT!

• DO remove the bandage after 4-5 hours, there may be some coagulated blood, don't be alarmed this is normal and will wash of easily. Have a shower after you remove the bandage, cup your hand under the piercing and soak it with water for 3-4 minutes, or have a good soak in the bath. Don't use the cleaning solution till 24 hours after the piercing has been performed, otherwise it will sting a little.
• DO use a mild antibacterial soap (containing Triclosan), in the shower (once a day only!). Cup your hand under the piercing and soak it for 2-3 minutes, then use a (new) soft toothbrush to remove any crusting from the jewellery. Push the barbell up and clean around the top, then the top down to clean the bottom, take care not to scratch the wound when cleaning.

  Then put 1-2 drops (no more!) of the cleaning solution in your hand, lather it and apply gently to your navel, move the jewel up and down so that the solution gets into the wound. Leave the lather on for 1-2 minutes, soak the piercing once again and move the jewel up and down to remove any excess solution. Leaving the solution on your skin can cause irritation!

• DO dissolve half a teaspoon of sea-salt or table-salt in a quarter of a cup of boiling water. Let this cool a little, then place in a clean glass or medicine cup and lie down with it upturned on your navel for 10-15 minutes, once or twice a day. You can also use Saline solution (available at any chemist). Rinse with fresh fresh water and dry throroughly with a clean tissue afterwards. This process is the best way to promote healing, and the more you do it the quicker your piercing will heal.
• DO make sure when washing that you remove all the crusting, if it's not cleaned of properly it can concrete around the navel jewel and tear the inside of the wound when it moves, this is painful and can lead to infection. Secondly, if its not removed bacteria can feed on it and infect the wound.
• DO continue to use the cleaning solution after your free bottle runs out , we can sell you a replacement bottle for $3 or you can use Sapoderm soap available at any chemist or supermarket. Neglecting to use the cleaning solution for the full healing period will result in infection.
• DO make sure that you dry your navel thoroughly after cleaning, this should be done with a paper tissue as towels can harbour bacteria. If you have a very deep navel, you should clean it every day using a clean cotton wool bud soaked in warm water, taking extra care to remove any dirt, and dry it properly afterwards.
• DO use Lavender oil as it promotes healing and lubricates the wound reducing tenderness. Apply a small amount with a cotton-wool bud after cleaning then move the jewellery gently so it gets into the wound. Remove any excess with a tissue as leaving it on can cause the skin to become irritated. It may be purchased at supermarkets (medicine section) or at chemists and must be marked (BP) or medicinal grade.
• DO Continue to apply a drop or two of lavender oil once a week after the piercing is healed or the wound can become tight and dry.
• DO use the cleaning solution after going swimming in the ocean or public pools.
• DO make sure that you wash the piercing carefully after excercising or sweating a lot, as sweat acts like acid and can cause the piercing to become aggravated and inflammed.
• DO give your piercing some sunshine, it helps the body produce vitamin D which promotes healing. It also dries the wound and helps prevent infections
• DON'T touch, or play with the piercing with dirty hands, don't pull your navel up to look at the piercing as this will aggravate the wound. It's there for other people to see, if you want to see it yourself look in the mirror.
• DON'T use the toothbrush you clean the jewellery with for anything else. It must be kept clean and separate from dirt or dust. Rinse it under hot running water after cleaning the piercing.
• DON'T use Methylated Spirits, or alcohol on the piercing as they are very astringent and can damage the wound, don't use Hydrogen peroxide or Betadine because they destroys the cells that form scar tissue, Don't use creams or ointments as they keep the wound moist and hamper the healing process.
• DON'T wear tight clothes (during the healing phase) such as pantyhose, tight jeans or skirts because they can cause the piercing to grow out, which means that the piece of flesh taken by the piercing gradually diminishes until the ring finally comes out; after the piercing is healed you may wear anything you like. Try to avoid synthetic fabrics that don't let the wound breath, try to wear clothes that give the piercing as much fresh air as possible.
• DON'T remove the jewel during the healing phase because you may lose the piercing and the thread on the jewel can damage the delicate tissue inside the wound when you re-insert it.
• DON'T replace the jewellery with a sleeper because the sharp hinges can tear the inside of the wound resulting in infection, and it increases the chance of the piercing growing out. Silver sleepers are especially dangerous, as the silver oxidises in the wound which can cause allergic reactions and "Argyria" a permanent black mark inside the wound.

CHANGING JEWELLERY

The best thing about Navel Jewels is the fact that you can change them just like changing an earring. However, navel piercing tend to be tighter than ear piercings, so you must be careful when changing Navel Jewels not to tear the delicate scar tissue inside the piercing.

Once you've removed your old navel Jewel by unscrewing the top ball you should lubricate the piercing with a drop of Baby Oil or Lavender Oil. Dip the threaded end of the Navel Jewel in some hot wax, this will make it smoother and easier to insert. Push the Jewel in gently, break the wax off with a fingernail and then screw the ball back on the top until it's finger-tight. Make sure that the top ball is screwed on tightly by drying the jewel with a tissue and making sure you hands are clean and dry; grab the jewel tightly and give the top ball a good strong quarter turn, this will lock the ball tight. Be careful! lost balls are not covered by a replacement guarantee, check the ball once a week to make sure that it's tight.