Even the cleanest skin is a breeding ground for bacteria, and perspiration, even in imperceptible amounts, is continually washing bacteria down your torso across your waistline. For this reason, your navel is always being exposed to fresh bacteria, and cleaning of your piercing is critical to successful healing. With diligent aftercare, your navel usually heals with few problems; with improper aftercare an infection is practically guaranteed.

To clean your navel piercing, apply a good soap and water lather over your navel, and, using the ring, scrub the inside of your piercing. Then flush with fresh water, again using the ring to rinse the soap out. Your navel piercing should be left alone (do not turn or play with ring) between cleanings.

For the first three to five days, wash your navel piercing twice per day (morning & evening). Over the next week or so, the second cleaning should be skipped occasionally, then more frequently, until, by the end of the first two weeks, you are down to once per day.

Continue cleaning once per day or less for a maximum of two more weeks. After that, only occasional cleaning should be required. Over cleaning is one of the most common problems we see. Over cleaning irritates and dries out your navel piercing; your skin chaps and cracks, exposing the underlying tissue to dirt and bacteria. Don’t be obsessed with cleaning; the less you do the better.

We recommend that you use an antibiotic ointment like Polysporin after each wash for the first ten days. The ointment will provide a barrier to infection during the initial healing. Use the ring to spread the ointment through your navel piercing, working the ring back and forth until it slides easily. Clean off the excess ointment, as it can collect dirt and cause problems.

If you participate in sports or other strenuous physical activity, you should shower afterwards, cleaning your navel piercing in the shower.

If you are exposed to a dirty environment (such as dusty working conditions), clean more frequently. To clean the area, use baby wipes or a similar product. As soon as you return home, a full cleaning of your piercing is recommended.

At the end of the first four weeks, you should not have to clean your navel piercing any more. If it looks dry, moisturize your navel with a regular moisturizer.

The ring will take the path of least resistance; if it is being pushed to one side it will grow that way, so to prevent this and unwanted irritation keep pants from lying over your navel and avoid sleeping on your stomach.

Barbells should not be placed in your navel until it is certain that your piercing is healthy and stable. Generally, this means at least six to eight weeks with the ring before the change. When a barbell is chosen, it must be properly fitted: too short will constrict the tissue and swelling will result, and too long will make the barbell catch on clothing and injure your piercing. A typical navel requires an 8mm bent shaft between the balls. Tiny navels will sometimes need a 6mm shaft, and if the navel has rounded contours, a 10mm shaft may be required. The best way to fit a bent barbell is to measure the length and position of your piercing with an accurate pair of calipers.