Prepare to be repulsed.... is this just me??

[Rdaisyleo]

So I'm 26. Got my belly button pierced at maybe 15. I took the bar out about 7 years ago and have always had the piercing hole still there but never connected from both sides (the bar can't go through all the way )... now I shower every other day, I'm clean... but I can smell my piercing sometimes and can push yellow crap out of either side of the hole... is this just me? If someone has had it, what did you do to stop it?

I think it’s pretty normal. Not sure you stop it, but I’m sure someone will be along to advise!

Dead skin sloughing off the scar tissue inside the hole, getting a bit cheesy.

Normal. You just have to remember to clean it occasionally. I took mine out over 25 years ago and it still happens.

You've got an infection in it. Your GP should put something up to treat it.

And get some proper cleaning fluid or use salt water twice a day in the meantime.

My advice would be to treat it as a new piercing. If you're pushing yellow gunk out of it and it smells then its possible that its infected - is it red/sore/warm to the touch? Does it leak or do you squeeze it out?

Nah I don’t think it’s infected. I’ve got 2 really old ear piercings that do the same, they’ve been like it for years. I save it up for a good few days and then do a pimplepopper type squeeze. Love it.

Minging

I get this out of my ear piercings, hardly ever wear earri gs and can squeeze cheesy gunk out every now and again, normal unless it's sore. I recently replaced my navel piercing after 9 years without jewellery in it, I thought it was healed but I managed to get a very slim ring through it, felt a bit sore for a few days after, guess it just was stretching out again, but all good now.

It's just sebum unless you mean it's actually weeping puss.

I'm not sure this is normal. None of my old piercing holes (inc a belly button one) do this.

IME it’s not infected, mine does the same occasionally. Say once every 6 months just develops a tiny little head on it and if I pick that off I can squeeze slightly yellow, slightly smelly pus out. And then it dries out again until next time.
Unless it’s red, sore or showing any other signs of infection I’d just ignore.

DP can do this with his old healed nipple piercing but it doesn’t smell awful just a little musty. Is it sore at all or getting worse? If not I doubt it’s infected.

Its not sore and doesn't weep. I push the stuff out. Well I'm glad I'm not the only one but its disgusting. I hate my partner putting his head on my belly because of it (paranoid he can smell it). Also I will clean it with tcp now and then. I'm sick of it. Wish I could tell my younger self not to get it pierced. Ahhhh

I have the same, very old naval piercing I haven’t had jewellery in for 15 years, forget it’s there 99% of the time but if I squeeze it a thin cheesy smelling yellow plug comes out. I think I’d have to be a contortionist to smell a smell from it normally though. I’d like to get the tunnel removed by a plastic surgeon tbh because it’s a bit gross, but not enough to actually do anything about it.

Agree normal unfortunately. I’m 43, had my belly button pierced at 16, took it out about 22 and I still ensure I was belly button thoroughly every day or it occasionally smells a bit!

*wash not was

Over 25 years with nothing in belly button piercing and it happens occasionally.

Sounds like a cyst. Same thing happens with my old ear piercings that I no longer use. Not an issue unless it starts to get sore or manky. The smell of cyst discharge is horrible.

I have had my ears pierced for nearly 30 years and I still have stinky yellow gunk coming out of the holes. Not loads but when I take my earrings out I can touch it and get a small amount on my hands which is stinky. It's not infected or sore. Just gets on the backs of the earrings which need it cleaning off.

I get the same thing happen with my left ear piercing but not my right ear.

I occasionally soak a cotton wool pad in rubbing alcohol, and hold it against the piercing for a few minutes which seems to help.

I've also heard that you should soak it in saltwater but I'm not sure how you'd do that with a bellybutton piercing.

Yep, totally normal! Its not infected if its not sore, red, lumpy and weeping pus. Its just dead skin cells, oils etc that bacteria are feasting on. Not harmful bacteria mind, just the ones that naturally live on your skin!!

I had this the other day with a second ear piercing I have not worn an earring in for 25 years! A hard lump and sticky white smelly stuff came out of it! Gross. However, As it's a belly button and ongoing problem I would mention it to your GP though as it might be infected.

Saltwater. Often.

It's not a cyst or an infection as people are saying, it's just a hole which gathers dead skin etc....then gets manky.

You just have to clean it twice a day...morning and night.

I don't think this is normal at all. I took my tummy button piercing out about five years ago and it just helped up leaving a dot where the hole was. There's no way anything would seep out. Definitely clean it every day with salt water and see if it improves.