QUICK help needed re: belly button piercing that won't stop bleeding........

[zephyrcat]

My nightmare of a sister has just called me from town. She already has the top of her belly button pierced and has now just been and had the bottom bit pierced, she says it's bleeding loads - right through the plaster thing that's over it. I've told her to go to boots and ask for an anticeptic patch/plaster thing and hope that someone looks at it.

Any ideas/advice???

Try using antiseptic powder which should dry it up.

Can she get that in Boots?

I can't get through on her phone now so I rang my Mum and told her and made her swear not to say I'd told her!!

She should be able too.

If it is bleeding though she should get it looked at.

She said there was a little boy behind the counter in boots who didn't have a clue so she's got savlon spray - is that a good idea??!

we have savlon spray for cuts and wounds keeps it clean to stop infection

ok, I used to know a body piercer & his advice on new piercings was to avoid all plasters, antiseptic sprays etc and instead to wash it thoroughly twice a day in salt water. It needs to be saturated in the salt water - so fill a cup and hold it against the tummy. Of course, if it's already infected this doesn't apply but it doesn't sound like it.

agree with saltwater advice. I never used antiseptics, plasters, dressings or surgical spirit, just washed in warm saltwater twice a day and never had an infection or a prob. in fact, my GP said it was hte only one she'd ever seen that hadn't been infected.

I told her to go home and get the plaster off and I wasn't sure about the spray as that won't let it dry. Should she put the salt water on while it is bleeding or wait til it stops?

If I was anywhere near her I'd make her take it out but she's about 50 miles from me and she knows best!!

my piercer told me to wash it twice a day in a weak hydrogen peroxide solution

Did yours bleed much lou? She said it has bled right throught the patch they cover it with and it's quite sore. I'm wondering if they've done it too far up into the flesh instead of doing it on the bit that's just skin - if that makes sense??!

i cant really remember, it did bleed i think, the dressings arent that substantial

i think it was 20vol hydrogen peroxide mixed 50/50 with water

you prob don't want to hear this, but a proper piercing goes through flesh anyway. they have to "core out" a small amount for the bar or ring to go through. it is an open wound and that's why it takes so long to heal.

i don't remember mine bleeding so much. I'd encourage her to give it a good wash with salt water and see how she gets on - GP in morning if no progress. Please tell me she went to a reputable piercer?!!!

I'm not so sure that she did. My Mum asked me where she had it done and when I told her she said "Ugh, no" Apart fgrom anything my Sister is 15 so they shouldn't have let her do it anyway My Mum's waiting for her to get home and is not amused. Luckily Mum is also medical secretary at the docs so can get her straight in if need be. Still can't get hold of ds on her mobile. Nightmare teenager that she is!!

Salt water is the best thing to use. Mine bled quite a lot (not as much as your sister's by the sound of it) and I was advised to wash it in salt water 3 times a day and let it dry naturally and to keep it uncovered. It bled on and off for about a week and then healed fine. (I did the salt and water thing for 3 months as advised).

It does sound like it is bleeding loads though and seeing as she is so young it probably would be worth getting it checked out if its still bleeding in the morning.

oh no! Please, please, please tell me it was in sterile conditions, using an anaesthetic gel and they used a needle, not a gun! if they did it with a gun tell her to take it out immediately and prob go to Dr, and tell local authority. Aargh!

I've just sent her a text to ask if they did it with a needle. She's replied needle....

mine didnt bleed at all after the first day

Hi, I had my belly button done in my lunch hour and then went back to work so I'm sure it didn't bleed that much. I bathed it in salt water as advised but it still became infected. Then someone told me to use sea salt and not table salt - after that it healed up in no time at all.
I hope this works for your sister and that the bleeding stops soon.

She's just shown me it on her webcam lol I can't really tell though as I've not seen another to compare. She won't show my Mum in cse she makes her take it out so I've told her to clean it with salt water for now.........not sure what else to do with her!

hydrogen peroxide will be much better to clean it with, i'm telling you!

mine bled alot a week after i had it done as a friend thumped me in the stomache. was in town at the time so went back to piercist and he dressed it for me and told me to lie down and take it easy. he said it would probably grow out as it was infected and my body would reject it. it grew out most of the way but hung on my a thin strip of skin.

some people do just bleed more when they get them... probably nothing to worry about.... if it's still bleeding in the morning tell her to take it out and dress the wound and let it heal