Schnheitschirurgie

Pain when stabbing a navel piercing and after

introduction

When stabbing a navel piercing, pain usually arises and it can still occur or continue afterwards. On the one hand, however, the pain sensation is different for each person and, on the other hand, it depends on various factors, for example whether a pain-mediating nerve in the skin is hit.

Usually the pain is strongest when it is stabbed, but only lasts for a few seconds. In the coming days, slight pain is also normal. However, if the pain is severe or if it recurs after a while, a doctor should be consulted. This may suggest the presence of inflammation that should be treated. The piercing then usually has to be removed again.

General information on the topic can be found here: The navel piercing

How bad is the pain when stabbing a navel piercing?

Pain is a very subjective sensation that is felt differently by everyone, so that no general statement can be made about how severe the pain is when stabbing a navel piercing. Some people even state that the sting did not cause them any pain, although such a statement is of course not verifiable.

Most people who have a navel piercing report a brief, light pain that occurs when the person is stabbed and only lasts for a few seconds at most. In terms of intensity, however, these are usually described as moderate. However, some people feel very painful when they get a navel piercing, and even cry out and get tears in their eyes.

In addition to the individually different pain sensation, this can also occur when a small cutaneous nerve is hit exactly. These cannot be identified in advance. When a doctor pricks the navel piercing, a syringe may first be used to provide local anesthesia. The stinging of the piercing is usually not felt at all. However, some people say that they have already found the injection very painful.

What can be done to reduce the pain?

Many people who experience severe pain when getting a navel piercing are very afraid of the procedure beforehand. If the anxiety can be alleviated, the pain felt is usually less. For this, you can, for example, bring someone with you, such as a good friend, who holds the hand and can have a calming effect.

Distraction with listening to music through headphones and closing your eyes can also help make the navel piercing less painful. Many piercers use a cooling spray for the skin beforehand, which can also relieve pain. If necessary, you should therefore ask for such a spray.
If you have the piercing done by a doctor, he can also apply a local anesthetic beforehand using a syringe. Apart from the short prick with the thin needle, no or only very little pain is felt during the subsequent piercing.

Does a previously taken pain reliever help?

Before piercing a navel piercing, you should not take any pain relievers in advance. The expected effect is small, since the pain only lasts for a few seconds when stinging.
In addition, many of the common painkillers such as Ibuprofen® reduce the blood's ability to clot, so that the risk of increased bleeding when the navel piercing stings increases. Only Paracetamol® as an over-the-counter pain reliever does not have this effect and can theoretically be taken in advance so that there is less pain. However, the expected effect is small, so that a recommendation to take a pain reliever before piercing cannot be made.

How long do you have pain afterwards?

How long you continue to be in pain after having a navel piercing can vary greatly. If all goes well, the inflicted injury will heal completely in a few days to a few weeks. During this time, slight dull pain can still be considered normal.

If there is a complication like bacterial inflammation, however, the pain is usually severe and throbbing. The pain will then persist until the piercing is removed and the navel can heal. In most cases, medical treatment is even required. Even without signs of inflammation, some people with a navel piercing claim to have pain in the navel even after months or years. In such a case, you should consider carefully whether you should accept this or remove the piercing again.

Read more about this: Belly button is bleeding - what can that be?

What can be behind it, if the pain does not go away after the sting?

Normally, after having a navel piercing, the pain will slowly go away within a few days. However, if these persist, increase again, or there is also redness and swelling in the area of the piercing, inflammation due to a bacterial infection is the most likely cause. It is a complication, the risk of which is significantly reduced by observing hygiene measures, but which nevertheless occurs in some cases.

In such a case, the piercing must be removed again. In the case of severe pain and a visible inflammatory reaction in the navel, a doctor should also be consulted. This will clean the wound and, if necessary, cover it with a bandage. In some cases it is even necessary to prescribe an antibiotic.

You might also be interested in: Belly button piercing is infected - what to do?

abscess

An abscess is an encapsulated, purulent focus of inflammation that can develop anywhere on the body as a result of an infection with bacteria. By pricking a navel piercing there is always the risk that bacteria that are naturally found on the surface of the skin are introduced into deeper tissue layers. There they can multiply and cause an inflammatory reaction.

The body sends defense cells to the hearth, where they kill the bacteria, which creates pus. A capsule is also formed around the inflammation. Such an abscess then shows up as a painful bump on the one in the navel, through which yellowish-white pus often shines through. If an abscess forms after stabbing a navel piercing, a doctor should be seen. In addition to removing the piercing, opening the abscess by the doctor is usually an important therapeutic measure.

Read about it too: Treatment of an abscess

fistula

A fistula is a connecting duct in the body that does not exist naturally and can arise, for example, as a result of inflammation. Even after having a navel piercing, if the outcome is unfavorable, a fistula can develop as a complication, which then usually has to be removed by surgery.

Usually an inflammation develops first, from which an abscess forms, which, if left untreated, can lead to the development of a fistula. The risk of such a progression is highest if you do not take signs of inflammation seriously after having a navel piercing or if you do not want to remove the piercing. However, if you go to the doctor in good time and seek treatment, such a course can usually be averted.

Learn more about the topic: Fistula on the navel