does navel piercing migration necessarily lead to rejection?

Question

i've read that migration and rejection are two different things. one thing's for sure though, my navel ring has moved. my questions are:

is it going to keep moving until it falls off? how can i tell if it will and if it's time to take the ring out? anything i can do to stop it from moving?

i had my bellybutton pierced 9 months ago (february 2008) and it was fine. no infections/pus, only white secretions and crusties. and i've been cleaning it with sea salt soaks two to three times a week, and i had used antibacterial soap for some time.

about two weeks ago, i noticed the trail of scar from where the top post of the barbell ring used to be. it has moved to the right and a bit lower, making the skin between the posts smaller and exposing more of the curved barbell. there's no pain, soreness or swelling, just the usual redness and scabbing around the top post.

here's a photo of my navel piercing, taken a few days ago: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/hotchocolatte/DSC00759a.jpg

PS i don't trust my piercer though he's regarded as a very reputable piercer/tattoo artist here. his advice for cleaning was to spritz alcohol and betadine (our country doesn't seem to have bactine or dial soap that's unscented! i've been searching forever. i was lucky to even find non-iodized sea salt!); and he's changed my navel rings twice. the first time was because i wanted a prettier ring, and the second time was because he felt the pretty ring was keeping my piercing from healing so he changed it to the "standard" curved barbell type (which i'm wearing now). i feel like these things have caused the piercing to heal much, much slower than it should. i'd really hate to take it out after all the trouble :-( please help!

Answer 1

It may just be migrating (moving until it's happy with the placement), but if it is rejecting, you will notice the skin getting thinner and thinner, and the bar will seem to be getting longer. The sea salt soaks need to be done daily, not weekly, and the soap needs to be cut out all together.



That definitely looks like it's rejecting, but you may want to get a professionals opinion. And yeah, the changing it could've irritated it, but I doubt it'd cause rejection. It's just something that happens sometimes. I've had 2 piercings reject, it sucks.

Answer 2

"his advice for cleaning was to spritz alcohol and betadine"

That's pretty standard advice for navel piercings. Also, navel piercings are the worst when it comes to infection and take the longest to heal. You actually asked him to change the barbell because you wanted a "prettier ring" ?? really?? You should have waited for it to heal first. :( And I would definitely stop using the soap on it.

Answer 3

i definitley looks like its migrating if not rejecting, i know you don't want to but i think you should take it out. If it continues to move and possibly reject you'll be left with a much larger scar than if you were to take it out now. Wait for it to heal and get it done somewhere else, he shouldn't be the one doing your piercings if you don't trust him, and not to mention the fact that his after care instructions are disgraceful, you should be using a sea salt soak or h20cean and nothing else

Answer 4

Migration tends to happens when your piercing is badly placed. there is nothing you can do about that though once its done other than let it heal and have it re-pierced when it is completely healed. keep a very close eye on it if you are going to keep it in though. septicaemia can kill so if you are in serious doubt go to a doctor or nurse and get their opinion. better to be safe than sorry.