Chubby girls with navel rings?

SamanthaD1218

Any of you have your belly button pierced? I had mine done ten years ago when I was much slimmer, and I left it in even through weight gain in the hopes that some day I'd be able to enjoy its cuteness again one day. I'm finally slimming down now and looking forward to that day, but in the meantime I seem to be developing awkward loose skin or "rolls" that push on the piercing and cause pain. I really don't want to take the ring out because I'm doing so well with the weight loss, but it seems to be getting more and more irritated! So strange because when I was at my heaviest I never had this issue (although I suppose I didn't have loose skin or rolls then - I was just round in general haha). I do my best to keep it clean but it's still so sensitive!

Anyone else experience this? Any suggestions? Should I just take it out?

Sorry for the randomness - wasn't sure where to post...

mccindy72

Before you give up and take it out, try to clean it really well (rolling the cleaner inside, then rinsing well, then drying) and once it's dry, put a good antibacterial on it like Neosporin. Slide that inside really well too.. Put it on a few times a day and see if that helps. Some times mine gets a bit irrititated and I find if I do that for a few days it gets better.

kshadows

I took mine out when I got pregnant and left it out until I'd lost enough weight to feel comfortable wearing it again... then I took it out when I got pregnant again...and I'm looking forward to putting it back in when I lose this weight! If it's healed up well, there shouldn't be anything wrong with taking it out.

tlcarolinagirl

I had this same problem. I got mine when I was 17 and took it out at 31 because it was constantly getting irritated. It was weird because I never had that problem before and it wasn't like i got chubby overnight. I thought my issue was that my body was rejecting the metal?? I switched out the ring and it was fine for a while, but then it started getting irritated again. Once I took it out, it all cleared up...but....now I wish I would've hung in there. For one, I have lost weight and would soon be comfortable showing it again, and two, now I have a hole there. An awkward, weird hole that is a smidge puffy. Just enough to notice. Not sure what to tell you to try, as I just had enough and took it out. Good luck :-)

JessieNeutronGirlGenius

I sadly took mine out, due to the pulling and poking and the awkwardness of where my pants were, (I have a short torso) it became infected and it was gross. When I get to my goal weight and want to get it pierced again I might get the bottom done. Good Luck!

determinedbutlazy

I kept mine the whole time I was overweight, because I liked seeing it "climb" higher up my belly as I lost weight.
If it's irritating you, remove the bar and either fit a BCR (ball closed ring) or a flexible bar women use in pregnancy, which is made of a soft flexible plastic.

SamanthaD1218

I'm worried that since it's irritated and gross looking it'll close up if I take it out. I want to stick it out, but getting infected probably isn't a great idea haha.

I took out the bar and replaced it with a ring so that I can clean it more easily, but it's definitely still having issues.

tlcarolinagirl

I'm worried that since it's irritated and gross looking it'll close up if I take it out. I want to stick it out, but getting infected probably isn't a great idea haha.

I took out the bar and replaced it with a ring so that I can clean it more easily, but it's definitely still having issues.

Mine closed very quickly. Hopefully yours won't.

travlinjess

I had mine pierced at age 18 and took it out when I was 27. It just wasn't cute with all that extra belly fat. Anyway, I was surprised that after 2 years of NO ring at all, I was able to slide one in with ease a few months back.

Perhaps your workout clothes or the exercising you're doing is rubbing it the wrong way? Can't really advise as I never had any problems with mine…but it doesn't seem worth the pain it's causing!

I think you've had yours in long enough that it probably won't close up at this point. Since it's irritated/infected, try taking it out or changing the metal as others suggested. Good luck!

tcunbeliever

Mine was irritated with my 2nd pregnancy (but oddly not for the 3rd) so I took it out. It did close up a little, I had to start with a smaller gague and work back up to standard size. Of course, I took it out for about 6 or 7 months, probably you could take it out for a few days or a week and then put it back in and see how it does for a day.

summer8it

I had to take mine out because of weight loss. OH THE IRONY. I pierced it myself when I was in college, and I made it way too shallow. I was about 110 then, and after grad school gained up to about 130. When I finally got into shape, exercising my way down to about 108, the ring didn't sit right on my abdomen and seemed to want to push out through the skin. I had to give it up and take it out, and I never re-pierced it.

That was more than a dozen years ago, before I had my son. The only reminder of it now is a faded inch-long stretchmark that radiates out from the scar.

mccindy72

I'm worried that since it's irritated and gross looking it'll close up if I take it out. I want to stick it out, but getting infected probably isn't a great idea haha.

I took out the bar and replaced it with a ring so that I can clean it more easily, but it's definitely still having issues.

If it's irritated and you take it out, it will most likely close. Try the Neosporin for a few days, as I suggested at the beginning of thread. It has worked for me in the past when mine has become irritated.

determinedbutlazy

Mine was irritated with my 2nd pregnancy (but oddly not for the 3rd) so I took it out. It did close up a little, I had to start with a smaller gague and work back up to standard size. Of course, I took it out for about 6 or 7 months, probably you could take it out for a few days or a week and then put it back in and see how it does for a day.

Looking at your profile pic, I would never know you had three pregnancies! You're RIPPED! :P

SamanthaD1218

If it's irritated and you take it out, it will most likely close. Try the Neosporin for a few days, as I suggested at the beginning of thread. It has worked for me in the past when mine has become irritated.

I use Neosporin on a daily basis with it but it hasn't really been helping :-/

I'm thinking it might be exercise related - I have a really short torso so my pants or shorts sometimes rub on it when I run. That plus the sweat and loose skin probably make for a gross pool of bacteria! I do shower right after I workout and I do my best to keep the area dry, but it is just not pretty. The hole itself was always normal looking, but now it's red and a little raised. I don't think it's infected yet, just really irritated.

Maybe putting a bandaid over it when I run? Or just in general so it doesn't get rubbed against? Although a lack of fresh air might not be good... Haha so confuzzled.

mccindy72

If it's irritated and you take it out, it will most likely close. Try the Neosporin for a few days, as I suggested at the beginning of thread. It has worked for me in the past when mine has become irritated.

I use Neosporin on a daily basis with it but it hasn't really been helping :-/

I'm thinking it might be exercise related - I have a really short torso so my pants or shorts sometimes rub on it when I run. That plus the sweat and loose skin probably make for a gross pool of bacteria! I do shower right after I workout and I do my best to keep the area dry, but it is just not pretty. The hole itself was always normal looking, but now it's red and a little raised. I don't think it's infected yet, just really irritated.

Maybe putting a bandaid over it when I run? Or just in general so it doesn't get rubbed against? Although a lack of fresh air might not be good... Haha so confuzzled.

Oh, well, if the Neo isn't helping, it might be good idea to have a doc look at it. There might be something growing in there that's too strong for the Neo and you might need a prescription antibiotic.

Edensienna

After two pregnancies I assumed the piercing would have closed up... This thread gives me hope that perhaps I can have my navel ring again!