Belly Button Rings Can Create a Painful Infection

If you are not careful, it's easy for a painful infection to develop in your belly piercing. You will want to do what you can to take care of the area and keep it clean.

Belly button rings can be a cute way to express yourself and show off your body. If you are thinking about taking the plunge or perhaps just had the procedure done, you should understand how to take care of your new piercing. The more vigilant you are in the beginning, the less chance you have to develop a painful infection. Because movement is common in the area and clothing brushes up against it, belly piercings can often take longer to heal. If you are involved in sports, you have to be especially careful. Tight sports uniforms and sweat can spell disaster for a healing piercing.

If you find that the piercing area is swollen, red, especially hot, or giving off a discharge, chances are it is infected. Try to keep the area as clean as possible and apply ice. If this persists for 72 hours, you should go to your doctor to have it checked out. Most of the time infections are completely preventable, but they can still occur even if you think you have done the right thing. Removing belly button rings from the infection area might make it improve. Sometimes your body could have a bad reaction to the jewelry itself, so it's never a bad idea to remove it. You should purchase a hypo-allergic metal before you try again.

If everything seems to be going fine, be careful with it. Try not to touch or play with your belly button rings when they are in. Clean out the wound with rubbing alcohol, which acts as a disinfectant and should help prevent an infection. You should notice things healing up within a month. If you are still feeling any pain or discomfort after that, consult your doctor or piercing professional. They should be able to take a look at you and tell you if it looks normal.

Julie enjoys sharing health and beauty tips. A great resource for flat irons, curling irons and hair styling tools of all kinds is My Hair Styling Tools.

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Are Sexy Belly Button Rings Worth the Pain of a Naval Piercing?

It seems that everytime you turn around there is another celebrity that has gotten her belly button pierced. And just like the laws of nature you begin to see cute and sexy belly button rings at every turn. It is almost as if they are hunting you down and taunting you to take the leap and go to the nearest piercing store. But then you think about that needle, the recovery, and the risks of infection. Are belly button rings worth the possible pain that may come with getting a piercing?

The quick answer is: that depends.

First off, under no circumstances should you try to do the piercing by yourself. Sure, some think that it's just as easy as numbing the area with ice and punching a hole with a needle that has been heated by flames. Ouch!

This isn't a task for an all girls slumber party where people get bored and say, "Hey, I know what we should do..." and then eyeball an unsuspecting victim. Always go to a piercing shop that is clean, uses clean equipment, and is certified.

What's the big deal, you may ask?

Primarily you want to avoid getting an infection anywhere near your stomach. Think for a minute about which vital organs are located just beneath all they sexy stomach skin that you want to show off. Now think how unattractive it would be if you allowed an infection to spread when it could be avoided with proper piercing precautions and by wearing belly button rings made with a material that works with your body.

The pain factor of a piercing depends your skin and on the experience of the person doing the piercing. Most belly button rings are worn by people who experienced very little pain during the piercing. The most successful piercings are done with clean equipment and on people that are very diligent about their after-care and cleaning.

Julie enjoys sharing health and beauty tips. A great resource for flat irons, curling irons and hair styling tools of all kinds is My Hair Styling Tools.

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If Infection Develops, Remove Belly Button Rings

If you find yourself with a painful infection, it's often a good idea to remove your belly button rings to give your body a chance to heal. If things don't heal up, you may need to consult a doctor.

Belly button rings have become a popular piercing among young women. If you are interested in getting one, you should learn about the process as well as the after care. It is incredibly important to take care of your piercing. If the area gets dirty or comes in contact with bacteria, you can get a painful infection. Signs of an infection include swelling, redness, hotness as well as a release of pus. If you find yourself with an infection, you can use rubbing alcohol to try to keep the area clean. You may need to remove the piercing. If it doesn't improve, you will need to contact a doctor to get antibiotics. Once you have antibiotics, things should clear up in a few days.

If you are an athlete, belly button rings can often get in the way. You will want to avoid wearing any dangling jewelry from your naval that could get caught in some way. In addition, you need to be careful while the piercing is still healing. Excessive movement can cause an infection. Sweat can hurt the wound. A tight athletic uniform can make it difficult for the wound to heal. Often it is best to get the piercing in the off-season of your sport to ensure that it heals properly and help you reduce your chances of getting an infection.

While you should notice things healing up within the month, it may take one to two years before things are completely finished healing. You should be careful to not have your belly button rings out too long as the piercing hole can close up within a matter of hours. During this time it is especially crucial to keep the area clean. You should also monitor your skin for reactions to the jewelry. Everyone is different, and you never know how your body will respond.

Julie enjoys sharing health and beauty tips. A great resource for flat irons, curling irons and hair styling tools of all kinds is My Hair Styling Tools.

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Best Body Jewelry to Express Who You Are

Not sure what type of body jewelry to wear? Then maybe you should look to the stars. Astrology can guide you through life and guide your fashion choices. Understand your personality and match it with the best body bling for you.

Tongue rings, belly button rings, earrings, toe rings, and the list goes on. The choice of body jewelry is virtually endless. But how do you know which type of body jewelry is best for you. Maybe you need to look to the stars to discover what your astrology chart says about you.

Aries: March 22-April 20

You want to be the boss so nobody can limit you when it comes to your body jewelry choice. You may prefer a stud necklace or a stud tongue ring. It's your decision.

Taurus: April 21-May 20

You love sentiment. The jewelry that you choose will reflect a special memory which could be a place or a moment.

Gemini: May 21-June 20

You're independent and know a little bit about a lot of things. Your jewelry will reflect this. If you have an interest in tribal cultures, you will opt for tribal jewelry; if you have an interest in botanical gardens, you may get a rose belly ring or tattoo.

Cancer: June 21-July 22

You are tough on the outside but all sentiment on the inside. You may go for a skull and bones design ring but we wouldn't be surprised to find a tattoo of tweety bird on your hip.

Leo: July 23-August 22

You are comfortable in your world and love to be in the spotlight. A dangling diamond or crystal body jewelry would compliment your being.

Virgo: August 23-September 22

You are calm and collected on the surface but raging with passion just beneath your skin. The body jewelry you wear will be just as hot.

Libra: September 23-October 22

You are a romantic at heart but you may seem a little cynical on the outside. Various ear piercings or a nose piercing are an easy choice for you.

Scorpio: October 23-November 22

You are strong, aggressive and very forward. Show off your strengths with the body jewelry that you choose.

Sagittarius: November 23-December 21

You are independent and capable so any type of jewelry that you find attractive will fit you perfectly. Try a toe ring or an unusual precious stone in your pierced jewelry.

Capricorn: December 22-January 19

You love the comforts of home. The metal that you choose for your body jewelry will reflect the warmth of home.

Aquarius: January 20-February 21

You love freedom and enjoy the company of a variety of people. Your body jewelry will be of many styles since you will change it to match the mood that you are feeling on any given day.

Pisces: February 22-March 20

You are mysterious and attractive. Your body jewelry will be chosen by what moves you. You may go for an unusual design or material but you will wear it well.

Julie enjoys sharing health and beauty tips. A great resource for flat irons, curling irons and hair styling tools of all kinds is My Hair Styling Tools.

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Tips On How To Stretch Ears Using Tape

Stretched earlobes tend to make a striking statement regarding your individual design and style, however finding tapers is often challenging when you achieve a particular size. Stretching the earlobes is generally accomplished utilizing 2-3 long tapers in order to progressively increase the size of the piercing. The taper will be lubricated and drawn through the current piercing and then swiftly substituted using a brand new bigger one. Usually, the biggest taper size obtainable will be 1 ". Larger styles are generally costly and also difficult to acquire. Stretching out the ears using tape, referred to as "taping" offers a less expensive and easily available substitute.

Items You will require:

* Plug or flesh tunnel
* PTFE tape
* Water-based lubrication (optional)

1. Clean both hands, your piercing, and the plug as well as flesh tunnel you want to utilize. A mild, unfragranced cleaning soap or cleanser should be used to prevent irritability of the piercing.

2. Take the tape and wrap 1 layer all-around the middle of your plug or flesh tunnel. Make certain the sides of the tape will be flat against the jewellery.

3. Re insert the jewellery. For those who have difficulty getting it back in use a modest amount of lubrication.

4. Allow the piercing to rest for a day or 2 after which replicate the procedure, adding an additional layer of tape. Continue adding tape, 1 layer at a time, every couple of days until you achieve your preferred gauge.

Tips & Warnings

PTFE tape can be obtained at most hardware shops. Should you prefer, you may use bondage tape as well. Bondage tape can be found at adult merchants or perhaps online.

Always permit your piercing time to rest prior to adding more layers of tape. Adding one or more layer of tape each day isn't advised, since stretching far too rapidly may cause injuries.

If you have or are considering getting yourself some sort of ear piercing we have a great selection of ear piercing items available to purchase over on our website. We feature flesh tunnels, ear stretchers and claw ear stretchers. Check us out below- http://earstretchersonline.co.uk/category/flesh-plugs/

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How to Carry Out Ear Lobe Stretching

Knowing how to carry out ear lobe stretching properly can help save you from a great deal of pain and grief, because if carried out the wrong way, stretching earlobes can damage your ears.

Ear lobe stretching, also known as ear lobe gauging or earlobe stretching, is a very old practice used by old civilizations as a status symbol or for religious reasons. It was not just restricted to earlobes, and was applied to lips, tongues and other parts of the body, sometimes to monumental levels. The same basic technique is used in each case, irrespective of the part of the body concerned.

Most ear lobe stretching, or gauging, is followed by ear jewelry designed to fit the expanded hole in the lobe. These can be traditional earrings, hanging decorations or even flesh tunnels designed to emphasis the hole through the ear lobe. These can be made of plastic or metal, and often gold since it is a non-allergenic metal.

The first stage is to have your ears pierced in the normal away, although if you intend to stretch the piercing then it is strongly advised that you have the initial piercing carried out by a professional who can pierce your ear to 16 gauge, or 1.2-1.3 mm. The actual millimeter equivalents of the various gauging can vary between sources, but most non-pros can pierce to gauge 20 - 18 (0.8 - 1.0 mm). Needle piercing is preferred to a gun if you intend stretching it.

Gauging drops with increasing hole diameter, so the higher the g number, the smaller the ear piercing. It is very important that your piercing has healed before you start ear lobe stretching, and also that each stage has healed (3 weeks- 3 months according to the person) before going on to the next stage. Never skip sizes, but go up in size (down in gauge) from one level to the next.

Get your tools together, because without the right stretching tools you will make a total mess of it. Never use plastic or wood that can hold bacteria. Surgical steel is best, followed by gold and so on. It must be metal - if you can. If you can, get the tapers autoclaved by a tattoo salon then placed in a clean wrap for you take home. Otherwise boil them first. You should wash the taper with disinfectant before use, and then rub it over with a lubricant such as emu oil or jojoba oil - or anything water based. Vaseline and other oil-based lubricants can store germs, so don't use these.

Here are the steps:

Preparation

First have a shower or wash your ears with warm water. This makes them softer and helps prevent tearing. Then wash your hands and earlobe with an anti-bacterial soap - preferably not perfumed. Smear the antiseptic over the taper and then you are all set to start.

Ear Lobe Stretching Methods

There are many methods you can use, such as tapering, Teflon taping, weights and scalpeling that involves cutting out the larger hole with a scalpel, but it is not recommended that you try that yourself! The old method, used by Africans for their ears and lips, involves hanging a weight form the piercing and stretching the hole mechanically. Again not recommended!

The best way for you to use yourself is tapering. There are three basic ways of doing this, but the principle is the same with each: you insert the thin end of the taper into your healed piercing and then work the taper through until the thicker end is reached. There are now three possibilities for tapered ear lobe stretching:

Insertion Taper: This is about 3 inches long, and is gradually inserted into the ear. The earring or other jewelry is inserted right at the back (thicker) of the end of the taper, and then all are pushed right through. The taper comes out and the ring with the larger pin is in your ear.

Taper Spike: This is inserted in the same way as the insertion taper, only the jewelry doesn't follow. The spike is retained in the hole with elastic bands until it has healed and then the next size is inserted - and so on until the required gauge has been reached.

Taper Ring: The earring itself has a tapered spike that is inserted in the same as above, and then fixed as normal.

Teflon: Basically you add a layer or two of Teflon tape to your ear jewelry and force it into your piercing. Wait a few weeks and then do the same again and so on. It works eventually, but is not as guaranteed as the tapering methods to reach any specific size, and is basically a simple DIY method. This could be tried if you can't afford the tapers, and not subject to bacterial infection as the other types of polymers or plastics.

You can also use the dead stretching method, involving simply forcing the larger ear jewelry into your smaller piercing. This can hurt and is not recommended, although many use it. It can go wrong if it causes bleeding.

After-Care of Ear Lobe Stretching

Irrespective of the method used, the ear lobe should be washed with anti-bacterial soap after each stretching. Sea salt can be used to keep the piercing clean at a high concentration (about 3 tablespoons in sufficient water to soak your ear lobe in it). Clean it frequently until fully healed before carrying on with the next gauge. Never use any alcohol-based or peroxide-based antiseptic because they can destroy white blood cells and dehydrate the cells around the piercing.

Stick to these rules and you should be able to carry out your own ear lobe stretching and get the result that you want. One important thing to remember: this should not hurt much, and should not bleed. In either of these cases stop, wait until your piercing has healed and try again.

Further information on ear stretching and details of Ear Stretchers can be found on Mark's website Flesh Tunnel where you will also find some great ear jewelry.

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Nose Rings, Studs And Bones - Which Is For You?

Nose piercings have become very popular among people who are in favour of surface piercings; nose rings, studs and balls are actually second in popularity after ear piercings. Although there are more women who have pierced noses than men, someone who wears a nostril piercing is making a personal statement for him- or herself. A successful piercing means someone followed their nose piercing aftercare instructions.

Nose piercings have a common place among the cultures of India as well as most parts of the middle east. As a matter of fact, in India and in some parts of the middle east, a man gives a woman he is about to marry a nose ring which is the western world's equivalent of a wedding ring. These days, nose bones are quite a bit popular. A woman would only need to turn her head for other people and men in particular to understand that she is already married.

Should you decide that you would like to go and get your nostril pierced, there are actually a couple of nose rings, studs and bones that you can choose from. There is the screw that starts as a straight stud but has hooks as well as curves so you would not be able to easily pull it out regardless of how much you pull at it. This particular stud is put in through the nostril by slowly inserting and is carefully removed through the fleshy part of the nostril. A nose bone on the other hand is a kind of stud that has a large round part at one end that is pushed through the nostril so that the jewelry is kept in its place.

There are a lot of people who advise against using a nose bone when you decide to go ahead and have your nose pierced for the first time. Because of the way a nose bone is designed, there is a distinct possibility that the shaft of the stud will be too short to get completely through a nostril that happens to be a little thicker than the average person. Even if a pierce is accomplished completely through the flesh, does not mean that the subsequent swelling won't swallow the nose bone. If the interior face of the piercing heals over, the nose bone may have to be removed surgically.

When you wear nose bone jewelry, your nose's wound would heal around the stud that is pierced through your nostril, with the egg-shaped end, which is somewhat larger than the shaft, this makes it very difficult to remove and can even slow down or worse - reverse the healing process because if you move it around or try to take it off, you would tear at the healing tissue, causing another wound. Piercers more often than not recommend that you opt for a nose screw instead during the beginning. A nose screw that is made of surgical stainless steel or if you can afford to have one, an eighteen karat gold nose screw.

Either way, a nose bone is still one of the accessories that you can always opt out for when trying to decide between nose rings studs and bones. Make sure that you only use the highest possible material for jewelry and that you consult the advice of professional piercers or doctors, paying special attention to the nose piercing aftercare you receive.

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