SHADY TATTOONose and navel piercing aftercare – step by step
By the SHADY TATTOO team · 22 October 2026
In short: wash your hands before every touch, clean the piercing with the product your piercer recommends (e.g. sterile saline), pat it dry with a disposable paper towel, leave the jewellery in and stay out of pools until it heals. A nose usually heals in a few months, a navel in six months to a year or longer. This guide is general information; always follow the instructions you get at the studio.
The daily basics
The basics are the same as for any piercing: clean hands, the product your piercer recommends (e.g. sterile saline), a disposable paper towel, and jewellery left in place. We cover them step by step in piercing aftercare. Below is what’s specific to the nose and navel.
Nose piercing aftercare
- blow your nose gently, from the side without the piercing,
- wash your face carefully and keep cosmetics (foundation, cream, scrubs) away from the piercing,
- watch out for glasses, face masks and pulling clothes over your head,
- change your pillowcase often and don’t sleep on the pierced side,
- with a cold or runny nose, pay extra attention to hygiene.
More about the piercing itself: nose piercing – types and healing.
Navel piercing aftercare
- wear loose clothes; high waistbands, tights and tight underwear can rub,
- limit exercise that strongly works your stomach for the first weeks,
- shower instead of taking baths,
- watch out for snags – towels, car seat belts, bags worn on the hip,
- don’t sleep on your stomach if it presses on the piercing.
More about the piercing itself: navel piercing – healing and preparation.
What to avoid until it heals
Until it heals, avoid pools, saunas and open water, don’t change the jewellery yourself, and protect the piercing from sunbeds and irritating cosmetics.
How long healing takes
Approximately, according to APP Benelux:
- nostril – about 3–6 months,
- septum – about 4–8 weeks or longer,
- navel – about 6–9 months (Cleveland Clinic: six months to a year, sometimes up to 18 months).
A piercing can look healed before it is – follow the aftercare for the whole period your piercer gives you.
What’s normal and what isn’t
Normal in the first days and weeks: mild redness, slight swelling, tenderness, and clear or whitish discharge that dries into crust around the jewellery.
Warning signs: increasing pain, swelling or redness, hot skin, thick yellow or green pus, fever, jewellery sinking into the skin. Contact a doctor if you notice these. Only remove the jewellery if a doctor or piercer tells you to.
Check-ups and changing jewellery
Once healed, the jewellery can usually be swapped for a shorter or different piece – ideally with a piercer who can check the channel is ready. If you have doubts while healing, ask the person who did the piercing.
Piercing at SHADY TATTOO in Wieluń
At SHADY TATTOO, ear, nose and navel piercings are done by Martyna, the studio manager. She goes over aftercare before the procedure. More: piercing in Wieluń and types of ear piercing.
FAQ
What should I clean a nose or navel piercing with?
With the product your piercer recommends – often sterile saline. Avoid surgical spirit and hydrogen peroxide.
How often should I clean it?
Usually once or twice a day, unless your piercer says otherwise. Cleaning too often can irritate it too.
Can I go swimming with a new piercing?
Better not – avoid pools, hot tubs and open water until it heals.
When can I change the jewellery?
Not until it has healed, ideally with a piercer.
What if the piercing is producing pus?
Thick pus, increasing pain, swelling or fever are signs to contact a doctor.
Questions about piercing?
Call or message us – Martyna will answer your questions and suggest a date.
Contact SHADY TATTOO → · Phone: +48 691 351 557 · Instagram: @tattoo.shady · Facebook: tattooshady
SHADY TATTOO, ul. Głęboka 15/3, 98-300 Wieluń, Poland · Mon–Fri 9:00–19:00, weekends by appointment
ONE LIFE. ONE SKIN. ONE RIGHT CHOICE.
Sources
General information, not a substitute for medical advice: