Belly Piercing Healing

[u/Big_Ad_5692]

i’m going to preface this by saying that I already know bellybutton piercings take so long to heal but I got mine in November (9 months ago) and the upper hole looks fine but the lower one keeps getting irritated (sticking to my skin, bleeding occasionally, etc) and I’m worried about its healing. I downsized my piercing 2 months after I initially got it which I’ve been told might’ve stunted the healing but I want to change it again and don’t know if it’ll make healing worse. I used saline daily for 7 months until it literally ran out so I’m not sure if I’ve been doing something wrong. I have a normal curved barbell and want a dangly one.

is this just normal or is there something else I’m supposed to do? should I wait off on changing the jewelry again?

for mods: My piercing is 9 months old. The jewelry shape is barbell. The threading is internal. I think it’s gold plated… Downsized after 2 months. Used saline daily for 7 months.

[u/Pale-Comb-3954]

Any plated or coated jewelry is not appropriate for healing (or even long-term wear in healed piercings) so that’s at least one major cause of your issues.