AboutBrian Skellie Expertise I can answer questions in regards to and not limited to: jewelry safety, specifically material, shape, proportion, and related issues; aseptic technique and sterilization as it applies to piercing safety; ethical issues of technique and bedside manner; the aftercare and recovery process for piercings.
Experience
Past/Present clients
Tens of thousands of one on one client experiences. http://www.piercing.org/ Body jewelry design and safety expert: Member ASTM committee F04(www.astm.org)
Member AAMI (www.aami.org)
Research advisor and educator for the APP for over a decade(www.safepiercing.org) teaching advanced studio setup, sterilization and equipment management, freehand piercing, aseptic/sterile technique and much more.
Distributor for SciCan StatIM sterilization and cleaning products. http://www.piercing.org/statim/
Expert: Brian Skellie Date: 7/19/2008 Subject: Removing Navel Piercing
Question I have had a navel piercing for 8 or 9 years now. I would like to remove my jewelry permanently. Even though I have had the piercing for several years, when I do remove the jewelry for about 24 hours, it starts to heal over in the are of the piercing above my navel. Is this normal or significant? To reinsert the jewelry requires poking it through the small flap of skin. Did my piercing never really heal? Is it ok to remove it?
Answer Your piercing may not have completely healed, or it may just tighten quickly as many do if the jewelry is not platinum or titanium. The tissue thickens dramatically around steel and other materials.
Often a piercing done with slightly irritating material like silver, steel or an alloy of gold (usually including copper, silver and trace metals) can cause irritation and prevent complete healing. Switch to an implant certified piece of titanium jewelry for better success if you would like to keep the piercing and to reduce the scar thickness.
If you choose to remove the piercing, it will shrink but not likely close and disappear unless the tissue is damaged or infected.
The scars are smaller and less obvious when people wear platinum or titanium jewelry for an extended period of time, especially if they heal with these materials. http://piercing.org/faq/jewelry.html describes why.
