Dear Body Candy,

Hi (:

I obviously have a question for you, but first a back story. I got my both of my nipples pierced last year in July, as it is almost about to be a full year. I did change my piercings to acrylic barbells for my nipples. 

Next Friday I am getting breast augmentation done and during surgery, of course you’re not allowed to wear any metal piercings. But in case there is a slight chance they may still tell me to take them out. How long does it typically take for the nipple piercings to close?

Peace, not war.

- Amanda

Body Candy: Hey Amanda!

Because this leans pretty close to medical advice, this is a question that would be best answered by your doctor or a professional piercer. We recommend consulting with both of them before your surgery and following whatever advice they may prescribe. We're certainly no experts on breast augmentation surgery over here, so our best advice is to listen to whatever your doctor says.

We know first-hand how long nipple piercings take to heal (and how patient you have to be while they heal), so it's a shame to have to lose them for any reason! Obviously, your breast augmentation is a personal choice that you've probably thought about a lot, so you'll have to weigh which is more important - your surgery or your piercings.

There's no one, true answer as to how long it will take for your nipple piercings to close up... But speaking in general, nipple piercings are some of the quickest piercings to close. Even well-established nipple piercings can close up within a week of being removed.

Amanda, you may or may not be able to save your piercings! But at the end of the day, it's most important to prioritize the health of your body post-surgery. Follow the advice of your medical professional and, once your augmentation surgery has healed, you can consider getting your nips pierced once more. 

Love,

- Body Candy

Dear Body Candy,

I got a navel piercing 8 months ago and it doesn’t seem to heal at all. I've been cleaning it twice or once a day with saline since I got it, even tried sea salt in warm water and nothing seems to help. It still has pus at times and painful.

I’m kinda over it now, would it be a bad idea to just remove it even if I continue to clean the site with saline until it heals? 

- Alejandra

Body Candy: Hi Alejandra!

Pus and pain are two signs of infection - before we proceed any further, it's important to mention that we are not professional piercers and this is definitely a conversation you'd want to have with your piercing pro. 

Ugh! Belly rings are supposed to be a source of joy, not something to dread. We're sorry to hear about your belly ring experience... Even though eight (8) months isn't quite all the way through your healing process (sometimes these piercings take up to a year to heal), it's a bummer to hear you're "over it" due to this unfortunate healing process.

At the same time, we get it. It's your body, and if your body is telling you it's time to give it up, that's what you should do! Here's the thing, it's not always safe to remove an infected piercing on your own. Even if you continue to clean the outside area with saline, removing the jewelry could trap some of the infection inside, resulting in further complications down the road. 

Your best bet is to head back to your professional piercer. Explain the issues you've been having with your navel piercing thoroughly and honestly. They'll be able to help you remove your jewelry, or help you clear up the infection, whichever feels more appropriate for the situation at hand.

Love,

- Body Candy

Dear Body Candy,

I had my tongue pierced about seven (7) years ago. I had it in for about two (2) years and for some reason took it out when I got pregnant. I tried to put a ring in about a year ago and the barbell went a little more than halfway through and stopped. I was thinking maybe the bottom hole closed and gave up. It felt almost like there was a ball of skin stopping me and I was too afraid to push it through for fear of scar tissue. 

Now, I'm itching to get it re-pierced. Would this be a good idea? Or am I just being a wuss and should push through my original piercing? 

Thank you in advance!!! 

- Sierra

Body Candy: Hey Sierra!

Two years is a long time to go with no jewelry in your piercing! For more information about piercing holes that have closed, you can also check out our blog "What To Do If Your Piercing Hole Closes Overnight;" this is obviously a different timeframe, so here's what we think:

There's definitely a possibility that there is just a little bit of skin covering your tongue piercing. If this tiny bit of skin gives way right away, great! Your tongue piercing is good to go. On the other hand, as a general rule of thumb, you won't want to use ANY force to push your jewelry through your tongue piercing. It might be tempting to "not be a wuss" and jam your jewelry through the piercing hole, but this might cause different complications down the line.

Our recommendation is to head back to your professional piercer and get it redone. You're not being a wuss at all - you're listening to what your body is telling you, and that is always the best course of action. Let a piercer push through your tongue with a needle that was designed for this type of procedure - your tongue piercing will be much healthier down the line because of it.

Love,

- Body Candy