Depends - some redness/soreness may be expected - depending on the type of healer you are. Some people take for ever to heal from a wound, others heal very fast. I would go back to the person who pierced you and let them have a look see. It is possible that the stud/ring/bar what ever you have in there is too large for the hole that was made. If so it is over stretching the hole causing irritation prolonging the healing process. It is also possible that you have a slight infection - which would need to be addressed with hydrogen peroxide wash followed by a complete rinsing and allowing it to air dry once a day - if there is no scab, or the scab has come off revealing an 'open' wound (of course the process of piercing is to keep a wound open, so I mean that the surrounding skin) the application of an antibiotic ointment in the morning and in the evening may work toward killing out an infection. The person who pierced you should know if there is infection and if it is treatable at home or if you need to see a doctor for antibiotics (oral). I have no idea what a sea salt soak is. I do know that soaking a wound is a bad idea. Wounds need to dry out, need to form their 'crust' what is commonly called a scab. That scab protects the tissue beneath until the wound closes. In the case of piercings the tissue needs to close in a way its not meant to - around a metal bit stuck through the skin. If a soak in the tub - stop it. Wounds need to dry out - need to remain dry until the scab falls off - yeah the daily shower is ok as long as you are not soaking the scab(s) until they turn soft and peal/fall off. Further soaking in tubs are 'clean' enough for uninjured skin, but is not clean enough for wounds. Your body is covered in germs - which slide off into the water, swim around, and some will find their way inside of that open wound. Most are not too bad, a few will be nasty little guys which on skin that is intact are harmless - but in a wound they lead to infection. Soaking it with a pad of salt water may be a half good idea - depends on how wet it gets and how well you rinse the area after ward. Twice a day is hardly needed - Unless you roll around in mud, grease, or work hard labor to where you are sweaty and smelly and a bath twice a day is absolutely necessary. I assume you have a bit of metal shoved through your skin. ALL metals react to salt - exception would be pure gold. Even surgical steel will corrode a bit with enough salt. The material that is stripped off the metal (an oxide of the metal) will react with exposed internal tissues 9the skin below the top layer of skin) causing mild to severe irritation, prolonging healing, and in some cases lead to creating a nice home for some nastier germs that cause infection. Your best bet is to move on to regular soap - body soap (liquid or bar) use a hand to make a lather over the area then rinse it fully. Pat dry with a towel and leave it alone after wards - uncovered (put your shirt on last) to allow it to air dry completely. Take showers - quick ones - no more soaking in the tub until your piercing heals up - or soak in water below the belly button keeping it as dry as possible. Stop using a cotton ball/swab on it - tiny fibers of cotton could be left behind which could irritate the skin especially if they get between the stud/bar/ring/whatever and the inside of the hole.

You sound like you're doing everything right. Are you using harsh or strong soap, and were you pierced with steel or titanium? Navels take a long time to heal, and it's not uncommon for them to continue crusting (lymphing) for several months. If there's not swelling, heat, lots of redness, or pus that's opaque/green/yellow/smelly then it's doubtful you're infected. Just leave it be, and try using less salt in your soaks (should taste like tears or less salty.)

Whatever you do DO NOT put hydrogen peroxide or alcohol on your belly button! My friend thought it would be ok even though the guy who did it said not to and her hole expanded so much that the belly button ring fell out! It was pretty nasty! Also, don't put antibiotic ointment on it either it will clog it up. I used a warm water salt soak and it worked just fine. I had still have soreness sometimes and I got mine almost a year ago. It is perfectly normal. It takes a belly button at least a year to heal after being pierced so don't worry. Also, don't go swimming for a few more weeks (if you swim). When you exercise or anything that will make you sweat you need to get a cotton ball and tear some of it off and put it around your ring because it will soak up the sweat. If sweat gets in the wound it will get infected. It is normal to be a little sore. Mine was for like 2 months and sometimes if I accidentally bump it hard or something it will be sore again. Don't worry everything is ok. Even a little discharge is normal. It will continue until it is completely healed. If the discharge has blood in it you might should go to the doctor though. If you haven't changed your ring yet I would wait a few more weeks. When you do change it soak the new one in alcohol for a few minutes because you never know what is on it! I hope this helped! Good luck!

I have bad news for you... You may have to have your belly button removed!!! More likely a doctor can give you antibiotics if it is infected.

Well, as long as its not starting to puss out or anything. It sounds like it is a bit infected. Your body will make an open wound red and swelled to trigger your immune system to fight the bacteria or infection. The other thing is that it will do this when it thinks it is a foreign object and wants to reject it. I did the same thing with a pierce ear in my cartilages and it made my ear three times bigger. My ear rejected in and it fell out in my sleep. It happens sometimes.

thankyou everyone! Ive lessened the salt in my solutions now, and hopeully that will help. I don't use anything to clean it apart from the sea salt solution, i only have showers (and am careful not to get any shampoo or anything on it that could irritate it). it is still lymphing and sometimes the lymph looks as if it has a bit of dried blood in it, only a little however. the bottom hole is absolutely fine, just the top one that is worrying me. theres no heat or puss, so i'm hoping that its just taking its time in healing. does not look at all like it is rejecting (cannot see the bar or 'the dreaded line' or anything), just the redness and soreness.

You got some very good advice. Something that always worked for my piercings is a 50/50 solution of liquid bactine/water. Get a squeeze bottle and make the solution, put it on twice a day. Clean it with anti-bacterial soap and you should be fine.