Q: I have had my belly button pierced now 2 times and I had to remove it because it became infected. I cleaned it per the instruction of my piercer, but it failed. If I were to do this a 3rd time, yes there is scar tissue, are there any recommendations on how to do this and prevent it from failing again? All help is appreciated! Thanks, Michelle

A: So, first of all, was it infected, irritated, or rejecting? Did it require medical attention and antibiotics? Did it develop a nasty lump and refuse to heal? Or did it begin to work its way through the skin and outwards? People often confuse rejection and irritation with infection with infection being less common than the other two. If you got your navel pierced and both times required you to see a doctor and take antibiotics, it would probably be best that you not try a third time unless you can pinpoint what was contaminating the piercing and prevent it from happening again. If your piercings were developing irritation bumps or rejecting, it could be an issue with your piercer or the jewelry that was used. If you have a nickel allergy and you were pierced with stainless steel, that could be the problem. You would want to use titanium, rhodium, or niobium for your jewelry. However, the most common issue people have with belly piercings is that they simply don’t have the anatomy to support one. In that case, you may wish to discuss the possibility of a “floating navel piercing” with your piercer. (Read more on this --> click here) With all of this gone over, the problem remains that you’ve already had the same spot pierced twice and with the remaining scar tissue, it may not be possible for you to have it pierced again. That requires assessment by a trained, professional piercer to know for sure. But you should be prepared for the possibility. Best of luck.

Q: What types of jewelry can I wear in my tragus piercing once it heals up? -Melody

A: Tragus piercings are awesome because the jewelry options are virtually endless. If you’re enjoying the flat back labret you were probably pierced with, it’s fine to continue wearing those or switching to a cartilage stud which has a ball end on the back instead of a flat disc. You can also choose to change to circular jewelry such as a captive ring, hinged segment ring, or closure ring. These look super cute in smaller sizes and the options in finish, material, and charm could keep you shopping until the end of time! Of course, you can always split the difference and wear a straight clicker ring, giving you a straight barbell in the piercing with circular jewelry. These are especially nice if you want a larger, more dramatic piece of jewelry. Aside from curved barbells, you can wear pretty much anything you want in a healed tragus piercing. Happy shopping!

Disclaimer: Body Candy is only here to give you fun and helpful advice and information when it comes to getting pierced. Always consult a professional piercer to make sure a new piercing is right for you!