Editing Navel piercing (section)

==Risks==

[[File:First piercing.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Piercing process with clamp]]

Navel piercings can be one of the slowest piercings to heal, with healing times ranging from six months to two years.<ref name="M106">{{harv|Miller|2004|p=106}}</ref>

Navel piercings carry several risks, including:
*[[Infection]]: A new piercing may take up to 6–12 months to heal completely, during which time sweat, bacteria, and friction may lead to infection. A piercer cannot diagnose whether a piercing is infected but can give advice and recommend medical care when needed. Infected navel piercings can result in [[sepsis]] and possibly death.
*[[Scarring]]: Skin tissue rarely heals to match the surrounding tissue. It heals in varying thickness and size. It is likely that any piercing worn for a significant time (months to years) will leave a scar if removed.
* '''Rejection''': Rejection is when the body pushes out a piercing in order for the wound to properly heal. This can happen even if the wearer takes very good care of the navel piercing. There is no way to stop rejection, as it is just the body's natural healing process. It can be prevented, though, by maintaining proper aftercare, preventing it from getting pulled at or tugged on, and being pierced in the correct spot by a reputable piercer. If rejection occurs, the jewelry should be removed as soon as feasible to minimize the scarring.
*[[Piercing migration|Migration]]: Migration can happen due to a variety of reasons. It may be due to the amount of movement in the area which pushed the piercing to a spot where it would be easier to heal. Trauma from pulling or tugging on the piercing could have added excess scar tissue, or it was improperly pierced, making the body push it to a more comfortable spot.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Meltzer |first=Donna I. |date=2005-11-15 |title=Complications of Body Piercing |url=https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2005/1115/p2029.html |journal=American Family Physician |language=en-US |volume=72 |issue=10 |pages=2029–2034|pmid=16342832 }}</ref>