How to Get Rid of Scars from Belly Piercings

Last Updated: January 11, 2023 References

Scars from belly piercings can definitely be a disappointment, but they don’t have to be permanent. For mild scars, massage lotions and essential oils into the scar twice a day until it disappears. Use pressure to reduce raised scars like hypertrophic scars. For more severe scars, you may want to seek medical help to get rid of the scar. To increase the chance of your scar disappearing, use a combination of treatments.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Topical Treatments

1
Massage the scar with a pea-sized amount of raw shea butter. Apply the raw shea butter onto the scar. Use your fingers to massage the shea butter into the scar. Massage the scar for 10 minutes twice daily. Repeat this process for three months, or until the scar has disappeared.
- Alternatively, you can use cocoa butter, or a mixture of shea and cocoa butter to heal your scar.
- You can find and purchase raw shea butter from your local health food store.
2
Rub the scar with a mixture of tea tree and coconut oil. Mix two to four drops of tea tree oil with ¹⁄₈ teaspoon (0.62 ml) of coconut oil. Rub the oil into your scar for ten minutes. Apply the oil twice a day.
- Repeat this process for three months, or until the scar has disappeared.
- You can also add other essential oils like jojoba oil, emu oil, or helichrysum oil to the mixture to get rid of your belly piercing scars.
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3
Apply a dime-sized amount of pure aloe vera onto your scar. Rub the aloe vera in with your fingers until it is spread evenly. Apply the aloe vera two to three times per day.^{[1]
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- Repeat this process for three months, or until your scar has disappeared.
- You can purchase pure aloe vera from your local health food store.
4
Rub your scar with a pea-sized amount of Vitamin E extract. Massage the vitamin E into your scar for 10 minutes twice a day. Repeat this process for three months, or until your scar has disappeared.
- You can purchase vitamin E extract from your local pharmacy or health food store.
5
Try over-the-counter scar treatments. Choose over-the-counter products that contain natural oils and lotions such as aloe vera, shea butter, tea tree oil, vitamin E, onion (or garlic) extract, and cocoa butter. Apply the treatments per the instructions on the package.^{[2]
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- You can purchase over-the-counter treatments from your local pharmacy.
EXPERT TIP

Roger Rodriguez
Piercing Specialist
Roger Rodriguez, also known as Roger Rabb!t, is the Owner of Ancient Adornments Body Piercing, a piercing studio based in the Los Angeles, California area. With over 25 years of piercing experience, Roger has become the co-owner of several piercing studios such as ENVY Body Piercing and Rebel Rebel Ear Piercing and teaches the craft of body piercing at Ancient Adornments. He is a member of the Association of Professional Piercers (APP).

Roger Rodriguez
Piercing Specialist

Oils and other treatments can help, but make sure your expectations are realistic. You can massage the area with jojoba or coconut oil to make the scar less visible, but any time you break the skin, there's potentially going to be some kind of a scar. When you pierce your navel, that's an area that stretches and pulls constantly. You have to bend to put on your clothes and shoes, plus walking, sitting down, standing up, twisting—that area goes through a lot of movements every day, and that makes it more likely to scar.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Treating Hypertrophic Scars

1
Compress the scar with surgical tape. Use scissors to cut a piece of surgical tape that will cover your entire scar. Place and secure the tape on top of the scar. Leave the tape on the scar for at least eight hours. You can either put the tape on at night or during the day.^{[3]
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- If you still have your piercing in your belly button, use a hole puncher to punch a hole into the tape. Fit the tape over the piercing and onto the scar. Remove the tape after five to seven hours.
- You can purchase surgical tape from your local pharmacy.
2
Apply a pea-sized amount of silicone gel onto the scar. Rub the gel into the scar for two to three minutes twice a day. Repeat this process for three months, or until the scar has disappeared.^{[4]
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- You can purchase silicone gels online or from your local pharmacy.
3
Try a chamomile tea compress. Pour 1 cup (240 ml) of water into a mug. Microwave the water for two minutes on high. Place a tea bag in the cup. After two minutes, remove the tea bag and let it cool to room temperature, about eight minutes. Once the tea bag has cooled, press the tea bag onto your scar.^{[5]
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- Hold the tea bag in place with your hand, surgical tape, or crepe bandages for 15 minutes.
- Repeat this process two to three times per day for two weeks, or until your scar has reduced or disappeared.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Seeking Medical Treatment

1
Freeze the scar. For small keloids, your dermatologist may suggest freezing the scar. Similar to wart removals, the dermatologist will use liquid nitrogen to freeze and kill the scar tissue. The scar tissue will fall off after four or five days.^{[6]
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- A keloid is an overgrowth of scar tissue that extends beyond the immediate area of a wound.^{[7]
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- The price of freezing a scar can range from $100 to $300.
2
Get a corticosteroid injection. Call and make an appointment with your dermatologist. Your dermatologist will give your keloid a corticosteroid injection to reduce its appearance.^{[8]
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- Corticosteroid injections are used to reduce inflammation in small to medium-sized keloids.
- The cost of corticosteroid injection varies. However, it typically costs $50 to $150.
3
Try a filler injection. Filler injections are commonly used to treat sunken scars, also known as atrophic scars. The dermatologist will inject the tissue with fillers to raise the skin to the level of the surrounding tissue.^{[9]
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- Because the effects of this treatment are temporary, you will need to have your scar refilled periodically.
- The cost of filler injection depends on the type of filler used for the injection. The price can range from $250 to $1,000.
4
Remove the scar with dermabrasion. Dermabrasion is used to remove the surface of the scar. Removing the surface of the scar, whether it is raised or flat, will help the scar blend in better with the surrounding skin.^{[10]
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- The average cost for this procedure is $900. However, the cost of the procedure really depends on the size of the scar.
5
Beware of surgically removing a keloid. While surgery can be used to make a scar less noticeable by altering its shape or color, it is not recommended for keloids or hypertrophic scars. Surgery may result in more severe scarring for keloids and hypertrophic scars.^{[11]
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- The cost of surgically removing a scar can range from $300 to $1,000, depending on the size of the scar.