Well....I haven't actually had an industrial, but I have done a bunch. I used to do professional body piercings, so I can give a little advice.

First, yes, it can take quite a while to heal completely. It is also likely that a "bump" will form around the actual hole. This is not necessarily an infection, it's just the way some peoples bodies react to the piercing. If it is infeced, it will be red, hurt like hell, and usually have something coming out of it (ie nasty stuff). Initially, you will have these symptoms regardless, as it is still fresh. When to get worried would be a couple weeks out.

Two: do not try and change out your jewelry too soon. Wait until there is no more pain. Common sense should play a role here, but many people fail to realize that they can cause infection and damage easier by trying to change the jewelry out too quickly.

three: Keep it clean, but do not over-clean. Your body has to heal itself, and requires certain things to do such (such as the slight scabbing you will have). Do not peel off the scabs right away. Leave them on for a while. When you are rotating the jewelry, sometimes the scab will come loose. That is ok, as it is going to happen no matter what you do. But give time in between. Don't play with it all day long thinking taht will help.





Any particular questions you have, feel free to ask. I have personally done thousands of piercings, and had 32 myself. Most of which were self-inflicted, and I never had an infection.