Body piercing is when a needle is inserted into a part of the body and then a foreign object such as jewelry is inserted. Eventually, the skin around the jewelry heals and a hole remains. The hole is the piercing. It is perfectly safe when done by careful professionals.

DO NOT pierce your own navel. Piercing should be done with a sterilized needle, gloves, and other sterilized equipment.

Navel piercings can migrate within about five to ten years, and then they will fall out.

Navel piercings take time to heal, approximately 4 months to 1 year.

Belly piercing is a big decision. The following information will help you make the best decision for you. Make sure you go to a reputable piercer and see your doctor if you have symptoms of an infection!

Which piercing parlor to use?

You should ask friends and family members with piercings where they went and if they liked the place.

Is the salon clean and safe, as this can help keep you healthy after getting pierced and prevent you from getting sick? Is it well lit so the driller can see clearly while working? You should feel safe there.

Do they wash their hands and use sterile gloves and instruments? All instruments must be new and disposable (intended to be disposed of after one use) or sterilized in bags. If disposable needles are used, you should see them open the sealed packages of needles! The piercer should dispose of the needles in a biohazard container after use. If disposable needles are not used, the salon must have sterilization equipment on site, which you should ask to see. If they refuse to show you, go somewhere else.

A piercing gun should not be used (except on ears) because it cannot be properly sterilized. If the salon uses a piercing “gun” to do body piercings… GO AWAY!

Look for a salon that has a wide variety of jewelry. The salon shouldn’t tell you what kind of jewelry you should have.

What kind of jewelry should you buy?

Only jewelry made of a non-corrosive metal, such as surgical stainless steel, is safe when first pierced. It is less likely to cause a foreign body reaction or skin infection. Other options for when you first get your piercing are metals like solid gold (at least 18 karat), titanium, or niobium. All of these cost more than surgical steel. For people who are extremely sensitive to metal, Teflon or nylon piercings can be used. Gold plated jewelry should NOT be worn.

Regulation

Since the law is different in each country, you will need to find out what the law in your country says about:

o Minimum age to pierce the belly

o Whether or not you need parental permission to get a piercing

o What qualifications and regulations the salon must have and must display

How is it done and does it hurt?

Immediately before piercing, the piercer should wash and dry their hands and put on latex gloves. Gloves must be worn at all times during the procedure. If the piercer walks out of the procedure and touches something or comes back later and you haven’t seen everything he’s done, ask him to put on new gloves.

An experienced piercer uses a hollow needle to create a hole by passing the needle through the body part to be pierced. Body jewelry is then inserted through the hole. Sometimes there may be a small amount of bleeding. You should not take aspirin or any aspirin-containing pain reliever in the week before your piercing, as these medications may cause you to bleed a little more than usual.

On the subject of ‘pain’. It will vary from person to person as different people perceive pain in different ways. Everyone has a different tolerance level, so you really just have to experience it for yourself.

The piercer should give you instructions on cleaning, maintenance, etc. If they don’t, ask questions (it’s your body, you deserve to know how to take care of it).

What are the risks?

The most common piercing problem is infection. The infection is quite common and is easily cured with proper care and attention. Another risk with a piercing is that your body might reject it. Doing so can cause swelling and pain. If your piercing is causing you a lot of pain or keeps getting infected, you may want to have your piercing removed and re-pierced once it has healed. Infections can be caused by hepatitis, HIV, tetanus, bacteria, and fungi. If the piercer washes their hands and wears sterile gloves and equipment and you take good care of your piercing, the risk of infection is reduced (but still exists).

As with other piercings, your navel piercing will be swollen, red, and filled with pus. It could be painful. If the piercing does not improve in the next few days, remove it. Some bodies don’t like piercings. It will not heal properly and has nothing to do with the piercing itself or the piercer. It has to do with the body of that particular person. The navel piercing can be rejected by the body.

There is no real danger from the piercing itself, but it is important to take care of it. The dangers are once you are inside. The reason is that it is in the front of the body with clothing constantly rubbing against the piercing. People tend to touch the piercing and transfer germs from their fingers to the ring. Once it turns into the piercing, some navels can get infected.

Infections caused by bacteria entering the piercing puncture can also occur later, even after the piercing has healed.

Another cause of problems with piercings is the wrong type of jewelry for the pierced area. If the jewelry is too small, it can actually cut off the blood supply to the tissue, causing swelling and pain. If the jewelry is too thin or too heavy or if you are allergic to metal, your body can sometimes reject the jewelry (your body reacts against the jewelry because it is a “foreign object”).

How to take care of the piercing

Clean the piercing at least twice a day until it heals. This is done by:

o Always wash hands with soap and water (or antibacterial soap) before cleaning

o Remove crusty skin from piercing and jewelry with warm water

o Gently wash the piercing with a saline solution (sea salt mixed with water) or antibacterial soap

o Gently rinse the area to remove the solution or soap.

o Gently pat the area dry with a paper towel (do not use cloth towels as they may contain bacteria)

o Do not wash or rub too much, as this can irritate the piercing.

Check your jewelry as you clean it to see if any pieces have come loose.

Do not use alcohol, peroxide or any other strong solution as this may cause irritation and/or discoloration of the jewelry.

Do not let anyone harden the piercing until it heals.

If you’re not cleaning the piercing, don’t touch it!

Avoid bathing, better take a shower to avoid sitting on bacteria

Do not use hot tubs, swimming pools, lakes, seas, as these are breeding grounds for bacteria.

Always clean your piercing after exercising or playing sports, as bacteria love moist places.

Do not use antibacterial cream as these trap bacteria.

Always wear clean, loose clothing while your piercing is healing to allow air to circulate around the piercing. Clothing should be made of soft fabric and should not stick to or rub the piercing. Avoid jeans, leotards, belts, bodysuits, and stockings until the piercing has healed.

Change your bed sheets once a week to help prevent infection.

DO NOT attempt to change the piercing during the healing process. When you drill it, ask the piercer how long you have to wait before you can drill it.

Always look for signs of infection; bad odor, discharge, redness, pain, swelling, rash around the piercing. If you think you have an infection, always see your doctor.

Be careful with your piercing – it will take time to heal and get used to it.