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Original poster

DD (14) wants belly button piercing - would you say yes?

71 replies

ThatVikRinA22 · 03/04/2012 16:42

my thinking is that its her body, and in the great scheme of things its not that bad, (i would have felt quite differently had she asked for a tongue piercing for instance....on that i would say NO) Plus i absolutely do not want her to sneak off and get this done behind my back....not that i believe she would. She is well behaved and not a difficult teen by any stretch.

i had booked her into a tattoo/piercing parlour, but when i arrived there was a sign on the door saying they were closed today Hmm

so, thought i would take the opportunity to find out what others think and ask those with pierced belly buttons if they regret it?

cheers

OP posts:
Shriekable · 03/04/2012 16:59

Will places do them before she's 16? I had mine done when I was a young funky thing (Wink) 20 years ago - never had any probs & totally loved it. Only 'gave it up' when had DS1 at 38 & had to take it out. I would put it back in but I'm 43 now & don't want to look like I'm trying too hard . . . I only ever had the original ring in & still think they look great on toned tummies! Dont like the belly bars & all the guff hanging off some of them. If you're ok with it, let her get it done Smile

Shriekable · 03/04/2012 17:01

Would also add all I've got now is a little hole where it used to be - no scar. If you go somewhere reputable & she looks after it, then I don't see why it would scar.

scurryfunge · 03/04/2012 17:04

It would be fine if she mature enough to keep it clean.

Mind you, I did know someone's Aunty's stepfather's cousin whose legs fell off when she sneezed wearing a navel piercing, honest.

ripsishere · 03/04/2012 17:06

I think they are horrible on any age, I love eyebrow and nose piercings, but belly buttons are just horrible.
Will the shop even do it on someone under 16?

Toddle · 03/04/2012 17:09

No. I had mine done at 13 IIRC I grew but it didnt grow with me so the piece of skin that holds it got thinner so it wasn't really held in properly. It got so small I was told I I caught it, it would rip out so I'd be left with two flappy bits Sad. It was taken out at 15 at 21 it's still not healed it looks horrid, red and angry where the skin stretched.

I'd say wait a couple of years.

ClaireAll · 03/04/2012 17:10

Emphatically, no.

Theas18 · 03/04/2012 17:13

nope!

amothersplaceisinthewrong · 03/04/2012 17:15

No, - hopefully the shop/salon will say no too.

Bunbaker · 03/04/2012 17:15

A no from me as well, but that is because I just don't like them (old gimmer).

Original poster
ThatVikRinA22 · 03/04/2012 17:18

thanks.

im not worried about the principle of it (i would say no to anything on her face - i hate eyebrows/facial piercing) but i am a little concerned about these stories about them growing out.....

the tattoo place said with my permission they would do it, and i was going to go with her, but this about them growing out is worrying - what does it mean?

she is 14, tall and willowy....but yes i reckon still got some growing to do.

OP posts:
rarebreed · 03/04/2012 17:20

Nope. My mums rule was that I could pierce what a liked, but not until I had left school and I would have to pay for it myself. Seems fair enough.

rarebreed · 03/04/2012 17:20

X post

suburbandream · 03/04/2012 17:23

Would anywhere do it for her at 14? I thought you had to be 18 or something - maybe I've just got that in my head because they do them in tatoo parlours. I had mine done and loved it, but they can be troublesome, stretching etc especially as she will still be growing. Let her wait until she's older and she can decide, she may well have gone off the idea by then.

Original poster
ThatVikRinA22 · 03/04/2012 17:25

how can i say no when i have had my nose done (wore a nose stud for about 10 years but dont wear it now, cant even find the hole!)

and i have a tattoo on my foot which i love.

i was thinking with a navel piercing it wasnt such a big deal and she could take the thing out if she wanted and it would heal?

she had her ears done at 10 and never wears ear rings now....my thinking was not to make an issue of it and to ensure that where she had it done was clinically sterile etc - (her friend went and had it done at Blue Banana! a bloody clothes shop! id go MAD if she did that....)

this growing out thing is bothering me....but alot of her friends have had navel piercings, would the tattoo place not tell us about the risks?

OP posts:
NatashaBee · 03/04/2012 17:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

tinierclanger · 03/04/2012 17:29

Belly piercings don't disappear when they heal though, so they are 'fo life' really. I've got one and I don't regret it (don't wear it now though) but I think 14 is too young really.

ivykaty44 · 03/04/2012 17:32

I think it is great that she asked you, it is good she didn't go behind your back and get it done - though I think under 16 you need parental permission anyway and she probably knew this.

Only you and your dd can decide whether she is the correct age to be allowed to have this done - other people may say no but it is not their daughter and you know her - not us.

I don't see that it is a big deal - my older dd1 has her belly button pierced and had it done at 15 - nearly 16.

notactuallyme · 03/04/2012 17:35

No! Its really common, and I personally think kids should be made to wait to do adult stuff like tattoos and piercings. And watching 18s and drinking and all that. And I have tattoos and a nose ring, so I am quite happy that kids don't have the same rights as adults.

Original poster
ThatVikRinA22 · 03/04/2012 17:44

oh god now she is having a strop because i have asked her to research it a bit more re the growing out thing. She will grow. She is almost 15 but she will grow....

she is insisting she is getting it done with or without me. let her bloody well try......Angry if she does she will be grounded for life.

help. this is exactly what i wanted to avoid by making sure it was done properly and in the right place etc....

OP posts:
Toddle · 03/04/2012 17:44

I would be more then willing to send you a picture of my belly button now, the size of the bars they have it done with and the size of the bar I had to end up wearing because it 'grew out'. Yes I thought I looked the bee's knees at 13/14/15 while it was in however I hate it now. They look pretty on a toned stomach I think but on holidays with my friends I felt so uncomfortable in a bikini because of the mess it's made.

If you pinch the top of your belly button that's the skin that sits in front of the bar holding it in place. When you grow it stretches and gets lots thinner meaning you end up with tons of a metal bar floating around the bottom and IMO it looks awful. BecAuse that skin stretched on me it also meant I wasn't able to put the standard size bars in as they were too thick and heavy. It felt like it was dragging that tiny bit of skin down like it would snap.

Id much rather I'd waited until I was 16/18. At the end of the day no one could see my piercing through my school uniform and I didn't walk around the streets in a bikini. For me by the time I wanted it to look good at 17/18 on girls holidays it was a mess

Original poster
ThatVikRinA22 · 03/04/2012 17:46

toddle would you be willing to do that please so i can show her? i will pm you....

OP posts:
Original poster
ThatVikRinA22 · 03/04/2012 17:57

pm'd you with my email addy toddle....hope thats ok. Trying to reason with a teen is like trying to plait fog....

OP posts:
AgathaFusty · 03/04/2012 18:00

I think you really need to 'let her' have it done, otherwise she will probably get it done anyway (somewhere inappropriate) and that may set a precedent. It's really not such a big deal - belly buttons are much easier to hide than facial piercings obviously.

Would she consider a ring rather than a bar? A ring wouldn't look so odd if the piercing did migrate (which can happen to any piercing no matter how old the person is), as she wouldn't be left with a load of useless bar at the bottom. Also far less likely to catch on clothing or rip.

bigTillyMint · 03/04/2012 18:03

Dh would definitely say no. I wouldn't be keen, but I don't know if I'd be that bothered - DD is coming up to 13 and is wanting to make her own decisions....

Original poster
ThatVikRinA22 · 03/04/2012 18:04

well she is at least talking to me again now after he initial flounce when i asked her to think about this growing out thing....

she is willing to look at the photo that toddle has offered to send (thank you!)

ive told her that i will not stop her but i want her to look at the risks and do it with her eyes open.

thanks for the opinions....off to work shortly but will be back tomorrow at some point.

OP posts: