Belly button piercing

[rainbowslollipops]

Sister is seriously considering a belly button piercing. She only knows of one other person who has one and they had a bad experience with it but I guess that's down to where you go. So, I'm asking you mnetters if you could give me all the ins and outs of a belly piercing for me to pass onto sister. Thanks in advance!

My dd has one and she hasn't had any trouble with it. She had it done at a tattoo and piercing salon in Reading.

I had mine done at 12. I wore a piercing for maybe 9 months, then stopped in the hope it would heal up. 10 years later, it hasn't.

The holes look odd with nothing in them. I'd go back to wearing a piercing to hide them, but it ruins the lines of my clothes, and I don't want too, really! Nice charms that aren't cheap and nasty can be hard to come across once you've got over the initial excitement for spangly things.

Be really sure you want it.

What sort of naval rings would you recommend? how long is the healing process?

I am far too fat to wear mine any longer but never had any problems with it. Used a little salt water to heal it when first had it done. Just basic hygiene until its well healed and resist pulling at it.

It's painful. It's permanent (mine hasn't healed up either). Yes, looks great when done, and I enjoyed having mine for the 10 years or so I had it.

But I would think carefully before having it done again!

You need stainless steel rings. TBH I would only go to a reputable tattoo/piercing salon. It will be pierced by clamping the stomach back (that's the bit that hurts, especially if you're slim ie. no fat to clamp back) numbing the area and then pushing a long needle through.

First few weeks is a nightmare catching on jeans/belts etc.

Took about 6 wks to heal properly, but despite being scrupulous about cleaning etc, I got an infection which needed antibiotics.

I have 9 piercings and my navel was the one that healed quickest, no problems at all

My sister works in a home so she has to wear the uniform that is similar to a nurse's one. Would her piercing be ok? She'd only go to a tattoo & piercing salon, she doesn't trust ones that are home done or not recommended well enough. She's had 2 children so her once flat stomach is a little bigger. Would that be ok?

If it's a dress, it may well drive her mad even when it's healed. It'll catch, and drive her bonkers.

They pierce people of all shapes and sizes, though. Healing took the average 6 weeks for me, it didn't get infected.

There's just very few people who would get it done again, so it really is a big decision. I don't regret having it done, but I'd do anything for it to heal now.

For the first few weeks it really hurts when anything touches it, so she'll want a really, really big uniform for a while. It's bad enough when belts touch it, dresses were out of bounds for a while!

I had mine done about ten years ago and took it out when I was pregnant six years ago. It still hasn't healed up yet.

I had it done in a tattoo studio in London. It didn't hurt at all. The guy that did it recommended I wore a ring in it for the first six weeks whilst it healed to allow it to swell and then change to a bar if I wanted after the swelling had gone down.

I never had any problems with it getting infected. Occasionally it would catch on my clothes but never so that it bothered me. The only reason I don't wear it anymore is because my belly is a bit knackered now after pregnancy!!

I've had mine in for about 18 years (I'm 42 now). I have never had a problem with mine and kept it in through both pregnancies.
I have never regretted it an will never take the ring out.

A ring might be better for her to have in if she's going to be wearing her work uniform.

I've had it done twice. The first time I wore it for about 4 years then stopped smoking, changed shape and just didn't like the look of it without a flat stomach . I had it repierced about a year ago and it's been fine. I wore a larger bar whilst it healed and then changed it to a smaller jewel.

I had mine done 18+ years ago. I'm too fat to show it off, but I still kinda love it. If you're going to get it done its best to got for an 8mm or 10mm piercing with a ring, the ring so it can be twisted and help healing without ripping and scar tissue removing a navel bar, 8-10mm as they're standard sizing for rings and bars. I healed easily, and have only had a couple of infections. I even managed a game of touch rugby whilst it was healing, a game of touch rugby that involved tackling (stupid girls )

I've had mine done twice, pre and post pregnancy. I had to take it out towards the end of my pregnancy as it was rubbing and hurting.

I wear bars, but have to buy them on the internet as my holes are closer together than the standard.

I forget I have it tbh, but I do think it looks lovely especially when I wear a bikini and have a tan. (So 2 weeks of the year then!)

Really dont get a ring. The movement makes it harder to heal, you are so much better off with a surgical steel bar.

Ok so let me narrow this down. Better to get a bar than a ring.
Loose clothing if possible.
How about cleaning it? What does she use?
On average 6 weeks to heal.
What are the do's and don't's.

I was given a little bottle of teatree type solution by the piercer to clean it for a week or so , other than that there's no other care needed other than bog standard hygiene . Mine was a little uncomfortable for about a week ,a as in when I bent over I could feel it. Now I don't even notice it. I've never caught it on anything or pulled it. The ball at the top did fall off in the shower one day and it stayed on until I managed to get to the piercers to get a replacement.

So does she need to turn it or anything?

I think I just had to slide it up and down to make sure it wasn't stuck, which I will do occasionally in the shower.

I read online that a shower is best to wash it but she doesn't have one she has a bath. Is she ok to bath still or would she need to cover it?

Had mine done many years ago and although the actual process was fine, didn't have any problems, I regret it now. The hole never properly heals up if you take it out and combined with stretchmarks from pregnancy the whole thing looks a mess when I take the bar out. So I keep it in but it now makes me feel a bit mutton.

Not sure rainbowslollipops but I'm sure if she phoned the piercing parlour they will answer her questions.

Had mine done when I was 17 and took it out at 21. Never had any problems with healing or infections. The hole it left hasn't healed over after 10 years without it, but it's not really noticeable. Generally it didn't catch on things or look visible under clothes, but one time my boyfriend picked me up and it caught on his belt and nearly got ripped out!

Tea tree oil is way too harsh.
Just use a dash of salt in boiling water and soak the piercing in it as hot as you can.
Wriggling the piercing around delays healing so keep it still.
Dont change jewellry for a couple of months and wait longer for dangling jewellry.

I got mine about 9 years ago (just realised how long I've had it..) and no regrets here. I had a bar and now wear a silver ring with a dangly moonstone. It did not get infected, had it done in a good clean piercing place and cleaned it the first weeks with sea salt in a shot glas of luke warm water, pressed against my belly button so it had a nice soak. No wriggling, just a soak. Worked well.