The best possible time to receive a navel piercing is the winter, because of the long healing period. Swimming in a lake, pool or ocean can irritate a navel piercing and introduce bacteria, causing an infection. If you are piercing your navel before a vacation to the beach or in the summertime, wear a bandage that is water resistant over the piercing while swimming to protect your healing navel piercing.
Significance
Considered only an adornment or a sign of beauty to some, others perceive navel piercings as a spiritual journey. Believers of Hinduism or alternative medicine believe that piercing the navel aligns or improves function of the third chakra, the solar plexus. The solar plexus controls emotions, such as willpower and self-esteem, and rules organs in the torso, such as the pancreas and kidneys. In this practice, the jewelry works as a gatekeeper to hold positive energy inside the body while preventing negative energy from entering.
Types
A traditional navel piercing is in the top half of the navel. Piercing the lower lip of the navel also is possible in some clients. A piercer creates a star or square shape by piercing the upper and lower lips of the navel along with two or more surface piercings on the sides of the navel. Because the torso bends and moves on a daily basis, professional piercers--due to constant migration and irritation of torso surface piercings--do not recommend surface piercings.
Correct navel anatomy is required to receive a navel piercing. The top flap of the navel must have enough room for the jewelry to hang inside the navel without pressure from the top or bottom. In clients that the top flap of the navel is inappropriate for piercing, the bottom lip sometimes is an option. A professional piercer will check your navel before beginning the piercing, asking you to sit down and bend over, to determine if the navel is an appropriate piercing site.
Jewelry
In a healing navel, curved barbells with extra room for swelling are the standard type of jewelry. Rarely, a client may be able to heal a navel with a captive bead ring. Once a navel piercing is healed, different styles and colors of jewelry can be inserted into the navel on a daily basis. After the navel is healed, dangle types of jewelry are possible. Dangles have jewels, gems or charms cascading off the bottom ball of the navel barbell. Some dangle jewelry is heavy, depending on the amount of charms or jewels, and may irritate your navel piercing by pulling on the piercing hole.
Most navel jewelry does not have real stones or gems in the metal, but gold with authentic diamonds, sapphires and emeralds are available. When buying gold for a navel piercing, understand before purchasing that the pH levels are different in the navel than in the earlobes or wearing a necklace. The gold in your navel jewelry may turn black over time.
Care
Caring for the navel piercing involves washing the piercing and jewelry once a day in the shower with a fragrance free soap. Towels, washcloths and loofahs harbor bacteria and may catch on navel piercings, causing ripping or tearing; wash the piercing with your hands only. Use a paper towel to pat dry the navel piercing and the surrounding skin. The crusts, from dried fluids, on the jewelry should be removed in the shower while cleaning and not picked off the jewelry with the hands. Refrain from touching the navel piercing holes and jewelry. Do not wear restrictive clothing near or on top of the navel piercing, such as pantyhose and high waist slacks, to avoid irritating the piercing.
Healing
The healing period for a navel piercing is usually six months to one year. During this time, do not change your jewelry or touch the piercing except when cleaning. Navel piercings go through stages of irritation during the healing period. It is common for a navel piercing to seem healed for several weeks during the healing period and then suddenly become irritated. This is not an indicator of infection. If suspecting an infection in your navel piercing, visit a professional piercer immediately. The piercer will advise you whether to visit your doctor or if the navel piercing is in fact just irritated.
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