Generally for females, a bellybutton ring adds a bit of flash to your bikini body, but stays hidden underneath your work clothes. Although the entire piercing process only takes a couple of minutes from the moment you lie in the piercing chair, the bellybutton takes four months to one year to heal. Trust only an experienced piercer, also known as a body modification artist, with membership in the Association of Professional Piercers.
Process
While you are lying down, the piercer sanitizes your navel and then uses forceps to clamp the top of the bellybutton and the skin above the bellybutton in place. With a hollow, sterilized, disposable needle, the piercer inserts the needle through your bellybutton from the bottom up, and then inserts your chosen jewelry through the hole in the same way.
Jewelry
Bellybutton jewelry comes in many forms from claw-shaped hoops to straight and curved barbells. Highly polished titanium and surgical steel are the safest metals for bellybutton piercing. Nylon and Teflon may be used if you are sensitive to other metals. Do not use silver jewelry and only use gold if the jewelry is at least 18 karat.
Risks
Hepatitis and HIV are the more serious, but rare, risks involved with your bellybutton piercing. More common risks include infection, thick scarring known as keloids, nerve damage and an allergic reaction to the jewelry. Bacterial endocarditis, an infection of the surface of the heart, is a risk if you have a moderate to high-risk cardiac condition, according to American Family Physician. Your body could also reject the piercing.
Side Effects
Bleeding, localized swelling, tenderness and bruising are normal side effects during the initial healing process, according to the Association of Professional Piercers. While your piercing heals, you may experience some discoloration, itching or a secretion of a white-yellow color. See your doctor if you have a foul-smelling, yellow secretion coming from your piercing or you develop a fever.
Aftercare
Always wash your hands before handling your bellybutton piercing. Clean your piercing with a saline soak for five to 10 minutes, at least once a day. Wash the piercing with soap no more than twice a day with a pearl-sized drop of soap lather. Pat dry your piercing with a paper towel. Wear loose-fitting shirts and dresses that will not snag on the piercing.
Warnings
The Center for Young Women's Health warns that you should not get a bellybutton piercing if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you have a skin irritation, mole, cut or other lesion at your bellybutton, you should not get it pierced. Get your doctor's clearance if you have a medical condition that slows healing including hemophilia, diabetes, an autoimmune disorder or a heart condition.
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