Although many of your friends or family members may already have a navel ring, consider the dangers of receiving a belly button piercing before deciding to visit a piercing shop. Never allow a friend to pierce you and only rely on a professional piercer to perform your navel piercing and provide advice on aftercare.
Disease Transmission
When choosing a body piercer to perform your belly button piercing, understand that the technique and experience of the piercer are not the only important concerns. A disease such as hepatitis C is a possibility if a piercer performs the procedure with dirty instruments and needles and is not educated on how to properly clean the piercing area, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Each instrument, needle and supply--such as gauze--must be sterilized before the piercing in an autoclave. To ensure that the autoclave is functioning correctly and rids equipment of dangerous bacteria, the piercing shop must spore test the machine on a weekly or monthly basis. Spore test results should be available for your viewing in professional piercing shops to prove that the piercing shop uses sterile equipment to pierce you. Asking the piercer to see the autoclave and spore test, as well as sharps containers for used needles will ensure that you are choosing a safe piercing location and that you will not risk disease transmission during your piercing.
Scarring
Scarring is a risk when you receive a belly button piercing. Depending on the piercer that you choose and your aftercare, the size and shape of the scar will vary from person to person. A navel piercing that a professional piercer performs with the proper size needle and jewelry will leave a scar above the belly button that is the size of a pin. If you visit a non-professional piercer for your navel piercing, a large scar could be the result. Not everyone is suited for a belly button ring and your piercer must be educated in anatomy to know if your navel is appropriate for the piercing, according to Infinite Body Piercing. Allowing a non-professional to provide the piercing may result in scarring from incorrect needle or jewelry size, as well as migration. Migration--when your body pushes the navel ring out of your piercing--is possible if your navel is not suitable for the piercing and the scar is a vertical line from the jewelry exiting your piercing. If a professional piercer refuses to pierce your navel because of the shape of your anatomy, pick a different piercing location to avoid scarring instead of visiting a non-professional who will pierce the area. Caring for your navel piercing and adhering to the piercer's advice can help to avoid excessive scarring. Using harsh products on your new belly piercing can burn the skin and tissue inside and around the piercing causing scarring when you remove the body jewelry.
Irritation and Infection
If you experience irritation, which includes redness and swelling, during the healing of your belly button piercing, this is normal, according to the Association of Professional Piercers. However, touching your piercing, playing with or rotating the jewelry and allowing clothing to put pressure on your belly button ring can result in infection. Infection is not normal during the healing period and is a risk that you may encounter if you fail to follow a professional piercer's advice while cleaning and healing your belly button ring. Infection, followed by an abscess, is possible when you neglect to clean your piercing or touch your piercing with dirty hands.
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