Navel piercing: questions, answers and more

Whether you're a veteran piercer with a lot of metal or a complete newbie to piercing, a belly button piercing can be a great addition to your personal style.

Naval jewelry styles range from the ornate to the extravagant, including studs, pendants, intricate chains and more, making this piercing a versatile and highly personalized option for Newmarket or Mississauga residents.

Often our clients want to know how a navel piercing will fit in with their lifestyle: is it possible to swim with a navel piercing? What if you get pregnant? What does the healing process look like and does a belly button piercing hurt?

If you're considering a belly button piercing, keep reading. We answer your most important questions and provide our top belly button piercing tips below.

And if you have questions or are ready to take the next step, contact us today or stop by one of our conveniently located piercing parlors in Newmarket and Mississauga.

Where is the navel piercing located?

A belly piercing, also known as a navel piercing, usually goes through the top or bottom of the belly button. Depending on your anatomy, your piercer can give you advice on what might be more appropriate for your anatomy and the type of jewelry you want to decorate. 

Does it hurt to get a navel piercing?

All piercings feel a bit tight, but this marine piercing shouldn't hurt too much. Because belly button piercings only pass through tissue and not through cartilage, they are less painful than many other piercings.

What post-piercing care should be practiced during the healing process of a belly piercing?

It takes 9 to 12 months for a belly button piercing to heal completely. During this time, you should keep your original piercing jewelry in place and follow the piercing hygiene guidelines provided by the shop where you do it. You can prevent infection with a navel piercing in the same way as with other types of piercings. 

There are several key elements of piercing care:

• Avoid immersion in water (pools, hot tubs, lakes, rivers, etc.).
• Wash with medical soap in the shower and wash regularly with saline.
• Prevent irritation (avoid tight clothing, do not sleep on your stomach) 

First, if you want to avoid infections associated with a belly button piercing, it's important to keep the area clean. Always wash your hands before touching a belly button piercing (and don't let anyone do it). Stay away from public pools, hot tubs, or baths until it's completely healed, or there could be chances of serious infections.

Even people who keep button piercings away from pools and hot tubs can be vulnerable to infections. That's why it's important to wash your piercing in the shower with medical soap and saline solution twice a day: just mix sea salt and distilled water, then spray it on the piercing.

Finally, stick to loose clothing at the beginning of the healing process. Body jewelry can get caught on certain types of clothing. Others may irritate the puncture site or trap moisture in the skin. By allowing your belly button piercing to breathe, you give it the best chance of a smooth recovery.

Can all navels be pierced?

A belly button piercing is a type of superficial piercing. This means that most of your piercing jewelry is under the surface of your skin with two exit points on one side (rather than piercing a piece of tissue from one side to the other). cartilage). Surface piercings can be located almost anywhere: thighs, eyebrows, shoulders, back, chest, or almost anywhere else you choose. Areas considered high mobility areas are difficult to treat and prone to sticking and problems. 

You also don't have to stick with surface piercings. Many of our clients love the look of lip piercings, septum piercings, lobes or other styles. While you can't get your belly button pierced, you have many other piercing options available!

What if I get pregnant?

If your piercing is already completely healed, you can leave it on during pregnancy. Although it can become uncomfortable. If you want to remove the piercing, if the navel piercing is completely healed, it is unlikely to close, and a blockage may occur, which can be removed after the jewelry is re-installed.

If you become pregnant before the piercing has healed, you will need to remove the jewelry. Piercing healing puts a strain on your immune system. Trying to heal a piercing during pregnancy puts you and your baby at risk of infection. For this reason, we also do not recommend getting pierced during pregnancy (but you can return after giving birth!).

What body jewelry can be used for a navel piercing?

A wide variety of body jewelry styles are available for belly button piercings. However, before stocking up on jewelry, consider what kind of metal you are comfortable wearing.

Some popular belly button jewelry options include surgical steel, stainless steel and gold belly rings and body jewelry. Each of them has its pros and cons:

Surgical steel  should not irritate your body. However, it is not always clean; many surgical steel belly button rings contain nickel. If you are sensitive to nickel, it is best to avoid this metal.

Stainless steel is one of the more common options for cheaper jewelry but tends to be low quality and annoying.

Gold is the choice of many people for hypoallergenic jewelry. For many, this is very safe. Unfortunately, gold is always mixed with other metals, so allergic reactions to gold jewelry sometimes happen.

If you have extremely sensitive skin, we recommend titanium jewelry, which is generally comfortable, safe, clean, and hypoallergenic.

For your piercing, your piercer will most likely insert a curved barbell into your piercing. It is slightly curved and usually has a gemstone or metal ball on both ends. 

Once your piercing has healed, you can replace it with bead rings and belly button rings. These rings can be plain or embellished. Captive bead rings, as their name suggests, have one bead held in place by pressure on the ring.

Variations of curved barbells and belly button rings come in all shapes and sizes. Many of these include pendants, chains, and decorative patterns. Some even have zodiac signs, gems, or sports logos on them! Go shopping and find jewelry that you like.

Final thoughts on belly button piercings 

Belly button rings and other jewelry are a stylish and unique way to express your personality and complement your physique and outfit. They can be subtle and understated or glamorous and attractive. With careful cleaning and care, the piercing and healing process can be relatively painless. Plus, if you work in an office, you don't need to ask your supervisor for permission to get this piercing!

If you're considering a navel piercing, talk to one of our local piercers in Newmarket or Mississauga today. We will be happy to help you decide if this piercing is right for you.