Body piercing is when a needle is inserted into a part of the body and then a foreign object such as jewelry is inserted. Eventually, the skin around the jewelry heals, leaving a hole. The hole is the piercing. It is perfectly safe when done by careful professionals.
DO NOT pierce your own belly button. The piercing should be done with a sterilized needle, gloves, and other sterilized equipment.
Belly button piercings can migrate within about five to ten years, and then they will fall out.
Belly button piercings take time to heal, approximately 4 months to 1 year.
Belly piercing is a big decision. The following information will help you make the best decision for you. Be sure to go to a reputable piercer and see your doctor if you have symptoms of an infection!
Which piercing salon to use?
You should ask friends and family with piercings where they went and if they liked the place.
Is the salon clean and safe, as this can help you stay healthy after getting your piercing and prevent you from getting sick? Is it well lit so the driller can see well while working? You should feel safe there.
Do they wash their hands and use sterile gloves and instruments? All instruments must be new and disposable (intended to be thrown away after one use) or sterilized in pouches. If disposable needles are used, you should watch them open the sealed packages of the needles! The piercer should dispose of the needles in a biohazard container after use. If disposable needles are not used, the salon should have sterilization kits on site, which you should ask to see. If they refuse to show you, go somewhere else.
A piercing gun should not be used (except in the ears) because it cannot be properly sterilized. If the salon uses a piercing “gun” to do body piercing… GO AWAY!
Look for a salon that has a wide variety of jewelry. The salon should not tell you what kind of jewelry you should have.
What kind of jewelry should you buy?
Only jewelry made of a non-corrosive metal, such as surgical stainless steel, is safe when first pierced. It is less likely to cause a foreign body reaction or skin infection. Other options for when you first get your piercing are metals such as solid gold (at least 18 karats), titanium, or niobium. All of these cost more than surgical steel. For people who are extremely sensitive to metal, Teflon or nylon piercings can be used. Gold plated jewelry should NOT be worn.
Regulation
Since the law is different in each country, you will need to find out what the law in your country says about:
o Minimum age to pierce the belly
o Whether or not you need parental permission to get a piercing
o What qualifications and regulations the salon must have and must be displayed
How is it done and does it hurt?
Immediately before piercing, the piercer should wash and dry their hands and put on latex gloves. Gloves must be worn at all times during the procedure. If the piercer comes out of the procedure and touches something or comes back later and you haven’t seen everything they’ve done, ask them to put on new gloves.
An experienced piercer uses a hollow needle to create a hole by passing the needle through the body part to be pierced. The body jewelry is then inserted through the hole. Sometimes there may be a small amount of bleeding. You should not take aspirin or any aspirin-containing pain relievers the week before your piercing, as these medications can cause you to bleed a little more than usual.
As for the ‘pain’ issue. It will vary from person to person as different people perceive pain in different ways. Everyone has a different tolerance level, so you really just have to experience it for yourself.
The piercer should give you instructions on cleaning, maintenance, etc., if he doesn’t, ask questions (it’s your body, you deserve to know how to take care of it).
What are the risks?
The most common piercing problem is infection. The infection is quite common and is easily cured with proper care and attention. Another risk with a piercing is that your body could reject it. Doing so can cause swelling and pain. If your piercing causes you a lot of pain or continually becomes infected, you may want to have the piercing removed and re-pierced once it has healed. Infections can be caused by hepatitis, HIV, tetanus, bacteria, and fungi. If the piercer washes their hands and wears sterile gloves and equipment and you take good care of your piercing, the risk of infection is reduced (but still exists).
As with other piercings, your belly button piercing will be swollen, red, and filled with pus. It could be painful. If the piercing does not improve in the next few days, remove it. Some bodies don’t like piercings. It will not heal properly and has nothing to do with the piercing itself or the piercer. It has to do with the body of that particular person. Belly button piercing can be rejected by the body.
There is no real danger from the piercing itself, but it is important to take care of it. The dangers are once you are inside. The reason is that it is in the front of the body with clothing that constantly rubs against the piercing. People tend to touch the piercing and transfer germs from their fingers to the ring. Once it turns into the piercing, some belly buttons can become infected.
Infections caused by bacteria getting into the piercing puncture can also occur later, even after the piercing has healed.
Another cause of problems with piercings is the wrong type of jewelry for the pierced area. If the jewelry is too small, it can actually cut off the blood supply to the tissue, causing swelling and pain. If the jewelry is too thin or too heavy or if you are allergic to metal, your body can sometimes reject the jewelry (your body reacts against jewelry because it is a “foreign object”).
How to take care of the piercing
Clean the piercing at least twice a day until it heals. This is done by:
o Always wash hands with soap and water (or antibacterial soap) before cleaning
o Remove crusty skin from piercing and jewelry with warm water
o Gently wash the piercing with a saline solution (sea salt mixed with water) or antibacterial soap
o Gently rinse area to remove soap or solution.
o Gently blot the area with a paper towel (do not use cloth towels as they may harbor bacteria)
o Do not wash or scrub too much, as this can irritate the piercing.
Check your jewelry as you clean it to see if any pieces have come loose.
Do not use alcohol, peroxide, or any other strong solution, as this may cause irritation and/or discoloration of the jewelry.
Don’t let anyone harden the piercing until it heals.
If you’re not cleaning the piercing, don’t touch it!
Avoid bathing, rather shower to avoid sitting on bacteria
Do not use hot tubs, swimming pools, lakes, seas, as these are breeding grounds for bacteria.
Always clean your piercing after exercising or playing sports, as bacteria love wet places.
Do not use antibacterial cream as these trap bacteria.
Always wear clean, loose clothing while the piercing is healing to allow air to circulate around the piercing. Clothing should be made of soft fabric and should not stick to or rub your piercing. Avoid jeans, leotards, belts, bodysuits, and stockings until the piercing has healed.
Change your bed sheets once a week to help prevent infection.
DO NOT attempt to change the piercing during the healing process. When you pierce it, ask the piercer how long to wait before you can do it.
Always look for signs of infection; bad smell, discharge, redness, pain, swelling, rash around the piercing. If you think you have an infection, always see your doctor.
Be careful with your piercing – it will take time to heal and get used to.