Technically, anyone can have the skin around their navel pierced, however, anatomically, not everyone is setup to heal a navel piercing.
In order to be a candidate for a navel piercing, you need to have a protruding lip of skin on the top (or, uncommonly, on the bottom) of your navel, with enough space behind the flap for jewelry to sit comfortably. The flap must have a definite front and back, with a clear edge dividing the two.
Many people's anatomy isn't suitable, even if they have a flat belly, and the location of the navel piercing is ripe for trauma to the piercing site through snagging or pressure from waistbands. Its healing time is also an important consideration.
It can vary according to the type of piercing done. If it is done too close to the skin's surface, you can have rejection. Choose a qualified belly button piercer who can put the ring at the right depth so that there is plenty of skin incorporated within the piercing and the ring is less likely to be rejected.
These risks include: Allergic reactions to the jewelry. Excessive bleeding. Jewelry rejection or migration (migration is when the piercing moves internally to a slightly different spot, and rejection is when your body starts to push the jewelry out and you see more and more of the barbell)
According to Niki, most people rate navel piercings as a four or five out of 10 on the pain scale. Pain is, of course, subjective and it really does depend on how well trained your piercer is. So it's always worth doing your research prior to your appointment to make sure you're in experienced hands.
The subjects agreed: the best-looking navels were vertically oriented with a T-shape. Those with particularly large belly buttons, or with any sort of protrusions — sorry, outies — or distortions, received lower scores.
Because of the way they formed after birth, outie belly buttons are made of a different type of tissue than other belly buttons. As a result, there is an increased danger of infection and pain when piercing outie belly buttons.
Unfortunately, not everyone is a suited candidate for this piercing so it may not be possible for you to get a belly button piercing. If your belly button is too deep or has too much surrounding tissue, it can cause constant pressure on the jewelry, preventing the wound from healing properly.
Common piercings that are heavily anatomy dependent:
Daith, Rook, Tragus, Industrial, Navel, Nipple, Septum and Surface/Dermal Piercings. When coming in for one of these piercings we recommend having a back-up option in mind just in case.
A Floating Navel Piercing sits the position of the barbell deeper into the inside of the navel while still coming out the top in the traditional placement. It's there where you can get creative with lots of cute options in jewelry from sparkling stones, or cascading dangles! (
Your size: Overweight people can get this piercing if they want, but it's not recommended if your navel becomes covered over by skin and fat when you sit. That can suffocate the piercing and build up more sweat, which makes healing more difficult and is a breeding ground for bacteria.
Cartilage piercings take longer to heal than earlobe piercings. The average healing time is 8 months, but it can take up to 12 months for some people. The healing process is slow because cartilage doesn't have a good blood supply. This means that it's harder for the body to fight off infection and promote healing.
Consider using a numbing agent before getting an ear piercing. It is common to use ice on the ears for 15-30 minutes before getting your piercing. Icing the ears can potentially numb the pain receptors in the area and confuse the brain as to where the pain is coming from.
In general, tattoos tend to hurt more than piercings because the needles used for tattoos are larger and go deeper into the skin than the needles used for piercings. However, everyone experiences pain differently, so there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to how much pain you'll feel from a tattoo or piercing.
There is no relation between your navel piercing and your body's ability to gain, lose, or maintain your weight.
Definitely avoid doing any sit-ups until after your piercing has healed, as the movement will irritate the piercing and prolong the healing process. Additionally, if you sleep on your stomach, try to sleep in the fetal position on your side while the piercing heals.
What We Recommend. Products like Emla are generally effective for reducing the pain and discomfort. It is available in a tube of cream or in individual patches, applied by peeling off the back and adhering it the area you wish to numb.
Surface piercings such as eyebrows, neck, nipple and wrist tend to be rejected more easily than other piercings. That's because they do not travel directly through the body, but rather along an area of skin because the jewellery is puncturing only a small amount of the skin's surface.
Belly Piercing:
Belly button piercings can take up to a year to heal completely. It's best to wait at least two weeks before swimming and avoid submerging the piercing in water for an extended period. If you must swim, cover the piercing with a waterproof bandage or sealant.
Piercing rejection is not very common, but it does happen. Rejection most common in the first few weeks to months after getting a piercing. So it's important to keep an eye on new piercings.