A captive bead ring, which is a circular piece of jewelry with a fully removable bead, is the most common piece of body jewelry for navels and other piercings. Because the tension of the ring holds the bead in place, the connection between the bead and the ring must be tight. This can make the jewelry difficult to remove, especially on a navel piercing. Although it’s best to go to your piercer to remove and change your jewelry, you can do it yourself if necessary.

Wash and dry your hands and your piercing thoroughly. Even a healed piercing can develop problems if germs or dirt enter into it.

Wrap the jaws of the pliers with tape so they don't damage your jewelry. Sterile medical grade tape is the best choice, but you can use any soft, clean tape.

Place one hand under your piercing and get ready to catch the bead. Using the pliers, grab the ring and gently pry it open until the bead falls out.

Test the ring to see if the opening is big enough to remove it from your navel. If your piercing is shallow, the opening may not need any adjustment. If your piercing is deep, open the ring a little bit more.

Add a small amount of liquid soap to lubricate the ring. Turn it carefully until it slides out of your navel piercing. If it doesn’t slide easily out, open up the ring a little bit more and try again. You may also want to add more liquid soap.