Tips on Getting a Belly Button Ring
Piercing your belly button is a big decision. Once you have decided to go ahead with it, you'll need to find a professional piercer so your belly button ring can be inserted safely and properly. Once you have undergone the piercing, you'll have to take good care of it to avoid infection and pain. Does this Spark an idea?
-
The Process
-
Piercing a belly button involves several steps. First, the piercer will wash her hands and put gloves on. Next, she will clean your belly button area and use a marker to place a dot on the entrance and exit spots where the ring will be inserted through the skin flap at the top of your navel. She will place a clamp over this flap and align the two dots she marked on either side of the clamp. She will insert a sharp, sterilized hollow needle quickly through both dots, then remove the clamp while the needle remains in the skin. The end of the belly button ring is placed into one end of the hollow needle, and then the needle is pushed all the way through, placing the ring through your skin and closing it.
Who and Where
-
Do not try to pierce your belly button yourself, and don't let a friend pierce it for you at home. Piercings should be done by trained professionals who use sterile equipment and procedures. Ask your friends who did their piercings and whether they were satisfied with the way the job was done. In some states, piercers must have a license, but not all states require this. Some people doing piercings have only a little training, so ask the salon what training the piercers have. The Association of Professional Piercers (APP) is a professional organization that sets safety rules for piercers. When you go to have your belly button pierced, look for the wall certificate that says your piercer is APP registered.
-
Watch for Cleanliness
-
Use extra precautions with a new piercing when swimming. The piercing salon should look immaculately clean and well lit. The piercing needle and jewelry should be new or sterilized. Watch your piercer open the sealed needle and jewelry packages before allowing him to insert the needle into your belly button. After your piercing is complete, the piercer should place the needle into a medical sharps container.
Handling Pain
-
The pain you experience during piercing varies based on your personal tolerance, but it is usually over within seconds. Focusing on an object that is not your belly button during piercing and taking long, deep breaths can help ease the pain and anxiety.
Post-Piercing Care
-
A belly button piercing will typically take 4 to 12 months to heal. If you have any problems with healing, consult a physician. To care for your new belly button ring, clean it twice a day with antibacterial soap. Saltwater soaks (1/2 tsp. salt dissolved in 1/4 cup of cooled boiled water) help healing and prevent infection. Put the solution in a shot glass, then put it over you navel and lie back, holding the cup over your belly button for 15 minutes. Don't spin the belly button ring around and try not to touch it unless you're cleaning it. Place a waterproof bandage over a new piercing before you swim to reduce the risk of contamination by bacteria, and clean the piercing with antibacterial soap as soon as you get out. Both tea tree and lavender oil can hasten healing in some people. Ask your professional piercer how and when to use them. Avoid clothing with a waistband that will rub on the belly button ring. Don't put a new ring or other belly button jewelry into your piercing until it has healed completely. When you do insert a new piece of jewelry, the better the quality, the more likely your belly button will stay healthy.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit diamond and silver belly button image by Peter Baxter from Fotolia.com piercing image by Vasily Smirnov from Fotolia.com
