I got a belly button piercing

[onela]

I've been wanting one for a little while now- I liked the idea of having a piercing, but my day job isn't conductive to a facial piercing (it'd be a hazard for me, I handle an industrial museum collection and my clothes get ripped up enough as it is when things don't go as expected, I don't need anything that can get ripped out of my face) but I'm a weenie so it took me about a year and a half-ish to build up the courage for it. So yesterday I bit the bullet and treated myself to it for my birthday!

Any advice for the healing process or choosing new jewelery (when it's healed up enough to change it, of course)? Also: Post your navel piercing pics here!

 

[LunaXJJ]

Lucky you, I've been wanting one for myself for awhile now. Not to mention its a cute dance accessory.

 

[~Diana~]

Nice. I've always wanted one but let just say my stomach bellybutton is not in a good way to get a piercing.

Make sure you take care of it so it dosen't get infrected. I have friends and my sister who had their's done and had to take them out later due to complications.

 

[LunaXJJ]

Nice. I've always wanted one but let just say my stomach bellybutton is not in a good way to get a piercing.

Make sure you take care of it so it dosen't get infrected. I have friends and my sister who had their's done and had to take them out later due to complications.

I couldn't agree more. I hear a lot of horror stories from people who didn't take good care of their navel piercings.

Also try not to wear very tight shirts, or anything else that will tug, and pull at it.

 

[SidraK]

Good luck with the piercing! I used bactine on a q-tip on my nose piercing several times a day in addition to the care recommended by the piercer, and it kept things nice and clean. Be very careful of clothes that might catch and any heavy lifting at work that could collide with the fresh piercing.

Just had to say that I can relate to your work life. I worked as a collections tech with a transportation museum here in SK, and there's nothing like having to dress for work not knowing whether you were fixing an oil leak or meeting a donor on any given day!

 

[onela]

Good luck with the piercing! I used bactine on a q-tip on my nose piercing several times a day in addition to the care recommended by the piercer, and it kept things nice and clean. Be very careful of clothes that might catch and any heavy lifting at work that could collide with the fresh piercing.

Just had to say that I can relate to your work life. I worked as a collections tech with a transportation museum here in SK, and there's nothing like having to dress for work not knowing whether you were fixing an oil leak or meeting a donor on any given day!

Cool, where do you work? I work at a CF aviation museum

What isle of the drug store is bactine in? I'm not familiar with it.

 

[Reen.Blom]

OUCH! Gosh, you are very brave! Ive been wanting a nose stud for years but I am too scared!!!

Are you allergic to any metals? I cant wear any other earings than gold, any other metal makes it get inflamated within hours, so ive been wearing same pair for like 15 years... LOL

 

[onela]

OUCH! Gosh, you are very brave! Ive been wanting a nose stud for years but I am too scared!!!

Are you allergic to any metals? I cant wear any other earings than gold, any other metal makes it get inflamated within hours, so ive been wearing same pair for like 15 years... LOL

I don't think I am, I put all kinds of cheap tat in my ears and I've never suffered for it. My sister struggled with her ears both times she tried to have them pierced, but I didn't. It's a few days later and I'm not too inflamed (no more than anybody would be after punching a foreign object through their skin) so I don't expect to react to the metal specifically at this point. As for your nose just do it

 

[Greek Bonfire]

I got mine done six years ago and I still haven't gotten bored with it! Just make sure to use an anti-bacterial soap on it for at least three times a day for six weeks to prevent infection. Make sure you keep something in it all the time for about a year or it can still close up, at least in my experience it worked that way. But I love it and it also helps me keep my abs in shape.

 

[Bast]

Congratulations
To avoid infection try to keep tight clothing away, if you can pull your waistband of work clothes down onto your hips that will help. Another trick is to cover it with a non-sticky dressing while working but do try to get air around it at other times.

Keep the jewellery clean and try to avoid the temptation to change your jewellery too soon. In can take about 3 months for a piercing to become robust enough for changing or going to a heavier ring.

Some people use ear piercing solution for disinfectant and some say not to use alcohol. I found isopropyl too harsh and irritating, the piercing solution was more gentle. Warm salty water is good to wash it with.

I've had my navel piercing for 13 years and it has even survived my pregnancy so here's to a long and happy piercing for you!

 

[onela]

It makes me happy to see posts from people who've had their navel piercings for a considerable amount of time

Over a week in and I'm a little scabby but not in pain (though yesterday I was brushing crumbs from my lunch off my top and I skimmed across the ring- yeouch!). I'm fortunate enough to mostly be able to wear what I want to work, and if I'm in the back and working on a project I'm in the middle of I can even get away with pulling my top up a bit and letting it all hang out

 

[Jeanne]

Hurray for you! I got mine done to celebrate my 50th birthday. My doctor says I'm the only person over 40 she knows who has a pierced navel. (Nice to have a distinction!)

If you haven't investigated this yet, there are lots of piercing aftercare instructions on the Internet. Here's one site:
New Piercing Aftercare Instructions - Cleaning and Sea Salt Soak Instructions

I found the salt soaks to be helpful in healing. I've also seen recommendations to take a zinc supplement to speed up wound healing. I think this helped me a bit, but check first to make sure you don't have any health indications against taking too much zinc.

In addition to the tea tree oil, I've seen some people recommend lavender oil. I didn't try this, but the shop where I got pierced gave me a little bottle of peppermint Dr. Bronner's soap instead of the usual antibacterial soap, so when that was used up, I replaced it with Bronner's lavender.

But the main thing for me was comfort! I had a lot of irritation from the waistband of pants. If I had been smart enought to get it done during the summer, I would have worn only my loose summer dresses for several weeks.

 

[Crystalllized]

Yeah!

I've had mine for 10 years now and still like having it. I get tons of corny comments from the GP when I dance about the I Dream of Jeanie navel jewel, but I figure if it brings up a conversation, they are more likely to tip me LOL

I kept getting mine caught when it was healing...OUCH!!! To stop it I taped a bottle cap (one of the plastic ones from a 2L soda bottle) over the piercing during the day. Just wear loose shirts so it doesn't look strange.

 

[Greek Bonfire]

In the past, whenver I got a piercing I was always told to use alcohol, yet I always got an infection. When I got my navel pierced, I was told to use anti bacterial soap, that alcohol actualled CAUSED infections. So I used the anti bacterial soap and never even got close to getting an infection. And I've never had any trouble in the six years I've had this piercing. :dance:

 

[Rassi]

I've had mine pierced for about 13 years now and have never had a problem. However, I was told by the person who did it to not change the jewelry for a year because it takes that long to heal completely. I really think that's why I never had issues with mine.

 

[Amulya]

OUCH! Gosh, you are very brave! Ive been wanting a nose stud for years but I am too scared!!!

I had one, but I left it out once for 30 minutes and couldn't put it back in anymore (and that was after years of wearing it)! I didn't feel like puncturing it again, so I haven't got it anymore.

Btw I have seen some really pretty belly button jewelry that would suit belly dance, nice colored rhinestones and such, would be fun to color match to a costume. I have never had the courage to get a navel piercing, I am probably the kind of person who gets accidents with it:
my nose-ring got stuck to a veil once in a performance and got ripped out....

 

[Greek Bonfire]

my nose-ring got stuck to a veil once in a performance and got ripped out....

Ouch! Hopefully it didn't do too much damage!

 

[Ahnna]

Love it! You are very brave I've been wanting one for myself ever since I started dancing. Actually, I wanted one already in my teens, but my parents wouldn't let me. After that I sort of forgot all about it, but after starting dancing I think it would be such a cute dance accessory.

I'm feeling a bit too old for it now, though, I'm close to my thirites (but seeing as Jeanne got it for her 50th, maybe I'm not as too old as I think I am), and I'm a bit afraid that it won't work with my belly button because it is pretty small. Also, I'm not sure how I would fit a several months long healing process into my life when I have dance classes about 5 times a week (all of which tend to pull on my belly some way or another).

Still thinking about it though...I love belly piercings with large, glittering jewelry in them.

 

[Jeanne]

Love it! You are very brave I've been wanting one for myself ever since I started dancing. Actually, I wanted one already in my teens, but my parents wouldn't let me. After that I sort of forgot all about it, but after starting dancing I think it would be such a cute dance accessory.

I'm feeling a bit too old for it now, though, I'm close to my thirites (but seeing as Jeanne got it for her 50th, maybe I'm not as too old as I think I am), and I'm a bit afraid that it won't work with my belly button because it is pretty small. Also, I'm not sure how I would fit a several months long healing process into my life when I have dance classes about 5 times a week (all of which tend to pull on my belly some way or another).

Still thinking about it though...I love belly piercings with large, glittering jewelry in them.

You are definitely not too old! And it is great as a dance accessory. There was even someone on eBay onetime selling belly rings with belly dance charms such as camels, pendants with the word "habibi" written in Arabic, etc. I got one with a little hamsa. So cute!

 

[Amulya]

Ouch! Hopefully it didn't do too much damage!

No it didn't