BELLY BUTTON PIERCINGS

The most serious risks are infections, allergic reactions, bleeding, and damage to nerves or teeth. Infections may be caused by hepatitis, HIV, tetanus, bacteria, and yeast. If the piercer washes his/her hands and uses gloves and sterile equipment and you take good care of your piercing, the risk of infection is lowered (but can still occur).

Unless you have an "outtie" belly button or are getting a non-standard navel piercing, your piercer will likely insert the needle approximately 1/2" above your belly button, and then pull it out through the belly button cavity. Most likely, a curved piercing needle will be used and will be followed with a bent barbell or possibly a captive bead ring. Bent barbells make ideal belly button jewelry, because the shape is a good fit for the area being pierced. Also, a bent barbell or traditional belly button ringis less likely to put undue stress on the fistula, which is the hole where you were pierced. Reducing the pressure on the healing fistula will increase your chances of having a successful belly button piercing.

Belly button piercing healing times vary widely from person to person. There's a lot of movement in this area, since your body essentially hinges at your waist, and that can keep your new navel piercing in a perpetual state of irritation. Additionally, the waistbands of pants and skirts are liable to rub against your piercing throughout the day, further irritating an area that's already sensitive just from being pierced. Belly buttons also tend to be a trap for lint and dirt, making dedicated navel piercing aftercare extremely important. If you keep your belly button piercing clean and do what you can to reduce friction by wearing low-waisted pants and skirts and generally loose-fitting clothing, your new belly piercing will heal faster and better. It may appear to be fully healed within 4-6 weeks, but it can take 3-6 months and sometimes up to a year for navel piercings to completely heal.

If at any point you start seeing streaky red lines or general redness around your belly piercing, you start running a fever, and/or the fistula starts oozing a thicker, yellowish, pus-like discharge, you likely have an infection and need to see a doctor for an antibiotic. Piercings can be irritated without being infected, so if you aren't sure, you can visit your piercer first to get his or her opinion.

HOW TO CLEAN YOUR BELLY BOTTON RING

• Twice a day saturate a cotton swab or Q-Tip with the cleaning solution,
• apply to the pierced area, let soak for a few minutes.
• Remove any dried matter.
• Rotate the jewelry while the area is wet.