why be mainstream? stretch your navel piercings

At A Glance Author gradschoolgirl Contact gradschoolgirl@bme.anon Artist Rob & Dan Studio Blue Lotus & The Piercing Lounge Location Madison, WI

I feel as though I might be the only person with a pierced navel who is over 15 writing about a navel experience. Unfortunately this experience isn't about how I convinced my mom to let me pierce my navel at age 12. I'm a real fan of BME and noticed there just aren't any navel stretching stories, so I figured I'd add mine. Let me tell you a little about myself. Most people are shocked to see just how piercings I have. I have nine at the moment but four are standard ear and one cartilage (all done by a gun, oops!). Most of my piercings are well hidden. I guess I don't fit whatever piercing mold people set for the world. As a engineering grad student I need some excitement in my life! (don't we all!) Piercings are fun and you can take them out when you get bored. I like it.. Just have to decide what to do to make it an even 10!

I don't know when the real piercing kick started. I pierced my navel in college because it seemed like a cool thing to do, but eventually everyone and anyone was getting their navels pierced, even my roommate who almost cried when she got her cartilage piercing, then let it close up, showed me her infected navel. (uck!) I knew I was in trouble when my younger cousin showed me hers, "look at what I did", of course I had forgotten how nasty a poorly healed navel looked. It did seem like I might have been the only one with a properly healed navel, and one of the only people that didn't abandon it due to infection, irration, ect.. You've all heard the horror stories. (One word of advice: AFTERCARE!!)

A couple of months ago I wanted a new piercing so I went for the tongue. Probably because it's quick to heal, interesting and I seem to be able to hide it from anyone I want. My boyfriend had just gotten his done and although at the time I almost fainted just watching, I got up the courage and got mine done too. But of course the new piercing craze didn't end there. I decided I was sick and tired of having such a mainstream navel piercing so stretching seemed to be the way to go.

I went down to the place I typically had been doing to (before this I was just changing jewelry all the time to keep from being totally bored). I went in and told them I wanted to stretch my navel. I got Rob who explained that it was just as easy as changing the jewelry although it might sting a bit as he inserts the taper. He told me to let him now if it hurt so he could stop and go slower. The 12g taper went in very easily and since I was prepping for some pain he said, "do you want to try 10?", I said sure! So that day I stopped at a SS twisted CBR: 10 gauge.

A little less then a month later I went back to go to my (probably) final size. I really wanted a plain SS CBR and figured I'd just stretch again too. I think half the problem was going back too soon. I don't have a lot of patience when it comes to these things. Since I had gone up two sizes in one visit I probably should have waited more then a month to go back for 8g. But yeah I'm still young and stupid so I went back and said let's go to 8. (he was fairly impressed that I was stretching my navel, this time it was Dan.) I think it gives you more credibility with future piercers with a large gauge navel.

So it hurt a little bit this time, but I dealt with it and then it was over. Maybe now that I think about it, it kind of hurt a lot more. That could have been a sign of trouble. I think if I were to speculate that the piercing might have torn. I don't remember if it was immediate or took about five minutes but it got red. And it stayed red until basically yesterday (~2 months later). I don't know what happened, but for the first time in five years I had a nasty navel piercing. I was so mad. But I had been doing my piercing homework and knew all the recommended aftercare procedures. I had been to BME every day for two months and I was having piercing troubles. Very frustrating. I did the antibacterial soap routine and then a few weeks ago I got my nipples pierced (there's a story for another day!) and the guy told me that I shouldn't over do the soap, sea salt is much better (same store, guest piercer this time!). So I did that for awhile. Nothing seemed to work.

Finally and I'm sure this isn't recommended but I started using bactine, which is basically a antiseptic. Half the reason was because I thought I actually had the beginnings of an infection and because back when I first got the piercing that's what I had used and it worked well. So I tried that for a few days and low and behold it worked. My piercing is healing nicely and isn't red and sore. I'm very excited and can't wait for a nice day to lay out in my bathing suit and show it off.

So I highly recommend breaking out of the mold and getting a little crazy with your navel piercings. But go slow!! Stretching should definitely not be rushed.