I have had (past and present) a number of piercings. Almost all of them held/hold some emotional significance for me (acceptance of my body as it is, as well as reclaimation of it). For example, I grew up hating the look of my nose. I used to day dream about getting a nose job when I was an adult and could afford it. When I was 16, I decided I needed to overcome that negativity, and accept myself for who I am. So, instead of hating my nose because it isn't my idea of perfection, I decided to celebrate it. I got it pierced. (I've since got it pierced on both sides and the septum.) I was purposely calling attention to it in an effort to overcome my negative feelings towards it. It worked. I love my nose now. :)
At A Glance Author Diana Contact Diana@bme.anon Artist Absolutely cannot remember either names Studio Aardvark Studio; Passage Studio Location Hamilton; Toronto Ontario Canada Anyway, it was the same with my navel. I love pierced navels, they are incredibly attractive. I was hesitant because I have always been shy about my body and I always felt too out of shape to wear clothing that showed my abdomen at all. Well, I decided that my body is fine in any size, and I should celebrate myself once again.
I found myself in downtown Hamilton one day. I discovered a piercing studio that had just opened up. It was pretty bare, and small, but seemed clean. The only guy that seemed to work there (the owner) reminded me of a punker.
I didn't know a heck of a lot about professionally-done body piercing back then, as it was early 1995 and I was just discovering things like the internet, and BME and the piercing FAQ. I thought I knew enough to make good decisions, but honestly, I didn't know too much.
Anyway, he actually had me dip my hand into a large bowl of hematite beads to choose the one I wanted to go with the 14 ga captive bead ring he was going to use. I wondered about the cleanliness of such a practice, but figured he was the professional here...
He had me lay on a table, and he cleaned and marked a spot. I don't remember if he used clamps. The piercing was done bottom (in the navel) to top (above the navel). It actually hurt quite a bit, and seemed to go very slowly. It felt like cramps washing over my abdomen in waves.
Soon enough the jewelry was in and I was told to clean with bactine and wash with dial soap.
As it was warm weather, I was able to wear loose-fitting broomstick skirts, and cut off shirts. I felt incredibly attractive, and it was very different for me to wear cut-off shirts. I loved the look of my navel piercing so much that I decided to get a tattoo under the belly button to add to it. It was great!
Eventually I ended up removing the navel jewelry, and I became pregnant shortly thereafter so I let it go.
Skip ahead about two years to 1998. My baby was old enough that she wasn't attached to me every moment of the day. I figured it was a good time to get my navel redone.
This time, I went to my trusted piercer, Tee (Passage Studio, Toronto Canada). It wasn't Tee but another piercer working in her studio that performed the piercing. I hate to say it, but her name escapes me right now.
She was personable and competent. She suggested I think about either having the piercing done with a curved barbell or switching the jewelry to a curved barbell after healing. Not only did she find the curved barbell incredibly beautiful in a navel piercing, but it would minimize potential irritation.
I decided to use my old 14 ga captive bead ring, since it would save me extra money at that moment and was still acceptable in a fresh piercing.
She had me stand and sit. Not only do I have the mark from the old piercing, I also have a few small stretch marks across my belly from pregnancy. I was worried the scarring, if pierced through, would hurt much more than the original piercing had (which had hurt considerably for some reason).
She pierced me approximately in the same spot as the old piercing. It did hurt, but it was not like the waves of cramping pain that I had felt the first time. It was more like my standard feeling of being pierced--a pinched feeling.
This repiercing didn't go as well as the first, as far as healing went. The first day and night of the piercing, it throbbed and was quite an angry red. I used bactine sparingly, salt soaks, and liquid soap. It continued to feel sore, irritated and painful for months upon months afterwards. I consulted a piercer who gave me suggestions and mentioned that he had seen navel piercings take a year to heal. He advised to me to hang in there.
It wasn't infected, just irritated. I tried everything I could think of (like using different laundry detergents, always wearing a clean shirt to bed, salt soaks, etc). After approximately six to nine months without any change, I abandoned it.
I really enjoyed having a navel piercing the first time I had one, but the second experience was aggrevating enough that I have no desire to try it again.