In the spring of my freshman year of college, I decided I wanted a navel piercing. I had a previous unsuccessful experience with a nose piercing (short-lived because of a cold), but I knew I was hooked on the "piercing high". Beforehand, I did a lot of research, both on BMEzine and other forums dedicated to bodymod experiences, aftercare, etc. I learned about the importance of leaving in your original jewelry for at least a year before changing it out, the miracle of salt-water soaks and hot compresses, etc. I had gotten my nose piercing at Reigning Color, so I knew to expect a clean environment.
At A Glance Author witfulklutz Contact witfulklutz@bme.anon When Two years ago Studio Reigning Color Location Normal, IL I went in with a friend of mine for moral support, signed the release, and went into a back room. The piercer laid me back on a dentist chair-type contraption and had me pull up my shirt. He told me not to suck in my stomach. He marked where the needle would go with a pen on my stomach. I didn't watch it go in; I just laid back and concentrated on my breathing. I have a pretty high pain tolerance, so it felt about comparable to getting a shot (maybe a little less). I'd heard that putting in the jewelry hurt more than the actual piercing, but what I felt was more of a tugging sensation. The jewelry he put in was a titanium or surgical steel CBR, which I had read was much easier to keep clean than a curved bar. Afterward, he showed me a mirror--it looked beautiful! I had never been truly happy with my stomach, but the little silver ring looked like it belonged there.
The following weeks, I tried to keep my hands off it (not easy!) wear loose-fitting pants, and not sleep on my stomach. I would rub anti-bacterial soap around the piercing in the shower and twist the ring around to make sure that soap got into the hole itself. I also used sea salt soaks (I would just heat the salt water in a cup and turn it over onto my stomach). I also had a great microwaveable pillow that I would put on top of it as a hot compress (heat and salt water draw pus and impurities out of the hole and promote faster healing). It was pretty tender the first month or so, but gradually became less sensitive as time went by. It never got infected, but a couple of times (two months and a year after the piercing, respectively) I got a red, irritated bump that would bleed and/or ooze pus for a little while. I just kept it clean and started the sea-salt treatment again, and both times it went away after a few weeks.
After the one-year mark, I excitedly went online to find a new piece of jewelry to celebrate its anniversary. I was disappointed by the vast majority of bellybutton jewelry available--you really have to search if you don't want something trite, tacky, or slutty-looking (in my opinion). As a result, I don't change out my jewelry very often (frequent changeouts also seem to irritate the piercing, even after all this time). Heavy/dangly jewelry can be attractive for a special occasion, but it's really best to wear something lightweight and un-snaggable for everyday life.
I have now had this piercing for just over three years, and had no problems with it after the first 18 months or so (and even then only occasionally, as I noted before). If you are thinking about getting your bellybutton pierced, please do the research and realize what you are committing to. Thanks to BMEzine and the other great forums out there, the internet is a great resource for would-be piercees--there's no reason not to be well-informed about the process. The navel is one of the slowest-healing places you can pierce (because of the elasticity of the skin) and one of the easiest places to get infected. Even though you'll want to change out your jewelry right way, it's worth the wait--a simple CBR always looks classy (in your clean, non-infected bellybutton), and you can change it for all the sparkly doodads you want after that first year. Some piercing places will tell you that you can change the jewelry out after six weeks--do this at your own risk, I guess. Also, as with any piercing, make sure the jewelry is a high-quality metal that won't react with your skin. In other words, you definitely get what you pay for with body jewelry--I just bought a fairly inexpensive "stainless-steel" piece at Claire's a few weeks ago, and already the silver patina is rubbing off to reveal a copper-colored metal underneath.
I continue to be glad I got this piercing. It makes me feel beautiful and helps me to love a part of my body that I was constantly dissatisfied with before. This is a fun piercing that can be as showy or discreet as you like. If you are willing to put the time and care into it, it will make you happy for years afterward.