This article was co-authored by Indy Chabra, MD, PhD. Dr. Indy Chabra is a Board Certified Dermatologist and a Board Certified Mohs Micrographic Surgeon. He is the Founding Member of DMC Dermatology & Mohs based in Tucson, Arizona. With over 15 years of experience, he provides medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology care for adult and pediatric patients. Dr. Chabra earned a BS in Chemistry and Biological Sciences and an AB in Economics from Stanford University. He also received his MD and PhD in Microbiology and Genetics from Stony Brook University. He completed his Dermatology residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), Pittsburgh. While at UPMC, Dr. Chabra received extensive training in complex Medical Dermatology, hair and nail conditions, Pediatric Dermatology, Cosmetic Dermatology, and Mohs Skin Cancer Surgery. Dr. Chabra is a Fellow of the American Society for Mohs Surgery, a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, and a Fellow of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. Dr. Chabra also provides in-patient Dermatology consults at Tucson Medical Center.
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You want to pierce your belly button, and you're wondering how to do it on your own. You can follow these instructions to pierce your own navel or to find a top-notch artist to do the job for you. You'll also find some instructions for taking care of your piercing after you're done.
Steps
Piercing Your Belly Button On Your Own
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1Buy a belly button piercing kit. Make sure that includes a 14 g piercing needle and a clamp. You'll also need sterile gloves, antiseptic, cotton balls, a body ink marker, a mirror and some jewelry. Your first piece of jewelry should be small and thin.
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2Pick the location for your piercing. Typically, people pierce an area above their navels. Hold some jewelry against your navel until you find the right angle and location. Mark both the entry point and the exit point of the jewelry on your skin using the body ink marker.Advertisement
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3Wash your hands with soap and water. Put on your sterile gloves.
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4Put antiseptic on cotton balls and rub the antiseptic over the area that you plan to pierce.
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5Pinch the fold of skin that you want to pierce. Use the clamp in your kit to hold the tissue in place.
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6Stretch your skin taut and push the needle through in a swift motion. Pull the needle through the hole and thread the jewelry through right after the needle.
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7Secure the end of your jewelry to make sure that it stays in place.
Getting Your Belly Button Pierced Professionally
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1Assess the cleanliness of the shop. Look for general tidiness and watch the artists to make sure that they wear sterile gloves and use sterile solutions on the skin. Ask them if they own an autoclave. Don't be afraid to walk out of the piercing studio if you don't feel that they are very hygienic with their piercing techniques.[1]
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2Be prepared to show identification to prove you're at least 16 years of age. You will likely be asked to sign a paper for legal purposes. If you are younger than 16, you'll probably need a parent to provide consent before the shop will perform the piercing.
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3Select the jewelry you would like. A knowledgeable piercing artist will help guide you with what type of jewelry is best for healing.[2]
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4Relax in the chair or lean-to.[3]
- On request, expose your belly button and the piercing artist will size up your navel with a felt tip marker.
- A surgical-type clamp will be attached to the upper region of your navel to stabilize the tissue in preparation for the puncture.
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5Take a deep breath and relax as much as you can during the procedure.[4]
- Out of the autoclave comes a very long, very sharp hollow needle of sorts, which will be used to pierce the skin for your new piercing.
- Your jewelry is placed on the end of the spear and guided through your new piercing.
- Remember to breathe throughout the procedure for maximum calm and comfort.
Taking Good Care of Your Belly Button Piercing to Prevent Infection
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1Invert a cup of warm saline solution over your piercing to form a vacuum. If you don't have store-bought solution, then make your own using 1/4 teaspoon of non-iodized salt in 8 ounces of warm water.[5]
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2Hold the solution in place for 5 to 10 minutes and blot the area with a piece of sterile gauze. Rinse the residue away with a stream of cool water.[6]
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3Skip the rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide or harsh soaps to avoid damaging your skin cells.[7]
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4Avoid washing your piercing more than 2 times per day. Squeeze a pearl-sized drop of soap onto the piercing and gently rub the piercing and jewelry with your fingers. Rinse the area and dry it with sterile gauze. Make sure the soap is antimicrobial and it has no scent, the fragrance will make the chances of infection higher.[8]
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5Keep all bodily fluids and lotions off of your piercing. Steer clear of any oral contact with your navel, and avoid applying lotions, creams or cosmetics to the wound.[9]
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6Protect your piercing if you go into a lake, pool or hot tub. Try a waterproof wound-sealant bandage, which you can get at a drugstore.[10]
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7Buy a hard, vented eye patch at a drugstore. Put the eye patch over the piercing and secure it by wrapping a cloth bandage around your abdomen. The eye patch will help to protect your piercing if you have to wear tight clothing or engage in contact sports.
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8Keep the jewelry in until the piercing has completely healed. Don't hang any charms off of the jewelry until the healing process is finished.
Community Q&A
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QuestionCan I pierce my belly button with an earring?
Community AnswerNo, because the size, or gage, of a belly button hole should be bigger than a hole for an earring. -
QuestionIf I have an "outie" belly button, will they have to remove it before the procedure?
Community AnswerNo, but you might experience more bleeding. -
QuestionHow can I relax when the pain would make me tense up my muscles?Community AnswerBring someone with you, as a distraction (or chat with the piercer). The pain's over pretty quickly, and it really just feels like a pinch.
Warnings
- Avoid touching your belly button ring if your hands are dirty.⧼thumbs_response⧽
- Don't pierce your own belly button unless you have experience with other types of piercings.⧼thumbs_response⧽
- If your piercing does get infected (continuous redness, extreme pain, pus and maybe fever) do not take out the piercing. Otherwise, it may heal and seal the infection inside you. Instead, see a doctor as soon as possible.[11]⧼thumbs_response⧽
- If you are or are planning to become pregnant soon, you can buy pregnancy piercings which are a soft tubing that bends. They also come with o rings in case you need a c- section. This way there is no metal in your body and the piercing can be taped over to stop it from getting in the way as you will have to take out the jewelry during your pregnancy if it is standard metal jewelry.[12]⧼thumbs_response⧽
Things You'll Need
- Belly button piercing kit with 14 g needle and clamp
- Sterile gloves
- Cotton balls
- Antiseptic
- Body ink marker
- Mirror
- Small, thin jewelry
- Identification
- Cup
- Warm saline solution
- Clean gauze or paper towels
- Waterproof wound-sealant bandage
- Vented eye patch
- Cloth bandage
References
- ↑ https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/how-to-pick-a-tattoo-shop
- ↑ https://www.who.com.au/belly-piercing-all-you-need-to-know-about-belly-button-piercings
- ↑ https://authoritytattoo.com/belly-button-piercing/
- ↑ https://authoritytattoo.com/belly-button-piercing/
- ↑ https://healthfully.com/196180-aftercare-instructions-for-navel-piercing.html
- ↑ https://uhs.berkeley.edu/health-topics/body-piercings
- ↑ https://uhs.berkeley.edu/health-topics/body-piercings
- ↑ https://uhs.berkeley.edu/health-topics/body-piercings
- ↑ https://uhs.berkeley.edu/health-topics/body-piercings
About This Article
While you can pierce your belly button at home, it’s always safest to have it done by a pro. If you choose to go to a professional piercer, visit the shop first to make sure it looks clean and tidy, and do some research to make sure the shop is reputable and the piercers are credentialed. Be prepared to show your ID, since in most places you must be at least 16 to get a body piercing without a parent’s consent. If you decide to do the piercing on your own, buy a belly button piercing kit that includes all the equipment you’ll need, including a sterilized 14-gauge piercing needle and a piercing clamp. You’ll also need a body marker, sterile gloves, antiseptic, and body jewelry. Wash your hands, clean and disinfect your belly button, and use the body marker to mark where the needle will enter and exit the skin above your belly button. When you’re ready to pierce, clamp the skin where you made the marks and push the needle up through the marks in one fluid movement. Load the end of the jewelry into the bottom of the hollow needle and push it up through the piercing, then remove the needle and screw the ball onto the end of the piercing. Whichever way you get your piercing, care for it by soaking the area in warm saline solution for 5-10 minutes every day, then blotting the piercing with sterile gauze and rinsing with cool water. You can also wash your piercing once or twice a day with mild soap and water. If you go swimming or soak in a tub, cover the piercing completely with a waterproof bandage. It usually takes a few months for a belly button piercing to heal completely. Until then, don’t change the jewelry or add any charms. If you notice signs of an infection, such as increasing redness or swelling, a bad odor, or greenish or yellow discharge coming from the wound, see a doctor. Keep reading for tips on caring for your piercing, like how often to clean it.
