Horizontal Navel Piercing

What is Navel Piercing?

Belly Button Piercing or Navel Piercing is not actually done on the belly button, but the skin surrounding it. Belly button piercing is believed that the Pharaohs invented it to symbolize their courage and later bikinis popularized belly button piercing. One of the advantages is that one can easily hidde belly piercing underneath clothes. You can show own belly button jewelry off whenever you want or keep it private. The procedure is fairly safe and less painful if you find a professional piercer and hygienic piercing studio.

Types of Navel Piercings

Vertical belly piercings

belly button jewelry

It is the most popular piercing but ironically, belly piercings is most prone to rejection. In Vertical Navel Piercing or outie belly button piercing, the ring passes from the top to the interior of the belly button. Inverse belly piercing is almost the same, the difference is that the belly piercing goes from the top of the navel to the lower rim belly button.

Horizontal belly piercings

double horizontal navel

Horizontal Navel piercing or bottom belly button piercing is a type of surface belly piercings where it goes through the flat area of the skin along the rim deep navel.

true navel piercing

true navel piercing

True Navel Piercing is the one that gives an “outie” belly button. The umbilical scar tissue on the navel is pierced and this type of belly piercings is considered risky because of the presence of blood vessels in the area.

Navel Piercing Pictures
curved barbell piercing
Navel Piercing Pictures

Multiple belly piercings

multi navel piercing

When you get two or more piercings on your navel, it is called Multiple Navel Piercings or double belly button piercing. You can get a multi navel piercing on top and bottom rims and adorn a single long barbell.

Getting Your Naval Pierced

Preparing yourself for a belly piercing

  1. Spend a considerable time researching and if you are seriously interested want to wear belly button piercing jewelry, visit a few piercing studios and weigh your options.
  2. As a rule of thumb, belly piercings should only be done by a certified piercer and use surgical stainless steel for the belly piercing.
  3. Find out more about safety standards and check out the studio to ensure it is practicing safe procedures. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to the expert, this might not be the place for you.
  4. Wear loose clothes the day your belly piercing is scheduled.

At the Studios

Before the actual procedure starts belly button piercing, the expert will chalk out a few details with you.

  1. First of all, you will need a few documents like your ID to ensure you are above the legal age.
  2. He will also give you a consent form to sign and legally acknowledge your permission.
  3. Keep an additional copy of the form with you to protect your rights if something goes wrong

Things to Check

  1. Make sure all surgical stainless steel instruments used by the piercer are sterilized with alcohol. Unsterilized needles can transmit diseases like HIV and AIDS so there is a reason to be attentive to these details.
  2. Piercer needs to wash his hands before touching you or the needle and sanitize the area to be pierced with alcohol or antiseptic solution.

 Piercing Kit

  • Navel Ring
  • 12-Gauge Piercing Needle
  • Latex Gloves
  • Piercing Cork
  • Piercing Clamp
  • Cleaning Wipe
  • Antiseptic swab
  • Cotton Ball

The Process belly piercings

  • Piercer asks to select the belly button jewelry before commencing the process
  • Proper sizing of the navel using a marker
  • To stabilize the tissue, the piercer attaches a surgical clamp to the top portion of the belly
  • A hollow long needle is pierced at the top and jewelry is inserted

Deep breathing throughout the process belly piercing keeps you calm and increases comfort own belly.

Pain with belly piercing

Belly Butting piercing is a surface piercing that includes the insertion of a piercing needle through the navel rim. It hurts quite a bit as the tissues around the belly button area are very soft. However, the level is directly proportional to the endurance level of an individual. There is a misconception that skinny people feel lesser pain and the effort of the piercer plays a critical role in reducing pain.

Bleeding with belly piercing

It does bleed as the piercing damages the tissues around that area belly button. However, it quickly stops the moment the healing process starts. However, the level of aftercare plays an important role to stop bleeding.

Infection

Although true navel piercing looks attractive, the process breaks the skin from the inside and is a reason for possible infections. Any unhygienic approach without the right care increases the chances of fungi or bacteria-related infections infected belly. Some symptoms of infection include:

  • Pain in & around the area
  • Redness & swelling after a couple of weeks
  • Oozing of pus
  • Skin discoloration around the entire abdomen (advanced stage)
  • Presence of abscess
  • Infected belly

belly button piercing jewelry

Depending on the kind of belly piercings and types of belly, the belly button jewelry differs. Additionally, people have different types of navel, so it also plays a critical role in determining the kind of belly button piercing jewelry, except belly button ring. Some common options belly button rings include:

Relevant article: Navel Piercing

  • Barbells: Available in different shapes, sizes, and styles it includes a range of elaborate crystals to simple colored knobs.
  • Belly Bars: For the outer kind of navel, it is the most preferred option belly button jewelry.
  • Curved barbell: For people having a small, deep, and deep navel.
  • Droopers: It is for all those who have classic outer navel as piercing the top is quite easy, belly button rings.
  • Other Options: Belly button rings, Butterfly, English Rose, Open Triangle, Amour, & Diamond Solitaire.

In addition to the umbilical ring belly piercing, a curved barbell is popular. For combination piercing, several types of jewelry are used at once: a standard belly button ring, a curved barbell, belly button rings, long barbell piercing passes.

Navel Piercing Jewelry
Navel Piercing Jewelry

 Rejection & Migration 

Migration is a situation wherein the jewelry moves inside the pierced area and dislocates to a new location. Mostly it occurs when there is unsuitable or insufficient tissue around the area. It may also be due to the smaller diameter of the jewelry used. Even inexperienced piercers or improper aftercare may be among the reasons. Thus it is always better to check for any possible allergies related to the kind of jewelry being used before piercing the area.

On the other hand, rejection is a situation where the body simply rejects artificial modification. The symptoms usually include redness around the area clubbed with greenish or yellow discharge. Mild pain along with a crust formation followed by moderate movements appear near the belly button which may continue for a few months. However, it will not pull or stretch the skin. Once displaced, the skin will eventually heal giving an impression that the entire thing is moving from the original place. Lastly, the body completely rejects the jewelry and you need to use antibacterial solutions along with non-iodized salt water at least twice a day.

Precautions

Adopting the following practices can help in eliminating the chances of rejection:

  • Only visit a studio or a piercer who has the experience in regards to the sterilization process, tools, and jewelry needed for this kind of piercing.
  • Selecting jewelry made of titanium, sterling silver, or gold can drastically reduce the chance of rejection.
  • Clean or touch the pierced area after washing your hands
  • Limit the jewelry movement during the healing period
  • Avoid removal of the jewelry for at least 12 weeks
  • Do not introduce foreign substances such as skin care products

Healing Time

Belly piercing ask for extremely precautious aftercare. It can take up to nine months for a to heal. You are responsible for keeping it clean, and giving it the much-needed care and nourishment.

Aftercare

The first thing you need to do after coming home with this piercing is to leave it alone. Never touch a fresh piercing as it is still sore and might hurt you.

  • Clean the pierced area a few hours later with salt and water. Showering is a good alternative to bathing as the fresh stream of water keeps the area clean at all times.
  • Never wipe it with a towel or cloth because they carry germs. Use a tissue instead.
  • Wear loose clothes with soft fabrics that don’t irritate your skin too much.
  • When you sleep, be careful so as to not hurt yourself unconsciously. Avoid sleeping on your stomach and try some other position to keep your piercing safe.
  • Keep it tidy, touch it with clean hands and keep everything that touches your belly ring like clothes, bed sheet, etc. dirt-free.
  • Never play with your belly piercing and don’t change the jewelry at least for the 1st 2 months.

Important Tip: An infected navel piercing will hurt more than usual and when you see it is looking odd, it might be time to go to the doctor.

Belly Piercing Cost 

The cost of piercing depends on a number of factors. Jewelry’s material, the design, etc play a crucial role too. Apart from that, the price that a piercer will charge can be anywhere between $50 to $100

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