Navel & Belly Piercing Guide: Everything You Need To Know
You may be thinking about getting your belly button pierced but haven’t taken the plunge because you don’t know where to start. Here’s all the information you need to know so that you are well-informed and feel confident when you finally pierce your belly button.
You're Getting Your Navel Pierced, Here's What You Need To Know
1. Most belly button piercings are done with a curved barbell preferably made of 14k gold, 18k gold, or high-quality titanium.
2. The standard size for a navel piercing is 14 Gauge (aka 14G). You should never use a barbell thinner than 18G since a higher gauged needle presents more risk of rejection, tearing, and migration.
3. The length of your first barbell will likely be 7/16-inch to allow for extra room for your piercings to heal and be easily cleaned. You can change the size later. (Belly button piercings almost always use 7/16-inch or 3/8-inch jewelry.)
4. During healing, protect your navel piercing from being snagged on clothing, irritated from friction, or injured during physical sports and activities with this simple tip: get a vented eye patch of hard plastic (found at most pharmacies), and secure it over your piercing using an elastic bandage like an ankle wrap.
5. Follow a daily cleansing routine for you new navel piercing.
6. Don't change out your belly button ring until it has completely healed.
Your Piercing Is Healed. Time To Shop For A New Belly Ring!
You followed all the advice, and you’re completely healed. Now for the fun part: shopping for jewelry to adorn your awesome navel piercing! Remember when we talked about sexy body jewelry sizes? It’s still important. You want to look for 14G navel piercing jewelry with a barbell length of 3/8" (standard) or 7/16" (longer).
Our belly button rings are made from solid 14k gold. Our gold is nickel-free, as nickel is generally the metal that people with metal allergies react to. The reason we choose gold, platinum, or titanium as our metals of preference for your belly piercing is that these materials are more pure and tend to have fewer additives that your body can react to.
Cost considerations: if you want a healthy belly piercing and love the look of quality body jewelry, then you may want to invest in a gold belly button ring.
Important: Be aware that even though you’re going to want to adorn your belly button with gorgeous, sparkly, dangle jewelry all the time, it’s best to wear basic jewelry for the majority of the time. This means that you should stick to simple, non-dangle curved barbells or CBRs (hoops) made of high quality titanium or gold with minimal adornment. Save your elaborate chandeliers and dangle belly button rings for day wear or special occasions. Whatever you do, don’t sleep in elaborate navel rings. This preserves your piercing, keeping it from getting irritated, and also keeps your jewelry in good shape.
Curved Barbell
The most common type of navel jewelry, this versatile look comes in a huge variety of styles.
Non-Dangle Belly Rings
These belly rings range from basic to fabulous. Made from a variety of materials, they can be adorned with sparkling gemstones, elaborate designs, etc. They are no less stunning than their dangling counterpart. The more basic of these pieces are great for everyday wear.
Dangle Belly Button Rings
Similar to the non-dangle belly rings, they have one difference: interesting charms that move about when you wear them. Again, they can range from simple to elaborate.
Twister Spiral Belly Rings
The name of these belly rings says it all. They are a twisted spiral that you thread through your piercing and secure with a screw-on ball. They come in a range of lengths. You can also wear smaller twist jewelry in other areas of the body, such as the ear, lip, nipple and eyebrow.
Circular Barbells
Also a very commonly used piece for nipple piercings, these offer a more masculine look but are also available with gemstones or diamonds for a more feminine and dazzling look. Circular barbells are a comfortable, basic style that many people opt for.
