How To Change Belly Ring

Follow these simple steps and you’ll be able to change your belly ring in no time!

Having been waiting for nearly five months(!) Sally(in the pictures!) finally inserted her new gold belly button ring. Yes – navel piercing takes some time to heal. However, it depends on the person – others’ navels heal quickly, like ear piercings. Other piercings take longer to heal, like surface piercings. The amount of skin that the piercing goes through, counts too.

Read on and see how to change belly ring!
First you have to assess if your belly piercing is well healed. Only change the belly ring when you are sure it’s healed! Look at Sally’s navel about two months ago:

The piercing was a bit inflamed – you can see the red crusty edge around the inner hole. At this stage it wouldn’t be wise to change belly button ring. You have to wait till it looks like this:

The skin is well healed, no puss comes out and the piercing isn’t tender to touch.


Remember: you shouldn’t be experiencing any discomfort while touching, rolling or sliding your belly ring along the new hole in your navel!


Prepare the new piercing – screw off the ball, wipe it well with saline solution and put it aside for a while. Now screw off the little ball of your old belly button ring and pull it out gently. Here’s the piercing without the belly ring:

You can see it looks well and shows no sign of irritation or infection.

Now you’re ready to insert your new belly button ring. Take it and insert into the right hole slowly and push it through. If the piercing is well healed, the belly ring will slide through normally and find its way.

This belly ring is a reverse gold belly button ring – it is to be inserted from the top to the bottom. When Sally did it first, she put it the wrong way. It’s not a big deal, but you should do as little damage to your navel piercing as possible and not irritate it with unnecessary actions.

In the case you can’t get it in and it starts to hurt, stop doing it immediately and go back to the piercing studio where you got your navel pierced. The piercer will help you insert the belly ring without damaging the half-healed wound.

So – when you’ve successfully inserted the belly ring, screw the small ball on and – it’s ready! From the front, the navel with the new belly button ring looks like this:

Looks gorgeous, doesn’t it:-)?

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84 comments

  1. So i just changed my belly button ring for the first time. I got it pierced about 13 months ago. Now it didn’t hurt when I changed it, but there was a tiny bit of blood when the bar went through. It didn’t bleed after i placed it in. Just when the bar went through and that’s it. Should I be worried?

  2. The new ring is absolutely beautiful! I regret getting mine pierced but I wore one for so long, now I’ve lost hope of the hole sealing up so I figure I might as well find a small pretty thing to wear in it. Can you please tell me where you bought that one?

  3. Need help pls?

    Have a fabulous belly ring. But it’s on a chain. How do I put it in? It’s got a ball at one end. Then the chain with a diamond hanging off. But can’t figure out how to get it in? Any ideas people?
    Thanks.
    Trace.

  4. I once had my nipple done and believe it me when I say that it wasn’t that easy to change at all. The belly button is a little easier to do as the skin around it is a lot less sensitive. Great article though.

  5. Mine just took 8 months to heal ! Am i actually ready to get a new belly ring ? I’m kinda wondering if I take off my belly ring by myself is it safe ? Do I need professional to do it for me ? …

  6. Hello My name is Maria
    I got a belly ring on August 11, 2012
    It did not hurt at all to me
    I love it and it’s have a moon with two silver balls
    It has been 5 weeks already when do you think that I should change it? please write back soon

  7. HEY FOR EVERYONE WHO IS WONDERING IF YOUR BELLY BUTTON IS GOING TO HURT FOR A LONG TIME! I HAVE THEN ANSWER!! I GOT MINE DONE A COUPLE MONTHS AGO AND MINE DOESN’T HURT! IT’S USUAL FOR PUSS TO COME OUT! SO DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT

  8. so i just got my belly button pierced, two weeks ago it was time to change it. i went to change it and found out that the piercer made the holes too far from earch other… so a normal bar does not fit. i can see the metal in the top hole but it doesnt go all the way through… what size do i need? please help.

  9. I got my belly button pierced a few months ago and at first everything was fine. But now I’m starting to experience itchiness and it’s always dark around the hole and very dry. Sometimes there is a red bubble around the bottom hole but that went away after a few weeks. Also puss still comes out and sometimes blood comes out too. It is not super sensitive, but if I snag it on something it hurts really bad. Also sometimes it stings when I get up from sitting down. I have only changed it 4 times since I got it pierced and I clean it almost everyday. Is this normal? Should I take it out? Please help!

  10. Hey, I’ve had my bb pierced for like 2 new now, and i’ve never had any problems before, but yesterday I decided I wanted to change my belly bar (again) and the ball won’t come off! It’s not stuck or anything because the ball turns, but it just keeps turning, and not coming off :/ Any suggestions?!

  11. I’m looking to get my belly button pierced for the first time. Where can I find a ring like the second one in the pictures? Thanks.

  12. I got my belly done in Florida about 6 weeks ago , today I messing with it (cleaning it ) I noticed its not even in my belly hold I dad already noticedooked funny compared to most other people but , passed it off as part of my gastic bypass and 3 children . I have wanted one so long but it looks alfull , I think it`s because it`s not in the navel what can I di PLEASE HELP

  13. Hi I’m 12 and I got mine pierced about 2 days ago. It hurts, but its not red or pussy or anything. My mom doesn’t know about it, just my dad and stepmom. Do you think if I took out the jewelry I have in it she would be able to see the piercing? Please help (: and also, my sister also got hers done, and her dad can’t know about it either. So can you please help us find out how to keep the, from seeing it? Thanks so much for the help with changing it by the way.(:

  14. Chrystyne: Try looking on amazon.com they have a nice selection of belly rings for pretty cheap 🙂 Just be careful and read the reviews and make sure you’re getting a good product. And for everyone asking exactly how long it will take for your piercing to heal, it could take anywhere from 3 months to a year. It just depends on your body. Talk to your piercer to find out when you will be ready to take your piercing off, but no matter what wait atleast 8 months to put in a dangle. And make sure to use saline solution atleast once a day to keep your piercing clean. I recommend h2ocean.

  15. My belly button is healed and ready for a “real” belly button ring! That is the good news. The bad news is that I now realize it has been pierced with a lot of skin (high above the belly button…. I am not fat at 118 pounds). Not ever having experience with this (I only have on belly button after all!) I trusted how the piercer did it. I put in a 3/8″ ring and within 2 days it was red and irritated and “squished”. I just ordered a 7/16″ one but don’t think it will be long enough. I currently have a temporary 1/2″ bar in (which gives extra movement). I am having the hardest time finding exactly what I want: a reverse channel in 1/2″ or 5/8″. Anyone know of a place I can purchase such a thing? Never thought it would be this hard to find!

  16. Hey, I’m Chloe-Louise.
    I got my navel pierced on Tuesday, 16th August 2011, I had it pierced for my holiday to Cornwall which is in 9 months, I’m not going to change it until then so I know that it’s fully healed, I clean it with the solution I bought from the piercing studio, the solutions called ‘Metal Morphosis AntiBacterial cleansing lotion’ I have no trouble with my piercing so far, I clean it twice a day, the only thing thats a problem is my sleeping, I usaully sleep on my front with my arms under the pillow, but now I can’t sleep at all because I can’t lay on my front, I haven’t slept properly since then, would it affect the piercing if I took sleeping tablets? 🙂

  17. Ok, I got my navel done about 2 weeks ago and everything is fine. I got the plain bar and I was told to wait 6-8 weeks before changing the bar itself, but that in 2 weeks I’m allowed to change the balls on each end. I decided that, since it doesn’t hurt at all and it looks normal with no redness, I would change the balls today. I tried and I couldn’t unscrew them! I even had a friend try and help. So if anyone knows a secret or special way that I can loosen these balls up you can email me at Ninjataco13@yahoo.com. Thanks (: I’d really love the help.

  18. I have thought of that but I don’t know if the bottom ball on my barbel even unscrews or not.I already had to change my top ball because the stone fell out and it looked blah without a stone in both balls.

  19. If you not sure about changing a new piercing all you have to do is buy a new belly ring curved and change the balls both of em do unscrew but you can go to youtube thats how I found out how to do it…

  20. It’s three months and right now I do not feel ready to change my ring.Maybe I’ll do it at four and a half or five months.

  21. Anyone who is curious about changing their belly button ring:
    The first time I did mine was about two weeks after I had it pierced. I was told to do it in the shower because it was clean and allowed the old ring to slide out and the new ring in smoothly without catching on the built-up crust. Using this technique, I had no problem. For the first few months, I continued to change it in the shower to be sure it was clean and the ring went in and out smoothly.

  22. I got mine done March 11th, a little over three months ago.I’m very tempted to change it but don’t know if I should.Some people say three months is enough while others say 4-6.How long will be safe enough?

  23. i got mine done 2 weeks and 3 days ago. the piercer said to wait 6 weeks to change it, but i couldnt wait, i had the silver ring with only one ball, i took it out and my skin hasnt healed, its still red and you can see the pink flesh inside the hole. i went ahead and put a new belly ring it, but will it get infected?

  24. im 16 and i got my belly button done abt 2 weeks ago and i just changed my ring. so far its fine, and im going to keep an eye on it. but when i put the ring in it bled a little. should i go back to the piercing ring?

  25. Hey so I just had my belly pierced and I have some redness on the upper ball n a little tenderness and it sorta itchy too. I changed my top ball is that bad do you think? I didn’t change the bar just the balls to make it a little bit more cute. Also is the redness and tenderness ok or should I go get it checked?

  26. got my piercing done 3an a half months ago,it jus looks like they pierced it with to much skin,i tried to put n a new ring an tryin to get the bottom ball in is really hard an it has no room to move its jus really tight,so my question is will it get easier an will that center skin loosen after more time?

  27. hey everyone ! It’s Danielle from DanniMonique on youtube.com . ( check it out )I had gotten my belly pierced april 21st 11 . My belly button never got infected and it’s not sore anymore . Nicely healed . Got the ok to change it after 3 months . So next month I’m going to the piercer to get it changed for the first time . For tips, questions, suggestions, comments . Emaill me at DanniBooBby@gmail.com . Or lewisdanielle51@yahoo.com . I will reply as soon as possibe . And I have videos on my youtube page so check it out ! Thank you . Btw I’m 15 .

  28. I finally decided to pierce my belly button in April. It is finally looking/feeling way better. Mine got so infected/swollen it became feverish feeling and about a 3 inch circle around it was bright red,even though I was cleaning it like 3 times a day! So for any advice I can give, Hibiclens worked good and somewhat makes it temporarily feel better. Also make a glass half way full or warm salty warm, put it on your b.b. and flip it over and lay down where it suctions to your stomach and let it sit. I did this a few times and it made a huge difference! I also just went to the beach this weekend and it got even better from the salt water!! So good luck the infection will be gone soon enough!

  29. hey everyone i got my belly pierced in june of 2010. i tried to change it in december right after christmas when i got a new ring. but then it started to get infected so i chnaged it back to the orignal one i had after it was pierced. its now may nd its almost been a year nd its seems fully healed but im scared to change it becuz of wut happened last time! what should i do? :/

  30. hi. i got my belly button pierced february 10th. I’m ready to change my original ring because its a hoop. its very irritating because it clings to my shirts and sits sideways constantly. i think I’m going to call the shop i got it done at to see about changing it.

  31. I’m in belly button heaven here! Just got it pierced a few months ago and am starting to check out possibilities of what I can decorate it with when I am able to change it. Wow!!!

    Where can I find the exact belly button ring Sally is wearing in the last two pictures?? It is absoIutely gorgeous!…’classy, sparkly, elegant, understated. I’ve been through every link at this site and have found similar rings….all of them gorgeous but not quite like Sally’s…unless the pic doesn’t show it correctly. I would be grateful to be directed to the link.

    Thanks!!

  32. I’ve read all your comments, red inflammed, if you have to change your piercing, try BIOPLAST, piercings heal heaps quicker, less chance of rejection.

  33. I had my belly pierced but decided to take it out because it was infected… How long do I have to wait to get it repierced?

  34. I got my belly button pierced sinces 1 month ago and on the top it’s a little red but it doesn’t hurt at all on the buttom it’s not red just the top and puss comes out on the top but just a little the puss is like white kinda but it’s just a little pit what does this means is it inficated are not can anybody please till me !!?

  35. i got my belly button pierced this mornin and im in north varolina i went to planet x tatoo and they do piercings to the staff are verry friendly but anyways they told me to wash it with antibacterial dial soap and so i did its allitle sore but its not red and its not releasing any liquid its april 25 nad she old me not to change it for 6 weeks ita almost time for the pool to poen up in my country club that i live in is it ok to swim? also will san or anything irritate it?

  36. I got my belly button pierced 8 months ago…it was still inflammed..i took it out 2 nights ago to clean it. Somehow i forgot to put it back in but the next day when i tried it would not go back in. Could my bellybutton already be closed? Or is there a way to get it in that i don’t know about

  37. Hey guys!
    I had my belly pierced two weeks ago today, and it’s going great. No blood, pus or anything else at all, and it doesnt even hurt anymore.
    As for te question of when to change it? When you feel right.
    If you can touch, turn and move it easily with no pain, try taking it out and putting it back in. If that goes well, it shouldbe good to change.

  38. i got minee pierced about 3-4 weeks ago its fine its not sore it was a little red i use surgical spirit bp its really good when it got red i put sudocream on it once or twice a day it really helps but does any one actually no the right time to change my belly bar ? 🙂

  39. I got my navel pierced on 22nd a Tuesday i just wanna know why is it itchy and a little pink around the piercing bar….

  40. I got my belly button pierced about a month ago the two ends are a bit red and there’s some stuff coming out of it. The guy who did it put in a round ring and I really don’t like it, its always sticking out and I’m afraid it gets caught in something or I hit it somewhere (I could imagine the pain), I want to change it to a curved ring. Is it possible for me to do so and how do I go about doing it? Thanks :)!!!

  41. I got my belly button pierced about a month ago the two ends are a bit red and there’s some stuff coming out of it. The guy who did it put in a round ring and I really don’t like it, its always sticking out and I’m afraid it gets caught in something or I hit it somewhere (I could imagine the pain), I want to change it to a curved barbell. Is it possible for me to do so and how do I go about doing it? Thanks :)!!!

  42. Hey i got my belly button done a week and a few days ago for my 14th birtthday i was just wondering if it dont feel saw or red could i change it in a few weeks and what way do you un screw the ball :s ???

  43. Hey i got my belly button done a week and a few days ago for my 14th birtthday i was just wondering if it dont feel saw or red could i change it in a few weeks and what way do you un screw the ball :s ???

  44. i got my belly button pierced two months ago now and on the third week the top of it came off and i couldn’t find it, this of course made my bar fall out, people who are nervous incase hurts when taking it out or putting it in, it doesn’t, i couldn’t even feel it coming out or going back in so don’t worry:-)) … also if your wondering how to get your bellybar off you turn the top ball to the left and slowly it should come off:-)))

  45. THANKS, INEVER KNEW THAT ITOOK 3 TO 12 MONTHS..I HOPE MINES DOESNT GET INFECTED BECAUSE IHAD CHANGED IT LIKE 3 WEEKS AFTER IGOT IT DONE..WELL ITOOK IT OUT. SO I REALLY HOPE IT DOESNT GET INFETCTED.!!

  46. i got my belly piered sept. 5th . it was hurting but when i got in the water it soothed it. i cleaned it with eye soloution and dial soap as instructed and i twist and play with my belly button but as i look under the bottom part of the ball its like a pus feel’d bump it doesnt look bad i just wanna know is that an infection or a step in the process of healing /?

  47. ABRAH-CADABRAH For those of you who are DYING to change the belly-button ring but you know its not time yet…don’t rush it! CHECK OUT THIS TRICK INSTEAD: You could purchase a new ring, take the balls off of that ring and sterilize them in alcohol or anything that could kill the germs. Then take off one of the balls from your original bar, screw on the new ball, Do the same thing to replace the other ball. DON’T REMOVE THE BAR!!! Just simply change the balls…and there, looks like you have a new ring in! =)

  48. I’ve tried to switch my belly ring yesterday but it wouldn’t go in I’ve had it done for like 2-3 months and I dont know when I should change it and I want to but im scared it will close also do i have to clean my belly rings? someone please help I dont know what to do

  49. Hey! So I believed my piercer when she said I could change my ring in 6 weeks, and the next day I woke up with the worst pain my belly button has had to endure. So i changed it back. And now I’m planning on leaving it till I’m completely sure it’s healed. But in the meantime – should I be worried about the pain? It’s not pussing or anything, its just really red and inflammed.

  50. I got mine done a month ago from yesterday and its healed up just fine of course there is still a little red at the bottom of the barbell. When I got mine done they said I would have to wait 3 months minimum to 6 months tops but since my last piercing healed within a month and a half I think I’m good. It doesn’t hurt at all or anything, just when I sit down on it wrong.

  51. I got mine done around 3 weeks ago and its fine now. A little red sometimes, but it doesn’t hurt at all. My piercer said to wait at least 4 months to change it. I’m going to wait at least 2 but might not wait the whole 4 months since mine already healed pretty fast. I’d say wait until you can easily slide it back and forth and the skin doesn’t get stuck around it in between washings. If it does, then it’s still healing.

  52. dont chance anything , ive had mine done maybe 2 -2 nd a halfmonths now , i thought after about 6 weeksit would be alright , and ive kept cleaning and its got a bit of ous coming out of it latley , i havent done anything for it to get like this , im taking anti biotics now as it might be infected , better to be safe than sorry , id say wait at least 3 months before changing it , my sister has had hers peirced twice before and as soon as shes changed it its become infected and she has had to remove it , honestly! wait its so much better to wait

  53. I got mine done a month ago its not red, swollen, nothing comes out of it anymore and It doesn’t hurt. my piercer said to wait 3 to 6 months. Could it already be healed?

  54. My piercer told me I can change it after 3 months. Anybody who says you can change it after 4-6 weeks is crazy. Mine was still red and sensitive after 6 weeks.

  55. Keshia.:Hi i got my navel pierced a month ago & i was wondering would it be ok to change it? it doesnt hurt anymore except if it gets puled slightly, & it still has the white/yellowish matter that comes out but thats normal. i keep it very clean everyday but i am a bit nervous about changing it. Any words of advice? should i be lieing down standing up or what to change it? how do u know if the swelling is down?
    email me- shorty_la2006@yahoo.com

  56. Hey , i’m 14 years old and i got my belly buton pierced just over a week ago, i only got it done with my older sister for our holidays which is in august. The piercer said that because of my age there was a high chance of my body rejecting my new piercing. It looks fine so far , there is no redness or pus or anything like that , and it only hurts if i catch it on something. the peircer said to keep it in for 6 weeks before i change it , but i dont think thats long enough, so does anyone know how long you should actualy keep it in for because every one says different, my best friend got hers done yesterday and they said keep it in for a year before changing it! and if my body is going to reject it , will it happen straight away , or will it fully heal first then go bad? Thankyouhh 🙂

  57. i got my belly pierced 2 months ago, my piercer said you could change it after 2 months but i dont think it is healed fully yet
    i dont know if i should change it this soon and i am very nervous about doing it
    could someone please help

  58. I have had mine for a month and i take my ball off to clean it. And mine screws off starting turning it to the right. Hope this helps.

  59. Well ,i have my belly peircing for about 4 months now and i am scared to change it because i dont which way to turn the top ball of my ring ! & im scared that it might hurt .. so im askinq you which way do you have to turn the ball ???

  60. Thank u soo much for the advice but how long do u hav to wait untill u can change a belly bar first the first time????

    1. Hi! A normal 11mm (7/16) is fine. A piercing pro will pierce your belly button in the correct place to allow for swelling. I have seen many piercings where the piercer has pierces through too much skin and left no room for swelling. You need not worry if you go to a reputable and professional studio.

  61. Candice,
    i have had my belly pierced twice. The first time me and two of my friends went together and got it done at a shop that we later found out was not so good. Mine was the first to go bad. It was red and pusing out yellow and green pus and the skin in the middle was peeling away. I went to another shop after about a month because it was still bad. The guy there told me to take it out immediately because it was going to reject and pop out. I took it out and it healed fine. Then my other friends did pop out, and my other friends almost did, it was literally hanging by a tiny bit of skin. We discovered that it was because the piercer did not pierce it deep enough. After about a month I went and got mine re-pierced. It hurt a little more due to the scare tissue, but it is much better. It has been about three months now. Mine is still red, but the piercer just looked at it not two weeks ago and said it was fine. The only thing you need to worry about is if the skin starts to peel away or you have yellow or green pus, whit is normal. Good luck to you. I clean mine with Kroger brand triple anti-biotic. I did use bactine the first time and it didn’t help, and then i tried salt water to take out the infection and that also didn’t work. Triple antibiotic rocks! Twice a day, or more if it looks really bad, but not more than four times. There is a such thing as too much moisture. If there is too much moisture it will not heal very fast, it will, but just way slow! Good luck!!!!!!!!!!

  62. well i got mine done a month ago and it still has pulse coming out of it and it still is red around it and i’m not so sure what to dr it with… can anyone help me PLEASE????? it still kind of hurts and sor!!!!! thank you just email me at candice_loves_cameron1@yahoo.com with the best answers u can give me please thank you i really need answers and help about this

  63. if you got yours pierced with a ring you are going to need assistance to get the ball off…. you have to expand the ring because the ball is squished between the two. I just got mine done not too long ago and am waiting to change it because the ring is uncomfortable. so just get siscors or pliers and spread it apart a little and it should be just fine.

  64. Hey guys…. I got my belly pierced last night 😉 and i have heard stories from alottt of people and everyones answer is different… which is the best time to take your piercing out?

  65. Thank you soooo much . I was so scared about changing mine and i just went to change it now after reading this article. and thanks jasmine astin i did the vaseline thing 1st time round lol .. everything went pretty well .

  66. Hey i got mine pierced a month ago(july 18) and i couldnt stand the plain bar i got it pierced with so i waited untill about 2 weeks before the 1 month mark and i changed mine. As long as you keep it clean,be careful of it and take care of it, it shouldnt get infected.

  67. Hi Nikky,
    You must wait two months minimum to change a belly piercing. In this time, keep the piercing clean and dont try to remove the piercing. You should then contact a local piercing studio (even if you dont want to!) and they will advise you on removing and replacing your piercing 🙂

  68. I’m 15 and i’ve gotten my belly pierced in NewYork while on vacation. I’m back in Florida now and I’m ready to change my belly piercing. Unfortunately I cannot get it off lol I don’t even know which ball is the one that unscrews. So i’m very confused and frustrated. I’ve tried twisting it both ways and it won’t come loose. I know most people would go back to the piercer and get help but thing is, I got mine done in Ny and I’m in Florida lol Please helppppp (:

  69. hi i got my belly button pierced 5 days ago i cant stand the ring and just wondering how i can change it ive tried twisting it but it wont come off i really cant stand it please help thank you.

  70. I GOT MINE DONE ITS BEEN 6 MONTHS & SME WEEKS THE PERSON I WNT TO SAID WAIT 6 MONTHS TO MAKE MINE OUT SO IT DOESNT HURT OR NOTHING I THINK ITS HEALED BUT THANKS 4 THAT I DONT KNOW WHICH BALL TO TWIST OFF 2 CHANGE IT IM STILL WAITIN TO BUY ME ANOTHER BELLTY PIERCIN SO UNTIL I GET IT THATS WHEN IM GOING TO CHANGE IT..

  71. I got mine pierced about 5 weeks ago. The guy that did it told me to wait 8 weeks to get it changed, but I really can’t stand the ring I got it done with. How do you change it from the ring to the barbell like thing? Do you have to bend the ring to get it out or what?

  72. i got mine pierced three days ago and they made me get an actual ring to get it pierced with…i did not like the ring at all. i wanted a bar. so the day after i got it done, i changed it to a stainless steel bar with purple balls on the ends. i let a professional look at it and she said it did not look infected or inflamed at all. so i guess it all just depends on how sensitive your skin is and how your body reacts to it. =]

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