The torso is a large part of the body but very little of it can be pierced safely – the most popular areas being the belly button and the nipples. More extreme piercings can be done on the back but won’t be discussed here.
The Belly Button (Navel) Piercing:
Healing Time: 6-9 months.
Initial Jewelry: Curved barbell or J-curve.
Gauge: Minimum 14 gauge, sometimes 12 and normal maximum is 10 gauge.
Size: Curved barbell from 3/8 to 1/2 inch.
Most people are extremely surprised at the healing time for belly piercing – it takes longer to heal than any other piercing. The navel piercing is slow to heal due to the lack of blood supply in this region of the body. This extended healing time means that these piercing can be troublesome. They might seem healed but often are not. Home piercing, incorrect cleaning of the wound (improper piercing aftercare), poor quality jewelry, changing the jewelry too soon and the lack of education on piercing are all contributory factors in the healing process.
The most common place to get your belly pierced is through the fold of tissue at the top of the navel – your piercer will assess your navel to make sure it’s suitable and make sure you choose the right jewelry. Not all belly buttons are suitable for piercings – if your navel area is flat, and you don’t have a lip, and you skin is tough you should not pierce your belly button.
The same is true for navel jewelry – not all jewelry is suitable. The sizes and gauges of jewelry are at the top of this post. Don’t be tempted to choose jewelry that’s too skinny. Migration and rejection of the jewelry are more common with skinny belly rings, especially if the piercing placement is not perfect. I get many mails and comments from girls complaining that their piercer has pierced too little skin (put it too close to the surface) and are afraid as soon as it’s touched it will break the skin. Unfortunately, this does happen sometimes and is made easier by choosing jewelry that’s too skinny.