Navel piercing

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Navel piercing
Nicknames	Belly button piercing, belly piercing
Location	Navel
Jewelry	Barbell, captive bead ring
Healing	6–12+ months

A navel piercing (also referred to as a belly button piercing) is a type of piercing that penetrates the skin of the navel. It is most commonly located on the upper fold of skin but can also be affected underneath or around the edges of the navel. Healing usually takes around 6–12 months but varies person-to-person due to differences in physiology.^[1]

The history of navel piercing has been misrepresented, as many of the myths promulgated by Doug Malloy in the pamphlet Body & Genital Piercing in Brief continue to be reprinted.^[2][3] For instance, according to Malloy's colleague Jim Ward, Malloy alleged that navel piercing was popular among ancient Egyptian aristocrats and was depicted in Egyptian statuary,^[3] an allegation that is widely repeated.^[4][5] However, other sources deny that the historical record supports the allegation.^[6]

The navel piercing is one of the most prevalent body piercings today.^[7] Pop culture has played a large role in the promotion of the navel piercing.^[8][9] The navel piercing first hit the mainstream when model Christy Turlington and Naomi Campbell revealed their navel piercings at a fashion show in London in 1993.^[10][11] The popularization of the piercing, however, is accredited to the 1993 Aerosmith music video for their song "Cryin'", wherein Alicia Silverstone has her navel pierced by body piercer Paul King.^[12] Another pop culture icon credited with launching the navel piercing into the mainstream is Britney Spears who prominently displayed the piercing in her album ...Baby One More Time and at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards.^[13][14][15] As of 2023, other celebrities including Dua Lipa, Megan Thee Stallion, Vanessa Hudgens, Miley Cyrus, and Normani continue to wear navel piercings.^[16] Navel jewelry was a popular trend during the late 1990s and early 2000s, and while it declined in popularity in the 2010s, celebrities including Addison Rae, Doja Cat, and Billie Eilish have continued to popularize the piercing in the 2020s.^[9] A comeback of the navel piercing was also signaled by Kim Kardashian who re-pierced her navel in 2024.^[17][18]

A 2022 study found that women are primarily motivated to pierce their navels due to a desire to enhance body image and that a navel piercing can, in turn, significantly improve bodily self-perception.^[19] The study further found that navel piercings become strongly, and beneficially, integrated into women’s bodily self image and that the piercing may be seen as expressions of body care that can protect against self-harming thoughts and behavior.^[19]

According to a 2005 survey of 10,503 people in England, 33% of the respondents had navel piercing making it the top body piercing site.^[20]

The jewelry used in navel piercing is commonly called "belly rings". Belly rings are a midriff-revealing version of earrings.

Many new designs, such as the ancient Bali jewelry designs, have been added to modern navel cultures. Curved barbells remain the most commonly used jewelry, but captive bead rings, and other rings are popular as well, but due to the amount of movement in this area and the common complication of swelling, they are not recommended. The world's first huggy was designed and patented by TummyToys belly rings.^[21][22] Vogue published an article in 2015 about the circular captive bead belly rings and TummyToys snap lock clasps becoming the latest trend for navel piercings.^[23] Most kinds of ring or bar jewelry can be worn in a navel piercing. Navels are most often pierced with a 14g curved barbell, which is recommended to be worn until the piercing has completely healed, the healing time is typically anywhere between 6–12 months. A wide variety of embellished jewelry is available for navels – simple curved barbells, captives, TummyToys huggies, flexible PTFE and deluxe long length styles with dangling pendants. Currently, real diamond and solid gold belly rings are also available in a wide range of styles. Most kinds of ring or bar jewelry can be worn in a navel piercing, both for top and bottom piercings.^{[citation needed]}

There has been a special standard established for navel barbells (also called "bananabells" or "bananabars", a reference to their curved shape). The standard barbell is 1.6 mm (1⁄16 in) thick and 9.5 mm (3⁄8 in) or 11 mm (7⁄16 in) long and is most commonly referred to as a 14-gauge post. The silver caps on the barbell post usually measure 5 mm (3⁄16 inch) in diameter for the upper and 8 mm (5⁄16 inch) in diameter for the lower.^{[citation needed]}

Although navel bananabells are different from full rings, such as captive bead rings, which can also be worn in navel piercings, online body jewelry retailers and wholesalers tend to refer to these barbells as "belly rings".^{[citation needed]}

A new version of navel jewelry is on the market for those without pierced navels, which is based on the idea of clip-on earrings.^{[citation needed]}

Navel piercings can be one of the slowest piercings to heal, with sources reporting a range of six months to two full years.^[24]

Navel piercings carry several risks, including:

• Infection: A new piercing may take up to 6–12 months before it can be taken out, during which time sweat, bacteria, and friction may lead to infection. A piercer cannot properly tell you whether a piercing is infected, but can give advice and recommend medical advice when needed. Infected navel piercings can result in sepsis and possibly death.
• Scarring: Skin tissue rarely heals to match the surrounding tissue. It heals in varying thickness, and size. It is likely that any piercing worn for a significant time (months to years) will leave a scar if removed.
• Rejection: Rejection is when the body pushes out a piercing in order for the wound to properly heal. This can happen even if the wearer takes very good care of the navel piercing. There is no way to stop rejection, as it is just the body's natural healing process. It can be prevented, though, by maintaining proper aftercare, preventing it from getting pulled at or tugged on, and being pierced in the correct spot by a reputable piercer. If rejection occurs, the jewelry should be removed as soon as feasible to minimize the scarring.
• Migration: Migration can happen many ways, and for many different reasons. It may be that the amount of movement in the area pushed the piercing to a spot where it would be easier to heal, trauma from pulling or tugging on the piercing could have added excess scar tissue, or it was improperly pierced, making the body push it to a more comfortable spot.^[25]

• Bone, Angie; Fortune Ncube; Tom Nichols; Norman D Noah (June 21, 2008). "Body Piercing in England: a Survey of Piercing at Sites Other than Earlobe". British Medical Journal. 336 (7658): 1426–1428. doi:10.1136/bmj.39580.497176.25. PMC 2432173. PMID 18556275. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
• Miller, Jean-Chris (2004). The Body Art Book. Penguin. ISBN 0-425-19726-3.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Navel piercings.

• The Association of Professional Piercers aftercare instructions.