How to Pierce Your Belly Button

You want to pierce your belly button, and you're wondering how to do it on your own. You can follow these instructions to pierce your own navel or to find a top-notch artist to do the job for you. You'll also find some instructions for taking care of your piercing after you're done.

Piercing Your Belly Button: Quick Advice

Wash your hands with soap and wear sterile gloves to pierce your belly button. Rub antiseptic over the piercing spot, then stretch the skin taut and push the needle through.
Find a clean, tidy business to get a professional belly button piercing. Be prepared to show identification; then, you can select the jewelry you want and let them handle the piercing.
Care for your piercing by washing it with a warm saline solution, then gently blotting it dry. Don't use harsh chemicals like rubbing alcohol or try to wash it more than twice per day.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Piercing Your Belly Button On Your Own

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Make sure that includes a 14 g piercing needle and a clamp. You'll also need sterile gloves, antiseptic, cotton balls, a body ink marker, a mirror and some jewelry. Your first piece of jewelry should be small and thin.
Typically, people pierce an area above their navels. Hold some jewelry against your navel until you find the right angle and location. Mark both the entry point and the exit point of the jewelry on your skin using the body ink marker.

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Put on your sterile gloves.
Use the clamp in your kit to hold the tissue in place.
Pull the needle through the hole and thread the jewelry through right after the needle.

Quiz

wikiHow Quiz: What Piercing Should I Get?

Piercings are a great way to express yourself and enhance your style, but there are so many to choose from. How can you be sure you pick the perfect piercing for your personality and look? You’ve come to the right place. Answer these fun questions, and we’ll match you to the piercing of your dreams.

1 of 13

Which words best describe you?

Fun & bubbly

Hip & adventurous

Artistic & unique

Edgy & rebellious

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Getting Your Belly Button Pierced Professionally

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Look for general tidiness and watch the artists to make sure that they wear sterile gloves and use sterile solutions on the skin. Ask them if they own an autoclave. Don't be afraid to walk out of the piercing studio if you don't feel that they are very hygienic with their piercing techniques.^{[1]
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You will likely be asked to sign a paper for legal purposes. If you are younger than 16, you'll probably need a parent to provide consent before the shop will perform the piercing.
A knowledgeable piercing artist will help guide you with what type of jewelry is best for healing.^{[2]
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Relax in the chair or lean-to.^{[3]
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- On request, expose your belly button and the piercing artist will size up your navel with a felt tip marker.
- A surgical-type clamp will be attached to the upper region of your navel to stabilize the tissue in preparation for the puncture.
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Take a deep breath and relax as much as you can during the procedure.^{[4]
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- Out of the autoclave comes a very long, very sharp hollow needle of sorts, which will be used to pierce the skin for your new piercing.
- Your jewelry is placed on the end of the spear and guided through your new piercing.
- Remember to breathe throughout the procedure for maximum calm and comfort.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Taking Good Care of Your Belly Button Piercing to Prevent Infection

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If you don't have store-bought solution, then make your own using 1/4 teaspoon of non-iodized salt in 8 ounces of warm water.^{[5]
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Rinse the residue away with a stream of cool water.^{[6]
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Squeeze a pearl-sized drop of soap onto the piercing and gently rub the piercing and jewelry with your fingers. Rinse the area and dry it with sterile gauze. Make sure the soap is antimicrobial and it has no scent, the fragrance will make the chances of infection higher.^{[8]
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Steer clear of any oral contact with your navel, and avoid applying lotions, creams or cosmetics to the wound.^{[9]
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Try a waterproof wound-sealant bandage, which you can get at a drugstore.^{[10]
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Put the eye patch over the piercing and secure it by wrapping a cloth bandage around your abdomen. The eye patch will help to protect your piercing if you have to wear tight clothing or engage in contact sports.
Don't hang any charms off of the jewelry until the healing process is finished.

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Community Q&A

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Question

Can I pierce my belly button with an earring?

Community Answer

No, because the size, or gage, of a belly button hole should be bigger than a hole for an earring.

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Question

If I have an "outie" belly button, will they have to remove it before the procedure?

Community Answer

No, but you might experience more bleeding.

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Question

How can I relax when the pain would make me tense up my muscles?

Community Answer

Bring someone with you, as a distraction (or chat with the piercer). The pain's over pretty quickly, and it really just feels like a pinch.

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Tips

Jogging pants and low cut jeans are your new best friends for the next few months as your new piercing will be quite tender. It is important to wear soft, comfortable clothes to avoid irritating the navel.

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Don't touch the piercing too much as you may irritate it and cause an infection, especially with unwashed hands.

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Don't take it out when you can move it and if it hurts when you move it then wait a month or two. When you move the piercing around and it doesn't hurt then you can take it out.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

If you're under 16, don't attempt to get your belly button pierced without a parent's permission. Just wait a few years and then you can make the decision for yourself!
You should really avoid swimming for at least six months, then wear a waterproof bandage over your piercing for up to a year.
If you really can't handle pain, use a numbing cream that's specifically designed for the navel area.

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Warnings

Avoid touching your belly button ring if your hands are dirty.

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Don't pierce your own belly button unless you have experience with other types of piercings.

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If your piercing does get infected (continuous redness, extreme pain, pus and maybe fever) do not take out the piercing. Otherwise, it may heal and seal the infection inside you. Instead, see a doctor as soon as possible.^{[11]
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If you are or are planning to become pregnant soon, you can buy pregnancy piercings which are a soft tubing that bends. They also come with o rings in case you need a c- section. This way there is no metal in your body and the piercing can be taped over to stop it from getting in the way as you will have to take out the jewelry during your pregnancy if it is standard metal jewelry.^{[12]
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