The concept of body piercing has been around since time immemorial. This art was popular among the Incas and the Egyptians. In the ancient past, body piercing had nothing to do with fashion. It symbolized loyalty, bravery, royalty, warriors and exceptional beauty.
Times have changed and so has body piercing. The art has found profound importance in the world of fashion. The piercing is not only restricted to areas like ears, but the fashion icons have crossed to piercing body parts like belly button, lips, nipples, eyebrows, nostril and the genitals. Let us concentrate on just one part of our body that is erotic and sensuous. Yes, that's the navel. If you want to get pierced on this erogenous area of the body, go through this piece of information.
Things to Consider Before Piercing
- Get a professional to do the job for you: Never ever try to do it yourself. Puncturing your skin with non-sterilized needles can cause infections like HIV, tetanus and hepatitis. There are plenty of salons that can do the job effectively. There are professionals who are specialized and trained to work on your body. The piercer should be registered with APP (Association of Professional Piercers).
- Choose the right jewelry: There is a wide variety of jewelry that can be worn on a navel. The jewelry comes in different shapes and forms: bars, ring and gauge. They are usually made from metals like gold, silver, niobium, titanium and stainless steel. Make sure that you just don't go by the design and the attractiveness of the jewelry. Also pay attention to the size of the metal as it should not be an irritant in your quest to be fashionable. Hypoallergenic jewelry made from surgical grade steel, titanium and 14 or 18 carat gold are best when you are piercing for the first time.
- Use an antibacterial soap to clean your navel area.
- With the help of warm water, remove the crusting material from the belly.
- To promote healing, place a cup of salt water on the tender area of the navel for 15 minutes.
- Refrain from tampering with the ring and do not touch the piercing with dirty hands.
- Avoid wearing jeans, pantyhose and belts. Wear only loose-fitting clothes that allow your skin to breathe.
- To speed up the process of healing, use lavender and tea tree oil.
- Do not use a public swimming pool until the piercing has healed.
- The healing process usually takes 6 months. If you want to go in for a change in the jewelry, do so only after the belly button has thoroughly healed.
Belly button piercing is similar to any surgical operation and involves certain risks. You need to be aware of the general risks involved. There are chances of bacterial infections which can cause abscess around the pierced site. If left untreated, it can form septicemia which means infection of the blood. If you pierce in a salon where the hygiene level is low, then there is a risk of infection. Transmittable diseases like hepatitis and HIV can infect your body through unsterilized needles. The normal reactions are bleeding, swelling around the piercing site and scarring.
Now that you have the required information, making a decision is easy. If you decide you do not want to broach the topic of navel piercing, you know what is best for you. But, if you have decided to go for it, be sure to read through the belly button piercing information before running to your nearest piercer.