Belly Button Bling Bling
By Nicole Ransick
Ever since I was 16 years old I knew I wanted my belly button to be pierced.
Last year I attended the University of California, Santa Barbara and it was then that I finally decided to pierce it.
One of the best things about getting a piercing is that if you end up not liking it, you can take it out. You cannot do that with a tattoo without a procedure.
Getting your belly button pierced is relatively inexpensive, with most shops charging between $20 and $50. However the cost will also depend on the ring you choose, and most piercers will recommend that the first ring you put in be standard size.
If you want to get your belly button pierced, it is something you really need to think about. The healing process takes about six months. On a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being it did not hurt at all and 10 being unbearable pain, I would give the pain of getting it pierced a 4. I actually felt like the healing process was a bigger pain.
Caring for your new piercing is essential. Ask your piercer how to care for your new bling, or else it can easily get infected. Personally, I used NeilMed’s saline solution for about two months, day and night. It is also recommended that you stay out of the pool for a few weeks after getting it pierced.
In order for your piercing to heal quicker, my piercer also told me to wear loose fitting clothes. When the piercing is healing it is very sensitive, so do not touch it (also that’s gross because you have bacteria on your hands) and try to use soaps that are non-irritating to the site.
Sometimes when people get piercings, their body rejects it. The best way to ensure that this does not happen is by keeping it sanitized and not irritating it. I also recommend getting it pierced professionally because everything should be sterile. When I got my belly button pierced everything my piercer used was and should be new, clean, and coming straight out of the package untouched.
Overall, I really like my belly button ring, but I do not think it is a piercing for everyone. If you are considering getting a new piercing, take the time to take care of it and be patient because sometimes they take awhile to heal. After all, you do not want an ugly scar in the end, you want some bling bling.