Dangers and Risks of Belly Button Piercing (Navel Piercing)

People get their body pierced due to many reasons, some do it as per their culture; whereas, others pierce their body for style. In recent times, tattooing and belly button piercing have become very popular, especially among teens. For them, navel piercing is a cool and trendy fashion of body decoration. In fact, many of them are not aware of the potential risks of body piercings. When opting for the navel piercing, precautions should be followed to avoid severe health complications. Let's take a look at some of the dangers and risks of belly button piercing.

Belly Button Piercing (Navel Piercing): Dangers and Risks

The most common site for navel piercing is the upper rim of the tummy. The healing time of belly button piercing is comparatively longer than other body piercings. It is due to the fact that recurrent bending, sitting and other body postures disturb the pierced site. The pierced site is often complicated to heal due to sweating and irritations from clothing, especially the tight fitting ones. In general, piercing at the navel portion requires four months to one year to heal completely. Like any other body piercing, there are certain risks associated with navel piercing, which are discussed as follows.

Infections: Infections, particularly bacterial infection, are the most common problem related to belly button piercing. Though, the chances of navel piercing infections are more common with the use of unsterilized equipment, infections are also possible with the sterilized ones. An infected area swells and appears red; usually accompanied by a burning sensation and pain. If proper skin care of the infected area, like regular cleaning with saline water and antibacterial soap, is not followed, then there is increased risk of recurrent infections.

Excessive Bleeding and Nerve Damage: One common problem of belly button piercing is excessive bleeding, which may occur due to damage of the blood vessels. In some cases, navel piercing can affect the nerve, resulting in numbness of the area. Navel piecing done by a qualified body piercer may even cause excessive bleeding and nerve damage.

Allergic Reactions: Allergic reactions at the belly portion are caused due to jewelry allergies. To avoid risks of jewelry allergies, one should opt for jewelry made of implant grade stainless steel, gold (8 karat) and titanium. Sliver jewelry are not recommended for the new piercings, as there are risks of permanent skin darkening due to tarnish deposits from the silver metal.

Keloids: Keloids, a thick scarring at the pierced site, are another problem of belly button piercing. They are developed, when the scar tissues (from the pierced site) interfere with the normal healthy tissues.

Wrong Jewelry: Wrong jewelry, in terms of the metal type and size, often causes problems at the piercing site. If the jewelry is too small, it may cut the blood supply to the piercing area, resulting in swelling and pain. The same problem may occur in case of very thin and/or heavy jewelry.

Some people are of the opinion that piercing guns are a better option for the navel piercing, as they cause a little pain. In contrary to this, it is to be noted that body piercing should not be done by using piercing guns. Unlike regular needles, they cannot be sterilized, thereby increasing the chances of infection.

Belly button piercing should be done thoughtfully, as it is quite painful and may create problems when sleeping. So, it is always better to talk with your parents and/or friends before getting your navel pierced. If possible, talk to people who have already done it, so that you will get a brief idea about the pros and cons of navel piercing. If you really wish to flaunt belly button jewelry, then it is always advisable to get the piercing done by a licensed body piercer. Also, seek and follow proper navel piercing aftercare instructions as suggested by a professional to avoid complications.