Belly button rings are, once again, the latest must-have accessory. However, there are so many different styles beyond the traditional ring that you may not even know about. And if you do, then you may be overwhelmed by the options. But, if you’re considering taking the plunge, you’ll want to prepare by getting familiar with all the different types of belly button piercings so you’re not caught off-guard at the piercing shop.
“For navel piercings especially, anatomy is key. There is no ‘standard’ navel, as every person is unique, as is their navel anatomy. Depending on how their navel moves while they are sitting, standing, stretching, bending over, these all play a role in how it should be pierced and what jewelry would work best,” Paige Amber Holloway, a piercer from Oshkosh Wisconsin tells Elite Daily. “Weight has nothing to do with a navel piercing, it's just the actual shape of the navel that matters. It doesn't matter if you're 80 pounds or 300 pounds; you either have the anatomy or you don't.” So, once you’re in the shop, you should first and foremost consult with your piercer about what they think will look best. But before you get to that step, educate yourself first on the different styles so you’ll be fully aware of what your piercer is talking about. Walking in blind will only confuse you and make the whole process much more complex than anyone wants.
The many different types of belly button piercings all come with their own perks and downsides, so you have to be ready for the commitment you’re making. (Be prepared to snag a few high-waisted pants on your new jewelry, especially as it heals.) Below are professional piercers and belly button ring wearers’ takes on the different types of piercings you can get.
An Upper Belly Button Piercing
This is the most standard type of belly button piercing; however, Holloway warns that it doesn’t work for every navel shape out there. “This type of jewelry only works for probably 50% of people, even less honestly,” she says. “For that type of jewelry to be comfortable, you have to have a very prominent navel shelf, and your navel shouldn't collapse too much while you are sitting or bending over. That movement of your navel caving in will cause the jewelry to push upwards and put pressure on the top of the piercing, thus causing irritation and trouble healing.”
Reva, 23, had her upper belly button pierced for about seven years before taking it out. “It stemmed from this want to be both edgy and a bit basic,” she says. “I took it out two years ago. I miss the look of it constantly; however, it was too much upkeep. The piercing got caught on literally everything and was always red.” Again, while everyone’s different, this is a sign that, no matter how simple your belly button ring is, you’ll want to be sure you’re able and willing to care for your piercing properly.
A Lower Belly Button Piercing
A lower belly button piercing is ideal for those with wider navels. It often uses the same barbell shape as an upper navel piercing, but it ends lower on your body. If you’re incredibly married to high-waisted pant styles, though, Billy DeBerry, a professional piercer whose shop is based in Kissimmee, Florida, notes that that silhouette mixed with this type of belly button piercing poises a “possible issue with healing.”
A Double Belly Button Piercing
If you want to go all out and get your belly button as blinged-out as possible, your best bet is to get both a lower and upper belly button piercing in one go — that is, if you’re willing to take on some extra care. Pro piercer Lady Day previously told Elite Daily that you should expect a longer healing time and longer soreness when you get a double piercing.
A Dermal Belly Button Piercing
“For people who don’t have enough of a flap of skin they can, depending on their anatomy, go with surface piercings, sometimes referred to as microdermals or surface anchors. These are single-point surface piercings with tiny posts implanted under the skin with a gem coming out of the top to give the illusion of a navel piercing,” says Dean Galgano, a New York-based professional piercer. “These require a little extra aftercare and take a bit longer to heal, unlike the standard navel piercing which is fairly easy to heal.” If you opt for this type of belly button piercing, Galgano says the typical aftercare would involve cleaning the area with a sterile saline solution once a day “for however long your body takes to heal.”
In fact, some piercers even prefer this look over more traditional styles. “One of my favorites is the single dermal navel so all you see is one crystal top,” DeBerry adds. “I like that over a barbell. It just looks cleaner and nicer to me.”
A Floating Navel Piercing
A “floating navel” may look like a dermal piercing, but it turns out they’re a bit different. “Floating Navels are what I most often use for fresh navel piercings. They are becoming more and more popular now, with modern piercing practices becoming more mainstream and piercers actually wanting to better their clients and not just take their money,” says Holloway. “Floating navels are for folks that have a more deep-set navel, or a navel that collapses when they sit down. The jewelry has something smaller on the bottom, inside the navel — generally a small bead or disc — then the top of it can be just as simplistic or have a super fun adornment. This ensures the client is comfortable while moving and the jewelry is not putting pressure on the top of the piercing.” I’m no professional, but it sure sounds like an ideal piercing.
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