This is my navel piercing experience, and although I know there are tons of them on here I thought i'd add mine to the list for all you to read.
At A Glance Author Deeny Contact deeny_o@hotmail.com When Six months ago Artist Deanna Studio Bee-Cool Location Calgary, AB I had wanted my navel pierced for the longest time and had come close to doing it a few times. My parents take trips to Mexico and on the last one I had called up Bee-Cool to make an appointment but hung up after one ring because I was such a wimp.
Finally last fall I worked up the nerve to do it, I got my friend to come with me ( moral support of course) and we headed down to Bee-Cool. I just dropped in and it turned out to be pierce fest at Bee-Cool, which was great as it ended up costing me a whole lot less than usual. I walked in the doors as I had done a few times before and there were a good few people there. It turned out that an old friend of mine was helping out there that day so I was instantly reassured.
I liked the atmosphere in the place, everything was clean and tidy, all the jewelery was in display cases. There is a really cool mural on the wall and a couch to sit on while you wait. I went up to the counter and told them I wanted my navel pierced, I filled out the forms and answered a few questions. A few minutes later I was led into the back.
Deanna was my piercer and she was pretty cool about everything. I informed her that I was a complete wimp and said if I screamed or anything to not be surprised. The friend I had brought with me actually ended up staying out looking at tattoo designs and it was my old friend who came in with me and held my hand.
I felt really light headed from the start because that's just the way I am. I stood against a wall and Deanna marked my navel and got me to look at it in the mirror. Next I laid down on what looks pretty similar to a dentists chair. After that it all went pretty quick. My navel was clamped, she did a pre-poke to line up everything and before I knew it I was pierced, the jewelery was in and I had done it!
For me it definitely hurt, but it wasn't unbearable or anything, and truthfully the pre-poke hurt more than the piercing.
I didn't watch but when I finally looked down there was a ring in my tummy! I managed to carefully get up and sat there for a couple minutes to make sure I wouldn't pass out or anything. There were lots of flats of pop and juice, I was given a can of Five-Alive so I wouldn't feel light headed ( the same thing as when you get a sucker after getting an injection).
I emerged from the back and showed my friend, he thought it was pretty cool. At the front I was given an after-care sheet, given some basic instructions on how to best clean it by my friend, then sent next door the the health food store to get my lavender soap and sea salt ( I prefer the natural approach to things, and it was also on the after care sheet). When I went up to pay they asked me what I had had pierced, they could tell from the lavender soap and sea salt.
One thing I was told that stuck with me is that it feels like you're pregnant for the first little while because whenever you sit down or stand you do it really slowly and you don't really bend or anything....it's hard to explain but anyone with a navel piercing will probably understand that.
I had a ring for about 3 months and i noticed that it was healing a bit crooked, after talking to Deanna and my friend I decided to switch to a barbell. I bought it at Bee-Cool and they changed the ring for me. It hurt a lot more than actually being pierced, but it's 2 months later now and having the bar bell has made things a lot easier, it doesn't get snagged on things as easily but i've probably added on about another month or two in healing time because I switched jewelery in the middle of it healing. At the moment it's still a bit red and there's a bit of keloid on it but it should go away as long as I keep doing sea salt soaks. I also got some soap with lavender and tea tree oil so that should speed things up some.
All in all it has been a good experience, I did something that I had wanted to do for a long time. I would completely recommend getting your navel pierced! Soon I shall be getting other piercings, more in my ears definitely hopefully my eyebrow and possibly others. I guess i'll have to be writing more in the coming months.