Back in 1993 my roommate came home with his nipple pierced. We talked about it and his experience and what the piercing entailed. I had been reading tattoo mags for years so I knew what was happening in the piercing/tattoo scene.
At A Glance Author Deeporbit Contact Deeporbit@bme.anon IAM Deeporbit When Ten years ago or more I decided after talking with my roommate that I was going to get my navel pierced. Back then it was rare for anyone to have a navel piercing. As a matter of fact I only knew one person in my circle of friends that had a navel piercing. You may think that I only knew 2 people, but I had many friends in several cities that had tattoos and pierced ears and nipples but the navel piercing was relatively new.
I made an appointment at the shop where my roomie got his nipple pierced. I made a trip by to check it out in person. The shop was mainly a leather/bdsm supplier with a healthy supply of dildos. The piercing studio was in the back out of site from the main shop. The cleanliness and neatness of the operation immediately impressed me.
I spoke directly with the piercer and asked him how log he had been in the business. His name escapes me after all these years. He was knowledgeable and answered all of my questions without hesitation.
A few days later when I went back for my appointment I don't recall being particularly nervous, just excited and ready for the experience. The best was to find yourself is to leave your friends at home and try new things like this alone! Bringing baggage along can distract you and actually increase nervousness I think.
Once I got to the shop Mr. Piercer showed me to the back and told me the routine. He also had me watch a quick video on cleaning the piercing once I left. Hibicleanse was the recommended cleaning agent. His thoroughness was memorable since I have seen other shops that skip this step or only offer a poor copy of cleaning tips and guidelines.
After getting my shirt off and getting on the table we checked the placement. The actual cleaning process was very good and neat. Sterilization was a key to Mr. Piercer. The jewelry that was used was a 14g ½" cbr. While this may not be the choice now it was acceptable back then. (I have since used a 12g curved barbell for this piercing for comfort.) The pain was minimal, only a sharp poke that lasted about 2.5 seconds! Then the "buzz" started which lasted for quite a few minutes. After instructions on care I was on my way.
I immediately went and bought a good-sized bottle of Hibicleanse and used it consistently for a few months. Unfortunately this product was way too much for the piercing. After 3 to 4 months it was not healing and it was getting red and crustier than usual. I decided to just leave it alone for a while and only clean the ring itself instead of a major scrub every day. At about the 6 month point it got infected and was really getting me pissed. Once thing that I had trouble with was bumping and bashing the area. I worked in a warehouse with heavy boxes and it caused more than one bleeding moment.
I didn't give up however. One thing I did not do that I should have was saline soaks. I have since used this for other piercings with great success. The navel piercing did end up healing completely after about a year.
>From the 6 month point to 1 year I was more educated and careful with the piercing and a successful result was realized.
I did this 11 years ago and it is still looking fine, no keloids or scarring! I am currently sporting a 12g ½ cbr. Once it stretches a bit I will go to a custom 10g barbell. Barbells seem to get caught and snagged on clothing a lot less that rings.
If I had to do it again I would stay away from harsh cleaners, no bumping, and use saline solutions for promoting healing. If you are considering a navel piercing get educated and go for it. Be prepared for a long healing period. Even if I didn't have the problems I did it still would have been over 6 months for proper healing. Don't be afraid to ask questions. If you feel uncomfortable with the shop by all means ask questions until you get satisfactory answers or simply try another shop. Just going to a shop and hanging out for a few minutes and watching how the shop runs can give you a good idea of the vibe of the shop. Don't let the passion of the moment get you involved with an untrained "piercer" or a fly-by-night shop!!! Professionals are calm and steady and prepared to answer any questions.
A wise park ranger once told me, "The stupidest question ever, is the one you never ask..."