The Dos and Don'ts of Belly Button Piercing

Enjoying extreme popularity over the last few years is the art of belly button piercing. These days, it's no longer a shock to see young women sporting jewelry in various shapes and sizes on their navels. Whether belly button piercing is done as a form of self-expression or simply as a way of making a fashion statement, the fact remains - it involves piercing and any piercing of a body part will always carry with it certain health risks. BELLY BUTTON PIERCING: HOW IT'S DONE

It is standard operating procedure for the piercer to wash his or her hands with soap and water before anything else. Once the hands are dry, latex or surgical gloves must be worn during the entire piercing procedure.

The belly button/navel is aseptically cleaned with rubbing alcohol and a mark is made on the outside and inside of your navel to indicate the area to be pierced or the route through which a 4 to 5-inch needle passes to make a hole where jewelry (most commonly rings) is later inserted.

The very nature of the procedure alone will tell you that it is going to hurt slightly. At times, a tiny amount of bleeding is not uncommon. Pain, however, varies from person to person since no two people respond in the same way to the same pain. We all have different pain tolerance levels and some simply have higher tolerance for pain while others do not.

Belly button piercings take time to heal - around 4 to 8 months and even up to a year in some cases. The most common jewelry used is made up of stainless steel (surgical grade), niobium, and titanium. RISKS INVOLVED

1. INFECTION - the most common problem encountered and is caused by bacteria getting into the pierced area. Proper caring for the piercing, though, can prevent this.

2. INFLAMMATION - since body piercing in not for everyone, there are instances when the body rejects it, causing the pierced area to be inflamed and there is redness, swelling, and pain at the spot. Wearing the wrong jewelry (wrong size, wrong weight, and is non-hypoallergenic) can also cause inflammation.

3. TETANUS - any punctured wound (wound caused by a sharp, pointed object such as a needle used for piercing) can be a potential breeding ground for the tetanus bacteria.

4. HEPATITIS - Hepatitis B is often transmitted by way of needles, non-sterile ones especially. This is a very rare occurrence.

5. HIV -Like Hepatitis B, the AIDS virus can be transmitted from person to person via infected needles. This is an even rarer occurrence and will not likely occur at any type of reputable establishment.

How these risks to your health may be avoided may rely for the most part in you. This means that you have to be alert and aware of how the piercing procedure is done, the instruments used, and if the piercer is experienced and licensed. Most of all, you need to follow cleaning instructions well. DOs and DON'Ts

Dos:

§ Make sure to go to piercing salons recommended by friends.

§ Check and observe if the salon is clean and has sterilization/autoclaving machines for

instruments.

§ Watch carefully to be sure that disposable needles are used.

§ Observe if the piercer washes his or her hands, uses sterile glovesand instruments, and the

working area is well lighted.

§ Clean the piercing with warm water or saline solution and soap (antibacterial). Rinse and dry

with paper towel.

§ Make sure to wash your hands before cleaning your piercing.

§ Follow cleaning instructions at all times.

§ Look out for signs of infection (redness, swelling, pain, pus, and rash).

§ Be sure to clean your jewelry before wearing it. Don'ts:

§ Don't go swimming unless piercing has totally healed. Avoid public swimming pools,

resorts, hot tubs, and seas.

§ Don't touch your piercing or don't let anyone touch it unless it's healed.

§ Don't use tight-fitting clothes as they could rub against your piercing and cause irritation.

§ Don't buy jewelry from unclean salons and jewelry shops.

§ Don't take aspirin days before a piercing procedure as this could make you bleed a bit

longer than usual.

§ Don't pierce your belly on your own.

Belly button piercing is a nice way to create a unique fashion statement, but you should never compromise your health and safety. Get your piercing done by a licensed professional.