Belly Button Piercing Guide: Everything You Need to Know

You may be thinking about getting a belly button piercing but haven’t taken the plunge because you don’t know where to start. Here’s all the information you need to know so that you are well-informed and feel confident when you finally pierce your belly button.

You're Getting Your Navel Pierced, Here's What You Need To Know

1. Most belly button piercings are done with a curved barbell preferably made of 14k gold, 18k gold, or high-quality titanium.

2. The standard size for a navel piercing is 14 Gauge (aka 14G). You should never use a barbell thinner than 18G since a higher gauged needle presents more risk of rejection, tearing, and migration.

3. The length of your first barbell will likely be 7/16-inch to allow for extra room for your piercings to heal and be easily cleaned. You can change the size later. (Healed belly button piercings typically use 3/8-inch (8mm) jewelry.)

4. During healing, protect your navel piercing from being snagged on clothing, irritated from friction, or injured during physical sports and activities with this simple tip: get a vented eye patch of hard plastic (found at most pharmacies), and secure it over your piercing using adhesive tape.

5. Follow a daily cleansing routine for your new navel piercing.

6. Don't change out your belly button ring until it has completely healed.

How much does the belly button piercing hurt?

Since the skin around the navel is quite fleshy, belly piercings hurt less than other piercing types, like cartilage piercings. However, you are receiving a puncture hole, so there will be some pain involved.

Most claim that the navel piercing pinches similarly to an immunization. If you don’t have problems getting shots, then you should be fine. The good news is that the process is quick, and any initial piercing pain will be brief.

In the days after you receive your belly piercing, you’ll most likely feel some discomfort, including swelling, throbbing, and some aching. This is normal. If the piercing pain becomes too much to bear, speak to a medical professional.

Navel piercing healing process

The navel piercing takes some time to heal. In a matter of weeks, it will appear healed, but it takes between 3 to 6 months for the piercing to heal internally. During that time, you need to keep up aftercare practices, including avoiding swimming. In some cases, it takes up to a year to completely heal, so make sure to talk to your piercer before stopping aftercare practices.

Aftercare rules

The navel piercing adheres to standard aftercare practices, but since it’s located on the body, there are certain things that you must keep in mind as it heals.

Stay away from the beach. Warm areas are where belly piercings shine. However, while it’s healing, you need to keep it away from pools, standing water, sandy areas, and anywhere that might bring in harmful bacteria. Sandy beaches can bring foreign particles into the piercing, which could cause infection. Opt to sit by the pool instead (but don’t go into the water until you’re fully healed).

Make sure your initial jewelry is the right size. Rejection and migration can occur in any piercing, but it seems to be relatively common in the navel piercing. Rejection can happen for many reasons—such as using cheap metal for your jewelry—but often it comes down to the size of your jewelry. Make sure that your barbell is long enough to leave room for swelling and small enough that the weight of it won’t pull on your piercing. Wait to opt for dangle belly button rings until your piercing is fully healed. If you suspect that you’re rejecting the jewelry, visit your piercer as soon as possible so that they can give you options. Rejected jewelry is rarely life-threatening, but it will leave permanent scars.

Conduct a saline soak or salt bath daily. The location of the navel piercing makes it difficult to keep clean, but there is an easy solution to this. Either mix your own sea salt solution—it’s imperative that you make sure that the solution is properly mixed, uses only distilled water and non-iodized salt, and is stored in a sterile environment—or purchase a piercing aftercare saline solution. Put the solution in a small paper cup, large enough to accommodate your belly button jewelry, lean over the cup to dip your piercing inside, and press the rim of the cup to your belly, suctioning the cup to your body. For the duration of the 5-minute soak, you can then (carefully) move around with the cup on your belly.

Be careful with your clothing. New belly jewelry is so easily snagged. A massive snare could rip the jewelry completely out of your belly button. Even small snags shouldn’t be ignored; habitual tugging at the jewelry could cause hypertrophic scarring or other complications that will affect you long term. Choose clothing items with few things to snag on. Make sure you wear baggier clothing that won’t press or tug at the jewelry. If you’re concerned, you can always cover the jewelry with a large bandage to avoid snagging during healing.

How much will it cost?

A belly button piercing will cost anywhere between $30 and $70. As with any piercing, opt for experience over price. Never choose a piercer who uses a piercing gun. With belly piercings, it’s important that your piercer understands the correct jewelry size to use in order to avoid rejection, so it’s important that you choose an expert piercer.

Belly piercing variations

You might think that the belly button piercing is pretty straightforward, but there are variations to this popular piercing.

The bottom belly button piercing pierces the skin below the belly button, rather than above. This piercing is great for those who would prefer jewelry that hangs lower than the standard belly piercing.

The double belly button piercing allows for a bit of variety. Essentially, it consists of an additional piercing either above, below, or to the side of your belly button piercing. Vertical double piercings seem to be the most popular. The vertical double belly piercing consists of a regular belly piercing and the bottom belly button piercing. You can choose a standard belly ring for each piercing, creating an alluring aesthetic. You can also get creative with charms and dangles to create a stunning cascading effect.

You followed all the advice and your piercing is fully healed—now you can focus on choosing jewelry that actually looks good and feels right.

Sizing still matters (even after healing)

Remember sizing? It doesn’t stop being important once your piercing heals.

• Standard gauge: Most navel piercings use 14G
  
• Typical length: The most common bar length is 3/8" (8mm)
  

But “standard” doesn’t mean universal.

Because navel piercings vary more than most, the correct length depends on your anatomy and how your piercing sits.

• Shallower piercings: often need shorter bars (5/16" / 6mm)
  
• Deeper piercings: may need longer bars (7/16" / 10–11mm)
  

Wearing the wrong length is the #1 cause of discomfort, irritation, and migration.

Choosing the correct size ensures your jewelry sits comfortably and stays in place for everyday wear.

A note on quality

If you want a healthy, long-lasting piercing—and jewelry you’ll actually enjoy wearing—material quality matters.

Our belly rings are made from hypoallergenic solid 14k gold, which is nickel-free. Nickel is the most common cause of irritation, so using high-purity materials like gold or platinum reduces the risk of reactions and improves long-term comfort. For heirloom-quality pieces featuring conflict-free stones and custom settings, explore our diamond belly rings collection.

But material is only part of the equation. Unlike mass-produced jewelry, our pieces are made to order based on your selected size, so you’re not forced into a generic fit. Combined with high-quality materials, this results in jewelry that sits correctly, feels comfortable, and is designed for continuous wear.

Investing in a solid gold belly button ring means:

• Fewer reactions
  
• Better comfort from both material and fit
  
• Jewelry that holds up to daily wear

Daily wear vs. occasion wear

For everyday comfort, stick with simple curved barbells or belly button hoops — they sit flat, resist snagging, and are safe to wear around the clock. Save elaborate dangle and chandelier styles for nights out and daytime events where you can keep an eye on them. Never sleep in long dangle belly rings; they can catch on sheets and cause hypertrophic scarring or tear the piercing.