Hello. My name is Keri and my daughter wants to get her bellybutton pierced and she wants me to ask this question;
Does it hurt?
If yes how long?

Thank You!
Keri

Hey Keri. I'm 27 yrs. old and had my bellybutton pierced last year. The actual piercing didn't hurt too bad, but she messed up my hole the first time and had to re-pierce it deeper, so two needle sticks wasn't much fun. I didn't think it hurt any worse than getting a shot, but that's my opinion. Afterward, mine was very sore and stayed that way for a couple of months, but that could have been due to being stuck twice. I did everything the piercer told me to do in regards to caring for it, but it still got infected. I found out I was pregnant about 6 months after getting it pierced so I ended up taking it out, and now I have a not so pretty scar there.

I know alot of women who have theirs pierced and have had no problems, but I also know alot who did have problems. I would just make sure you and your daughter are aware that there could be scarring and infections, not to mention soreness, before making your decision. The good thing is that a piercing is not permanent, but scarring is. Good luck though and hope this helps.

It didn't hurt when I got mine pierced - I just felt pressure - and it was over in an instant. Afterward, it was tender for a week or so. It can take up to a year for it to completely heal. I was very lucky (I took really good care of mine) - and mine was healed in about 3-4 months.

The important things to remember while in the healing stage are:
Do not ever touch the piercing or jewelry unless you wash your hands first.
Leave the piercing & jewelry alone unless it's time to clean it.
Wash it daily with an antibacterial soap, move the jewelry around, & rinse well.
Dry it with a clean, unused towel or a new paper towel.
Don't wear clothing that will rub or catch on the jewelry.
Do NOT put neosporin on the piercing.
Follow the instructions given to you by the piercer - even if it differs from what someone else tells you.

I got mine pierced when I was 16, I am almost 21 now.
When I pierced, I was told that it hurts more if a person has a more toned/muscular stomach. Mine didn't hurt that much because my stomach was not as hard back then.

Basically it was just a pinching sensation to your belly button and for me I remember being in a bit of pain for about 30min-1hr. Nothing terrifying. It healed and I was able to change rings after I believe 5 or 6 months.

There is a really great website where people submit photos and stories of their piercing experiences. I can't give you the URL, but just type in "bme" into Google, and the first search result that comes up should be "BME: Body Modification Ezine...". Towards the top of the screen it will say "Body Piercing Photos/Stories". Under that, click on "Navel". On the right side of the next page that shows up will be a list of stories--people's experiences with getting their belly buttons pierced.

It's fun and very informative. You and your daughter will probably enjoy reading the stories and find them quite helpful.

Oh P.S: Don't be scared off by the sometimes strange pictures of people's body modifications on the site! :p

Thank all of you. My daughter is almost 13 and she is scared to death. I think she is calmed down now because of this. Thanks again.
~Keri~

13???? I would not recommend getting it done then! They have laws against getting it done under 18. If she grows it could mess up the piercing. I got mine when I was 17 so I was pretty much done with growing. It really should be done after 16 since that's when girls usually finish growing. There's no sure way to know when someone's done growing, it can only be guessed and assumed. When I did mine they would not do them for anyone under 14 since after 14 most people don't grow much. I really don't think she should get it done for at least another year. I waited about three years to get mine done and I certainly don't regret it! If she grows, it's like pinching a bit of your skin and then stretching the area around it. The hole might get bigger and uglier and it might hurt. Oh, and about healing and pain and stuff, the actual needle didn't hurt too much, but after that I got the shock of it and I dry heaved since I hadn't eaten that night (otherwise I would have puked). It was annoying for about a month since I like to sleep on my stomach, and it didn't heal because I had mono. But seriously, I would be scared to get it done that young.

I agree with FaerieStars - if she is only 13, there probably isn't a piercing place that will agree to do it - even with a parent's permission. Most states have laws that state no one under the age of 18 can be tattooed or pierced without a parent's permission. Then each state varies as to how they take it from there. And then it will vary by studio. Here, they won't do it until 15 - and then a parent must be present - and you must present the child's birth certificate & parent's driver's license to prove you ARE one of the parents on the birth certificate. If you CAN find a piercer who will agree to do it - I would check his/her credentials very, very carefully. I can't imagine that a reputable piercer would be willing to do it.

My dd is almost 13 & she wants her navel pierced, too. And she is VERY mature for her age. However, there is no way I would let her get it done now. She is not capable of caring for that type of piercing with the extreme care it needs. And she wouldn't be patient enough to allow the months (it can be up to a year) for it to heal. I would be very concerned about infection in someone that age.

Hmmm...I had mine done when I was 20. It hurt a lot. My tattoo didn't hurt as bad. It never healed right, and got infected. I had problems with it for years, and I eventually took it out after having it for five years. I have a hideous scar from it. Infections can travel into your bloodstream and cause serious health problems.

At the time, I was told to clean it with alcohol or peroxide, which I later found out was comletely wrong, and I should have used sea salt.

I definately wouldn't recommend it to a 13 year old. I'd say wait until she is at least 16. I wasn't even allowed to shave my legs at 13...lol.


Karina

I have had mine peirced for 5 years. While I am not sure why a 13 year old would be showing her belly off, I will say that it didn't hurt. Mine bled, however. Gushing blood that just wouldn't stop. I am really skinny and so is the friend I went with, she had the same gushing blood problem. After a couple of hours of gushing blood (hey we were 18, who knew) we went back to the place and they were greatly confused. They said we might be inemic. Nevertheless, it stopped after a while and I haven't had any problems since.

Oh Karina, I couldn't even get my ears pierced until 13 plus shave my legs plus wear only a little bit of makeup. I am going to do the same thing with my kids! HAHA