Editing Navel piercing

{{short description|Type of piercing located in, or around, the navel}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Tone|date=June 2011}}
{{Disputed|date=April 2022}}
}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox Piercing
|name        = Navel piercing
|nicknames   = Belly button piercing, belly piercing

|image       = My navel piercing.png
|image_size  = 250px
|location    = [[Navel]]
|jewelry     = [[barbell (piercing)|Barbell]], [[captive bead ring]]
|healing time= 6–12+ months
}}
A '''navel piercing,''' also referred to as a '''belly button piercing,''' is a type of body [[body piercing|piercing]] that penetrates the skin of the [[navel]]. It is most commonly located on the upper fold of skin but can also be placed underneath or around the edges of the navel. Healing usually takes around 6–12 months but can vary from person-to-person due to differences in physiology.<ref>{{cite web |date=4 June 2015 |title=Can I go swimming after a piercing? |url=https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/lifestyle/can-i-go-swimming-after-a-piercing/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180915122241/https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/lifestyle/can-i-go-swimming-after-a-piercing/ |archive-date=15 September 2018 |access-date=14 September 2018 |website= |publisher=National Health Service}}</ref>

==History==

The history of navel piercing has been misrepresented as many of the myths promulgated by [[Doug Malloy]] in the pamphlet ''Body & Genital Piercing in Brief'' continue to be reprinted.<ref name="Angebring">{{cite book|title=The Piercing Bible: The Definitive Guide to Safe Body Piercing|first=Elayne|last=Angebring itl|url={{GBurl|id=uz-84gxdYAgC}}|publisher=The Crossing Press|year=2009|isbn=978-1-58091-193-1}}</ref><ref name="Ward">{{cite web|url=http://www.gauntletenterprises.com/BME/jimward/20040315.html|archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160522191651/http://www.gauntletenterprises.com/BME/jimward/20040315.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 May 2016|title=Who was Doug Malloy|last=Ward|first=Jim|author-link=Jim Ward (body piercer)|date=23 January 2004|access-date=7 May 2010|publisher=[[BMEzine]]}}</ref> For instance, according to Malloy's colleague [[Jim Ward (body piercer)|Jim Ward]], Malloy alleged that navel piercing was popular among ancient Egyptian aristocrats and was depicted in Egyptian statuary,<ref name="Ward" /> an allegation that is widely repeated.<ref>{{harv|Miller|2004|p=7}}</ref><ref name="ValeJuno1989">{{cite book|last1=Vale|first1=V.|author2=Andrea Juno|title=Modern Primitives: an Investigation of Contemporary Adornment & Ritual|year=1989|publisher=Re/Search Publications|isbn=0-940642-14-X|ref={{harvid|Vale|Juno|1989}}}}</ref> However, other sources deny that the historical record supports the allegation.<ref name="Parents">"Navel piercing. Unlike the other body piercings, this one has not been recorded in history." {{harv|''Parents''|2007|p=151}}</ref>

[[Image:Cryinvid.jpg|200 px|left|thumb|A [[screenshot]] of [[Alicia Silverstone]]'s character getting a navel piercing in the music video for [[Aerosmith]]'s "[[Cryin']]"]]

==Culture==

The navel piercing is one of the most prevalent body piercings today.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Marc Oxoby |url={{GBurl|id=vCgM4VYsph8C|p=117}} |title=The 1990s American popular culture through history |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |year=2003 |isbn=0-313-31615-5|page=117 |access-date=15 May 2015}}</ref> [[Popular culture|Pop culture]] has played a large role in the promotion of the navel piercing.<ref name="k428">{{cite web | last=Kaufman | first=Michael T. | title=ABOUT NEW YORK; The Adorned Body: Who? How? Why? | website=The New York Times | date=1994-11-12 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/12/nyregion/about-new-york-the-adorned-body-who-how-why.html?searchResultPosition=4 | access-date=2024-10-02}}</ref><ref name="Kim 2024 c296">{{cite web | last=Kim | first=Irene | title=Pop Stars Are Bringing Back the Beloved '90s Belly Button Piercing in 2024 | website=Vogue | date=2024-03-11 | url=https://www.vogue.com/article/pop-stars-are-bringing-back-the-beloved-90s-belly-button-piercing-in-2024 | access-date=2024-03-16}}</ref> The navel piercing first hit the mainstream when model [[Christy Turlington]] and [[Naomi Campbell]] revealed their navel piercings at a fashion show in [[London]] in 1993.<ref>{{cite news|title=RUNWAYS; Fetish or Fashion?|work=The New York Times |date=November 21, 1993 |access-date=September 23, 2023|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/21/style/runways-fetish-or-fashion.html |last1=Menkes |first1=Suzy }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |date=2021-08-19 |title=Navel-Gazing: Britney Spears, Belly Buttons, and Me |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2021/08/navel-gazing-britney-spears-belly-buttons-and-me |access-date=2024-01-07 |magazine=Vanity Fair |language=en}}</ref> The popularization of the piercing, however, is accredited to the 1993 [[Aerosmith]] music video for their song "[[Cryin' (Aerosmith song)|Cryin']]", wherein [[Alicia Silverstone]] has her navel pierced by body piercer Paul King.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aerosmith - BME Encyclopedia |url=http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php?title=Aerosmith&printable=yes |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210075845/http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php?title=Aerosmith&printable=yes |archive-date=2012-02-10 |access-date=2012-02-19 |website=[[BMEzine]]}}</ref> Another pop culture icon credited with launching the navel piercing into the mainstream is [[Britney Spears]] who prominently displayed the piercing in her album [[...Baby One More Time (album)|...Baby One More Time]] and at the [[2001 MTV Video Music Awards]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=August 19, 2021 |title=Navel-Gazing: Britney Spears, Belly Buttons, and Me |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2021/08/navel-gazing-britney-spears-belly-buttons-and-me |access-date=January 7, 2024 |magazine=Vanity Fair}}</ref><ref name="z542">{{cite web | last=Citrus | first=Dajve | title=Queen of the Ring: The Cultural History of Britney Spears' Belly Button Piercing | website=Belly, Inc. | date=2017-09-08 | url=https://www.bellyinc.com/2017/09/08/queen-of-the-ring-the-cultural-history-of-britney-spears-belly-button-piercing/ | access-date=2024-09-21}}</ref><ref name="o142">{{cite web | last=Carney | first=Jessica | title=Britney Spears Freed the Belly. Britney might not be free today, but… | website=Medium | date=2020-09-03 | url=https://medium.com/indelible-ink/britney-spears-freed-the-belly-b7eab04dd043 | access-date=2024-09-21}}</ref> As of 2023, other celebrities including [[Dua Lipa]], [[Megan Thee Stallion]], [[Vanessa Hudgens]], [[Miley Cyrus]], and [[Normani]] continue to wear navel piercings.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.popsugar.com/beauty/celebrity-belly-button-piercings-48827651 | title=Belly-Button Piercings Are Back — and These Celebrities Are Proof | date=May 17, 2022 }}</ref> Navel jewelry was a popular trend during the late 1990s and early 2000s, and while it declined in popularity in the 2010s, celebrities including [[Addison Rae]], [[Doja Cat]], and [[Billie Eilish]] have continued to popularize the piercing in the 2020s.<ref name="Kim 2024 c296" /> A comeback of the navel piercing was also signaled by [[Kim Kardashian]] who re-pierced her navel in 2024.<ref name="e267">{{cite web | last=Bonner | first=Mehera | title=Kim Kardashian Reveals Belly Button Piercing | website=Cosmopolitan | date=2024-11-19 | url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/a62949253/kim-kardashian-belly-button-piercing/ | access-date=2024-11-22}}</ref><ref name="h435">{{cite web | last=Flam | first=Charna | title=Kim Kardashian Brings Back Her '00s Belly Button Piercing | website=People.com | date=2024-11-19 | url=https://people.com/kim-kardashian-brings-back-her-00s-belly-button-piercing-8748436 | access-date=2024-11-22}}</ref> South African popstar [[Tyla]], known for her [[Y2K fashion|Y2K-inspired fashion]], has prominently featured her navel piercing in performances and public appearances, including her 2024 Olympic Games prelude performance.<ref>{{cite web |last=Mahoro |first=Georgina |title=Tyla Wears a Crystal-Covered Naked Dress for the Olympics Prelude Performance |url=https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/tyla-prelude-2024-olympics |website=Vogue |date=2024-07-25 |access-date=2025-04-15}}</ref>

A 2022 study found that women are primarily motivated to pierce their navels due to a desire to enhance body image and that a navel piercing can, in turn, significantly improve bodily self-perception.<ref name="s798">{{cite journal | last=Coleman | first=Christine | last2=Gillmeister | first2=Helge | title=Body image and self-perception in women with navel piercings | journal=PLOS ONE | volume=17 | issue=9 | date=2022-09-09 | issn=1932-6203 | pmid=36083973 | pmc=9462717 | doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0274099 | doi-access=free | page=e0274099}}</ref> The study further found that navel piercings become strongly, and beneficially, integrated into women’s bodily self-image and that the piercing may be seen as an expression of care that can help reduce self-harming thoughts and behavior.<ref name="s798" />

According to a 2005 survey of 10,503 people in England, 33% of the respondents had navel piercing making it the top [[body piercing]] site.<ref name="BMJ">{{harv|Bone|Ncube|Nichols|Noah|2008|pp=1426–1428}}</ref>

==Jewelry==
[[Image:Bauchnabel-Piercing.jpg|thumb|upright|left|A simple barbell]]
[[File:Navel piercing jewelled ring.jpg|thumb|Clip-on belly jewelry]]

The jewelry used in navel piercing is commonly called "belly rings". Belly rings are a [[midriff]]-revealing version of earrings.

[[File:Caribicbauch02.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Dangle navel jewelry]]

Many new designs, such as the ancient Bali jewelry designs, have been added to modern navel cultures. [[Curved barbell]]s remain the most commonly used jewelry, although [[captive bead ring]]s, and other rings are popular as well, but due to the amount of movement in this area and the common complication of swelling, they are not recommended. The world's first huggy was designed and patented by TummyToys belly rings.<ref>{{cite web |title=Our Story |url=https://tummytoys.com/pages/about |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221003222502/https://tummytoys.com/pages/about |archive-date=Oct 3, 2022 |website=TummyToys}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Piercing Trend |url=https://www.piercing-trend.com/ |access-date=21 October 2023}}</ref> [[Vogue (magazine)|''Vogue'']] published an article in 2015 about the circular captive bead belly rings and TummyToys snap lock clasps becoming the latest trend for navel piercings.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Satenstein |first=Liana |date=2015-09-01 |title=Is the '90s Belly Button Ring Making a Comeback? |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/belly-button-rings-piercings-90s-trends |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220423081447/https://www.vogue.com/article/belly-button-rings-piercings-90s-trends |archive-date=2022-04-23 |access-date=2022-04-23 |website=Vogue |language=en-US}}</ref> Most kinds of ring or bar jewelry can be worn in a navel piercing. Navels are most often pierced with a 14g curved barbell, which is recommended to be worn until the piercing has completely healed, the healing time is typically anywhere between 6–12 months. A wide variety of embellished jewelry is available for navels – simple curved barbells, captives, TummyToys huggies, flexible [[Polytetrafluoroethylene|PTFE]] and deluxe long length styles with dangling pendants. Currently, real diamond and solid gold belly rings are also available in a wide range of styles. Most kinds of ring or bar jewelry can be worn in a navel piercing, both for top and bottom piercings.{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}}

There has been a special standard established for navel barbells (also called "bananabells" or "bananabars", a reference to their curved shape). The standard barbell is {{cvt|1/16|in|mm|order=flip}} thick and {{cvt|3/8|in|mm|order=flip}} or {{cvt|7/16|in|mm|order=flip}} long and is most commonly referred to as a 14-gauge post. The silver caps on the barbell post usually measure {{convert|5|mm|abbr=in|frac=16}} in diameter for the upper and {{convert|8|mm|abbr=in|frac=16}} in diameter for the lower.{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}}

Although navel bananabells are different from full rings, such as captive bead rings, which can also be worn in navel piercings, online body jewelry retailers and wholesalers tend to refer to these barbells as "belly rings".{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}}

A new version of navel jewelry is on the market for those without pierced navels, which is based on the idea of [[Earring#Clip-on and other non-pierced earrings|clip-on earrings]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}}

==Risks==

[[File:First piercing.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Piercing process with clamp]]

Navel piercings can be one of the slowest piercings to heal, with healing times ranging from six months to two years.<ref name="M106">{{harv|Miller|2004|p=106}}</ref>

Navel piercings carry several risks, including:
*[[Infection]]: A new piercing may take up to 6–12 months to heal completely, during which time sweat, bacteria, and friction may lead to infection. A piercer cannot diagnose whether a piercing is infected but can give advice and recommend medical care when needed. Infected navel piercings can result in [[sepsis]] and possibly death.
*[[Scarring]]: Skin tissue rarely heals to match the surrounding tissue. It heals in varying thickness and size. It is likely that any piercing worn for a significant time (months to years) will leave a scar if removed.
* '''Rejection''': Rejection is when the body pushes out a piercing in order for the wound to properly heal. This can happen even if the wearer takes very good care of the navel piercing. There is no way to stop rejection, as it is just the body's natural healing process. It can be prevented, though, by maintaining proper aftercare, preventing it from getting pulled at or tugged on, and being pierced in the correct spot by a reputable piercer. If rejection occurs, the jewelry should be removed as soon as feasible to minimize the scarring.
*[[Piercing migration|Migration]]: Migration can happen due to a variety of reasons. It may be due to the amount of movement in the area which pushed the piercing to a spot where it would be easier to heal. Trauma from pulling or tugging on the piercing could have added excess scar tissue, or it was improperly pierced, making the body push it to a more comfortable spot.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Meltzer |first=Donna I. |date=2005-11-15 |title=Complications of Body Piercing |url=https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2005/1115/p2029.html |journal=American Family Physician |language=en-US |volume=72 |issue=10 |pages=2029–2034|pmid=16342832 }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite journal |title=Body Piercing in England: a Survey of Piercing at Sites Other than Earlobe |journal=British Medical Journal |issue=7658 |pages=1426–1428 |doi=10.1136/bmj.39580.497176.25 |date=21 June 2008 |url=http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/336/7658/1426#REF5 |last=Bone |first=Angie |author2=Fortune Ncube |author3=Tom Nichols |author4=Norman D Noah |access-date=6 January 2010 |ref={{harvid|Bone|Ncube|Nichols|Noah|2008}} |volume=336 |pmid=18556275 |pmc=2432173 }}
*{{cite book|title=The Body Art Book|last=Miller|first=Jean-Chris|isbn=0-425-19726-3|publisher=[[Penguin Books|Penguin]]|year=2004}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Navel piercings}}
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*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080305184437/http://www.safepiercing.org/bodyAftercare.html The Association of Professional Piercers aftercare instructions.]

{{Body Piercing}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Navel Piercing}}
[[Category:Body piercing]]
[[Category:Surface piercings]]
[[Category:Navel]]
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[[Category:2020s fashion]]