How to Choose Your Piercer
Before you get any holes in your body, make sure you're feeling good about your piercer. Harris said to look for a piercer who will take the time with you, answer your questions, and make you feel comfortable above all else. "Trust your gut," he said. "If you go into a shop and get weird vibes, go somewhere else. You don't have to do it just because you are there. Your body, your choice."
How Much Does a Navel Piercing Cost?
Every shop is different, but you can usually expect to pay a piercing service fee plus the cost of jewellery. The material of the piercing jewellery is really what's going to determine the price: for instance, solid-gold barbells can be significantly more expensive than surgical steel or other metals. To get an idea of what you're looking at, 108 Studios charges $45 for the first hole, a simple solid-gold hoop starts at $70, and solid-gold barbells start at $220.
What to Expect at Your Appointment
First, your piercer will take a look at your navel and talk to you about the best route in terms of jewellery and placement. Things like the shape of your navel — meaning an innie or an outie, or even the amount of skin you have to work with — will guide the type of jewellery you should be pierced with. Harris also said there are some people who might want to reconsider getting their belly button pierced at all, but it's something you can talk about at your appointment. "It's a case-by-case basis," he said. "I'd rather not do it if I think it's going to cause you problems or your body will just end up rejecting it."
In terms of what jewellery works best for the navel area, Harris recommend starting with a curved barbell for easier healing. "You want some breathing room to allow for swelling in a new piercing." Once it's healed and feeling good, he said a small hoop can be swapped in to fit "nice and snug." You also want to look at what the jewellery is made of — you should only get pierced with a hypoallergenic material, like gold, surgical steel, or titanium. Harris, for example, only uses 18K and 14K yellow gold, 14K rose gold, and 14K white gold. Ask your piercer if you aren't sure what the jewellery is made of.