The most important parts of any body modification procedure are finding a trained professional to pierce you and caring for the piercing properly afterward. The best way to locate an excellent piercer is to visit the Association of Professional Piercers' website at safepiercing.org. Use the "locate a member" feature to find an APP-registered shop in your area. Piercers who are certified by the APP have received extensive training in jewelry choice, piercing technique and sterilization procedures. It is your right to ask to see the piercer's sterilization room, and an APP-certified piercer will be happy to show you. Ask to see the most recent spore test results for the autoclave. A passing score in the last three months is your assurance that the piercer's tools and jewelry are sterile.
Go to your piercing appointment completely sober, without having had any alcohol in the last 24 hours. A reputable piercer will not pierce you if he believes you have been drinking or using drugs. Get a good night's sleep the night before and eat a meal within the two hours before your appointment. Eating before a body modification procedure significantly reduces your chance of becoming lightheaded afterward. Take ibuprofen prior to your appointment if desired to help reduce swelling.
Your piercer will clean your skin with iodine and surgical scrub. He will then mark above and below the upper lip of your navel to indicate the entry and exit points of the needle ("outie" bellybuttons cannot be pierced). He will have you lie down on a table, where he will clamp the skin of your navel with a pair of Pennington forceps. The forceps may be uncomfortable but are not painful. After lining up the marks on either side of the forceps, he will have you take several deep breaths. On an exhalation, he will pierce your navel from top to bottom and leave the needle in while he aligns the jewelry. As he pushes the needle out, he will push the jewelry in. After the piercing, he will dispose of the needle in a medical sharps container.
With proper aftercare, bellybutton piercings heal in six months to one year. Aftercare involves soaking the piercing in saline solution twice daily and washing it immediately afterward with antibacterial or antimicrobial soap. While your navel heals, you should wear loose clothing and always cover the piercing with a full-coverage waterproof bandage before bathing, swimming or soaking in hot tubs. The exception is swimming in the ocean, where the salt water is actually good for the piercing.