One of the most common variations on the traditional navel piercing is called the anti-navel, in which the jewelry goes through the lower rather than upper lip of the navel. You can also pierce the sides, or pierce all the way around the navel with multiple curved barbells. The upper beads of the barbells cluster inside the navel, and the lower beads form a circle or "sunburst" design around the navel. With the advent of microdermal anchors, it is possible to create this design without the beads of the curved barbells inside the navel, which may be more comfortable for those whose navels are shallow.
A professional piercer performs navel piercings using hollow cannula needles with a sharp bevel at one end. The piercer cleans the skin with surgical scrub or iodine, then marks a dot inside and above (or below, or to the side of) the navel with a disposable marker or a purple antiseptic called Gentian violet. She pinches the flap of skin between the holes of a pair of Pennington forceps and lines up the inner and outer dots. After lubricating the needle and instructing the client on proper breathing, she pierces through one dot and out the other. She butts the jewelry up against the flat end of the needle and pushes the needle out while pushing the jewelry in. Cleaning and marking the skin takes much longer than the actual piercing, and most clients do not feel the jewelry insertion.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should not receive a body piercing, as any puncture wound carries the risk of infection. An infection in your body can be very dangerous for your baby. Navel piercings cannot be performed on "outie" bellybuttons, as there is no flap of skin to pierce through. If you are unsure about the cleanliness or professionalism of a piercer or shop, move on and look for a better one. No piercing, anywhere on the body, should be performed with a piercing gun. Guns cannot be autoclave sterilized and piercing studs are inappropriate jewelry for navel piercings.
With proper aftercare, a navel piercing will heal in six to nine months. Soak your navel piercing twice a day with saline solution. You can buy saline solution spray in many piercing shops or make your own with warm water and non-iodized sea salt. The correct mixture for homemade saline solution is 1/4 tsp. of salt to 1 cup of bottled water. When mixing your own solution, use a clean shot glass or disposable plastic medicine cup and soak your navel for 10 minutes each time. After soaking, wash your piercing with liquid antibacterial soap and dry it with a fresh paper towel. Wear loose clothing and never touch your piercing unless you are cleaning it.