Belly button piercings can be gorgeous adornments, but you may be awarae that not everyone can get one. Before you head to your piercer, it is a good idea to figure out whether or not your type of navel is suitable for piercing.
Here is your guide to the types of belly buttons and which ones can and can’t be pierced:
What Type of Belly Button Can’t Be Pierced?
The most common type of belly button that can’t be pierced is known as an outie – the shape of the belly button can interfere with the healing process – however your piercer will have to examine the region before they will decide whether or not it can be pierced.
Why Can’t an Outie Belly Button Be Pierced?
Technically, an outie belly button can be pierced, but most piercers will not do this.
This is because with an outie belly button, much of the navel area is occupied by a lump of flesh. This is residual scarring from the umbilical cord.
As there isn’t much room in the navel, it can be difficult for the piercing to heal properly. Not only is it likely to take a lot longer, the rate of infection is quite high with an outie belly button.
To make matters worse, there is a risk of the infection traveling to internal organs in that region. It is due to this that few, if any piercers, will allow an outie to be pierced.
Are All Outies Too Dangerous to Be Pierced?
Contrary to what people believe not all outies are the same. In some instances, the lump of skin in the navel is quite significant, occupying nearly all the space. These can’t be pierced.
On the other hand, some outies aren’t that noticeable. The tissue inside the navel may be less. Or, the belly button may be some combination of an outie and an innie. Here, there may be enough space between the upper portion of the navel and the outie to pierce.
Once again, though, it will be up to your piercer to decide whether or not it is possible. They will need to examine your navel before making a decision.
Can All Other Types OF Belly Buttons Be Pierced?
Many people don’t realize that there aren’t just two types of belly buttons. Innie belly buttons can be broken down into other classifications – deep hollow, horizontal, vertical, round, and hollow.
In order for a navel piercing to take, there has to be enough of flesh on the upper portion of the navel for the piercer to pierce. Think of this area as a lip. If it isn’t prominent enough, then the risk of migration or even rejection will be high.
Your piercer will also have to look at the surrounding area of the navel to determine whether or not it will allow for proper healing. If it looks like there may be an increased risk of infection, the piercer will not go through with it.
Can You Pierce Your Bottom Lip Instead?
The most common navel piercing is where the top lip is pierced. In some instances, though, you can pierce the bottom lip.
Now, if there isn’t enough flesh on the top lip, can you pierce the bottom one? Well, tis does depend on how your belly button is shaped.
In most cases, there simply isn’t enough flesh there which is why piercers will not pierce this area. The risk of migration or rejection is too high.
If this is something that you are considering, however, make sure to check with your piercer before moving forward.
Should You Override Your Piercer’s Advice and Get a Piercing?
Now, if you really want a belly button piercing, it can be tempting to ignore professional advice and simply find a piercer that will do it for you regardless.
This isn’t a risk that you should take, though. For one thing, if an infection does set in, it can spread quickly and to important organs. Treatment cane tricky and you have to contend with the fact that some damage may be permanent.
The other reason that you should heed your piercer’s warnings is because in general, belly button piercings can take up to a year to heal. This area isn’t very vascular and there aren’t too many blood vessels nourishing the area, slowing down the healing process.
After going through all this trouble, you may find that the piercing still won’t take and you will have to remove it. This means that you will have to go through a year’s trouble and pain and have nothing to show for it.
Which Kind of Belly Button Can’t Be Pierced?
Outies are the main type of belly button that can’t be pierced but this doesn’t necessarily mean that an innie can be pierced either – a piercer will have to examine the shape and size of your navel to determine whether it is safe for piercing or not.
