Dear DOLLY DR, I'm 13 years old and really want to get my belly button pierced. I wanted to know if it is dangerous and how it can get infected. Also will it hurt?
Like all piercings, a belly button piercing goes through the skin and won't damage any underlying tissues or organs (there are some interesting myths out there, such as getting damage to your womb or not being able to have kids!).
However, like all piercings the greatest risk is getting a skin infection afterwards. This happens when your skin has not been cleaned properly and germs from your skin get into the piercing and cause an infection.
There can also be a small risk of what's called a 'blood-borne' infection (such as hepatitis) from using equipment that has not been properly sterilised. This happens if piercing equipment gets contaminated from one client who has an infection and because the equipment is not properly sterilised the infection passes on to the next client.
Whenever you’re considering getting a body piercing done, you need to make sure you go to a reputable piercing salon, get them to show you their accreditation certificates for using proper sterilisation equipment and procedures and ask about their experience.
Follow their advice about keeping the piercing clean until it heals. At 13, you will need your parent’s or guardian’s permission to get your belly button pierced.
As for whether it hurts - yes, a little, since it involves a sharp object breaking through a bit of skin. If you’ve had your ears pierced you will know what that feels like... it’s not too different from that really.
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