The navel piercing, also known as belly piercing, starts

being popular as of 1993, with the video of 

Aerosmith’s “Cryin”.  The popularity seems only to grow,

and today you can see a vast age range of ladies as

young as 15 and as old as 50. Unfortunately not

everyone is suitable for this piercing. In order to be able

to pierce, the belly must have a “lip –like” skin, or a flap

on top of it, so the jewelry can sit comfortably.  The flap

must have a definite front and back, with a clear edge

dividing the two. If your navel has more of a rounded

slope that curves under, or if there is not sufficient space
behind the flap for jewelry to properly sit, or if your

navel collapses when you sit down, you may not be a

good candidate for this one. 

The piercer will gladly examine your anatomy, and tell you if you are a good candidate, or he/she will offer another option that better suits your anatomy.

The reason why we are so particular about the anatomy, is that belly piercing tends to take longer to heal, and need much more attention in order to heal right.  Do to the high traffic area, the piercing tends to be very sensitive to any irritation, and any pressure ( such sleeping on it). With that said, if you are planning to have an attractive navel piercing for swimsuit weather, you may want to get it pierced at the beginning of winter, while it takes an average of 6-9 months or more to heal. That means that the jewelry can’t be changed for the minimum healing time, and no ornamented jewelry can be used before a year.