Does A Belly Button Piercing Hurt?: What It's Like
Getting A Belly Button Piercing In Singapore
I know a lot of people are curious about belly button piercings and if you're intending to get one, you may have many, many questions. I've rounded up the 5 most commonly asked questions regarding belly button piercings and will try my best to answer them today!
1. Where can I get a belly button piercing in Singapore?
I got my belly button piercing at Black Dot Tattoos. They don't really show pictures of piercings on their social media, so I had to dm them on Instagram to ask. I don't think they have in-house piercers, so I had to book an appointment with them first, and then they asked the piercer to come down.
I also asked for a quote and they said it starts from $80, depending on the stud. I paid $75 in the end for a rather simple looking stud. Personally, I think that's quite a decent price!
My piercer was very nice and attended to many of my questions - even the ones I asked on Instagram after the piercing session was done.
2. What is the belly button piercing process like?
Honestly I was very, very nervous throughout the whole process so I can't remember all the details, but it went something like this.
First I was showed the piercing, and we decided on how high/ low I wanted the stud to be on my belly button. Then the piercer marked some dots on my belly button - not really sure why, but I assume it's to mark how the needle would go through. This one took some time, about 10-15 minutes.
After that I was told to lie down, and the piercer used this time to sterilise the stuff he was gonna use, put on some gloves, and wipe down my tummy with alcohol swab. He also showed me how the needle would look like, and it looked so thick and scared the crap out of me. I don't remember him giving me any numbing cream.
Now here comes the scary part - the clamping. He basically clamped my belly button, and there was a teeny weeny bit of discomfort and it felt like someone was pinching me really hard. After yanking my belly button here and there for 2-3 minutes, he finally said, "Okay, are you ready?".
And so stage one: the piercing starts! The piercer let me feel the needle against my belly button first so I could prepare myself. Then he told me to breathe out as the needle is pushed through as it would help with the pain. So, he pierced, and I breathed out. Within 3-5 seconds, the needle was through, and the clamp was off.
So that was stage one. Next, we had stage two: taking out the needle and inserting the stud. After making sure I wasn't passed out, he swiftly removed the needle and popped the stud in. This one happened really fast, like around 1-2 seconds - and that was it! The last step was just screwing on the bolts.
If you'd like a visual example, I made a short video of the piercing process!
3. Does a belly button piercing hurt?
I rate the pain of a belly button piercing to be around 6/10. I don't think this is a 'looking back, it wasn't that painful or scary!' kind of thing, but rather the piercing really wasn't as painful as I thought. My piercer was also quite fast and swift and that may be why I was spared the pain.
Compared to my helix piercing (which was a 10/10) and my dentist cleaning my teeth and gums (9.5/10), and having my pimples popped at a facial (8-9/10), this one was just a walk in the park. But say real - it was still a scary experience because the needle was so thick, and this wasn't exactly a one or two second process.
My piercing felt quite hot and was a bit red after that, but it did not hurt. It didn't feel very sore too. I did feel a bit of discomfort when I bent down, but that was it.
4. What is the belly button piercing healing process like?
My piercer gave me a super extensive list of do's and don'ts after the session - and it gave me a lot of anxiety - but the healing process wasn't as leceh as I thought.
Here was what he said:
- At least for the first day, do not let the piercing come into contact with soap
- No eating raw food especially crustaceans
- No swimming
- No slouching as this would make the wound heal in a way that's not straight, and then the piercing would look weird
- Only wear low waisted paints
- To promote blood circulation, rinse the pierced area with warm water twice a day
- Try not to do intense workouts like gymming and running
- Try not to sweat for two weeks
I was also given a solution to apply on the top and bottom pierced holes twice a day, and was told to reposition the piercing if it doesn't look straight. At least for one week, I avoided going to the gym and running, but I did attempt to do some planks and it didn't hurt at all. Two weeks later, I started playing tennis again and everything was fine.
Trying not to slouch was definitely the hardest part. My piercer said that slouching accounted for 60% of the problems people had during the healing process, so I really tried my best. I tried so hard that even my back hurt from standing or sitting to straight. At night, I avoided sleeping sideways because that would also affect the way the wound healed; so it's best to sleep on your back!
I also wore loose clothes - mostly dresses - and low waisted pants. However I broke the 'no eating raw food' rule almost immediately after the piercing when I had sushi a few days later. Nothing really happened though! But this is really a 'either you heng or suay' kind of thing. If your skin is incredibly sensitive and you get infections easily after piercings (e.g. ear piercings) it's probably best to just avoid seafood then. I'm not sure if there's any scientific backing to the 'why we can't at seafood after a piercing' claim, but redditors say that it's a hoax!
5. When can I change the stud?
I haven't changed mine yet, but it took most of my friends 3-6 months before they changed their stud for the first time. I don't intend to change mine anytime soon, and if I do I'll consult my piercer first!
I hope this articles helps to ease some of the anxiety you may be feeling in regards to getting your belly button pierced! Just remember - it's only a small bit of pain to deal with in return for a long-term, satisfying result!
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