Cannabis Science

Double Belly Button Piercing-Pros and Cons

girl with a belly button piercing

The 90s are making a comeback. That means crop tops, chokers, and yes, belly button piercings. While belly button piercings aren’t unique to the 90s, that’s probably when they became popular. Even though the 90s are decades away, people haven’t stopped bejewelling their belly buttons. There are actually many types of belly button piercings and the one we’ll be talking about is the double belly button piercing. Let’s chat about the pros and cons.

Photo: Unsplash

What is a Double Belly Button Piercing?

Before we get into the pros and cons of a double belly button piercing, we have to clarify what a double belly button piercing is. This piercing involves doing both the lower and upper belly button piercing. If you need a visual, check out the photo from Dean Galgano’s Instagram below.

Much of the process is like getting a single belly button piercing done. According to Tattoo Authority, the area will be prepped beforehand. The primary difference is that the needle will go through the navel twice. 

As you know, pain is relative. However, Tattoo Authority says that the pain isn’t bad, and if you have a high threshold, you may not even consider it painful. They compared the pain to getting a vaccine. 

Another thing you have to bear in mind is your health. Tattoo Authority says that if you’re diabetic, check on your blood sugar before the piercing. If you’re experiencing a cold or another health issue, you should reschedule your piercing. Remember that piercings need to heal and are susceptible to infection. Therefore, it’s not a good idea to go when your immune system is busy battling a virus or bacterial infection. 

Pros and Cons of a Double Belly Button Piercing

Considering double belly button piercing? Here are some of the pros and cons:

Pros

Self-expression

If you feel that this piercing will help you express yourself better then that’s a big pro. 

Minimal pain

As we mentioned before, the pain for this piercing is considered minimal. Tatto Authority says placing the jewelry is probably the most painful part of the process. 

Trendy

If you’re looking to be on-trend, then this is a piercing for you. Belly piercings don’t really go out of style anyway. 

Enhances the look of your midriff

DaVo, a professional piercer says that belly button piercings, in general, look natural and enhance your midsection. If you’re worried about whether or not you can rock this piercing, once your belly button is suitable, you can. 

Wide selection of jewelry

Once your piercing is healed, DaVo says that you’ll have tons of jewelry to choose from since the piercing is so popular. However, bear in mind that some of them are low quality. 

Doesn’t require many lifestyle changes

DaVo assures you don’t need to adjust much or deviate from your regular way of doing things. This is in contrast to the anti eyebrow piercing that requires several adjustments to your lifestyle. 

However, this is relative to the person and their lifestyle. You’ll see some of the changes you may have to make in the cons section. 

Cons

Takes a long time to heal

Tattoo Authority says that this piercing can take up to a year to heal. DaVo says that they have had clients whose piercings took 14 months to heal. Usually, belly piercings heal in six months but bear in mind that there’s a chance it doesn’t. 

Longer periods of soreness

Lady Day, a professional piercer told Elite Daily that double belly button piercings not only take longer to heal but have longer periods of soreness. 

Not everybody can get their belly button pierced

Both Elite Daily and Shawn Pierce, a professional piercer agree that belly button piercings are not for everybody.

Shawn Pierce says that if you’d has surgery on your tummy like a tummy tuck, you cant get your belly button pierced. That’s due to your skin being drawn tight which leaves no room to get a flap of skin for the piercing. 

In addition to that, if you have an ‘outie’ belly button, a belly button piercing may cause serious issues according to Pierce. 

You may have to make wardrobe adjustments

Even though there aren’t many lifestyle changes to make, you have to make a wardrobe change. DaVo says that pieces of clothing, such as high-waisted jeans should be avoided.

You can’t sleep on your belly

DaVo says it’s best to sleep on your back. Sleeping directly on your piercing, primarily when healing is a no-no. 

It may reject or migrate

If the piercing isn’t done correctly, DaVo says, your body may reject the piercing or it may migrate. That’s why it’s super important to find professional piercers. Using curved barbells as the jewelry for this piercing and piercing a bit of an angle are two reasons DaVo says that rejection or migration can occur. 

You’ll have to avoid public pools

While your piercing is healing, Tattoo Authority suggests avoiding public pools. If you’re someone who loves to swim in public pools in the summer, maybe get this piercing done at the end of summer so by the following summer, it will likely be healed. 

Conclusion

If you’re thinking of getting a double belly button piercing to weigh the pros and cons based on your own lifestyle. If you’re a stomach sleeper who loves high-waisted jeans, maybe this isn’t the piercing for you. Unless, of course, you can make some adjustments. The most important first step is to seek a professional piercer and find out if your belly button is eligible for piercing. Don’t be afraid to ask your piercer questions beforehand so you can be adequately prepped. 

author-avatar

About Trevann

Trevann is Stoner Rotation’s Jamaica-based lead writer for the Science section of our cannabis blog. She graduated with honors receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Biology from the University of West Indies, Mona. For the last three years, she has covered some of the biggest questions around cannabis and health underpinned with research from supporting studies, medical journals and scholarly articles. Got something on your mind? You can reach her at [email protected].