The original group of young women who started this fashion trend are approaching an age where pregnancy is a real possibility. No longer are they in their teens and twenties, but are now adults. One thing they haven’t outgrown, however, is their sexy belly button rings.

Just because they’re going to be proud mama’s doesn’t mean they have to sacrifice their favorite body jewelry from their younger days. There’s just no reason why a woman should have to take out her belly button rings to accommodate her changing body.

Pregnancy belly button rings are not all identical; usually they are made from plastic however. A special sterile wire called PTFE that is nickel free and easily sterilized. Most often, retailers sell this wire in a 2” to 2 ½” lengths with two balls that screw on to either end. The beauty of this product is that it is fully adjustable! To change the length, simply cut the wire at an angle and reattach the balls.

The wire is self threading and will automatically hold the ball in place.  These mom belly rings come with all sorts of balls from UV to titanium. In addition, they come with charms and dangles with phrases like “It’s a Boy/Girl” and “Baby on Board.”

Pregnancy is an exciting time in a mother’s life and it’s the beginning of a new lifestyle. It doesn’t have to force a woman to give up a piece of body jewelry she’s had for much of her life, though. Pregnancy belly button rings aren’t especially expensive and they correspond with the prices of belly button rings of similar style and quality.

Like all belly button rings, it’s important to sterilize the ring as soon as you get it. Even if it comes in a sealed package, it’s still beneficial to clean your body jewelry because the ring was probably handled during the packaging process. Natural oils and dirt on people’s hands can easily cause infection or irritation in your piercing, even if you’ve had it done for years.

There are a variety of options for sterilizing your belly button ring, but most places recommend using warm soapy water to clean the ring before you insert it into the piercing. Another option is to “autoclave”  your belly jewelry at a local salon or tattoo parlor. Autoclaving is a method of sterilization that uses extreme temperatures to kill harmful germs.

You should always avoid using rubbing alcohol or other abrasive materials to clean your heart belly button ring, or any other body jewelry.

Navel rings with hearts will always be popular because they work for so many people. They can serve as a romantic gift or just a fun flirty purchase for yourself. There are so many diverse heart belly button rings available that one is sure to meet the needs of every person who desires a heart ring.

Navel jewelry is commonly worn by young women and girls. In addition, they are growing in popularity for pre-teens and males as well. This is one trend that has been around for more than 20 years and it’s sure to stay popular. Heart belly button rings are at the top of the list so go ahead and get one for yourself and enjoy the trend.

?A.  You should ONLY go to a piercing parlor or salon that is fully licensed.  They should use sterile needles and other equipment and you should feel safe and secure during the piercing process.  Generally, reputable piercing locations will have their licenses and certifications on the the wall.  If not, ask to see them.  If you piercer refuses, you should get out of there immediately!

Q.  How much will my body jewelry (and piercing) cost?

A.  This is very dependent on where you live/where on the body you get the piercing.  Most places offer a single price that includes the jewelry and the piercing.  It can ranges from $20 to $100 and you should check with the place of business before you decide to get any new piercings.  There are many places online to buy inexpensive body jewelry.

Q.  How do I can for my new body jewelry?

A.  Your piercer will probably give you a sheet of paper of verbal directions to tell you how to properly care for your new piercing.  A few general rules include:  Don’t even use Neosporin on your piercing, it will trap the germs;  Use warm water and antibacterial soap to clean your piercing a few times per day;  Don’t change the body jewelry until the piercing is fully healed.

People who have decided to adorn themselves with body jewelry, however, respond with “Why not?”  Tongue rings and nose rings are just two more ways for a person to express himself or herself.  The idea of body jewelry is similar to the idea of tradition earlobe piercings:   people want to be able to decorate themselves.

In addition, less traditional forms of body jewelry such as tongue rings, nose rings and eyebrow rings, are sometimes used as an outlet for rebellion against one’s parents or against a conformist society.  The purpose is to essentially say, “Hey, it’s my body, I can poke holes wherever I want.”

The beauty of body jewelry is that most often, when a person decides that the body jewelry is no longer a desirable form of self-expression, he or she can simply remove the nose ring or tongue ring, and the tiny hole will eventually close up.  Body jewelry is a semi-permanent way for people to show their style, rebel, or simply decorate the body.

T.C. Kuster

Conventionally, a “nose ring” implied that a person had pierced the cartilage on either the right or the left side of his or her nose. Initially it was popular among women but has expanded to male fans as well.   In recent years, the idea of a nose ring has expanded to include both a septum piercing and a bridge piercing.

The septum is the hard cartilage wall between each of the nostrils and is typically pierced toward the bottom so that it penetrates the softest cartilage.  Usually a horseshoe shape ring is worn in this piercing with a ball screwed to each end.  Sometimes, this piercing is “gauged.”  To gauge a piercing means to gradually increase the size of the hole by forcing slightly larger rings into the piercing every six to eight weeks.  This is done in primarily earrings and septum rings, but could actually be accomplished in any piercing.  Many claim that the process is not painful, but that there is some discomfort when the larger size is pushed through the piercing.

The bridge piercing is the most recent addition to the nose ring family.  It pierces the skin at the very top of the bridge of the nose, almost between the eyes.  It’s generally a small piercing because of the lack of skin available at that part of the nose.

Nose rings were originally made from bones, sticks and feathers.  In modern times, however, people have shifted to more sanitary materials like BioFlex, titanium and sterling silver.  Most often, nostril nose rings are pierced with an 18 GA or 20 GA needle.  That’s roughly the same size as a standard earring post.

Septum piercings are generally done with a larger needle, 14 GA or 16 GA and bridge nose rings are usually 16 GA or 18 GA.

T.C. Kuster

But what’s a person to do if her problem is not inadequate design but rather inadequate sizes? Never fear!  Options are beginning to surface for those with not-your-average piercings who need not-your-average body jewelry.  For example, several manufacturers offer a “pregnancy belly button ring” that is made of a flexible material that can be cut to size, and then self-threads.  This type of belly button ring can be used other places as well.  Say, a super wide industrial or a super short belly piercing.

The same can be said for a style of post earring designed initially for labret and monroe piercings.  This ring has a similar advantage in that it can be cut to any size.  It’d be idea for a conch piercing or someone who wants a very short lip ring.

Eventually, nose rings reached Indian cultures and became popular for expectant mothers.  The motivation for this gender change was that a left nostril piercing allegedly reduced pain during childbirth.  When peace-seeking American’s traveled to India in the 1960s, they picked up this trend for themselves.  Like the Indians, it became most popular in American women.

The nose ring eventually shifted from a sign of peaceful expression to a rebellious piercing for fans of punk rock music and lifestyles.  Today, the nostril piercing has become just another facial piercing and piece of body jewelry to decorate one’s body and express oneself.

Tongue Ring
The traditional tongue ring is a 14 or 16 gauge straight barbell that penetrates directly vertical through the center of the tongue.  The web tongue ring is generally a 14 or 16 gauge shorter, curved barbell (similar to and eyebrow ring) that sits horizontal through the “web” under the tongue.

Both of these piercings take a fairly short amount of time to heal and can be ready to change in as little as 4 weeks.  Most states require age 16 or age 18 for piercing.

Industrial
The industrial is a piercing that penetrates two parts of the outer ear.  It can be done in various places but both holes are generally along the cartilage of the ear and are 14 or 16 gauge.  A ball is secured to each end and this piercing takes 4 to 6 months to heal.

Labret/Monroe
Although the labret and monroe are two different piercings, they are a similar concept.  They each pierce the area directly around the mouth or lips.  Typically the Monroe is on the top lip, off to the side (like the infamous Marilyn Monroe mole) and the labret is on the bottom, usually in the center. These piercings go directly through the lip and use a unique type of ring.  They are 16 gauge and very short; the back is a flat surface that can rest against the gum or teeth and the outside is a ball or decorative gem.

Surface Rings
Surface piercings are exactly what the name implies; they are on the surface.  They do not penetrate one spot on the skin and come out on another, rather they stick into the skin and do not come out the other side.   They stay in the body by using a “fishhook” design.  That is, they can move down into the skin, but as you pull out of the skin, it will be stopped, or stuck, by the hook.  In most cases these rings are professionally removed or changed.

To wear the fake belly button ring, a user need not have the actual piercing.  This is ideal for people who do not want to go through the piercing process or who are not always allowed to have body jewelry (because of parents, dress codes, work, school, etc.).

Fake belly button rings typically have an arm that is attached to a spring and has a flat surface on the end that will press into the skin.  Wearers will pull the movable arm back and hold the clip open.  Then they will place the bottom or stationary arm inside the navel and press it to the back.  Then they should gently close the clip by moving the movable arm back into position and the belly button ring will be attached.

There are some styles that require a person to glue a gem to the navel to create the look of a belly button ring.  Others have a spring loaded system that attaches the non-piercing belly button ring.  These are reportedly of lesser quality and suffer a lot of user complaints

The first thing you should consider when getting a tongue piercing or lip piercing is using plastic or Bioplast jewelry.  This is made from a synthetic material that will cause much, much less damage to your gums and teeth.  It is softer and more flexible and reportedly the “best material for body jewelry.”  Bioplast jewelry comes in a huge variety of colors and designs and costs about the same as steel or titanium jewelry of similar styles.

Dentist reports show that traditional tongue rings, web tongue rings, and even hoop lip rings can be safe for wearers so long as they keep them clean and maintain their regular dental checkups.  On the other hand, many agree that the labret piercing has the most potential for damage.

This does NOT have to be the case if you use plastic or Bioplast tongue rings.  There are dozens of Web sites and many retail stores that sell this kind of body jewelry.  Don’t sacrifice your oral safety OR your personal style; pierce anything you want just be sure to use the proper materials to prevent and harm.