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.

You can find navel rings with a wide selection of barbell styles and decorative accents.  The most common, and least expensive, are still the non-dangling, but that doesn’t mean they’re boring. You can purchase a navel ring with a variety of gems and jewels, colors and shapes, and even licensed logos and brands like professional sports teams and Playboy.

The dangling belly buttons are becoming more creative, too.  They’re no longer always a plain jewel hanging from a plain linked barbell. You can get dangling chains, gems, jewels, metal shapes and more.  If you’re interested, there are also belly button rings attached to chains and ropes which can wrap around the waist or link on to other body piercings.  The dangling portion can be less than ¼ of an inch long all the way up to 1 ½ inches long or more.

There are even newer and unseen styles available today. In the past few years, the “reverse navel ring” has skyrocketed in popularity. This style of navel ring enters the belly button in the same way, but instead of a decorative piece hanging down from the bottom part of the barbell, it extends from the top. It will typically be stationary, rather than free-moving, but this is a creative way to expand your navel ring style.

You could also look for a “spiral navel ring” if you want something a little more daring. They don’t dangle but they are a curved barbell either.  They spiral and twist, just like the name says. The design features a 14 GA or 16 GA barbell that spirals, rather than curves. It appears to be like a section of a spring, but it doesn’t expand and contract. They usually have two balls on the end in decorative colors and sometimes the entire ring is made from titanium, which comes in a variety of colors.

Never again should you feel like you can only choose from two styles of navel rings.  No matter what your style and taste dictates, you can easily find a belly button rings that’s right for you.

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

Traditional Non-Dangling

These belly button rings are the oldest, and probably the most popular.  They’re kind of like an old standard of the body jewelry industry.  They are most commonly made with a curved barbell, sometimes referred to as a banana-bell. Traditional non-dangling belly button rings are usually 14 gauge and the balls are sometimes decorated with gems and jewels.

Dangling

Dangling belly button rings can vary from just a short charm to a long chain that wraps around the wearers waste.  They include anything from flags to jewels and even words or personalized holographic pictures.

Reverse

This kind of belly ring is sometimes difficult to understand, especially when customers only see a picture online.  They’re actually quite simple to explain, however.  They use the same gauge and style as the non-dangling ring and dangling ring, except that the gems or decorations extend from the top ball rather than the bottom.  The belly button ring extends in front of the navel, rather than dangling below it.

Spiral

Spiral navel rings are a fairly new style but have become very popular.  They are non dangling but they are twisted into the piercing rather than being pushed straight through.

By T.C. Kuster

Most importantly, bioplast belly button rings can be cleaned and sterilized very easily. Bioplast can be heated to 121 degrees Celsius, or approximately 250 degrees Fahrenheit.  These scalding temperatures will easily kill any bacteria and ensure that the belly button rings are clean and safe to wear.

In addition to being so sterile, this material is more flexible than titanium and surgical steel navel rings.  This allows for a greater range of movement and will reduce any tearing or stretching in the navel area. Because bioplast is a bio-compatible material, it is less likely than metallic body jewelry to be rejected by the body.  When the body rejects a new piercing, it will become infected and not heal properly.

Belly button ring retailers are also fond of this style of navel ring because it is “self-threading.” When the belly ring reaches the consumer, this is typically not an issue but manufacturers certainly appreciate it.  A self-threading belly button ring is one that can be cut to any size. Bioplast body jewelry are typically no more expensive than the metallic body jewelry of compatible styles.  They are reportedly “the best material for belly button rings” because they offer so many more benefits than metallic rings but do not have a higher price.

Wherever the tradition began, navel rings are very popular today, especially among young women.  The ability to easily hide or conceal the belly button ring, especially during the healing process, has really led to the piercing’s popularity.

The name “navel piercing” is not exactly accurate, however.  Actually, the rim above the navel is where the piercing is located.  Of course, a person can pierce the skin on the bottom and sides of the navel as well.

A belly button or navel is usually pierced with a barbell because they allow for the easiest healing process.  Navel piercings have their own special kind of barbells, though.  Because of their slightly curved design, they are often called “bananabells” or “bananabars.”

Body jewelry is measured by “gauges.” Navel piercings are usually done with a 14 Gauge barbell which is the same as 1/16’.  The Association of Professional Piercers (APP) states that no greater than 14 GA body jewelry may be used in piercings below the neck.  This is to prevent the risk of a negative reaction or skin tearing.

A standard belly button ring is 3/8” long, but people sometimes use a longer barbell at the time of piercing to allow room for the area to swell slightly. The balls on a standard navel ring are usually two different sizes; the top ball is 5 mm in diameter while the bottom ball is 8 mm in diameter.

There are, of course, risks involved in having one’s belly button pierced.  The most common risks include pain at the piercing site, swelling, scarring and infection.  To minimize your risk, make certain that the piercer uses sterilized tools in a sterilized environment.

Healing can take anywhere from four months to one year.  There are many things that affect the healing process of a navel ring:  sweat, shirt fabric, overall health, care and quality of jewelry.  Only 316L and 316LVM surgical steel are approved as “implant grade” materials by the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM).

Belly button rings are becoming more and more popular and it’s important to people take great care of these piercings.  They are considered beautiful and a great way to add to one’s personal style. If you’re interested in getting this type of piercing, make sure you know all the risks and benefits before doing so.