Originally Posted by RubyTuesday

Looking at the nose ring post reminded me of something that I wasn't sure of when I had my belly button pierced.

Similar to the nose ring question, you can either get a bar or a ring put through when you have your navel pierced. I figured it wouldn't matter too much, but as I knew someone who had a ring I would get the bar.

As it happens, there is actually a big benefit to getting the bar - the jewellery sits so much nicer when you replace it after the initial healing.

If you pierce with a ring, it tends to sit to one side as clothes press against it and heals inside that way, so they all lean over when you put new ones in. With a bar, they don't get moved around and heal straight and when you put a ring in, it stands out instead of being flat against your stomach, which everyone I know agrees looks so much nicer.

(Also, the bar doesn't get caught in buttons so much.)

Hope this helps someone!

Originally Posted by RubyTuesday

I actually wear a ring most of the time - and it looks better because it doesn't automatically go over to the side because I had the bar done initially.

Of course, you need to be careful about changing the ring or bar, especially to begin with, but whoever does the piercing should talk you through all that. But, you don't need to be any more careful than you would if you were just swapping like for like - the bar is curved just the same as the ring is (the straight bars tend to be for eyebrows and tongues).

Originally Posted by RubyTuesday

Well, different people seem to have different responses about how much it hurts when you get it first done.

To me, it hurt for about a split second. Afterwards, it was just kind of achy - it was never really particularly sore, and it wasn't enough to make me wish I hadn't had it done.

On the other hand, I know people who say it didn't hurt them even slightly to get the piercing done. I guess it depends on how tolerant you are to that sort of thing.

They don't hurt AT ALL to change, once you've left it for however long you're told. I know it freaks people out to see me change mine - but it really is as easy and as painless as changing an earring.