as for price, i think it was $60 or so back in 99... that was awhile ago, though.

I was 20 when I got mine pierced, and even though I thought my parents probably would've flipped if I had mentioned it to them, I went ahead and did it anyway. It cost me about $40. One day, several months after I had it done, I asked my mom what she would think if I got my belly button pierced. She just sort of waffled and said she didn't think I would ever do that because I hate needles, so I couldn't resist--I just lifted my shirt and showed her. :p She didn't freak out, though...she just laughed and said I was nuts, and then she added that if that had been "the thing" back when she was my age she probably would've done it too.

Wow, this thread makes me feel older since I got mine done back in '95-before all the high schoolers were doing it and people thought that it was really crazy. I took it out in 99, just because I got tired of it and though the scar is not obvious, it's there. I have some advice for you...

-if you do decide to get it done, make sure you go somewhere really reputable because no matter where you go you run the risk of getting an infection.

-Do keep in mind the fact that if one day you might want to get pregnant the scar may end up looking all nasty.

-This is going to sound totally mean and it is to be honest, but it's reality...ask any guy. Please, please, please have a relatively flat stomach and not be over the age of 30 when you get it done. I have seen far too many women/girls (both friends and not) who have not so great tummies getting it done and then it looks like crap because they just don't have the body type. I saw a woman who was easily pushing 40 at a breakfast restaurant the other day with one and she had a gut with one and I just thought, "Ewww." I have students who have it done, and it just looks awful and I wish their parents would have told them "Hell no!"

Anyhow enough of my rambling. I know the above sounds b*tchy, but honesty can hurt some times.

This is a little off topic, but I'm surprised to read that so many of you were left with scars after you took out your piercing. I had my nose pierced for a little while, and after I took it out, it healed up fine and there's not a visible scar. Is it just that my scar faded more or is it that the belly button rings tend to get moved around more since they are in contact with pants and so they scar worse? Just curious.

Yes, I have to say that is mean and bitchy. Which means I have to respectfully disagree. If you want an navel ring, go right a head an get one. When I got mine done, I didn't have the greatest stomach in the world. But I didn't get one so I could show it off to the whole world and I certainly didn't get it because I wanted to attract some guy. I got it for me and no one else. Also, a woman I used to work with got one for her 40th birthday. She's had 2 kids and it looks great. However, she doesn't walk around showing it off to everyone who walks by. She got it because she wanted it. The only one who ever sees it is her husband. If you want to get it done, get it done. It doesn't matter what other people think.
Don't worry about a little scar if you you get pregnent. So what? Telling someone not to get their navel pierced because of a little scar is like telling someone not to get pregnant because you might have a c-section and you don't want a scar do you?
Anyway, my biggest piece of advice to anyone who want to get pierced/tattooed. Do it because you want it, not because you think it looks good on someone else. If you think it's not for you, then don't do it.

I don't have a scar on my nose either...
But the jewelry used for navel piercings is a bigger gauge, so the hole is bigger. Also, when they pierce it, they use a hollow needle, which takes some of the skin away, instead of just poking a hole through it like they do for the nose piercing.

stomach
 

While I have a flat stomach.. I feel that it's really up to someone whether they should get one. Whether they wear "belly shirts" or bikinis is a different story, but you should really do what makes you happy

I got mine done back in 2000 and sometimes I forget I have it. I figure skate, so it was always covered up and it got infected, but it eventually healed and I haven't had problems with it since. Mine cost about 35.00, but I have seen them up to 100.00. Check around on prices and make sure the place is up to health department codes. They should have prepackaged needles that they don't reuse. I didn't feel it when he pierced me, I felt the ring going it. It didn't hurt and trust me, I'm VERY VERY needlephobic!! If you have a Spencers get their Morbid Threads rings. They are stainless steel and they are cleaned before packaged, but you still want to clean them before you put them in. Hot Topic's body jewelry is ALL stainless steel.

If you decide to get one and it gets infected, don't take the ring out to let it heal up, b/c then the infection gets trapped inside *if you have questions ask a doctor*. I was told not to go hot tubbing, but baths and the ocean were okay. If you get one and to clean it, use antibacterial cleaner which you can buy at piercing parlors or Hot Topic. If you use rubbing alcohol it can break the acrylic balls and crack them.

I was told not to clean mine with rubbing alcohol. I was told to use Bactine.

I got my bellybutton done on my 18th birthday (2001) and I had a LOT of problems with mine. First of all, the guy who did it was new at it, sort of, so he put a bigger guage than was EVER needed (10 guage:eek: ) so, mine was infected and raw for 6-8 months. I finally got it changed down to a small guage and it healed in less than a month. SO, regardless, I'm going to have a funny looking scar.

Now that it is a smaller guage, I love it. I'm not a tiny girl , by any means (I'm not a huge girl either, don't get me wrong).. but its not for anyone else.. I did it for me, and me alone.

My mom flipped out when I told her I wanted it, but I did it anyways (same with my tongue and my nose), and she didn't flip out.. not even a little.

I saw go for it, if you want it. You are an adult.