We’re all familiar with the standard belly piercing, a delightfully cute and stylish piercing that requires very specific anatomy in order to heal. But just because you don’t have the right anatomy for a standard belly piercing, it doesn’t mean you can’t get one at all. Perhaps a floating navel piercing would be right for you? Let’s take a few moments to discuss this lovely alternative to the standard version!
A standard belly piercing requires a navel that doesn’t fold or collapse when you sit down. A floating belly piercing uses jewelry with the charm end on the top and a small ball end or flat disc end on the bottom, where it can sit comfortably inside the navel even while seated. That is why it is called “floating” because the charm end seems to float on the skin above the belly button itself. While a collapsing navel is a recipe for rejection with a standard piercing, the floating version allows for a comfortable fit and will experience less motion or pressure caused by the collapse of the navel. (All piercings can reject, regardless of anatomy or how skilled the piercer is, or how well you care for it. It’s a fact of life. This post deals more with generalities and your mileage may vary.)
Your jewelry options with this piercing are different than a standard belly piercing, but not necessarily limited. One option is to simply wear standard belly rings (once your piercing is fully healed!) and wear them upside-down. Simply flip the jewelry, put the top ball end on the bottom, and rock the charm end on the top. This works best with abstract charms or gem ends, but any charm can be worn on the top end if you can get on facing the right way. (Threadless jewelry is going to be your very best friend in this situation because there is no need to turn it.) Another option is a double mount belly ring, worn upside down. Depending on the anatomy of your actual belly button, the smaller charm (the top end on a standard piercing, the bottom end on a floating piercing) may or may not be visible when worn. Also, charms or gems with points or texture may be uncomfortable to wear inside your navel but that is very much dependent on how you are built.
Can you wear a circular ring in a floating navel? That is a question that only your piercer can answer for you. The human body comes in so many different forms and styles that it is impossible to give a straight answer to that question. Some people can wear a captive ring in their rook piercing, but the majority of people cannot. Many people have the anatomy for an industrial piercing but not everyone does. This is definitely a question for a professional piercer to answer so we can only say “maybe”.
Piercing has evolved so much over the years and continues to do so! It used to be that if you didn’t have the perfect anatomy for the piercing you wanted, you simply couldn’t get it. Now there are alternatives like the floating industrial, the faux rook, and the floating navel piercing to allow piercings to be more accessible to all bodies. All bodies are beautiful and so are all piercings, so why not decorate the skin you’re in with a little extra sparkle? If you don’t have the anatomy for a standard belly piercing, talk to your piercer about the floating version. That piercing you’re dreaming of may not be out of reach. Happy piercing!
