NAVEL PIERCING/BELLY BUTTON PIERCING

A navel piercing (also referred to as a belly button piercing) is a type of body piercing. It may heal very quickly and with no problems, like an ear piercing, or may heal more like a surface piercing with the associated extended healing time. Healing usually takes less than four months, and as long as it is cleaned, it will heal nicely.
The actual navel is not pierced when a navel piercing is performed. The most common form of navel piercing is through the upper rim of the navel. A true navel piercing requires the person being pierced to have an "outie" navel to some degree, and is getting more popular these days. This kind of piercing is popular with, but not exclusive to females.

Most kinds of ring or bar jewelry can be worn in a navel piercing. Navels are most often pierced with a curved barbell, which is recommended to be worn until the piercing has fully healed. A wide variety of decorative jewelry is available for navels - simple curved barbells, barbells with dangling pendants, and captive bead rings are common examples.
There has been a special standard established for navel barbells (also called "bananabells" or "bananabars", reference to their curved shape). The standard bananabell is 1.6 mm (1/16") thick and 9.5 mm (3/8") or 11.1 mm (7/16") long and is most commonly referred to as a 14-gauge post. The silver caps on either side of the simple barbell post usually measure 5mm in diameter for the upper and 8mm in diameter for the lower.
Although navel bananabells are different from full rings - like captive bead rings (or CBR), which can also be worn in navel piercings - internet body jewelry retailers and wholesalers tend to refer to these barbells as belly button "rings".