My daughter is 16 and wants to get her belly button pierced ....What should I do?.......help!?

Answer 1

If you don't have a serious problem with it you should probably let her get it done because then she won't go behind your back and get it done by someone who doesn't know what they are doing! Or even worse try to do it herself!! For her safety and to avoid infection you should probably let her do it! If she is really stuck on getting it she will find some other way to get it and will be miserable trying to hiding it from you! Just be thankful it's her belly button and not on her face! Belly button piercings are cute, pretty easy to hide and not offensive...just think of all the worse ones she could have asked for!! Tell her to research it and make sure it's really what she wants to do and then if it's still a yes then let her go for it :)!!!

Answer 2

Honestly I would let her get her belly button pierced. She won't keep forever. I give her a year tops at the most extreme. From the experiences of my friends, so many people have problems with that area and are just never satisfied that its really really rare when someone keeps the piercing for the long term, much less life.

But if you really don't want her to get it, just scare her with stories of hepatitis c, rejection, infection, and a host of other serious issues that are common when dealing with body piercings.

Make sure you show her pics of what happens when things go wrong. Even the safest piercing from the most professional piercer can still have problems. Her body can still reject it or even develop keloids from it. Remind her that currently there's not much a 16 year old without a generous disposable income can do about that.

Or you could tell her she can get the piercing but she can never show her midriff in public ever. You could even attach a chain to the piercing and take her for walks or to church or where ever teenager really don't like going with adults. And she'll go along with it because of fear of a nasty lil tear.

J/K :P

Answer 3

Tell her that in the long run, she won't actually look good with a belly button piercing, and it is a dangerous risk. First of all, since we all age as we get older, let her think about when she's 60. Not pretty. And a piercing at the navel takes a lot of gut and maintenance. She has to be really careful that there is no chance that her piercing is going to catch on to her clothes (not nylons, silks, etc.) Otherwise, it will cause a very serious infection. Let her really think about it, other than the fact that she just wants to look good.

Answer 4

Obviously, since you're asking for help, you're not too crazy about the idea. If you are dead set against it, tell her no. Make sure to do a periodic belly button check though, because a lot of places (especially the less than reputable ones) don't check ID the way that they are supposed to. Otherwise, just let her. It's just a piercing. If one day she outgrows it, she can take it out, and it will grow shut. Maybe your understanding in this matter would prevent a bigger rebellion that may be more permanent, like a tattoo.

Answer 5

Pick your battles. In the whole scheme of things how bad is this really? My oldest got her belly button pierced with my blessing at 16. No big deal. Those who think someone with a pierced belly button are "loose" or anything else don't know what they're talking about.

Answer 6

Here's the thing. How many people have belly button rings? I don't think it's that big of a deal. But if you don't like it tell her no. Simple as that. My sister took hers out a year ago and has a tiny little scar.

That, and there is only a short window in life when you can really have a belly button ring and get away with it. Compared to a tatoo it's fairly tame.

Answer 7

I personally have mine done and I also have a 16 year old daughter - I wanted her to get hers done but she doesn't want it. I look at it this way: I would rather her get her navel pierced than her face OR a tattoo. (Even tho I have them too). You just have to go by what you feel, if you are totally against it and she wont keep it clean then say no. There is a lot of cleaning that has to be done at first. However, if you aren't totally against it tell her she has to save up her own $ - that will give her time to really think about it. Good luck!

Answer 8

As a mother, I'd ask myself these questions :

1.) Is she going to clean it properly, and make the proper aftercare part of her daily routine, right up there in importance with brushing her teeth?
2.) Does she partake of any sports, where it could possibly get torn out from physical contact?
3.) What are her motives for doing this? To be part of 'the in-crowd'? To stand out as a unique individual/be different? To be part of 'the social outcasts'? To accent her body features? To accent her other piercings?
4.) Is she prone to rapid weight gain/loss cycles, which might adversely affect her piercing, or her comfort with it?
5.) Could her clothing styles get snagged in the types of jewelry she plans to wear?
6.) Might she regret having it done in a year, 5 years, 10 years from now?

As having a number of piercings and tattoos, the procedure is safe, if done by a professional. A body piercing shop is ideal, where sterilization procedures are normally routine (but as a parent, ensure that you ask about how they sterilize their needles, ask about their autoclave [any response with 'auto-what??' is deserving of a 180 degree turn right out the door of that shop] and other techniques used, how often they sterilize, how long they apprenticed before going pro, how often they keep up with standards and their medical knowledge, etc. The more you know the safer your daughter will be). Ensure that the shop is well kept, clean, and tidy (the cleanliness of the shop reflect the cleanliness of the materials). Having a woman piercer will help ease any nervousness you or your daughter might have. The piercing area should be seperate and out of direct view of the entrance lobby, for sake of privacy and hygenical reasons, and should essentially look like a doctor's office: clean, tidy, everything in its place, a comfy adjustable chair (that is free of duct tape or other materials holding it together), lots of swabs, cotton/gauze, a clean sink, latex glove dispensers, and a biohazard-labelled container (for used needles). Just like a doctor, the piercer's first duty is to keep his customer safe, and to keep himself safe at the same time. And as a vote of confidence, ensure the piercer also has at least one or two piercings of their own, that way you know that they know from experience that it really feels the way they say it feels.

Do a little research on the web about other people's experiences, and here is the link to the Association of Professional Piercers (This site contains a wealth of factual information about body piercing) : http://www.safepiercing.org/

In my honest opinion, if your daughter is the type to do it anyway (either by her own hand, having someone forge your name, or do something more drastic like a tattoo), I would permit it, to bolster some of her confidence and trust in you, and ensure that it gets done right the first time. This way, if she asks for something more drastic, she will be more understanding of a 'no' answer, if put gently. If she is more passive, and you are against the piercing, then gently tell her she can have one when she's an adult, and she is free to pierce it as she pleases, and she will understand.

Answer 9

Personally I would never have let my daughter do that. She asked me once about her eyebrow, I said NO...that was the end of it...she outgrew the phase.(My daughter is 21 now) Because of the risk of infection & the fact I just think it's ugly & gross. But on the other hand, it "IS" something that she can remove at anytime & it will grow over...(hopefully) So I would say it's just up to your own personal opinion. But if you decide to let her go ahead with it, I would make sure you get it done at a reputable place that is sterile. & that she follows instructions to ward off any infection. Good Luck & God Bless!

Answer 10

Im 15 and I went through that phase but I moved on with life. So maybe its just a phase for her too.

But make sure you tell her the dangers of letting a friend or some random person pierce because if she wants it bad enough theirs nothing you can do to stop her.