Hey, I really want to get a navel piercing badly but my parents won't let me. I asked my mother why and told me the risks and I got kind of frightened. Could someone with experience help with the following questions?

- I'm still schooling and I have sports a lot. I sweat a lot and will that give my navel piercing any infections or anything?

- I have eczema since I was a kid and I'm still having it. I'm afraid the jewelry will cause itchiness, infections or even swelling.

Please help me, I really want to get it badly. Thanks :rolleyes:

First of all, I would like to congratulate you on researching this a little bit more before doing it~Kudo's to you ;0)

As for your questions;
Since you are already prone to eczema, you would be better off to ask for pure gold jewelry if you do decide to go ahead with the procedure as there are many documented cases of eczema resulting from the use of nickel plated jewelry.

You also need to be aware of the fact that navel piercings can become infected easily due to clothing that does not allow the area enough air to circulate and allows moisture to build up. Being actively involved in sports, you will be more prone to sweating in that area and therefore it will be tough to keep it clean and dry for healing.

If you do prevail and convince your parents to allow it (since a reputable piercing artist will not perform a procedure on a minor with out a parents consent), remember that a navel piercing can take anywhere from 2 months up to a year to heal totally, so you may not want to have it done during your 'active' sports season if possible. And continue with your researching when it comes to selecting who does the piercing~make sure they are registered with your local council and follow appropriate health regulations. Do not allow a piercing gun to be used as they cannot be completely sterilized and can cause the spread of HIV, Hepatitis and many other blood born diseases and infections that you really do not want to deal with.

Good luck in your research and keep the channels of communication open with your parents... :0)