Remember that scene from Freaky Friday when Lindsay Lohan, as her mother, screams, “You pierced your navel?” That sums up the energy around belly button piercings in the early 2000s — accessorized acts of rebellion you tried to hide from your mom, only for her to clock it two seconds into your beach vacay. Cue the meltdown.
“When I think back to the first time I ever chose to break the rules, it was getting my belly button pierced,” says Jeane Bean, piercer at Nine Moons Piercing in New York City. “Honestly, rebellion feels more in style now than it has in the past 20 years.” Case in point? The return of low-rise jeans.
But as the 20-year trend cycle tends to do, belly button piercings are getting a more grown-up second life. Call it Y2K with a savings account: Instead of DIY sleepover piercings, people are treating their navels like stackable, curated earlobes.
“You can get jewelry with dangles and chains, and a lot of people have been into stacking rings in their navels and hanging charms off them,” says Roze Rahim, piercer at Nine Moons Piercing. Starr Ellis, the studio’s founder, agrees. “This era of navel piercings is bespoke and very luxurious, and we love it.”
Whether you’re reviving an old piercing or hopping on the trend for the first time, here’s everything to know about the return of belly button bling.
The Navel Piercing Revival
On TikTok, Gen Z is driving the trend, posting fresh piercings with the caption, “Pain is temporary, swag is forever.” But IRL, the demographic is “kind of all over the place,” says Brian Keith Thompson, owner of Body Electric Tattoo in Los Angeles. “I’m seeing teens, clients from the Y2K era coming back, and everywhere in between.”
Celebrities are proof that belly button piercings are having a moment across generations. Gen Z darlings like Dua Lipa, Tyla, Addison Rae, and Megan Thee Stallion have all been spotted rocking their navels, showing that a little midriff bling is as on-brand for pop stars today as it was for Britney Spears and Beyoncé. Meanwhile, some 2000s icons never gave theirs up — Miley Cyrus and Vanessa Hudgens show that navels never really went out of style.
“It’s one of the tried-and-true body piercings, and it looks great on anyone” Thompson says. “Plus, it’s not a very painful piercing, so don’t worry about that. You can handle it.”
Ellis notes that the trend isn’t just for newbies, either: “We're seeing an influx of clients in their 40s and 50s upgrading their existing navels.” Bean adds that those veterans are her “most loyal clients, re-styling piercings they DIY’d in the early 2000s.”
Belly Button Bling Gets An Upgrade
Forget the safety pin method. Today’s revival isn’t limited to a metal barbell — or even the standard upper-navel placement.
According to Thompson, inverse piercings — where the hole is made through the lower part of the navel — have been gaining traction. Plus, floating navels are now a popular option for anyone whose anatomy doesn’t suit a traditional dangling barbell. “A floating navel is done with a disk at the bottom,” explains Rahim. “It helps prevent the piercing from migrating since it reduces pressure on the bottom of the jewelry.”
The biggest evolution, though, might be the jewelry itself. “Styles are trending more dainty,” Thompson says. “The hoop is definitely coming back — it’s my favorite look for a navel.”
Y2K styles are also “back big time,” says Ellis. “Chunky metal pieces and big stones — we all loved our troll dolls, right?” From gemmed barbells to hoops with dangling chains, there are more ways to customize your navel piercing than ever.
But before you do, piercers emphasize that safety is key. “We recommend booking a consultation to discuss anatomy, healing, and jewelry options,” Ellis notes. “Belly button piercings can be finicky, so it's important to trust and vibe with the piercer.” Thompson adds that the healing process can take up to a year, so saline sprays, low-rise pants, and sleeping on your back will be your new best friends.
Once it’s healed, the styling possibilities are endless. As Bean puts it, “What you choose to do with your piercing doesn’t have to define you, but it can if you want it to. That’s the power of jewelry. You’re free to evolve or stay exactly the same. We love it all.”
