Navel Jewellery: Curved Barbells, Floating, Reverse and Maternity Bars

September 3, 2026

The short answerA navel takes a curved barbell — 14G (1.6mm), usually 10mm — and that is true both while healing and afterwards. A flat back stud does not suit it, and rings are for well-healed navels at best. A floating navel hides the top ball so the stone appears to sit alone; a reverse navel is pierced through the lower rim instead of the upper.

Why a curved barbell, and not a flat back

The navel is not a hole through a flat piece of tissue. It is a piercing through the upper rim of the navel, entering and exiting through the same fold of skin, and the channel follows a curve.

A curved barbell — the "banana bar" — matches that curve, which means it sits without pressing at either end. That matters more here than in most placements because the navel moves constantly: sitting, bending, waistbands, exercise. Jewellery that does not follow the channel is being levered on all day.

A flat back stud is straight and has a disc on one side. In a navel it puts the load on two points that are not aligned with the channel, and the disc presses into the fold. Some people do wear a flat back in a long-healed navel for a very minimal look, but it is not the standard and it is not what to buy while healing.

The navel is also a placement where jewellery choice genuinely affects outcome. It sits close to the surface and is one of the more migration-prone piercings, so the right shape at the right gauge is not a comfort preference — it is part of whether the piercing settles. Sizing is covered in full in the belly bar sizing guide.

Type	What it is	Fresh piercing?	Healed piercing?	Typical size
Curved barbell	Banana-shaped bar, ball each end	Yes — the standard	Yes	14G, 10mm
Floating bar	Curved bar with a flat or tiny top	Ask your piercer	Yes	14G, 10mm
Reverse / bottom bar	Curved bar in a lower-rim piercing	Yes, for that piercing	Yes	14G, 10mm
Dangle bar	Curved bar with a hanging charm	No	Yes, if light	14G, 10mm
Captive bead / segment ring	Ring through the rim	No	Only if long healed	14G, 10 – 12mm
Flat back stud	Straight post with a flat disc	No	Occasionally, minimal look	14G
Maternity bar	Flexible PTFE bar, extra length	n/a	Ask your midwife and piercer	14G, up to 30mm+

Navel jewellery compared. 14G (1.6mm) is standard — ear cartilage jewellery at 16G is too fine and more likely to migrate.

Do rings work in a navel?

Captive bead rings and hinged segment rings are sold for navels, and the honest answer is: not for a fresh one, and not for everyone afterwards.

A ring rotates in the channel. In a placement that already moves every time you sit down, that is continuous disturbance, which is why no reputable piercer fits a ring in a fresh navel. Beyond healing, a ring also loads the piercing differently from a curved bar — it pulls outward on the rim rather than following the channel — and on a navel that has already shown any tendency to migrate, that is the wrong direction.

Where a ring does work: a navel healed for well over a year, on anatomy with a deep, well-defined rim, on someone who has had no migration. Even then, most people find they return to a curved bar for everyday wear and keep the ring for occasions. If you want one, ask your piercer to look at your navel first rather than ordering and hoping.

Floating, reverse and double navel piercings

Floating navel. Not a different piercing — a different bar. The top end carries a small flat disc or a very small ball instead of a decorative gem, so from the front you see only the stone sitting at the bottom of the navel with nothing visibly holding it. The name describes the effect. It is a good option for a low-profile look and for anyone who finds a raised top ball catches on waistbands.

Reverse or bottom navel. A genuinely different piercing, through the lower rim of the navel rather than the upper. The gem then sits below the navel pointing up. It is less common, it depends more on having a suitable lower rim, and not every anatomy suits it. Some people have both, upper and lower, which reads as a matched pair — but that is two piercings and two healing periods, and doing them at once is a lot to ask of one area.

Dangles. Fine on a fully healed navel, in something light. The navel already carries weight downwards from the top rim, so adding a heavy drop increases the pull in the direction migration would take. A short, light dangle is very different from a long, heavy one.

Belly bars and pregnancy

Yes, jewellery made for this exists. It is usually called a maternity bar or pregnancy bar, and it is a flexible bar — typically PTFE or a similar surgical-grade plastic — rather than rigid titanium. The point is that it bends as the abdomen changes and can be bought considerably longer than a standard 10mm bar, so the piercing is not under tension as the skin stretches.

What we can usefully tell you: those bars exist, they are widely available from piercing studios, they are flexible by design, and Belora does not stock them — our range is rigid titanium, which is not what this job needs.

What we cannot tell you is whether to keep your navel piercing in during pregnancy. That genuinely depends on how the piercing sits, how the skin is stretching, how long it has been healed, and whether any surgical procedure is anticipated — and it is a conversation for your midwife or doctor, alongside your piercer. Belora sells jewellery and is not in a position to advise on it.

One practical point that is safe to state: a navel piercing that has been healed for years is more likely to stay open through a period without jewellery than one healed for a few months. If you are considering removing it, that difference is worth raising with your piercer before rather than after.

Common questions

Flat back stud or curved barbell for a navel — which is better?

A curved barbell, in almost every case. The navel channel follows a curve through the upper rim, and a curved bar matches it so it sits without pressing at either end. A flat back is straight with a disc on one side, which loads the piercing off-axis and presses into the fold. Some people wear one in a long-healed navel for a minimal look, but it is not the standard.

Do captive bead rings or segment rings work for navel piercings?

Not in a fresh one — a ring rotates in a channel that already moves every time you sit down, which keeps it disturbed. In a navel healed for well over a year, on anatomy with a deep well-defined rim and no history of migration, a ring can work. Ask your piercer to look at yours before ordering.

What is a floating navel piercing?

A standard navel piercing worn with a bar whose top end carries a small flat disc or very small ball instead of a gem, so from the front only the lower stone shows and nothing appears to hold it. It is a jewellery style rather than a different piercing, and it is useful if a raised top ball catches on waistbands.

What is a reverse or bottom navel piercing?

A piercing through the lower rim of the navel rather than the upper, so the gem sits below the navel pointing up. It is less common than a standard navel, depends on having a suitable lower rim, and does not suit every anatomy. Some people have both, which is two separate piercings and two healing periods.

Do they make belly rings designed for pregnancy?

Yes — usually called maternity or pregnancy bars. They are flexible bars, typically PTFE or a similar surgical-grade plastic rather than rigid metal, and are available considerably longer than a standard 10mm bar so the piercing is not under tension as the skin stretches. Belora does not stock them; piercing studios generally do.

Should I take my belly piercing out during pregnancy?

That depends on how the piercing sits, how the skin is stretching, how long it has been healed and what is anticipated medically, so it is a question for your midwife or doctor alongside your piercer rather than one a jewellery retailer can answer. One safe general point: a navel healed for years is more likely to stay open through a break than one healed for months.

What gauge is a belly button piercing?

14G, which is 1.6mm — thicker than ear cartilage jewellery at 16G. A finer bar is more likely to migrate in a navel, so do not substitute an ear barbell. Bar length is usually 10mm, with 8mm suiting shallower anatomy.

Can I wear a dangle belly bar?

On a fully healed navel, yes, if it is light. The navel already carries weight downwards from the top rim, so a heavy drop increases pull in exactly the direction migration would take. A short light dangle and a long heavy one are not the same proposition.

Keep reading Belly bar sizing guide Jewellery choice and rejection Titanium belly bars

Belora sells jewellery and does not provide medical advice. If a piercing is painful, inflamed, moving position or producing discharge, speak to your piercer, and to a doctor if you suspect an infection. Nothing on this page is a substitute for having someone look at it.