I got this message from a Facebook Friend:

Hello,
I hope it's ok to ask a quick question...do you think size 14-15 is too chubby to get a belly button piercing? I'm about 5'5" and 175lbs, if that makes any difference. I'm on my high school's tennis team which practices every day, so my size might go down in the next couple months. Do you think my current size would be ok to be pierced, or would you recommend waiting until I slim down? Thanks so much!

Megan

This is my reply:

Hi Megan,

Below is a  section from my book, The Piercing Bible--The Definitive Guide to Safe Body Piercing that answers your question.

Navel Piercing: Weight and Weight Loss Regardless of your weight, if your navel folds in and disappears when you sit down, this is a good reason to select a different piercing. Wearing jewelry on this type of build causes mechanical stresses that guarantee healing complications. If you have a horizontal crease across the area even when you are standing, you are unsuited to navel piercing for the same reason. Some heavy people are still able to get navel piercings because body size isn’t as key a factor as your configuration in the area of the piercing. However, the diminished blood supply caused by excess abdominal fat does make healing more difficult. If you are diabetic and carry excess weight in this area, navel piercings are inadvisable because complications are to be expected and can be more serious.

If you are planning to lose weight, the overall shape of your navel area is still the primary consideration when deciding whether to postpone piercing. A protruding beer belly is generally suited to navel piercing because usually the area gets smaller with weight loss, but maintains the same basic contour.

Extremely rapid weight gain or loss during healing could cause irritation if the abdomen changes shape quickly enough to prevent the piercing from settling. It is unlikely that a weight fluctuation could impact a healed navel piercing, however, unless it is substantial enough to alter the shape or location of your navel.

I hope you find this information helpful. Of course, there are also issues of age since you are likely to be under 18 years of age. Look for my next blog post about piercing minors.

Thanks!

Take care,

Elayne