Before you get any holes in your body, make sure you're feeling good about your piercer. Harris recommends you look for a piercer who will take the time with you, answer your questions, and make you feel comfortable above all else. "Trust your gut," Joshua David Harris, a piercer at 108 Studios, tells POPSUGAR. "If you go into a shop and get weird vibes, go somewhere else. You don't have to do it just because you are there. Your body, your choice."

Every shop is different, but you can usually expect to pay a piercing service fee plus the cost of jewelry. The material of the piercing jewelry is really what's going to determine the price: for instance, solid-gold barbells can be significantly more expensive than surgical steel or other metals. To get an idea of what you're looking at, 108 Studios charges $45 for the first hole, a simple solid-gold hoop starts at $70, and solid-gold barbells start at $220.

First, you'll want to make sure you're old enough to get a belly button piercing. Most places require a valid driver's license to confirm you are at least 18 years old, but there are plenty of parlors that will let you get a navel piercing for people aged 14 to 17 with parental consent. The best way to be sure is to call the shop directly.

Once you're at the appointment, your piercer will take a look at your navel and talk to you about the best route in terms of jewelry and placement. Things like the shape of your navel — meaning an innie or an outie, or even the amount of skin you have to work with — will guide the type of jewelry you should be pierced with. Harris also says there are some people who might want to reconsider getting their belly button pierced at all, but it's something you can talk about at your appointment. "It's a case-by-case basis," he says. "I'd rather not do it if I think it's going to cause you problems or your body will just end up rejecting it."

Once you've landed on the jewelry, it's time to get down to business. Your piercer will look at where your skin naturally falls when you're comfortably standing and make a tiny mark where the piercing will sit. Don't be shy about saying something if you don't like the placement. It's better to speak up now rather than after the piercing is done.

When you're ready to go, your piercer will have you lie down on your back and place a clamp around your navel to keep everything lined up and set up. It feels a little tight but shouldn't hurt. Most piercers today use a hollow needle to pierce this area, done by hand. "The needle seems a little scary, but it's healthier on the tissue and allows us to get more precise with the piercing," Harris says. "It's also used to connect to the jewelry and guide it in. The gun pierces you with the jewelry by forcing it through the tissue."

The question of what to wear to your appointment might seem obvious, but it's easily overlooked. Harris suggests you wear "something comfortable and not too tight. Pants or shorts that do not lay across your navel and a shirt are best. Anything with easy access to that area. Dresses or onesies are a little trickier for obvious reasons."

While pain is relative and based on each person's individual pain tolerance, getting a needle pushed through your skin is never going to be pleasant. Still, many people say it's not nearly as painful as some of the piercings in areas with thicker cartilage. The most uncomfortable part tends to be the few seconds it takes to thread the piece of jewelry through the hollow needle.

Harris explained that aftercare is actually quite easy for a new belly-button piercing. He recommends cleaning it twice daily with some fragrance-free soap and water. Do your best to leave it alone, and don't overclean or touch it with dirty hands. Until it's fully healed, you want to be careful of snagging it on a towel or rubbing it with your clothes (tread lightly around high-waisted jeans).

"Try not to do anything that has you laying on it or putting a lot of pressure on it," Harris says. "Be careful with those loofahs in the shower, too. If it's comfortable enough for you to work out, then it should be OK. Just be mindful of it."

Keep in mind that everyone heals differently, and some people's bodies react differently to a piercing than others. Generally, belly button piercing healing time takes between three and six months, but it could take longer. "I tell clients to wait a minimum of three months before changing out the jewelry, but waiting longer is always better," Harris says. "When you want to change it out, check in with your piercer to see if it's actually ready. Don't get impatient and change it too soon. It could cause problems you won't want to deal with in the long run."

One common concern is getting "the bump" near your navel area during the healing process. The main thing to know: don't freak out. "The bumps are usually temporary, cosmetic, and will eventually clear up with a little extra care and caution," Harris says. "Normally, I have clients start with a daily hot compress to the area, which helps draw out the irritation and shrink the bumps down. If that's not working, sometimes changing up the jewelry you have in can help."

Harris says that oftentimes, irritation is confused with infection. "More often than not, piercings become irritated, not infected. If you are having concerns about what is happening with your piercing, it's always best to go see your piercer in person so they see exactly what is going on. Everything is fixable, so there's nothing to stress about if your piercing gets irritated." Your piercer can let you know if you really do have an infection and advise when to see a doctor.