Guiche Piecing Jewelry

This section covers the choice of jewelry that is best for Guiche Piercings. Which, due to its placement, can be somewhat limited in the selection of style, gauge, and size of jewelry. 

Jewelry Style:

The piercing should be done with circular jewelry that has no sharp edges, points, items hanging from the jewelry, or added weight. The simpler the jewelry, the less risk of problems caused by contact with the legs, clothing, bedding, etc, and thus reducing the chances of migration, rejection, tearing, scarring, and other issues. Once the piercing is healed, jewelry with a lower profile, such as curved or standard barbells, can replace the original piercing jewelry.

• Captive Bead or Beaded Rings:
  • The Advantages:
  1. There are no sharp edges or points that may get caught on clothing, bedding, etc.
  2. Since the jewelry is not tight and broader than the piercing area, it allows extra room for swelling, discharge, and cleaning.
  3. Especially with Captive Bead and Beaded Rings, the jewelry is designed for long-term wear, eliminating the worry about ends coming unscrewed and losing the O-rings. It reduces maintenance and gives the piercer one less thing to deal with during the healing process.
  4. Much easier to move for cleaning.
  5. Usually lighter in weight than threaded jewelry.
  • The Disadvantages:
  1. The profile of the rings may cause additional contact, abuse, and stress on the piercing.
  2. Especially with Captive Bead and Beaded Rings, they can be difficult to remove or replace. In some cases, it requires special tools to remove the jewelry.
• Circular Barbells:
  • ​​The Advantages:
  1. There are no sharp edges or points that may get caught on clothing, bedding, etc.
  2. Since the jewelry is not tight and broader than the piercing area, it allows extra room for swelling, discharge, and cleaning.
  3. Much easier to move for cleaning.
  4. Threaded jewelry is easier to remove and doesn't need any tools or additional skill to remove or change.
  • The Disadvantages:
  1. ​The profile of the jewelry may cause additional contact, abuse, and stress on the piercing.
  2. Since the jewelry has an open end, it is prone to getting clothing, bedding and etc.. caught in it.
  3. Since the ends are threaded and can become loose due to contact with clothing, bedding, etc., they must be checked on a regular basis.
• Jewelry that should be avoided during Healing:
  • ​Heavy jewelry, jewelry that has sharp edges or points, considerable charms, and anything hanging off of it.
  • Ear Piercing Studs and other traditional jewelry:
    • ​​The jewelry is often too short to allow for the thickness of the piercing area. This doesn't allow for swelling and can cause the jewelry to become impacted in the piercing. Additionally, if the jewelry is too tight, it can block both the discharge and the flow of oxygen, which can prolong healing time and/or increase the risk of infection or other complications.
    • The backs or locks are loose and can be tightened with normal wear.
    • Often, the jewelry material is not body-friendly. Even those marketed to individuals with metal sensitivity are only plated.
    • In most cases can not be sterilized correctly.

​Size of the Jewelry and Weight:

• ​Gauge:​

As a refresher, gauge refers to the thickness of the wire used to make the jewelry. Body piercing jewelry typically starts at 18-gauge and ranges up to 0000-gauge. The smaller the number, the thicker the jewelry will be. As I'm sure you know, the thicker the jewelry is, the more weight it carries and thus the more stress it puts on the piercing during the healing period. Also, the thicker the jewelry, the more tissue that needs to be produced, and thus the longer the healing period. Though in most cases, an 18-gauge piercing will heal out in about the same time as a 12-gauge piercing will.

When choosing the gauge of the jewelry, the jewelry needs to be thick enough to reduce rejection or migration and have resistance to tearing, but light enough that it will not cause added stress during healing. Due to the location of the piercing, a larger gauge is needed to reduce rejection and migration. In my experience, the jewelry should be at least 12g. To avoid potential problems caused by excessive weight, I recommend using a gauge of 8g or smaller for the piercing. 

After the piercing is healed, it is not a problem to stretch the piercing to a larger gauge that might be more comfortable when it is pulled on or twisted.

• Width:

​The jewelry needs to be large enough to allow extra room for swelling, discharge, and cleaning. The jewelry should be at least 1/8 of an inch wider than the distance between the two piercing holes. The piercing should not be wider than a 1/4 turn of the ring. Due to the location and the risk of rejection and migration, the piercing is usually at least 1/2 inch wide, meaning that the jewelry is typically 5/8 inch wide or larger.

Even in a healed piercing, you do not want to put jewelry in that has a tighter circle than the jewelry it was pierced with. In other words, if it was pierced with a 1/2 inch wide ring, you do not want to put a 1/4 inch ring in because it would be a tighter circle. The reason for this is that it can cause migration, scarring, and tearing of the piercings. Some have found that a curved barbell or a straight barbell has a lower profile, which reduces discomfort and the risks of rejection and migration.

In conclusion, nothing replaces the first-hand knowledge of a professional piercer when it comes to choosing the correct jewelry. There are vast differences in shape and size, and often, what works for 99.99% of the public is not the best choice for you. The goal of this is to give you a working understanding of jewelry selection, so that you can have an educated discussion with your piercer on what will work best. Every piercer understands that one of the motivations of getting the piercing is fashion, but jewelry that will produce the best outcome should always rule out fashion. Think of the jewelry that the piercing is done with as trainer jewelry that will be replaced with what you like after the piercing is healed.