Gauge and Sizing

Gauge is the thickness of the jewelry, which is based on the American Standard Wire Gauge. It starts at 36g and goes to 0g. The larger the number, the thinner the wire will be. When choosing a gauge to be pierced at, the piercer must decide which is thick enough to reduce migration and tearing but thin enough not to add too much weight. See the gauge to mm/inch conversion chart below for more information.

Another factor that influences the choice of jewelry is its width or length. The width is the area between the inside of the ring or barbell at its widest point. When picking the correct jewelry, a few standard factors need to be addressed:

1. How much swelling will happen during the healing?
2. How flat will the jewelry be in the distance between the two piercing holes?
3. How will the jewelry lie or hang on the body?

Swelling is a factor with all piercings. It is normal for a non-oral piercing to swell anywhere from 1/16 of an inch to 1/8 of an inch. So, if the piercing is going to be roughly 3/8 inch, it is best to add 1/8 inch and use jewelry with a width of at least 1/2 inch. With oral piercing, especially tongue piercings. The piercing can swell as much as a 1/4 or 3/8 of an inch. Therefore, it's best to pierce with jewelry that has a much wider length and then downsize it during the healing process. 

Rings and Circular jewelry are only suggested for a few select piercings. These include Daith, Septum, Oral Frenum Piercing(Which we do not offer), and some genital piercings. It is important that the circular jewelry is wider, not just to allow for swelling but to ensure that the area of the jewelry that is in the piercing is as flat as possible. For example, a Daith piercing may only be 1/4 inch wide, but the jewelry will need to be 3/8 inch wide. If it is not wide enough, this can cause pressure points that lead to bumps or other issues, and may prevent the jewelry from lying flat. 

If you were pierced with a post and want to switch to circular jewelry, first, you should wait until the piercing is seasoned, which is usually three to six times the length of the healing period. Even then, jewelry needs to be wider than required to prevent issues such as it not sitting right, causing pressure points, or indentations.

After the piercing is healed, you still want the jewelry to be larger than the piercing area; this is especially true with piercings in areas of the body that expand and contract. For example, tongues, nipples, and genital piercings all tend to grow, and if the jewelry is too tight, it can be excruciating when they do. This is even the case with a well-healed piercing.

Below are some standard jewelry sizes and types used when piercing. People come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, so this is by no means a set size, but just a general guide of what I have found works best for healing these piercings.