Nipple Piercing Jewelry

This section covers the choice of jewelry that is best for Nipple Piercings. The most common mistake that I see leading to problems with migration, rejection, and infection is nipples that are pierced with incorrect jewelry. This is especially true when it comes to the size of the jewelry itself. Body type, the piercee's sex, and the shape of the nipple all play a significant role in determining what jewelry is best.

Jewelry Style:

When it comes to Nipple piercings, it's essential to consider that the jewelry and piercing will be in contact with clothing and bedding during and after the healing process. Therefore, the jewelry needs to be simple, without sharp points or edges that could get caught on things, yet still allow room for swelling, discharge, and cleaning. Since the jewelry can tend to hang, it's crucial, especially during the healing process, that there's no additional weight that might add stress to the piercing during this time. 

There is an ongoing debate over which style of jewelry is best for healing a nipple piercing. Both rings and barbells have benefits and disadvantages, but it ultimately comes down to the size and shape of the nipple, as well as the body type of the piercee. In most cases, to reduce movement, contact, and pressure on the piercing during healing, Barbells are the better choice.

• Threaded Straight or Curved Jewelry such as Barbells:
  • ​​The Advantages:
  1. Since the jewelry is straight, there are no concerns with migration, prolonged healing, or other problems that can happen with Circular jewelry.
  2. The lower profile may reduce abuse from contact with clothing, bedding and etc.. and less noticeable.
  3. Since the jewelry doesn't swing back and forth like rings, there is much less movement or twisting of the jewelry. Movement of the jewelry during healing can lead to prolonged healing and damage to the piercing. It can also increase the risk of infection and other problems.
  4. Since the jewelry is threaded, it can be easily removed if needed.
  • The Disadvantages:
  1. ​​Jewelry should be longer than necessary to accommodate swelling, and will need to be downsized to a shorter post during the healing.
  2. If the jewelry is too tight, there is no extra room at all, and it can cause the jewelry to become impacted.
  3. The tightness of the ends needs to be checked regularly to prevent the jewelry from falling out and the piercing from closing. This increases contact with the piercing and increases the likelihood of cross-contamination.
• Jewelry that should be avoided during Healing:
  • Rings and  Circular style jewelry such as Captive Bead or Beaded Rings and Circular Barbells:
    • The Advantages:
    • There are no sharp edges or points that may get caught on clothing, bedding, etc.
    • Since the jewelry is not tight and broader than the piercing area, it allows extra room for swelling, discharge, and cleaning.
    • If the jewelry is the correct width, it will hang comfortably against the body and not have added pressure forcing the jewelry outward.  
    • 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 the maintenance and gives the piercee one less thing to deal with during the healing process.
    • Much easier to move for cleaning.
    • Usually lighter in weight than threaded jewelry.
    • The Disadvantages:
    • The profile of the rings may cause additional contact, abuse, and stress on the piercing.
    • The jewelry may have an increased risk of movement during the healing process.
    • Especially with Captive Bead and Beaded Rings, they can be difficult to remove or replace. In some cases, special tools are required to remove the jewelry.
    • ​Nipple Shields and other novelty jewelry:
      • ​​Since the shield is positioned behind the barbell and will press outward, it increases the risk of migration, rejection, and other problems.
      • It limits the space needed for swelling, discharge, and cleaning.
      • Usually made of sub-standard materials that may cause additional metal reactions or problems.
      • Increases the risk of the jewelry getting caught on clothing, bedding, etc.. and add additional stress to the piercing during healing.
    • 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, potentially increasing healing time and/or the risk of infection or other complications.
      • The backs or locks are lost and can tighten 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, they cannot 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 ranges from 18-gauge 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 therefore the longer the healing period. Although in most cases, an 18-gauge piercing will heal in about the same time as a 12-gauge piercing.

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 softness of the nipple tissue, the jewelry needs to be of a thick enough wire to reduce migration, rejection, and tearing of the piercing. I have found that jewelry ranging from 14 gauge to 10 gauge strikes a good balance between reducing migration and tearing, while being light enough to avoid stress on the piercings. Also, larger gauge jewelry will feel much more comfortable when it is pulled or caught on. The piercing can always be stretched later, but it can be a long process to heal a nipple to the point where stretching can be done safely and comfortably. 

• Width:

With straight barbells, the jewelry should be slightly wider than the piercing length to fit comfortably. It is crucial that you downsize your jewelry to a shorter post within 6 to 8 weeks after piercing. We pierce with longer posts to allow for swelling. Once the swelling is done and the piercing has settled into healing, the longer posts are no longer needed.

​The biggest mistake that I see with nipple piercings is rings that have either too tight of a curve or are too short. I can not stress how important it is that the jewelry is loose-fitting, with the jewelry within the piercing having as flat a curve as possible. A promising sign that your nipple ring is too small is if it wants to stick straight out instead of lying flat against the body. Rings that are too tight will increase the stress on the piercing, leading to migration, rejection, prolonged healing, and scarring. With rings, even reducing the width of the jewelry in a healed piercing can cause these problems.

​The jewelry needs to be large enough to allow extra room for swelling, discharge, and cleaning. If the piercing is done with a barbell, this usually means that the jewelry must be done with a much longer piece than is needed, thus adding additional weight and risks. With a ring, 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. 

Even in a healed piercing, you should not put jewelry in that has a tighter circle than the original jewelry used for the piercing. In other words, if it were pierced with a 5/8-inch-wide ring, you would not want to put a 1/2-inch ring in because it would create a tighter circle. The reason for this is that it can cause migration, scarring, and tearing of the piercings. If you prefer a lower profile, a straight barbell would be a better choice. Even with a barbell, you do want it to be a little longer than the piercing. The jewelry should never be so tight that it changes the shape of the piercing or piercing area. 

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 provide you with a working understanding of jewelry selection, enabling you to have an informed discussion with your piercer about what will work best. Every piercer understands that one of the motivations for getting a piercing is fashion, but when it comes to jewelry, the best outcome should always consider fashion lastly. Think of the jewelry used for the piercing as temporary, or trainer jewelry, that will be replaced with your preferred choice once the piercing is healed.