Foreskin Piercing Jewelry

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

Jewelry Style:

Foreskin piercings tend not to lend themselves well to non-circular jewelry. However, there is no reason that curved or standard barbells couldn't be worn after the piercing is healed.

• Captive Bead or Beaded Rings:
  • The Advantages:
  1. There are no sharp edges or points that may catch on clothing, bedding, etc.
  2. Since the jewelry is not tight and wider 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. So it reduces the maintenance and gives the piercee one less thing to deal during the healing.
  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, special tools are required to remove the jewelry.
• Circular Barbells:
  • ​​The Advantages:
  1. There are no sharp edges or points that may catch on clothing, bedding, etc.
  2. Since the jewelry is not tight and wider 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 is open-ended, there is an increased risk that it can get caught on clothing, bedding, other jewelry, etc.
  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, large charms, and anything hanging off of it.
  • Ear Piercing Studs and other traditional jewelry:
    • ​​The jewelry is often too short to accommodate the thickness of the piercing area, which prevents 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 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 and thus the more stress on the piercing during the healing period. Also, the thicker the jewelry, the more tissue that needs to be produced, and hence 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 location of the piercing, a 12-gauge or larger gauge is usually best to reduce the risks of migration and rejection.  However, the thickness of the piercing needs to be taken into account in relation to the size and shape of the tissue available for piercing. In my experience, piercings heal best with a 12g or 10g gauge and can be stretched if the person wishes to do so later. Most find that larger gauges may be more comfortable and simulating.

• 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. 

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 1/2-inch-wide ring, you would not want to put a 1/4-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. 

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, so that you can have an informed discussion with your piercer about 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 used for the piercing as temporary, or trainer jewelry, that will be replaced with your preferred choice once the piercing is healed.