Have you been wearing the same body jewelry piercing for years? Or have you just gotten a new piercing and are wondering how to keep your look fresh?
Then it’s time to spice up your look with a new piece of body jewelry.
However, buying body jewelry isn’t as simple as picking a design you like and ordering it. There are many factors to consider, including material, piercing size, and the thickness of the metal.
If you don’t get the right jewelry, it could stretch your piercing or cause injury. Plus, you want to get a jewelry piece that fits your piercing type and shape.
But this process doesn’t have to be as complicated as it seems. Below, we’ll talk about the top 7 easy tips to help you pick body jewelry that’s perfect for you.
1. Know the Name of Your Piercing
Before you go and shop for body jewelry, you need to know the names of all the piercings you have.
For example, the ear alone has at least 10 different piercing names! Some examples of the most common ear piercings include:
- Lobe
- Helix
- Industrial
- Tragus
And aside from ear piercings, some of the most common body piercings include septum, labret, and bite piercings. So no matter where your piercing is, make sure you know the name so you can find which jewelry can fit with your piercing.
And if you’re unsure of what type of piercing you have, take a look at a chart or images of ear piercings to determine which one you have. This will make it much easier for you to buy jewelry, whether that’s in-store or online.
2. Understand Size
To best understand your jewelry options, you need to learn about the sizes that body jewelry comes in.
The size of jewelry refers to the length and diameter of the jewelry piece.
If the piece of jewelry is a hoop, then the size is measured by the diameter of the hoop. If the jewelry is a bar, then the size of the jewelry is measured by the length of the bar.
The ideal size for jewelry is to make sure it’s big enough that it doesn’t tug at the piercing area but is small enough that it won’t snag on clothes or hair as you go about your day.
3. Understand Gauge
Another important consideration in understanding body jewelry options is to know what gauge means.
Gauge refers to how thick the bar is that will go into the piercing area. Unlike jewelry size, which can vary a bit depending on aesthetics, the gauge size needs to be very accurate.
The higher the gauge number, the smaller the gauge is. Gauges are also listed in numbers that are equivalent to mm. For instance, 16 gauge is bigger than 18 gauge. 16 gauge is equivalent to 1.2mm in thickness. This is the most common piercing gauge.
If the gauge is too small, then it will be loose (and may even fall out). But if the gauge is too big, it can stretch the piercing and make you uncomfortable.
If you’re shopping online, it’s easier to shop on a website that lets you sort jewelry by gauge size, like Body Pierce Jewelry.
4. Learn About the Types of Body Jewelry
Knowing the types of jewelry is important because each type of piercing can only fit a certain type of jewelry. You can check this diamond nose ring from Roy Jewels and find accessories that suit you.
The four main types of body jewelry are rings, labrets, bars, and curved bars. Curved piercings are great if you have a piercing that’s less than a year old, as they can help with the end of the healing process.
Other types of piercings include plugs, pinchers, spirals, nose screws, eyelets, and twists.
If you have an eyebrow piercing, for example, you will have to choose between hoops, curved barbells, or circular barbells. This is because not every piece of jewelry can fit into every type of piercing.
5. Pick the Right Material
If you have sensitive skin, you’ve probably had a few reactions to wearing jewelry in the past. This is why you have to take extra care when picking the materials for your piercings.
Some common piercing materials include gold, silver, and acrylic. Another very popular material option is surgical steel, which is both affordable and durable. Just make sure to get a biocompatible grade of surgical steel.
For sensitive skin or people with allergies to certain materials, some good options include titanium, niobium, glass, and surgical steel.
Since you usually can’t return body jewelry once it’s been opened, you want to make sure you get something you aren’t allergic to.
6. Take Movement Into Account
It’s one thing to pick body jewelry that fits, but wearing body jewelry is another story.
You need to be very careful that your jewelry won’t snag on something. Not only could the jewelry break, but you could get seriously hurt.
Think about whether you do a lot of sports or need to wear equipment such as a helmet. Also, think about whether your clothes usually cover your piercing (such as a belly button piercing).
In this case, you might want to get Teflon jewelry because the material is flexible.
7. Go With Your Style
Once you have a good idea of the piercing type, size, and material you need, it’s time to pick jewelry choices that are perfect for your style.
Aside from how the piercing shape suits your style, you can get piercings with colored metals like blue and pink.
You can also get different sparkly studs on the ends of your piercings, from dainty flowers to colorful cubic zirconia.
Follow These Tips To Pick the Perfect New Body Jewelry
We hope this article helped give you some useful tips to help you pick body jewelry that will elevate your style while staying comfortable.
And if you’re buying body jewelry as a gift, these tips will help you pick something that your gift recipient will love.
Enjoyed this article? For even more helpful lifestyle tips and tricks, be sure to check out the rest of our site today!
