Piercing Sizes

Find out Piercing-Size

Unlike normal fashion jewellery, [piercing] jewellery is produced in a wide variety of sizes together with different size specifications. Even though this may seem complicated at first glance, this variety of sizes for piercings is very important. Because every piercing is individual and needs different measurements for an optimal fit depending on the body part. You can find out all the important information about determining the piercing size here.

Why is the piercing size so important?

The bar length of a piercing indicates, as the name suggests, the length of the bar. The right length ensures that the piercing fits perfectly and does not slip. If the bar length of a piercing is too short, there is a risk that the Jewelry will sink into the skin. If the bar length is too long, the piercing can easily get stuck and become irritated.

The bar thickness indicates the thickness or width of a piercing. With the right bar thickness, the piercing will sit comfortably in the piercing hole and will not be felt. However, if you choose the wrong bar thickness, this can have unpleasant consequences.

If the thickness is too small, the piercing hole will grow closed around the new piece of jewellery. If the thinner piercing look is desired, this is not a big deal. However, you should be aware that you cannot easily reinsert the thicker bar afterwards.

If the bar is too thick, the piercing jewellery will simply not fit into the piercing hole. If you then push the piercing further into the hole, the healed canal can tear open again in the worst case and cause problems. Therefore, you should always have the piercing hole widened by a piercer beforehand if you want to wear a piercing with a larger bar thickness.

The diameter is only used for piercing rings. Just as with the two previous size specifications, the correct diameter is decisive for the comfortable fit of a piercing ring. The smaller the diameter, the smaller the ring and vice versa. If the diameter is too small, the Ring may be too tight, putting pressure on the tissue around the piercing. A diameter that is too large will cause a loose fit.

Especially with a freshly pierced piercing, the right size is enormously important for good healing. In the beginning, a slightly larger or longer piercing size is deliberately taken to give the tissue space for the skin to swell.

After about 1-2 months (depending on the piercing) the piercer will then insert a smaller piercing jewellery. This is called downsizing. This process is important and should not be forgotten under any condition, otherwise the healing can be negatively affected by the jewellery being too large. The piercing can heal crookedly due to the uneven pressure caused by jewellery that is too long. The skin around the puncture site can also develop

unsightly blisters as a result.

Measure the piercing size correctly

Knowing the size of your piercing jewellery is very important. Because without the right size it can be difficult to buy the right piercing jewellery after healing.

Even though ideally you should have asked the piercer for the jewellery size after the piercing, it is easy to forget this in the excitement of the new piercing. Or you may have thought of it, but it's been too long to remember the exact size. Whatever the reason, being able to correctly size your piercing jewellery is very handy and will save you some hassle.

To do this, you will need either a caliper or a ruler or measuring tape. With a caliper, which you can buy in any hardware store, you can measure the jewellery exactly. A simple tape measure will also work if you need to do it quickly. However, you should be aware that the measurements are not absolutely precise and take this into account when buying piercing jewellery.

The bar length of Labret Piercing and Straight Barbell Piercing is only measured at the piercing bar. For this purpose, the length is only determined from one end of the bar to the other end, leaving out the balls and the end plate in the case of Labrets. With a Curved Barbell Piercing, only the bar is measured. Here the length between the balls is measured without taking into account the bending of the piercing bar.

The measurement is similar for nose studs. The length of a Nose Piercing Stud is also measured only at the piercing bar, without measuring the attachment or the ball. For nose studs that have a partly straight and partly curved bar, only the straight part of the bar is measured to determine the length.

For a Piercing Ring, the diameter is determined. When measuring the ring, it is easy to get confused, because often you do not know whether the outer or the inner diameter should be measured. For almost all piercings the inner diameter of the ring is decisive. The only exceptions are Flesh Tunnel and Flesh Plug. Here the outer diameter has to be measured.

For the determination of the ball size for e.g. CBR Piercing rings, the diameter is also the correct size specification. Since the balls of a piercing are usually delivered with the bar, measuring the ball size may not seem important at first glance. However, in case of lost balls and the purchase of replacement balls, it can quickly prove useful to have measured the ball beforehand. The diameter of the ball is measured on the outside between the two widest points.

The diameter of horseshoe piercings is also measured, as horseshoes are open rings. The diameter is measured on the inside at the widest point and the size of the ball is determined as described above.

Standard sizes of Piercings

In this section the standard sizes of the different piercings are listed. These do not always apply without exception, because piercings are very dependent on one's own body and the sizes can vary for some. The listed standard sizes are only the most commonly used sizes for the respective piercing type and should only serve as a guideline here.

Piercing / Bar / Thickness Bar / Length Diameter

Ear piercing 1,2 mm, 8 mm, 8-10 mm

Helix / Tragus 1,2 mm, 8 mm, 8-10 mm

Daith Piercing 1.6 mm, 10 mm, 10-12 mm

Conch Piercing 1.6 mm, 10 mm, 10-12 mm

Industrial Piercing 1,6 mm, 30-50 mm

Nose piercing 1.0-1.2 mm, 6-8 mm, 6-11 mm (mostly 8)

Lip piercing 1.2 mm, 8 mm, 6-8 mm

Eyebrow piercing 1.2 mm, 8-10 mm, 8-10 mm

Belly button piercing 1,6 mm, 10 mm, 10 mm

tongue piercing 1,6 mm, 16 mm

Nipple piercing 1.6 mm, 10-12 mm, 10-12 mm

Intimate piercing 1,6-2,6 mm, 10-18 mm, 10 mm

Most ear piercings like Helix Piercing or Tragus Piercing are pierced with a bar thickness of 1.2 mm. The Bar length is often 8 mm and the diameter for rings is about 8 mm - 10 mm.

Exceptions are the Daith Piercing, Industrial Barbell Piercing and Inner Conch Piercing, which are somewhat larger and thicker due to their placement. Here the bar thickness is 1.6 mm and the diameter for the Daith is about 10 mm - 12 mm and for the Conch about 12 mm - 16 mm. The length of an industrial bar is between 30 mm and 50 mm, depending on the ear.

The size of the Nose Piercing depends on the size of the nose and the position of the piercing. The bar thickness here is often 1.0 mm - 1.2 mm. The diameter of nose rings can be between 6 mm - 11 mm. 8 mm is the standard size. The bar length of nose plugs is 6 mm - 8 mm. The standard size for septum piercing is 1.2 mm - 1.6 mm for the bar thickness and 8 mm - 10 mm for the diameter.

A Lip Piercing is usually pierced with a thickness of 1.2 mm. The length of most labrets is 8 mm.

Eyebrow piercings most often have a bar thickness of 1.2 mm, while the bar length of an Eyebrow Piercing is 8 mm - 10 mm. The diameter of eyebrow rings is also 8 mm - 10 mm.

The standard Barbell Piercing size is a bar thickness of 1.6 mm and a length of 10 mm.

The bar thickness of a tongue piercing is often 1.6 mm, while the length is about 16 mm. However, the bar length of a tongue piercing is variable and can also often be at 14 mm or 18 mm.

A Nipple Piercing usually have a bar thickness of 1.6 mm and a length of 10 mm - 12 mm. The diameter of nipple rings is 10 mm - 12 mm, depending on the anatomy.

Intimate piercings have a wide range of sizes due to the many variations. Depending on the type of piercing, the bar thickness of an intimate piercing can be between 1.6 mm and 2.6 mm. The bar length can be 10 mm - 18 mm depending on the type.