What gauge do I need for my piercing?
If you're unsure what gauge you need for your piercing, look no further than our helpful guide where we'll explain everything you need to know so you can shop with confidence.
| Standard | 16 gauge | 1.2mm |
| Thin | 18 gauge | 1.0mm |
| Extra Thin | 20 gauge | 0.8mm |
What is a piercing gauge?
The 'gauge' is a measurement term commonly used in piercing in reference to the thickness of a labret bar which goes through the piercing hole. The larger the number, the thicker the size - for example 16 gauge is thicker than 2 gauge.
What gauge do I need?
If your ear piercing was made with a needle by a professional piercer, it's likely your piercing will be the 16 gauge which is the standard size for most cartilage piercings including helix, tragus, conch, rook and forward helix.
What gauge are flat back studs?
Flat backs, also known as labrets, are most commonly available in standard body piercing size of 16 gauge. For threadless labrets, you can mix and match with spare bars in 18 gauge and 20 gauge if you prefer a thinner stud.
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Frequently Asked Questions
A cartilage piercing such as a helix, tragus or conch is typically pierced with a 16 gauge needle with 16 gauge initial jewellery fitted for the healing process. Most body piercing jewellery is available in 16 gauge as standard.
Labret studs, also known as cartilage studs are typically 16 gauge. This is the industry standard size which professional piercers use for fresh piercings and the most common size available in body jewellery.
The reason why you may not be able to fit 16 gauge earrings in your piercing is because your piercing hole simply isn't wide enough for the 16 gauge jewellery. If you were pierced with a 16g needle but removed the jewellery and started wearing thinner earrings, this will cause your piercing hole to shrink down to the size of the earring being worn.
Yes, it's possible to wear 16g earrings but you will need to stretch your piercing first. It's advised to use a labret taper to gradually make the hole larger.
To measure the gauge of your body jewellery, you can compare it against a ruler. Read the measurement in millimetres and then convert to gauge using the following:
16 gauge = 1.2mm
18 gauge = 1.0mm
20 gauge = 0.8mm
If you're still unsure, you can buy digital callipers or visit your local piercer who will be able to help further.
If you need thinner than standard Titanium labret bars (for a piercing hole which has shrunk over time) these are available to purchase on our website here. These threadless labret bars are compatible with all our Titanium attachments.
If your piercing was done with a gun, we firstly want to advise that this is not recommended and we urge visiting a professional needle piercer in future.
Yes, it's possible for your piercing hole to shrink if you downsize your cartilage piercing from 16 gauge to 18 gauge or 20 gauge.
The most common reason a piercing shrinks is by wearing a butterfly-back stud instead of a labret stud, therefore it is advised to keep wearing 16 gauge labrets in cartilage piercings. If your piercing hole has shrunk, don't worry - we sell spare labret bars in 18 gauge and 20 gauge too.
If your piercing hurts with a thicker labret, this may be because it stretches the piercing hole which can cause temporary irritation. You can soothe this by applying a warm chamomile tea soak for a few days until it subsides.