Not all of us are piercing experts or even piercing enthusiasts! We know a lot of you may be uninformed or confused about the size of your new piercing, which can make it really hard to shop for new jewelry!
Here is a guide for the most common sizes of different piercings. Keep in mind that these are general rules for which exceptions exist. The best thing you can do is always ask your piercer. Also note that the smaller the number here, the larger the size! So 20 gauge is very small, while 14 gauge is much larger
Piercing Area | Standard Gauge | Standard Length |
---|---|---|
Belly Piercing
Navel Piercing |
14G | 3/8" , 7/16" |
Nose Piercing | 20G , 18G | 1/4" , 5/16" |
Tongue Piercing | 14G | 5/8" |
Cartilage Piercings | 16G , 18G | 3/16" , 1/4" and 5/16" |
Eyebrow Piercing | 16G (14G is also commonly used) | 1/4" , 5/16" and 3/8" |
Industrial Barbell | 14G (16G is also commonly used) | 1 1/2" (varies) |
Labret Lip Rings | 14G or 16G | 1/4" , 5/16", and 3/8" |
Monroe Piercing | 16G | 1/4" , 5/16" and 3/8" |
Nipple Piercing | 14G | 3/8" , 1/2", 9/16" |
Rook / Conch / Daith | 16G , 18G | 3/16", 1/4" , 5/16" and 3/8" |
Septum | 14G (16G is also commonly used) | 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", and 5/8" |
Ear Lobe Piercings | 20G or 22G |
With that being said, here they are:
Belly button / Navel piercing:
The standard size for navel piercings is 14 gauge.
Nipple piercing:
This can vary a little, but the vast majority of nipple piercings are done in 14 gauge.
Nose piercing:
Here is where it starts to change. Most of the time, nostril piercings will be 18G or 20G.
Ear cartilage piercings:
These will vary depending on where exactly you get pierced as well as what kind of jewelry you intend to wear. These can get anywhere from 14 gauge all the way to 20 gauge. Your helix and tragus piercings will usually be on the smaller side, while the most common gauge size for industrial piercings is 14 gauge.
Lip Piercings:
These will normally be 14G-16G, the most variation for these that you will have to watch out for with lip piercings is in their length, length can vary greatly.
Septum Piercing:
Septum piercings are almost always 14G or 16G.
Ear lobes:
Ear lobes are usually the smallest piercings at 20G or 22G
These are just some of the general and most common piercings and sizes. The gauge sizes can vary beyond these.
Length and Diameter:
Piercing jewelry length and diameter are most commonly measured in millimeters (mm). Length is used for straight and curved barbells so you can know exactly what you are getting. The measurement is done on the barbell from ball to ball or gem to gem. The added length from the balls on the ends is not included in the measurement, the measurement includes only the length of the bar itself. You will need to consider your anatomy when deciding on a certain length for a barbell. It is common practice to use longer length jewelry when you first get pierced to allow room for swelling, and then sizing down at a later time for a cleaner, more snug fit.
The same rules apply for diameter, which is used to measure and make distinctions in the sizes of captive bead rings, seamless hoops, and hinged hoops.