Determining the size of your piercings can be a tricky task. The easiest way to measure is with the help of a well-fitting piercing jewelry. But what exactly do you need to measure, and how? We'll explain it all to you in this blog post!

How do I know what size I need?
You can get the best answer by measuring your piercing jewelry. If you are already wearing a well-fitting piece of jewelry in your piercing, you can remove the jewelry from your piercing, measure it and keep that size. Always use a sliding caliper for this. With other measuring tools (such as a ruler or tape measure) you will never get an accurate result because you often cannot hold the jewelry nice and tight against it, so that sliding caliper is important! Don't have a sliding caliper? Order it here.

Bars such as barbells and labret bars are measured between the ends or balls. Thread is never measured here, because you screw an accessory onto it, so you can't count it as length. Bananas (or slightly curved barbells) are measured just like a straight bar between the two ends. And here too, the thread doesn't count. For this, measure in a straight line on the inside of the curved bar. Rings and curved bars (click rings, circular barbells, etc.) are always measured on the inside, or the inner diameter. Always measure accessories such as loose balls or spikes at their widest point.

But what if you can't take your piercing jewelry out? Or if you want to switch to a different type of jewelry? You can try to measure the jewelry in your piercing with a sliding caliper; easily accessible piercings have the best chance of success. You can also determine the size by measuring the piercing site. Are you going to wear a bar in your piercing? Then measure the skin through which the piercing goes as accurately as possible with a sliding caliper. So you measure the space between the two piercing holes. That gives you the minimum length you need. If you want to wear a ring, you also measure the space between the two piercing holes. Add another 2 to 3 millimeters to this, and you will be pretty close to the necessary inner diameter of your new piercing jewelry. Those extra millimeters are necessary because a ring curves and if the diameter is too small, it will cut into your skin too much. If the ring also has to fit around an ear rim or lip, for example, then measure the widest point of that body part in addition to the space between the holes. The largest of those two numbers will then give you the necessary inner diameter for your new piercing jewelry.

When determining the size, always take into account possible swelling of your piercing and any possible mobility. So don't choose a size that is too tight, but rather leave some extra space. You can always order a different size of piercing jewelry later. And are you unsure whether you can determine the right size yourself? Then hop, off to a good piercing shop! They can always help you determine the right size.

Size, length, support, help?
All terms that each have a different meaning. And how exactly do you determine that size? That's a lot of information, so we'll list everything for you. With pictures, because that's easier.

The Size

This is the thickness of the part of the jewelry that is worn in the piercing.
Needed to: determine how thick your jewelry should be, so that it fits properly.
Listed under: all jewelry on our website.

The Length

This is the wearable length of the jewelry. Any screw-on balls or thread are not measured, you measure between the balls or ends.
Needed to: determine how long the jewelry that is worn in the piercing should be.
Listed under: bananas, curved barbells, barbells, labrets and our loose banana, barbell and labret rods.

The Diameter

The diameter indicates the widest point of a ring, measured on the inside. It also indicates the size of a loose accessory, such as a screw-on ball.
Required to: determine how big the circle should be that closes around your skin or a body part. The diameter is always measured on the inside of the jewelry. Also needed to determine how big your screw-on accessory should be.
Listed with: all ball closure rings, click rings, circular barbells and loose screw-on balls. The diameter is also listed with our twister bars and loose circular bars.

Accessory size

The accessory size is an indication of the dimensions of the accessories supplied, such as the screw-on balls of a barbell.
Listed with: all jewelry that comes with screw-on accessories, such as barbells with screw-on balls or labret bars with screw-on accessories.

Wearable Length

The wearable length indicates the length of the part that can be worn in the (stretched) piercing itself. For plugs and tunnels, this means the part between the two flares. Or, between one flare and the o-ring. People with thicker earlobes often prefer a longer wearable length, while people with thinner earlobes prefer a shorter wearable length.
Listed under: all plugs and tunnels

Single flare - Double flare

Plugs and tunnels come in different versions, of which single flared and double flared are the most worn.

The English name 'flare' literally means 'gradually widening'. When you come across the term 'flare' in a product name or description, it concerns a rounded, raised edge at the end of a piece of jewellery.

Single Flare

These are tunnels or plugs with one raised edge. The other side of the jewellery is usually straight, or has a small groove to keep the o-ring in place. Single flared jewelry is often used in less stretchable piercing tissue or, depending on the suitability of the material, in freshly placed piercings. Because an o-ring is placed at the back, this jewelry usually has a slightly longer support surface. The length of the support surface is measured between the flare and o-ring. Single flared jewelry is the best choice for newly stretched piercings.

These are tunnels or plugs with two raised edges. This means that you do not need o-rings to keep the jewelry in place, the edges do this for you. The flares are usually a few millimeters larger than the actual, to be worn size of the center piece. Double flared jewelry usually has a slightly shorter support surface than no flare or single flared jewelry. This makes them especially suitable for already healed piercings. The length of the support surface is measured between the two flares (raised edges).

Double flared jewelry is not suitable for newly stretched or less flexible piercings because of the dimensions of the flares, which have to go through the piercing in their entirety. Double flared jewelry is usually easier to put in if the skin is a bit looser around the jewelry, but in some cases it may not be possible to wear double flared jewelry at all. This is especially the case with the smaller sizes. In any case, make sure you don't force anything when putting in your jewelry!

Do you have any questions about measuring your piercing jewelry? Please feel free to contact us!

Phone: 072-7370119
Whatsapp: 06 4049 4149
Email: info@alloverpiercings.nl