All body jewellery has a gauge, the gauge refers to the thickness of the bar or shaft that goes through the body piercing. In the USA, the gauge is referred to as 14 gauge, 16 gauge etc – in the UK, gauge is referred to in millimetres.
Gauge is most accurately measured with the use of a specialist piece of equipment – however, this is not the only way, just the easiest and quickest way. A person experienced with body jewellery, ie a seller or a person with multiple piercings will be able to recognise and differentiate the gauges at a glance.
It is helpful to know the gauge of your body piercing so that once the initial healing period has passed you may purchase another piece of body jewellery of the correct gauge and length to replace it with, in other words, you need to ensure your the new body jewellery item will fit your piercing. You should ask your piercer when the piercing is performed, what the gauge will be, or return to ask if you don’t already know. However, if this is now not possible or you have forgotten etc – all is not lost. You can measure the gauge of your body jewellery item using a simple millimetre ruler – you will need to look hard and carefully though.
Lay your body jewellery item accross (not along) the ruler. Line up one side of the bar with a mm marker. Then – look closely from above at the opposite side of the bar – if it is closer to the 1mm marker but 2 hairs breadth over, (approximately), then the gauge is 1.2mm – 16 gauge, if the bar is closer to the 2mm marker, then it is most likely 1.6mm – 14 gauge and so on. If you need help with this, consult our gauge conversion chart.
Initial body Piercings have standard gauges, some are rigidly used and some vary by a gauge. If you are having your body, facial or oral piercing with a particular piece of body jewellery in mind to wear after the initial healing period is over, you might want to check the gauge with the seller and request this particular gauge when getting your piercing, otherwise it may be the wrong gauge for your piercing and unless you stretch your piercing to allow for the new size, (stretching a piercing should be looked into carefully and not undertaken lightly due to the risks of performing incorrectly) you will not be able to wear the piece of jewellery. It might also be a good idea to shop around first and see what gauge of that particular type of piercing jewellery is available in as you don’t want to limit yourself later.
Tongue Bars as an initial piercing are sized according to the thickness of your tongue plus room for the swelling which occurs after the piercing , larger gauge piercings are achieved by stretching the piercing later on). However, once the swelling has subsided, you will need to change to a shorter length tongue bar, it is best to return to your piercer for him/her to do this just incase you are unable to follow the piercing hole through successfully. Any delay in changing the bar may result in partial healing of the tongue piercing. Tongue Bars are available in several lengths, 10mm – less commonly), 12mm, 14mm and 16mm and 18mm. Labret studs or labrets & Monroe studs are initially pierced with 1.2mm or 1.6mm (subject to piercer or piercee’s preference) bars available in 6mm, 8mm, 10mm and less commonly 12mm. (Labret studs / labrets and Monroe studs can also be worn in the tragus piercing – the shorter lengths are more commonly purchased for this piercing type).
Nipple bars are always 1.6mm, 14 gauge. The length of the nipple bar will vary according to whether it is sold with a nipple shield or alone. If the bar is sold with a Nipple shield then the length of the bar will depend on the length of the nipple shield it accompanies. If the nipple shield is a very wide design, and some are, then the nipple bar can be anything up to 30mm wide. If you are looking to buy a nipple bar on its own and need to know what size to buy, then measuring your present nipple bar along a mm ruler will give you the size in mm you wear now. If you were pierced with a nipple ring and wish to change to a nipple bar, then you can measure the distance between the holes of your piercing by placing a ruler at the appropriate position on the nipple. I would suggest you add 2mm for comfort.
Navel bars / belly bars are always 1.6mm – 14 gauge. The length can vary from 10mm to 12mm.
Eyebrow bars are usually 1.2mm, but can be 1.6mm, lengths available are 8mm, 10mm and less commonly, 12mm.
The above are the gauges and lengths of the more common body piercing jewellery types.
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