16 gauge
Then, what’s the smallest septum gauge?
The smallest gauge you should use is 18 or 20, but watch for pain, irritation, or beginning stages of the “cheese cutter effect” where the jewelry starts to migrate out through the skin. The smallest diameter ring I’ve been physically able to put in myself is 5/16ths inch.
One may also ask, can I put a smaller gauge in my septum? Anything smaller than 16G is way too small. You can eventually stretch your septum to a larger gauge once it’s healed, but it’s a permanent modification, and it won’t shrink back to its original size like stretched lobes would.
