Gauge Size
| GAUGE | COMMON PIERCINGS |
|---|---|
| 20G (0.81mm) | Most earlobe piercings are made with a 20G needle, as are some nose piercings. |
| 18G (1.0mm) | An 18G needle can be used for earlobe piercings, nose piercings, as well as some cartilage piercings (e.g. forward helix). 18G earrings are great for many healed cartilage piercings. |
Similarly, can I put a 14G in a 16G piercing?
14g jewelry is larger than 16g jewelry, but you might be able to fit it. Yes, you can stretch you piercing to a 14g just make sure that the jewelry that you’re buying is suitable for a freshly stretching piercing.
Similarly one may ask, can I put a 16G in an 18G piercing?
Yes you can, in fact that’s typically what a piercer will do, especially with cartilage piercings. They pierce with a gauge size bigger than the actual jewelry. It allows room for swelling and placing the jewelry.
Is it better to pierce your ears with a gun or needle?
Having your piercing artist using a piercing needle is classed as safer for your skin as the piercing gun is classed as blunt force trauma. This can damage the soft tissues in your earlobes. Overall, the piercing needle is usually the better option for most people.
Can I put a 20g in a 16g piercing?
yes you can. When learning about piercings sizes you will know that the bigger the number the smaller the gauge of the piercing so yes you may use an 18g. the 18g is smaller than the 16g. Just be aware though that sometimes user smaller jewelry could cause your jewelry to get accustomed to that size.
Can you put a 14g in a 16g industrial?
The 14g is a larger barbell than the 16g by a fraction of an inch (0.013). Most piercers will have a preference between 14 and 16g for industrial piercings and while having a 14g means you can swap out for 16g jewelry you cannot do it the other way around without pain.
Can I put a 14g in a 12g piercing?
As for going from 12g to 14g for nipples, it’s fine. 14g is stable as well, but your piercing fistulas will shrink around the jewelry so you’ll have to stretch if you ever plan on going back up to 12g.
Can I start stretching with a 14 gauge?
14 gauge is a good size to start if you have worn regular earrings daily for a long time. The difference is pretty small between the 2 sizes, but you for sure don’t want to push it too hard on your 1st stretch (since your ears have never been stretched before).
What’s smaller than a 14 gauge?
14 gauge = 1/16-inch or 1.6 millimeters. 8 gauge = 1/8-inch or 3.2 millimeters. 2 gauge = 1/4-inch or 6.5 millimeters. 0 gauge = 5/16-inch or 8.3 millimeters.
Is 14g or 16g better for septum?
There’s almost no difference between 14g and 16g and going between the 2 sizes once your healed shouldn’t honestly be too much of an issue. 16g jewelry is usually cheaper especially when you get into BVLA gold clickers and what not.
Is 20G smaller than 16g?
Internationally, gauge is measured in millimeters (mm).
| Gauge | Inches | Millimeters |
|---|---|---|
| 20G | .032″ | 0.81mm |
| 18G | .040″ | 1.0mm |
| 16G | .050″ | 1.2mm |
| 14G | .064″ | 1.6mm |
What gauge does Claire’s Pierce with?
At Claire’s we pride ourselves on providing a sterile and hygienic piercing service. Our ear piercing specialists use a high quality Studex System 75 instrument.
Is 18G smaller than 16g?
An 18 gauge, one of the smallest gauges, is actually smaller than a 16 gauge earring, with the largest gauges being 0, 00, and 000 gauge jewelry.
