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.
Also to know is, what size needle is used for piercings?
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. |
Additionally, what gauge is my piercing?
The gauge is how thick your jewelry is. Jewelry gets thicker the smaller the number gets. For example, an 18 gauge nose stud is thicker than a 22 gauge nose stud. You will see gauge written like this: 16G, 16g, and 16 gauge.
Can I put a 16g in a 14g piercing?
Yes all day you can. However, the 16g post is thinner than the 14g. Downsizing is not an issue unless you’ve got a large collection of 14g jewelry that you wish to wear again. Downsizing to 16g is safe as long as it is healed.
Is 14g or 16g bigger?
14g is bigger. The lower the number, the bigger the needle or jewelry. … So buy 16g jewelry and a 14g needle, or 14g jewelry and a 12g needle.
Can I put a 16g in a 20G piercing?
Whenever piercing ears, I recommend getting a needle that is a bit larger than your earring gauge, because otherwise the earring is harder to put in. If you pierce yourself with a 16G and put in a 20G earring, the earring will fit in easily and the hole will eventually shrink to the right size.
Can you put a 16g earring in a normal piercing?
Even if you have a piercing that was pierced to a standard size—generally 20 gauge, 18 gauge, and 16 gauge—you can still stretch your ears to a larger size. What’s more, it doesn’t matter how recently you got them pierced.
Is 20 or 18 bigger gauge?
The higher the number, the smaller the gauge. If your piercing is a 18 gauge then the 20 gauge would be slightly smaller.
Is 20g bigger than 16g?
Please refer to the metric conversion chart below.
| Gauge | Inches | Millimeters |
|---|---|---|
| 20G | .032″ | 0.81mm |
| 18G | .040″ | 1.0mm |
| 16G | .050″ | 1.2mm |
| 14G | .064″ | 1.6mm |
What is the smallest gauge size?
The smallest gauge, 20, measures 0.88 millimeters or 1/32 inch. The bigger the gauge, the smaller the numbers get.
What size is after 1/2 inch gauges?
Convert Ear Gauge to mm and Inch
| Millimeters (mm) | Inches (“) |
|---|---|
| 10mm | 3/8″ |
| 11mm | 7/16″ |
| 12mm | 1/2“ |
| 13mm | 17/32″ |
