Where a piercing sits decides almost everything else about the jewellery: the gauge the piercer uses, the shape that fits, how easy it is to change yourself, and how long it takes to settle. This chart covers the placements we stock for, with the formats that actually work in each one.
Placement chart
| Placement | Usual gauge | Common format | Typical healing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lobe | 18G–14G | Stud, small hoop | 6–8 weeks |
| Helix (outer cartilage) | 18G–16G | Flat back stud, hinged hoop | 6–12 months |
| Tragus | 16G | Flat back stud, small barbell | 6–12 months |
| Conch | 16G–14G | Stud while healing, hoop after | 6–12 months |
| Daith | 16G | Hinged clicker, captive ring | 6–9 months |
| Rook | 16G | Curved barbell | 6–12 months |
| Nostril | 20G–18G | L-post stud, hinged hoop | 4–6 months |
| Septum | 16G–14G | Hinged clicker, horseshoe | 6–8 weeks |
| Lip / labret | 16G–14G | Flat back labret stud, ring | 6–8 weeks |
| Eyebrow | 16G | Curved barbell | 6–8 weeks |
| Navel | 14G | Curved barbell | 6–12 months |
| Nipple | 14G | Straight or curved barbell | 6–12 months |
Healing ranges are the ones most commonly quoted by piercers. They are not a promise: placement angle, aftercare, sleep and how much the jewellery moves all change the timeline. If a piercing is red, hot, swelling or leaking after the window above, see a piercer rather than changing the jewellery yourself.
Why gauge changes by placement
Cartilage and nostril piercings are usually done thinner because the tissue is thin and the jewellery needs to sit without pressure. Navel and nipple piercings take a thicker bar because the tissue is soft and moves, and a thin bar can migrate or cut. If you change gauge, go up slowly and only in a fully healed piercing.
Formats, and what each is good at
Flat back studs
The disc sits flat behind the piercing, so nothing presses into the skin when you sleep, wear headphones or a mask. This is why flat backs dominate helix, tragus and lip placements. See the titanium stud earrings collection for the flat back range, and the flat back labret studs for lip, tragus and helix placements.
Hinged clickers
A hinge on one side means the ring opens and closes without a bead to lose or a captive ring tool to fight. Good for septum, daith and nostril once healed. The hinged ring collection groups these by front detail, and the septum clicker collection covers the septum range.
Curved barbells
Two beads on a curved bar. The standard format for navel, rook and eyebrow. On a navel ring the bar length matters most: too short and the top bead presses, too long and it catches on waistbands. Our belly button ring collection lists bar length on each size diagram.
Hoops and seamless rings
A continuous circle that suits nostril, helix and septum once healed. The trade-off is that a hoop rotates more than a stud, which is fine in a settled piercing and irritating in a fresh one.
What to measure before you buy
- Gauge: the thickness of the metal. 20G is 0.8 mm, 18G is 1.0 mm, 16G is 1.2 mm, 14G is 1.6 mm.
- Inner diameter: for hoops, the space inside the ring, not the outer edge. Measure the ring you already wear across the inside.
- Bar length: for barbells and labrets, the distance between the two ends that sits inside the piercing.
- Top size: the width of the decorative end. Bigger tops need more clearance, especially in a nostril or a tragus.
Every product page in our store includes a size diagram showing where these measurements are taken, so you can compare against the piece you already wear.
Placement and jewellery shape
The same design does not work everywhere. A wide fan of stones that looks good in a septum clicker can press against the side of a nostril. A long dangle that suits a navel ring will catch on a helix. When you browse a new arrival, check the listed dimensions against the space your piercing has, not just the design.
If you are between two sizes, take the smaller one for a healed piercing that you want to sit snug, and the larger one while the piercing is still settling.
For gauge conversions and how to measure at home, read the piercing guides index.