Do I need a longer bar for my nipple piercing
Sophia Dalton
Updated on April 08, 2026
The piercer will look at the size of your nipple to determine how long the barbell needs to be, but as a general rule of thumb there should be about 1/8″ of an inch on each side of the barbell. … The extra length of the barbell allows for discharge and swelling.
What happens if my nipple bar is too short?
If the jewelry in your nipple piercing is too small and it is still healing, you should go back to the piercer and ask them to exchange it for a larger piece. Most piercers will use a larger piece of jewelry for the first 6–10 weeks, then give you the option to go in and switch it out for a smaller piece.
What is the standard nipple piercing length?
PiercingStandard GaugeStandard LengthNipple Piercing14G3/8″ , 1/2″Tragus / Helix / Rook / Conch / Daith16G , 18G3/16″, 1/4″ , 5/16″ and 3/8″Septum14G (16G is also commonly used)3/8″, 7/16″, 1/2″, and 5/8″Ear20G and 18G
What size bar should your nipple be pierced with?
The most common jewelry used for a nipple piercing is a 14 gauge (14G) barbell, but you might get pierced with 16G (thinner than 14G) or even 12G (thicker than 14G) depending on your nipple size. You will most commonly be pierced with a straight barbell.When should I downsize my nipple jewelry?
JEWELRY DOWNSIZING This is done to accommodate initial swelling and prevent any possible problems that can occur from incorrectly sized jewelry. Downsizing your jewelry once initial swelling has subsided, usually after 3-6 weeks, can be crucial to the proper healing of your piercing.
How can I stretch my nipple piercing?
Take a hot shower or apply a hot compress to soften up the skin around the piercing. Wash your hand and heavy gauge ring with anti-bacterial soap and water. Insert the heavy gauge ring into the piercing. Wearing several rings through a tunnel is also an acceptable method.
When can I change my nipple piercing?
If you can hold out, it’s really best to wait a full 12 months before you try changing your jewelry yourself. (You can do it with a piercer’s help earlier in the healing process, if you have to because of issues like swelling necessitating longer barbells.)
How do I know my nipple size?
One side of the base of your nipple (where it begins to stick out from your areola) should line up with the zero-zero point on your screen. Move the sliding measuring bar on the screen to the other side of base of your nipple to get your measurement.Can I put a 14G in a 16G nipple piercing?
The most common jewelry used for a nipple piercing is a 14 gauge (14G) barbell, but you might get pierced with 16G (thinner than 14G) or even 12G (thicker than 14G) depending on your nipple size. … The initial jewelry will need to be long enough to accommodate swelling.
Are tongue bars the same as nipple bars?Tongue rings tend to have longer barbells and possible larger balls on some of them so use caution with using a tongue ring as a nipple ring. Do you find this helpful? No, the tongue and nipple are two different size piercings and you can end up damaging yourself if you try to use such large jewelry in your nipple.
Article first time published onWhat's the best metal for nipple piercings?
Stainless steel is the metal of choice for most new piercings, nipple piercings included. It’s a metal that doesn’t typically cause any negative reactions with the skin. Although, people that are sensitive to nickel or have metal allergies will still find surgical steel troublesome.
What happens if you don't downsize nipple piercing?
What if I don’t downsize? I’ll be honest- you might be fine! You might also end up with big bumps, irritation, or your piecing migrating and becoming crooked. All these things can cause the piercing to fail and need to be removed.
How do I know if my nipple piercing is rejecting?
- more of the jewelry becoming visible on the outside of the piercing.
- the piercing remaining sore, red, irritated, or dry after the first few days.
- the jewelry becoming visible under the skin.
- the piercing hole appearing to be getting larger.
- the jewelry looking like it is hanging differently.
Can you breastfeed with nipple piercings?
Yes, you can breastfeed with nipple piercings, but there are dangers to be aware of. Logistically, piercing holes may make latching more difficult for your baby, and these extra holes could lead to a faster, messier milk flow that’s more difficult for your little one to manage.
Can nipple piercings be stretched?
When it comes to stretching, slow and steady is the best approach. Ideally, a full-size stretch should take at least 1.5 times as long as it took for your piercings to heal initially. That means to go from 10g to 8g, or from 8g to 6g, for example, should take about 14 to 18 months.
How long should I wait to stretch from 14g to 12g?
14g to 12g – 1-2 months. 12g to 10g – 2-3 months. 10g to 8g – 2-3 months.
How do I choose a nipple shield for my baby?
The starting point for choosing the correct breast shield is determining your optimal size based on your nipple diameter. Using a ruler or measuring tape, measure the diameter (or distance straight across the middle) of your nipple at the base in millimeters. Do not include your areola.
Are all nipple bars the same size?
Real nipple piercings have a bar length between 12 and 19 mm, with 16 being the most used. Depending on the thickness of your own nipple you have to choose the size. … The thickness for nipple piercings is the same for everyone and lies at 1.6 mm.
Does a nipple shield help with latching?
The nipple shield is shaped like an extended nipple, and gives the baby a larger area to latch onto. Feeding through the shield helps draw the nipple out, to make it easier for baby to latch onto the breast.
How do you size a nipple shield?
Using a ruler or measuring tape measure the diameter of your nipple at base (across middle) in millimeters (mm). Do not include areola. Based on your measurement, determine your Medela breast shield size. Example: If your nipple size measures 16 mm in diameter, the recom- mended Medela breast shield size is 21 mm.
Is 14G bigger than 16G?
As the numbers go up the size gets smaller. 14 IS thicker than 16. … The lower the number, the thicker the gauge so 16g is thinner than a 14g.
How do you figure out what gauge your piercing is?
- BCR: Measure the width of the bar.
- Labret: Measure the width of the bar.
- Barbell: Measure the width of the bar.
- Septum Ring: Measure the width of the ring at its thickest section.
Can you use nipple rings as tongue rings?
Brand, Seller, or Collection NameRuifanMetalNo Metal TypeMaterialAcrylicResizableNoModel numberSD00117
What is downsize mean?
1 : to reduce in size especially : to design or produce in smaller size. 2 : to fire (employees) for the purpose of downsizing a business.
Why do people get downsize piercings?
Downsizing is the process of switching jewelry to a shorter post after the initial swelling has gone down after you get pierced. It’s important to downsize your jewelry in order to avoid potential complications, such as irritations, bumps, or odd angles as your piercing heals up.
What is a tragus piercing for?
What is a Tragus Piercing? A tragus piercing sits on the small area of cartilage that partially covers your ear canal. In terms of anatomy, the outer ear is made up of cartilage and skin. … Provided your ear is suitable, [tragus piercings] look great on pretty much everyone.”
Do nipple piercings ever actually heal?
Like any piercing, nipple piercings need some TLC so they heal and settle in properly. … Nipple piercings also take a long time to fully heal. The average piercing takes about 9 to 12 months to heal. Healing time depends on your body and how well you take care of the piercing.
Do nipple piercings migrate?
“It mostly depends on the area you’re getting pierced. There are a lot of areas that are prone to migration and rejection. Skin that is tough or stretches and moves a lot is more prone to piercing and rejection. Other areas like navel and nipple often migrate a little during healing, but don’t often reject.”
How easily do nipple piercings get infected?
Infection is most often caused by frequently touching the piercing site. This can introduce bacteria to the delicate tissue, which increases your risk for infection. Because of the piercing’s location, tight clothing may easily catch onto or irritate the piercing.