There are a lot of reasons to get a new piercing, and those reasons can range from finding a new way to express your personality to feeding your rebellious streak to simply wanting to get a piercing. One reason many people have for getting a new piercing is that they want to wear beautiful and unique jewelry in their piercing. There are more and more incredible pieces of jewelry on the market for all sorts of piercings—you won’t have to go with a basic barbell for every type of piercing anymore, that’s for sure!

But there are a lot of things to keep in mind when you choose the jewelry for your piercing—whether you’re getting a brand new piercing or if you’re looking to change out the jewelry in an old piercing for something that suits your personality better. Choosing jewelry for your piercing might seem simple, but when faced with the actual decision, it can be hard!

If you’re having a hard time picking out jewelry, or don’t even know where to start, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing your piercing jewelry:

For a New Piercing

If you’re going to be getting a fresh piercing, there are a lot more things to keep in mind when it comes to jewelry than if you’re replacing jewelry in an already-healed piercing. The good news is that the best resource for finding out about the right jewelry to choose will be ready and willing to help when your piercing appointment rolls around—that’s the job of the staff and the body piercer at your studio, after all! 

If you stop by Certified Tattoo Studios to get your next piercing, you’ll get knowledgeable advice from our expert resident body piercing specialists. Our piercers at our West Colfax location in Denver and Weber location in Colorado Springs have tons of experience and will help you choose the right jewelry for you so that your fresh piercing will heal properly and look amazing all at the same time.

There are a few general things to keep in mind when choosing your jewelry for a new piercing, though, that can help you know what to expect when you’re finally headed to the studio for your appointment.

You’ll need to choose piercing-grade jewelry. Luckily the hard part of figuring out what is piercing grade or not is taken out of the equation since your piercer will know what’s best for your new piercing. Most piercing studios and piercers recommend implant-grade titanium for a new piercing because it’s high quality, won’t wear down, and usually won’t cause irritation or an allergic reaction (only about .6% of people are allergic to titanium—a lot less than some other metals!)

You'll need to choose the right gauge for your jewelry. This is, again, where your piercer is the real expert and you can rely on their expertise. The Gauge refers to the thickness of the jewelry that will go into your piercing—it’s not necessarily something you’ll know ahead of time, but something your piercer will be knowledgeable about.

You’ll need to choose the right sized jewelry. For size, we’re referring to the size of the jewelry itself (like the size of the post on a stud earring or the diameter of a hoop, not the guage. This is, again, something your piercer will be knowledgeable about. You generally will need larger jewelry to allow for swelling as your ear heals. This doesn’t mean you can’t get dainty studs, for example, but they may not be exactly what you envisioned to allow for extra length and room for your body’s tissue to swell as it heals.

For a Healed Piercing

There’s less you’ll have to consider when upgrading your jewelry in a healed piercing, although there are still some things to keep in mind. When changing your jewelry on a newer piercing that is healed, but not entirely, you’ll want to check with your piercer about the timeframe for changing your jewelry. You’ll likely want to downsize the jewelry once your piercing has begun to heal, too.

After your piercing has healed entirely, you won’t necessarily need to keep piercing grade jewelry in your piercing, though it’s always a good idea to keep high-quality jewelry in your piercings to prevent irritation or discoloration.

When you’re choosing jewelry for a healed piercing, the main thing to keep in mind is simply your own personal style! What types of jewelry would you like to try out? Don’t be afraid to experiment to make sure you end up with something you absolutely love. It never hurts to visit your piercing studio again for new jewelry, either—they’ll typically have a variety of jewelry available that is of great quality. They can also help you change out your jewelry if your piercing is in a hard-to-reach spot or you’re uncertain how to change the jewelry in your piercing.

Half (or most) of the fun when it comes to getting a body piercing is picking out the jewelry. Once your initial piercing has healed (be sure to check with your piercer about the timeline of when that will be!), you can change your piercing jewelry out to match your outfit, your mood, or simply to shake things up a bit. Just like with getting a tattoo, getting a new piercing is an exciting experience that, while painful for a moment, will allow you to express yourself for years to come.

Piercings are an exciting way to modify your body in a way that is personal to you and your aesthetic, and choosing jewelry is an important part of that process. If you’re interested in getting a new piercing, consider visiting our resident body piercing specialists at Certified Tattoo Studios. You can schedule an appointment in Denver or Colorado Springs to be on your way to having a new piercing that you love. Contact us today to get started.