Gauge & Body Piercing Sizes: What's the right one for you?
What Is the Gauge?
The gauge is a measure of thickness. It was originally developed in the 1700s for measuring the thickness of electrical cables. In relation to body jewelry, the gauge is the thickness of the bar or the external diameter of the ear plug or tunnel.
The unit for the gauge measuring system is 'g' or 'GA'. The smaller the number, the larger the gauge. For example, a regular ear piercing is 18g or 20g and the largest gauge is 00g. This is down to the gauge measuring system being created based on the number of holes the cable was pulled through, i.e. a cable pulled through 10 holes (10g) would be thinner than one that was pulled through 2 holes (2g).
After the largest 00g, we revert to inches. The next size up from a 00g is 7/16" and the sizes continue upwards in 1/16th of an inch. This may all sound a little complicated but we have some easy-to-read conversion tables to help you out.
Ear gauges aren't an exact measurement and can vary in size slightly between brands of ear plugs. This makes it tricky when stretching your ears because the size difference from gauge to gauge can be 1mm or 2mm. So it's best to use millimeters when stretching.
Choosing the Correct Gauge
Gauge sizes vary from 20g, 18g, 16g all the way up to 00g as shown on our ear gauge size chart. When the gauge is written as 'g' usually refers to ear tunnels and plugs. This is the measurement of the external diameter of the tunnel or plug.
The correct gauge for you depends on whether you will be stretching your ear to a new gauge or just replacing your current one. Either way, it's best to use our ear gauge size chart to convert to mm then it will be the accurate size you want.
For body jewelry, luckily there are standard piercing gauge sizes associated with common types of body piercings. For example, tongue, navel, and nipple bars are a standard gauge of 1.6mm. Nose piercings are usually 1mm but can vary from 0.8mm to 1.2mm. Lip and eyebrow bars usually have a gauge of 1.2mm or 1.6mm.
These are the gauges you would usually encounter when you buy body jewelry unless you specify otherwise. You can measure the gauge of the existing piece you have and decide if you want to stick with the same size or choose a different one.
Their are 2 main body jewelry measuring systems:
- Gauge ("G" or "GA")
- Millimeter ("MM")
Ear Gauge Size Chart
Shortened ear gauge size chart with conversions for popular gauge sizes. Scroll down for the full conversion chart.
Ear Gauge to MM and Inches Conversion Table
|
Gauge |
Millimeters(mm) |
Inches |
|---|---|---|
|
18g |
1.0 mm |
5/128" |
|
16g |
1.2 mm |
3/64" |
|
14g |
1.6 mm |
1/16" |
|
12g |
2 mm |
5/64" |
|
10g |
2.4 mm |
3/32" |
|
8g |
3.2 mm |
1/8" |
|
6g |
4 mm |
5/32" |
|
4g |
5 mm |
3/16" |
|
2g |
6 mm |
1/4" |
|
0g |
8 mm |
5/16" |
|
00g |
10 mm |
3/8" |
|
|
11 mm |
7/16" |
|
|
12 mm |
1/2" |
|
|
14 mm |
9/16" |
|
|
16 mm |
5/8" |
|
|
19 mm |
3/4" |
|
|
22 mm |
7/8" |
|
|
25 mm |
1" |
|
|
29 mm |
1 1/8" |
|
|
32 mm |
1 1/4" |
|
|
35 mm |
1 3/8" |
|
|
38 mm |
1 1/2" |
|
|
41 mm |
1 5/8" |
|
|
44 mm |
1 3/4" |
|
|
48 mm |
1 7/8" |
|
|
51 mm |
2" |
Body Jewelry Size Guide
Order the Perfect Size Body Jewelry for You With Our Comprehensive Size Guide.
Size Matters
At Body Pierce Jewelry, we understand the importance of owning the correct size jewelry for your body. It happens far too often that people rush in to buy a piece because they like the style or color, but forget to pay attention to the size or gauge.
If the body jewelry, ear tunnels, or plugs are the wrong sizes, it can cause uncomfortable problems. By taking a moment to make sure you're ordering the right size, you get the most comfortable fit and best-looking result.
Body piercing jewelry, ear tunnels, and plugs are measured by size and gauge and sometimes involve ball size if there is a screw-on ball on the piece. Read on to find out how body piercing jewelry is measured by size and gauge.
What Is Body Jewelry Size?
The size of the body jewelry refers to the length of the barbell, curved barbell, or labret. For hoops and horseshoe hoops, it refers to the internal diameter. For screw-on balls, it's the external diameter. Body jewelry sizes are usually measured in millimeters (mm), or inches (").
As shown in our piercing jewelry size chart, the size is only referring to the length of the core basic feature of the jewelry and doesn't include any accessories or decoration that's on the bar or hoop such as a jewel or charm.
When you get a new piercing, your piercer will use a slightly longer bar or greater diameter hoop to allow for the extra swelling. Make sure you ask them for the size and gauge so you know for the future. After the swelling goes down and the piercing has healed, it's recommended to get a slightly smaller one to avoid the risk of snagging.
Choosing the Correct Body Jewelry Size
The correct size body jewelry should sit comfortably when the skin is relaxed with no pinching or squeezing. If the piece is a bar, ideally there should be no bar on display and the balls at either end should rest comfortably next to the two piercing holes.
Sizes too small will cause pinching and reduce the blood and airflow around the piercing. This will cause discomfort, itching, and a higher risk of infection with the potential of causing permanent damage to the surrounding skin. Too big, and it's likely to get caught on clothing causing painful snagging and possible tearing.
You can check with your piercer which size is best. Or you can measure body jewelry that you already have as a guide for choosing a new one. Check out our detailed body jewelry size chart for how to measure your body jewelry and how to convert the sizes ready for your order.
Common Body Jewelry Sizes
(Gauge & Length Sizes)
|
Part of Body |
Gauge |
Length |
Type of Jewelry |
|
20g or 18g |
1/4” – 5/16” Labret or any size CBR |
CBRs, Circulars, Plugs |
|
|
16g |
5/16” – 3/8” |
CBRs, Bent, Straight or Circular Barbells |
|
|
16g – 14g |
5/16” – 3/8” |
Labrets, CBRs |
|
|
18g – 16g |
5/16” |
Labret, Monroe |
|
|
14g |
3/8” – 7/16” |
Bent Barbells, Twisters, Circulars, CBRs |
|
|
14g – 12g |
5/8” – 3/4” |
Straight, Circular Barbells, CBRs |
|
|
20g – 18g |
7mm |
Fishtail, Screw, Bone, CBRs, Push Pin Labret |
|
|
14g |
5/8” |
Straight Barbells |
|
|
14g |
N/A |
Straight Barbells, Tusks, Plugs, Retainers, CBRs |
Ball Size Conversion Chart
(MM & Inches Conversion Table)
|
Metric |
Inches(fraction) |
Inches(decimal) |
|
2.0 mm |
5/64" |
0.8 |
|
2.5 mm |
3/32" |
0.99 |
|
3.0 mm |
1/8" |
0.19 |
|
4.0 mm |
5/32" |
0.16 |
|
5.0 mm |
3/16" |
0.2 |
|
6.0 mm |
15/64" |
0.24 |
|
8.0 mm |
5/16" |
0.32 |
|
10.0 mm |
3/8" |
0.29 |
|
12.0 mm |
15/32" |
0.47 |
|
12.7 mm |
1/2" |
0.5 |
|
15.0 mm |
19/32" |
0.59 |
Length Conversion Chart
(MM & Inches Conversion Table)
|
Metric |
Inches(fraction) |
Inches(decimal) |
|
4.5 mm |
3/16" |
0.18 |
|
6.0 mm |
7/32" |
0.24 |
|
7.0 mm |
9/32" |
0.28 |
|
8.0 mm |
5/16" |
0.31 |
|
9.0 mm |
11/32" |
0.35 |
|
10.0 mm |
13/32" |
0.39 |
|
11.2 mm |
7/16" |
0.44 |
|
12.0 mm |
15/32" |
0.47 |
|
12.7 mm |
1/2" |
0.5 |
|
14.0 mm |
9/16" |
0.55 |
|
15.0 mm |
19/32" |
0.59 |
|
16.0 mm |
5/8" |
0.63 |
|
18.0 mm |
11/16" |
0.71 |
|
19.0 mm |
3/4" |
0.75 |
|
20.0 mm |
25/32" |
0.79 |
|
22.0 mm |
7/8" |
0.87 |
|
24.0 mm |
15/16" |
0.94 |
|
25.0 mm |
1" |
0.98 |
|
26.0 mm |
1.1/32" |
1 |
|
29.0 mm |
1.5/326" |
1.1 |
|
30.0 mm |
1.3/16" |
1.2 |
|
32.0 mm |
1.9/32" |
1.3 |
|
34.0 mm |
1.11/32" |
1.4 |
|
35.0 mm |
1.13/32" |
1.4 |
|
38.0 mm |
1.1/2" |
1.5 |
|
40.0 mm |
1.19/32" |
1.6 |
|
44.0 mm |
1.25/32" |
1.7 |
|
50.0 mm |
2" |
2 |
Choose The Correct Size and Gauge For You
Get full enjoyment from your new Body Pierce Jewelry piece by making sure you get the perfect size for you. Still not 100% sure? Feel free to ask our knowledgeable staff for help.