Gauge measuring tool / meter

Ear — Cartilage

Ear — Lobe

Nose

Face

Navel

Matching your top to your post

Here's a simple rule: your top should be roughly 1mm wider than the gauge of your post. If they're too close in size, the top can slip right through your piercing channel — and that's a real risk with anything 1.5mm or smaller. Those small tops really need an 18G (1mm) back, not 16G (1.2mm), no matter where you're wearing them.

For bigger tops, 6mm and up, go for at least 16G (1.2mm) or thicker, paired with a bigger disc on the back too, 4mm or more. The extra surface keeps things sitting properly instead of feeling unstable.

Threadless vs. threaded — what actually matters

Threadless jewelry is universal on the back end: any threadless top fits any threadless back, no matter the gauge. The pin just pushes into the back with friction, so size isn't a factor there.

Threaded jewelry works differently. We only sell internally threaded pieces — externally threaded jewelry is genuinely poor quality, so if you've still got some lying around, that's one to throw out rather than reuse. For internally threaded, the top and back need to match in gauge exactly — a 1.2mm top only screws into a 1.2mm back. Nothing else will physically connect, regardless of how close the sizes look.

As a rough guide: nostril, forward helix, and stacked lobe piercings are usually 18G (1mm). Most other ear piercings sit at 16G (1.2mm). Body piercings typically run 14G (1.6mm). That said, the gauge can be adjusted depending on the jewelry top you're going for — these are starting points, not strict rules.

Chain length recommendations

Actual fitment varies depending on anatomy — these are starting points.