Barbells

A curved barbell has a gently arced shaft — typically 35–45 degrees — designed to follow the contour of body placements such as the navel, eyebrow, rook, and daith. A straight barbell has a flat, linear shaft and is used for tongue piercings, industrial piercings, and certain cartilage placements. Using the wrong shape for a placement puts uneven pressure on the tissue and can increase the risk of irritation or migration over time.

Most tongue piercings are fitted at 14G (1.6mm). Bar length is typically 16mm or longer for an initial piercing to allow for swelling, then downsized to around 12mm once the piercing has healed — usually at 4–8 weeks, confirmed by a professional piercer. Do not downsize without a piercer assessment if the tongue is still swollen or tender.

Industrial barbells are most commonly 14G (1.6mm). Bar length varies significantly based on individual ear anatomy — most adults need between 32mm and 40mm, but this should be measured by your piercer. A bar that is too short will pull tight against both piercing points and cause migration.

Surgical steel curved barbells — including 316L and 316LVM grades — are compliant with the EU Nickel Directive and suitable for most healed piercings. However, they do contain trace nickel. For a healing piercing, or for anyone with a confirmed nickel sensitivity, implant-grade titanium (ASTM F136) is the more appropriate material. The Association of Professional Piercers recommends titanium or implant-grade steel (ASTM F138) for initial and healing jewellery.

These measurements refer to the internal bar length — the wearable length of the shaft between the two end pieces. A 4mm bar is very short, suited to shallow tissue depths in healed flat or cartilage piercings. A 6mm bar is common for healed cartilage placements. An 8mm bar provides slightly more clearance and is often used where there is a little more tissue depth or localised swelling. Bar length should match the anatomy of the specific piercing — not guessed.

PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) barbells are flexible, nickel-free, and non-metallic — making them appropriate for specific situations where a rigid metal barbell is not suitable. Common use cases include MRI procedures (metal jewellery must be removed or replaced for imaging), contact sports, and pregnancy navel bars where flexibility reduces pressure on changing tissue. PTFE is not recommended for long-term daily wear — the material can degrade and is more difficult to keep fully sterile than polished metal.

Twisted barbells are generally better suited to healed piercings. The spiral shaft, while aesthetic, makes clean insertion through a fresh piercing channel more difficult and can cause unnecessary trauma to healing tissue. Once a piercing is fully healed, a twisted barbell is a straightforward style change.

Barbell earrings is a broadly used term for barbells worn in ear placements — including industrial bars across the upper cartilage, curved barbells in the rook, daith, or helix, and straight barbells in flat or tragus piercings. The jewellery itself is the same type — the term earring simply indicates the intended placement. Most ear cartilage piercings use 16G (1.2mm) gauge; industrial piercings use 14G (1.6mm).

A micro barbell is a finer-gauge barbell — typically 20G (0.8mm) or 18G (1.0mm) — designed for smaller placements such as nostril piercings, surface piercings, or fine ear piercings. The bar and ends are proportionally smaller than standard barbells, keeping the jewellery subtle and appropriate for the anatomy of finer placements.