CUSTOMIZE YOUR JEWELRY FOR A PERFECT FIT AND/OR A UNIQUE LOOK

In addition to maintaining our eBay store, T and J Enterprises, we also have a store at Caesar Creek Flea Market in Wilmington, OH and set up body jewelry concessions at regional fairs, festivals and events such as this year's GLLA in Indianapolis, IN.  One of the most common questions we hear is, "Do you have this available in other sizes?".  While the more popular sizes and styles of body jewelry work for most people, no two piercings or bodies are precisely the same.  Unfortunately, the marketplace doesn't always reflect this reality.  For many sellers, it's simply not cost effective to stock every size of every style of jewelry, although they are readily available. 

While we do stock many different sizes of captive bead ring and horseshoe jewelry, we've found the largest need for custom fitting to be in labret, eyebrow, tongue and navel jewelry.  In our experiences, these are being increasingly done at home, rather than by certified professionals, and there is a lot of variance in depth and positioning of the piercing.  We've met many folks who find that the more common size jewelry either pinches ( piercing is deeper than standard) or is too big (piercing is closer to the surface than standard). 

Both of these situations can affect the healing of the piercing and possible formation of scar tissue.  Wearing a piece of jewelry that 'pinches' can increase the liklihood that the body will reject the jewelry, forcing it up through the skin to the surface and leaving scar tissue behind.  Jewelry that is "too loose" or excessively long for the piercing increases the chance of it getting snagged on something and ripped out.  Neither situation shows off a piercing or the jewelry to its best advantage.

The best solution is to wear a piece of quality jewelry that fits correctly.  Any qualified piercer should be able to consult on the correct size needed to maintain a healthy piercing.  Any reputable body jewelry seller should be able to supply labret shafts as well as straight and curved  shafts for eyebrow, tongue and navel piercings in sizes as short as 1/4 inch and as long as 1 inch.  The key to getting a good fit is knowing what size you need.  If ordering through the internet, you should at least know what size you currently wear, both gauge and length, and whether you need a longer or shorter piece

Once You Have a Good Fit,  Consider Customizing the Look

The standard 18g and 16g threaded jewelry, straight and curved shafts, has 1.0mm threads.  You can get steel balls in three standard sizes, 2.5mm, 3mm or 4mm.  Acrylic balls are available in 3mm and 4mm.  Steel spikes are available in 3mm and 4mm. 

The standard 14g, 12g and 10g threaded jewelry, as well as some 8g, share 1.6mm threading.  Moving from a 14 gauge tongue ring to a 12g and don't want to rebuy that cool logo?  You shouldn't have to.  The 14g balls and spikes should fit your 12g and 10g jewelry.

There are many options available for customizing your 14g, 12g and 10g threaded jewelry.  Steel balls are available in 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm,8mm and 10mm  Acrylic balls are available in 5mm and 6mm.  Steel spikes are available in 3mm, 4mm, 5mm and 6mm.  These are not the only options available, either, just the ones that should always be available when you're buying body jewelry.

Body piercing is an expression of self and it should be individualized to express YOU.  Don't allow that self-expression to be mainstreamed by some mass-marketer who neither knows nor cares about your unique look.  Ask for what YOU want, it's readily available to any seller that cares enough about your business.

Timothy