The Basics of Body Piercing Jewelry

Body Piercing is becoming ever more popular in today's media and our culture. From flashy pierced navels to discreet silver nose studs, there are many types of jewelry that are usually versatile enough for a variety of piercings. While you can easily purchase diamond nose studs and flashy, chandelier style navel rings, the basics styles of jewelry are still the most loved and most popular.

One of the most popular and commonly seen pieces of body jewelry is the Captive Ball Ring, or CBR. The CBR is a circular piece of jewelry with a ball or bead connecting the ends together. Captive Ball Rings are quite versatile and can be used in a huge variety of body piercings. It's also one of the most used pieces for initial piercings during the healing process. The CBR comes in every gauge and diameter which also makes it suitable for the majority of body piercing. Many jewelry manufacturers now have Captive Ball rings available in many different materials, like metals such as stainless steel, to plastics or acrylics and even organic materials.

The Captive Ball Ring is followed closely in popularity by the Straight Barbell and the Curved Barbell. The Straight Barbell is a straight piece of metal (or other material) with a ball on both ends. As the name implies, the Straight Barbell looks like a weightlifting barbell. You will most often see Straight Barbells in tongue, nipple and some ear piercings. The Curved Barbell resembles the Straight Barbell but has a curve to the length of the bar.
A close, yet less popular cousin of the two barbells mentioned above is the Circular Barbell. This pieces merely looks a Straight Barbell bent into a circle. It is also very similar to the Captive Ball Ring, except the ends each have their own ball, not a single one. The Circular Barbell is just as versatile as the CBR yet less commonly seen. Although, they are particularly suited for septum piercings and nipples piercings.

With different types of lip piercings becoming more popular, especially with teenagers and young adults, the Labret Stud is generally the jewelry of choice. The Labret Stud is similar in appearance to a small Straight Barbell, except one end has a flat post and the other end has the usual ball or bead. As stated before, these were specifically made for lip piercings but can be used in some types of ear piercings.

Two other popular types of jewelry are especially suited for nose piercings in particular. The Nostril Stud and Nostril Screw are both commonly used in nostril piercings. The Nostril Stud is a small piece of jewelry that has a ball, bead, or jewel on one end and nothing on the other end. Some types, called Nose Bones, have a small ball that is small enough to comfortably pass through the piercings but big enough to help secure the stud. The Nostril Screw is an even more secure option. The opposite end of the ball, bead or jewel has a flat curve to it.

As you can see, the basics of body jewelry is something every piercee should know. Many problems that occur with body piercings is because of the wrong style of jewelry and can easily be avoided by proper knowledge. While the biggest, flashiest piece of jewelry might be on some people's minds, remember that sometimes less is more.