Seamless? Segment? Fixed? Clicker? What is the deal with all these rings anyway!? We hear these terms thrown around constantly in the piercing world, yet many people who have piercings themselves still are not sure what the differences are between all these different types of rings! That's why we have made this guide for you to use, so that you will no longer be left wondering what the heck a hinged segment ring is.
Lets start out with the most basic, most well known ring. The captive bead ring. This ring uses a small bead or ball with grooves on each side to close the gap in the ring. These are notoriously difficult to get on and off, due to the necessity of lot of pressure and rigidity of the metal to keep the ball in place. But I will let you in on a little secret- your piercer should have a tool that makes putting in and removing captive bead rings a breeze! So just give them a visit and save yourself the hassle! (I once had my fiancé use pliers to put one of my new captive bead rings in! I lived, but it was very scary, took forever, and I do not recommend!) Here is what this ring looks like:
Next, lets look at the captive bead rings close sister, the fixed bead ring. These are super similar, except the bead on a fixed bead ring is, as the name suggests, fixed to one side of the ring. This way there is no fear of losing the ball like with a captive bead ring. These are also much simpler to put on, as you just twist the ends away from each other, put it in the piercing, and twist the ends back together. These are pretty easy to get on by yourself, but you may still have some trouble getting the ends lined up evenly. Here is what these babes look like:
Seamless rings are another popular option. They are applied just like the fixed bead rings, and are very similar except they do not have any sort of ball. Here is an example:
Now let's talk segment rings. Here we have two options, hinged, and regular. The segment rings have an entire section of the ring that comes out all together, or is hinged (hence the name!) Both of these rings are very easy to apply unless they are in a tricky spot like a daith piercing. Lets look at the difference between the two:
Regular Segment Ring:
Hinged Segment Ring:
Lastly, lets cover clickers. Clickers are most commonly used in daith and septum piercings. They are super similar to hinged segment rings, but they are usually not a perfect circle shape like the hinged segment ring, and often have a smaller gauge hinged section that goes through the piercing and a larger gauge decorative area that does not go through the piercing itself. Lets take a look:
Now that you know the differences in all these rings, it's time to decide which one is best for you and your piercing needs. Of course not all rings are this bland, there are tons of beautifully decorated rings in each of these styles. We just used the basic ones to better show the differences! If you would like, you can view our selection of rings by clicking here. I hope this guide has really helped you!
Have an amazing day guys, see you next week!
Kourtney