Kourtney here! I asked you guys across our IG and Facebook Group to tell me your burning piercing questions, and today I will be answering all of them in this Q&A style blog! Stick around and you're sure to learn something useful about piercings that you may not have previously known.
Q: Is your jewelry nickel-free?
A: All of our jewelry is hypoallergenic! It is important to note that 316L surgical steel is the main material we use, alongside implant grade titanium pieces, and .925 sterling silver in our lobe earrings. 316L surgical steel is implant grade steel and it does contain trace amounts of nickel, but will not cause a reaction for you unless you are so nickel sensitive react to everyday metal items such as clothing zippers! For most of the population, 316L surgical steel is a top choice for their piercing materials. I personally have very sensitive skin and have never had an issue with 316L surgical steel, which is why I created Spirit Adornments with the intent to put more skin safe jewelry out there! Beware of people who list their jewelry as simply "steel" or "stainless steel" as there are many different grades of steel and if it isn't specifically 316L grade surgical steel then it likely contains a lot of nickel and is not good for your piercings.
Q: What is the most popular piercing to get?
A: The most popular non-lobe piercing is definitely a classic helix piercing! You can never go wrong with one or a stack of helix piercings! I personally have two on my right ear.
Q: What's the normal diameter for a daith piercing?
A: 'Normal' sizing unfortunately doesn't exist in piercings! Everyone's ear anatomy is so unique and their piercing placements are different, so it really depends on your particular ear and how you prefer your jewelry to look. With that being said, typically a daith is either 8mm or 10mm in diameter. Some may find (like me, with my tiny ears!) that a 10mm hoop is way too big to fit inside their ear, and others may even need a 12mm hoop for the desired look! Piercings are so unique, which is part of the reason I love them so much.
Q: What metals are recommended for a piercing that won't turn green or degrade?
A: The recommended metals are 316L surgical steel, implant grade titanium, niobium, or 14kt gold. .925 sterling silver is great for lobe piercings but isn't recommended to be worn long term in other piercings. I want to note here that green coloration is something that happens when the brass used in some jewelry designs is exposed- it creates a greenish color when exposed to your skin but it is not harmful to you or your piercing at all and is no cause for concern. It's not the best looking though, so if you prefer to wear your jewelry for longer periods of time (6+ months) I would suggest not purchasing designs that contain brass. I personally change my piercings at least every month, sometimes every 2 weeks, so jewelry designs that contain brass are a viable option for me! All of our jewelry that contains any brass is explicitly stated in the items description, so that the Spirit Adornments fam can be fully aware of what's in their jewelry before purchasing in order to get the items that best suit their personal needs.
Q: I know you can't put hoops in a flat piercing, but can you put studs in a helix piercing? (What jewelry is good for a helix piercing?)
A: You can put nearly anything that fits in a helix piercing! Hoops & labrets are definitely the most popular choices but you can also use barbells, clickers or horseshoes in the helix! There are really no rules on piercing jewelry styles and where to place them- as long as the gauge is correct and the length/diameter works for the area then your creativity can run wild, which is another of my favorite aspects of the art of expressing yourself through your piercings!
Q: If your conch piercing isn't healed after 3 years what should you do?
A: Piercings are fickle, and many factors contribute to their healing speeds! My triple flat is 2 years old and still isn't fully healed, so I completely understand where you're coming from! It's sometimes frustrating to deal with an unhealed piercing for so long. The best thing to do here is to make sure you have correctly fitted jewelry that is high quality in the piercing. If you've been wearing 316L surgical steel maybe try swapping to titanium, and if you've had a hoop in change to straight jewelry and see if that prompts healing! Also, continue your aftercare practice as if you just got the piercing. Showing some extra care will definitely help! Ultimately, it's up to you if you want to keep trying to heal it or remove it and let it close up. Keep in mind how long you've worked on it though and how much you're sure to love it when it does finally heal!
Q: Do you have earrings for people with just one lobe piercing?
A: We do! It breaks my heart when someone has beautiful ear piercings with stunning jewelry but they have naked lobes! I wanted Spirit Adornments to offer everything necessary for a complete ear curation, so we have hundreds of styles of ear piercings made just for the lobes 😉 You can find them here.
Q: Tips for changing flat backs! (Labrets)
A: Get a Taper!!! I cannot even tell you how life changing it is. Back when I wrestled in high school I had to remove all of my piercings every day for practice, and I had to let about three piercings close up because I couldn't get my labrets back in! 😩 Now I can change all 10 of my piercings swiftly in about 10 minutes. Using a taper is simple- you just unscrew your labret top, (grip it with a rubber glove if its being stubborn) then insert the taper into the open hole. Push it through your ear and you should be left with a labret in your hand and a taper through your piercing. Now take the new labret and stick it on the taper from the back. Keep pressure on the taper so it stays in the labret as you push the labret into your piercing! Viola ✨ We have videos of me showing you how to do this coming soon to our YouTube channel!
Q: Is it normal for people to get their tragus pierced on both ears?
A: It's not necessarily normal but it's not abnormal either! The thing about piercings is that they are so uniquely individual. It's what makes them fun and you can design your ears however you want! If you like your piercings and they make you happy then 'normal' doesn't matter. Everybody is a little weird after all, and that's something to be proud of! 😊
I hope this frequently asked piercing questionnaire has been helpful to you!
Have a great day and see you next time,
Kourtney @ Spirit Adornments 💕