How to Properly fit Belly Button Rings

Getting a proper fit on a belly button ring has nothing to do with your body size, it has to do with the angle and depth of the actual piercing.

There are standards in the industry, but your Piercer may have to make adjustments for your navel type. Some Piercers may not work within the standards that are set in the industry, making it more difficult to find jewelry that will fit correctly.

The standards for a navel piercing are 14 gauge for the thickness of the barbell and 3/8" to 7/16" for the length barbell to be worn, once the piercing has healed.

Your piercer will use a longer curved barbell, or a ring for the initial piercing. This is to allow for swelling and to leave room for proper cleaning.

Once the piercing has healed enough to change the jewelry, normally 2 months, it is time to determine the correct size for your navel piercing.

Let's begin with the correct way to measure a curved barbell. With the top ball threaded all the way on, you are going to measure in a STRAIGHT line, not along the curve of the barbell. The two points will be:

#1- Where the top ball meets the barbell on the under side of the ball.(holding the barbell up and down, as if it's being worn).

#2- Where the bottom design, or ball, meets the barbell on the top side of the ball.

Measure in a Straight line from these two points. The two pionts will both be on the inside of the curve.

Metric Conversion: 5/16"=8mm, 3/8"=10mm, 7/16"=11mm, 1/2"=12mm, 9/16"=15mm.

Do not fit the curved barbell to have no barbell showing. You need to have some barbell displayed, as this allows air to the piercing and prevents the jewelry from trying to pull into the piercing. You should have about 1/4" of barbell showing.

You may need to experiment with a few sizes, to find your best fit. Here is the basic rule of thumb.

Shallow Piercings = 5/16" (8mm)

Standard Piercings = 3/8" (10mm) or 7/16" (11mm)

Deep Piercings = 1/2" (12mm)

Very deep Piercings = 9/16" (15mm)

Most shops only sell the standard length, because most manufactures only produce the one size. Our shop has a large selection of all lengths, because we manufacture many of our designs.

You can find a large selection of the 5/16", 1/2" & 9/16" length curved barbell designs Here

Nose Piercing Receiving Tube

When doing a nostril piercing a tool is required to catch the needle on the inside of the nostril.

Most Piercer's will use a receiving tube, which is made for this application. A receiving tube can be made in plastic, glass or stainless steel.

The plastic tubes are disposable, as they would melt in an autoclave machine for sterilization.

The glass or steel can be used over & over again, as they can be properly sterilized. Glass can break, if dropped, which is an obvious drawback. The steel can be more expensive but the most reliable.

Some Piercer's will use a cork to catch the needle. The cork can only be used a single time and can be a less comfortable method for the person being pierced.

Ear Stretching Kits with Plugs

Hey Everyone,
Our 32 piece ear stretching kit with plugs is back in stock. That's right; the 14 gauge - 0 gauge stretching kit which includes 16 tapers and 16 plugs. At only $27.25, that's less than a buck a piece. You do the math! This has to be the lowest price on the net. If you see it cheaper elsewhere, drop us an email!

Man Tattoos His Eyeballs

Saba Wood Gauges

These Saba Wood Gauges are the start of some organic gauges that come directly from the artisans hands; straight from Bali, Indonesia to Forbidden Piercings. No so called "wholesalers" were involved. These show the true craftsmanship of these people in which carving, as a way of life, has been passed from generation to generation. We hope you enjoy these works of art. Forbidden Piercings

Some States Do Not Regulate Teenager Piercings

Here in New Hampshire we have some strict guidelines to follow for piercings on a minor.

We are required to have a parent or legal guardian present, with a photo identification. The minor also has to bring their birth certificate. We then verify that the adult photo id matches the name on the birth certificate.

New Hampshire requires that we photo the photo ID and the birth certificate for our files. The insurance provider also requires a minor release form be filled out and signed.

The parent is then required by New Hampshire to be in the room during the piercing.

Shockingly Iowa has NO regulations on teenager piercings and there are a dozen states that also do not abide by rules and regulations on age, permit process OR inspections.

Needless to say, parents are outraged by Iowa being so lax and not doing anything to protect their children from the dangers of an improperly run piercing studio (since no rules are in place to protect the public).

For a full article about the parents being up in arms please visit WCF Courier

On The Street Photo

While running around this afternoon, I ran into Joe at a hot dog stand.

He was in line, behind me, with his girlfriend. They were both fashion conscious and very hip in appearance.

I found Joe to be fashion forward & adventurous in clothing as well as in body modifications.

At first Joe had his knit cap pulled down to just above his eyes. A blue tattoo that to me looked like extended eyelashes showed under his eye.

In the light, there appeared to be two neon glowing green balls under his bottom lip.

When Joe pulled up his knit hat, there was the surprise of the blue tattoo continued above his eye.

Adding to the interesting tattoo, the eyebrow was pierced with a captive bead ring. The eyebrow piercing was not bright like the lip piercings, but still added to his overall appearance.

Thank you Joe for letting me take a photo of you!

Yellow Howlite Organic Gauges and Eyebrow Piercings Jewelry

Hi Everyone,
Like I said previously, we have alot of stuff coming your way. Just added are some very nice Yellow Howlite single flare organic gauges and a 4 piece pack of eyebrow piercings jewelry. The 4 piece pack contains 1 black titanium anodized spiral in 5/16" with spikes, 1 316L surgical stainless steel spiral in 3/8" with U.V. acrylic balls, and 2 316L surgical stainless steel barbells(1 with U.V. acrylic balls and the other U.V. acrylic cones). Stop by the Forbidden Piercings website.

Moss Agate Organic Gauges

Hey Everyone,
We have ALOT of organic gauges on the way. Just in are some Moss Agate gauges. These are probably my favorite next to Tiger Eye. Green and white in color, Moss agate resembles moss growing on white quartz. Due to its association with nature, Moss Agate fosters feelings of expansion, freedom, and space. We hope you enjoy these as much as the tribe at Forbidden Piercings.

Hooked on Body Suspension

This photo shows Kat with 4 Tuna Hooks freshly pierced into her skin. She is preparing for her 7th body suspension.


Kat's body is swimming with endorphins. Dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin — she knows them by name, and she knows their effects. In fact, she’s become rather addicted to them.


In addition to the rush, Kat does body suspensions to overcome her fears.


Kat said that the first hook does not cause her pain, but her back muscles start to tighten up. This makes each additional hook harder to receive.


You can read an entire article written by Ryan Burns and see a gallery of her body suspension at The Journal 

What is a Correct Belly Button Piercing?

Measure in a straight line, not along the curve

There are industry standards for a belly button piercing, but not all Piercers concern themselves with how your after market jewelry will fit.

The standard size belly ring is 14 gauge. This is the thickness of the bar. A large selection of jewelry is available in this standard gauge. If you are pierced with a thinner or thicker needle, you will only have basic steel barbells to select from. Any professional piercer should pierce for a 14 gauge barbell.

The length is more tricky for the Piercer. The end result can be based on the distance of the piercing and the depth of the piercing. Ideally a 3/8" or 7/16" curved barbell will fit properly in a healed belly piercing.

Now, when I say the proper length is 3/8" or 7/16" (only 1mm difference for these 2 length), I do not mean for the barbell to be completely inside of the piercing. There should be some barbell showing, to allow the piercing to breathe and to provide room for sitting and stretching.

A fresh piercing will either use a circular barbell (best for cleaning the piercing) or a curved barbell that is longer than the standard, allowing room for swelling and cleaning.

Three most common problems: too shallow a piercing, a crooked piercing, or too deep an angle, making the belly ring pull into the belly button.

Dermal Piercings look Great with Tattoos

Dermal Piercings are taking the piercing world by storm.

Now you can place a piercing most anywhere on the body

The most popular use of a dermal piercing has been to accent a tattoo

Reverse Ear Gauging if 1/2" or Larger Opening

Snake Bite Piercing

Angela comments on her experience with the Snake Bite lip piercings "I never planned the lip rings I just decided to do it last minute & now I always get asked if it hurt. It did not its like a slight pinch than its over sorta like ripping off a band-aid."

Function-able Body Piercings

People are becoming creative with body piercings.

Here is a new use for a gauged earlobe

Women can easily tuck their cell phone into a purse, but men have to become creative with how to store their wallets, keys, cell phones & combs. 

Yet another reason to find the smallest and lightest weight cell phone.

Maybe this will become as popular as the Earl piercing (bridge piercing), which you can attach your eyeglasses to each side of your nose bridge.

Image provided by myinterestingfiles.com

Remember When Piercing Your Ears Was The Biggest Deal Ever? | The Frisky

Remember When Piercing Your Ears Was The Biggest Deal Ever? | The Frisky

Bridge Piercing AKA Earl

A bridge piercing is done on the loose skin at the top of the nose, between the eyes.

Typically a straight barbell is used for this piercing, as it is a form of a surface piercing.

This is not a very painful piercing, but it must be maintained for success. Be diligent about cleaning this piercing and never touch it with dirty hands to improve your odds against rejection and infection.

The name "Earl" for the bridge piercing came from the first known person to get this piercing. His full name was Earl Van Aken

What is a Venom Tongue Piercing?

A Venom tongue piercing involves two tongue rings. The piercings are done on each side of the tongue, not in the center. 

The two piercings will line up like the fangs on a snake. 

Watch this YouTube video to see this popular piercing style.

Ear Gauging

Thinking of Gauging your ears?

Be sure to practice patience and only gauge up one size at a time. Allow for full healing between each gauge and you will have a better looking and healthier piercing

.

Healing should only take 1 to 2 weeks between gauges. Be sure to clean off any crusties and wear jewelry that does not carry bacteria, such as surgical steel.

Although you can gauge your own ears, a professional will have properly sterilized equipment and will make sure your ears are ready to go up a gauge. 

You should find the price to gauge an ear piercing to be much less than the cost of a piercing.

H2Ocean or a sea salt mixture (50% sea salt - 50% water) will help your ear to heal.

(image is compliments of topicden.com )

Hide a Septum Piercing

It is very easy to hide a septum piercing, if you are pierced with a circular barbell.

Portable Body Piercing Aftercare

You are going to love these convenient Q-tip designs for taking care of your piecings.

The solution is stored inside of the Q-tip bar. You snap one end in half and the solution drains into the other Q-tip end, ready to be applied.

These are called Dr. Piercing's Aftercare solution
or, you can also acquire Dr. Piercing's Hole-istic solution which is best for a fresh body piercing.

They come in a fancy carry case of 36 units. You can easily toss these into your purse, glove compartment or office desk. Available for $7.00 Here

Nose Rings (literally the Ring) are Becoming Mainstream

You have seen an occasional full size ring being worn in a nostril piercing, but it use to be a small percentage of people that would wear the 360 degree ring.

We find that our customer base is starting to ask for a full ring much more frequently. Also, when walking among the public, there are more sightings of this nose jewelry.

In the way back machine (a year or so, lol) there was only the standard captive bead ring, but now there are better options.

The continuous ring is very desirable in the 14 karat white or yellow gold. You just push the gold to one side, put it on, and push it back into position.

Continuous rings also do come in steel. There is a small section of the ring that is removable and a bit tricky to put back into place. It's worth the effort to have a ring that looks like there is no ending point.

Hypertrophic Scarring

What is Hypertrophic Scarring and what does it have to do with a body piercing?

Hypertrophic scarring will appear around a body piercing hole. This scarring tissue will only show around the actual piercing and will not expand or grow beyond the hole.

This type of scarring will heal. To assist in the healing process, make sure that you are not wearing a piece of jewelry that is too heavy. A heavy piece of jewelry will just add to the irritation and will slow down the healing process.

Do not try and pop the scarring, as there is no puss in the scarring. You will just cause further irritation and delay the healing process.

What will help heal Hypertrophic Scarring:

• H2Ocean Body Piercing Spray
• 50% Sea Salt & 50% Water used as a compress
• Light weight jewelry
• Not playing with or popping the scar tissue

Wikipedia defines Hypertrophic Scarring as: Hypertrophic scars occur when the body overproduces collagen, which causes the scar to be raised above the surrounding skin. Hypertrophic scars take the form of a red raised lump on the skin

Do not confuse Hypertrophic Scarring with a Keloid. A Keloid will grow beyond the piercing entrance and will have to be surgically removed.

Surface Piercing Rejection - BMEzine Encyclopedia

Surface Piercing Rejection - BMEzine Encyclopedia

It would be wise to read this article before having a surface piercing performed.

Your body is designed to reject a surface piecing, as it would reject a splinter.

Unless you only plan to wear the piercing for a short period of time, you are taking a risk of permanent scarring.

With todays dermal piercings you can achieve many of the same looks, and increase your chances of no rejection.

Ear Taper Price Reduction

Hey Everyone,
Our Ear Tapers have been reduced to $1.50 each. This includes the Black Talons, Acylic U.V., and Lava Swirl Ear Tapers.

New Plugs and Gauges in the Forbidden Piercings Store

Hey Everyone,
We have just added some Black Silicone Ear Gauges, Ocean Blue Agate Gauges(Organic stone), U shaped stretchers that can be worn as tapers or regular jewelry, and some Clear CZ Ear Gauges if you need a little bling for your ears. We will continue to expand our line of Plugs and Gauges. If there's something you would like to see in the Forbidden Piercings Store , please let us know. If you see something priced lower, please send us a link to that store.

New acrylic and organic plugs & gauges

Hey Everyone,
We have alot of new coconut, cherry, oak, and zebra wood plugs and tunnels in the store. We also have new acrylic peace sign, yin yang, and pot leaf plugs. We also have 18 gauge, 16 gauge, and 14 gauge Piercing Needles Here's a link the store: Organic Plugs Gauges Just select acrylic or wood and take a look.

Glass Gauges / Plugs are in the store!

Hey everyone,
We just got in some glass gauges that are hand made and priced right. Most hand made glass gauges are $25-$45 a pair. NOT HERE! Currently we have cobalt blue glass and violet glass gauges. The violet is really cool due to the fact these plugs will change to a baby blue color depending on the light. We are going to continue to bring you the items you're looking for or request. Here are the links: Cobalt Blue Glass Gauges , Violet Glass Gauges