belly bar question

[spongebobsgirl]

what is the standard size of a belly bar? Websites say about measuring between the 2 balls, but not being able to chage it for 3 months poses a problem!
Im googling it, but does anyone know??
thank u
SBG

[Acrobat]

Originally posted by spongebobsgirl
what is the standard size of a belly bar? Websites say about measuring between the 2 balls, but not being able to chage it for 3 months poses a problem!
Im googling it, but does anyone know??
thank u
SBG

When I had mine done, they pierced it with a 12mm bar, to accommodate for swelling, and then i changed it to a smaller one when I changed it. Does that help at all? Obviously its just personal experience, not definate.

[Ilora-Danon]

I believe I was pierced with 12mm too, but then downsized to 10mm once it had healed....(and then 8mm when it started to reject lol)

Ilora x

[Brummy Bird]

Yeah think mine was the same.

Ive had mine done about 6 years or so now and the bar is about 8mm or something.

[Pink Soda]

Yeah the large majority of bars in the shops are 10mm. I think I was pierced with a 12mm, but there was quite a extra bit of bar showing. I now use 6mm ones, it seems to have got quite a bit smaller! They are sooo hard to find though, especially nice ones, so usually end up having to put up with 8 or 10mm bars.

[spongebobsgirl]

ok, thanx for your replies. i think mine is probably a 12mm, as the ones in the shops look a teensy bit smaller. thank you!! il be changing it to a 10mm soon then!

By the way, how long was everyone told to leave the original bar in, until they could change it! mine's 3 months, but one friend only had to leave hers in for 6 weeks?

SBG

[Ilora-Danon]

Everyone heals at different rates, so it's best not to compare healing times with someone else. As navel piercings can be pretty tough to heal, I'd say leave it as long as you can before changing it - as they're very sensitive to irritation, and just changing it one can cause aggravation.

3 months sounds alright to me, but I left mine in for 6 months without changing it.

Ilora x

[Amira]

Originally posted by Pink Soda
Yeah the large majority of bars in the shops are 10mm. I think I was pierced with a 12mm, but there was quite a extra bit of bar showing. I now use 6mm ones, it seems to have got quite a bit smaller! They are sooo hard to find though, especially nice ones, so usually end up having to put up with 8 or 10mm bars.

try custom ordering, theres a few websites ive found just search on google :)

[*TiNK*]

Originally posted by spongebobsgirl
ok, thanx for your replies. i think mine is probably a 12mm, as the ones in the shops look a teensy bit smaller. thank you!! il be changing it to a 10mm soon then!

By the way, how long was everyone told to leave the original bar in, until they could change it! mine's 3 months, but one friend only had to leave hers in for 6 weeks?

SBG

Ive had mine in since august, and its only just healed properly. Everyone is different.

[spongebobsgirl]

dont worry, i wont change it b4 the 3 months is up, just thought it was odd how different piercers say different periods of time!
thanx for your help
SBG

[draven]

Originally posted by spongebobsgirl
Websites say about measuring between the 2 balls, but not being able to chage it for 3 months poses a problem!


Yeah, you can still get it measured though, without taking the bar out. I do it all the time at work. You need to get yourself to a decent shop to get measured.

I asked to be pierced with a 12mm bar because I wanted to wear 10's, but not everyone gets pierced with a 12mm. Most people end up wearing 10mm or 8mm bars :)

[spongebobsgirl]

Originally posted by draven
Yeah, you can still get it measured though, without taking the bar out. I do it all the time at work. You need to get yourself to a decent shop to get measured.

By a decent shop do u mean a jewerelers (sp?) or a place that pierces your naval??
i understand that people wear the size below what they get pierced with, as the hole made will shrink with healing - but can you wear the same size bar, or would it mean the hole would be stretched??
SBG

[draven]

Originally posted by spongebobsgirl
By a decent shop do u mean a jewerelers (sp?) or a place that pierces your naval??
i understand that people wear the size below what they get pierced with, as the hole made will shrink with healing - but can you wear the same size bar, or would it mean the hole would be stretched??
SBG

Well, I work in an independent jewellery shop and we sell lots of (proper) body jewellery, but either would be fine.

Its not so much that the hole shrinks with healing, its just its pierced with a bigger bar to allow for swelling. People size down because the longer bar tends to stick out and gets caught on clothing etc once the swelling has gone away. Having said that, you wont do any harm wearing a bigger bar/the bar you got pierced with so long as you dont catch it on things (this can irritate the piercing). Oh, and no stretching will take place...the diameter is staying the same (1.6mm), its just the length you are changing and you cant stretch the length :)