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The Curated Ear Piercing Trend | 2018 Piercing Trend | BodyJ4You
If you’re into ear piercings then you know what the buzz word curated ear means. It’s a term coined by jewelry maker and piercer, Maria Tash. She is quoted describing the curated ear as "It describes styling of the ear with jewelry in a very deliberate and beautiful way. Something that resonates with the wearer's personal aesthetic." What is a curated ear? A curated ear piercing is an ear that is full of earrings, but carefully curated so that the piercings and jewelry all go together. Over are the days where you would slowly get an ear piercing added to your ear, now it's trendy to go and get all the piercings done at once with the end goal being a carefully pierced ear filled with matched jewelry pieces. How its done: This type of piercing job is better left to a piercing professional. While we at BodyJ4You offer the piercing kits and essentials needed for this type of ear piercing job we recommend taking our piercing kit to your local piercing shop. The pirecer will do more than just stick needles into your ear. The piercer will take a look at your ear anatomy, which is taking into consideration the shape and size of your ear. Different factors come into play when getting ear piercings, a person may have a smaller tragus than others therefore making it difficult to pierce that area. Each person's ear is diverse from the next. So it's common for piercers to make recommendations on piercings that would work with your specific ear anatomy. Because not every piercing will work for everyone. Then it’s up to you and the piercer to collaborate on where you want the piercings and which jewelry will go where. We recommend that before going into a piercing shop you have some idea or even earring jewelry with you. That way your curated ear is styled to your specific aesthetic. Plan ahead: This type of ear piercing takes careful preparation. The curated ear is customized specifically for you, so spend some time planning where you want the piercings to go and how many piercings you want. Every ear is different so what looks good on a friend may not necessarily be right for you due to the shape of each of your ears. Planning out your piercings and laying them out in a way suitable for you is a good way to compliment the shape of your ear. Since multiple piercings are done at once take note that your ear will be healing from all those piercings at once as well. Head over to our “Ear Piercing 101” post to be informed on how to take care of a newly pierced ear. Planning ahead has advantages too, I believe it gives you more room for creativity. You have the time to figure out what you like and don't like when searching for ideas. Also if you already have piercings, take this time to plan how your new piercings will look with your current ear piercings, that way they don’t interfere with one another in a negative way. Have fun with curating your ear: Just like when someone gets a tattoo, the tattoo has meaning and was carefully given thought about before being permanent on their skin. The curated ear should be a fun way to enhance your style, or even change up your ear style completely. Go for the look you feel most comfortable with. Curated Ear Inspiration: Here are a few curated ears we have created with our BodyJ4You earrings! These ideas should inspire you to be creative and have fun with the idea of multiple ear piercings!
Learn moreBody Piercing Charts | Ears, Jewelry Sizes, Gauge Info
There are so many different types of ear piercings one can get that it can be a bit overwhelming to remember the names and sizes of the piercings. As you scroll down you will see a graphic about types of ear piercings, ear stretching size chart and an ear stretching conversion graphic, then a chart about body piercings and their sizes. The ear piercing graphic below shows the different piercing locations that are most common to get a piercing done. Industrial Piercing- sometimes called the bar, scaffold piercing or construction piercing is any two pierced holes connected with a single straight piece of jewelry. Industrial Piercing is a double perforation of the upper ear cartilage specifically. Two piercings are made, one fairly close to the head and the second further down the helix, on the opposite side of the ear. Industrial piercing size usually 14g. Length 16-19mm. Rook- Piercing of the cartilage that extends out between the upper half of the conch and the top of the ear. Rook size usually 18g or 16g. Hoop 6mm-8mm. Flat- Piercing that sits through the "flat" area of skin between your ear canal and cartilage. Conch- Piercing on the lower part of the cartilage inside the ear, where it scoops inward. Helix- Piercing goes through the cartilage around the ear. Piercing that pierces the skin that is not fleshy lobe. Size usually 18g or 16g. Hoop size 6-8mm. Anti Helix / Snug- Piercing goes through the cartilage along inner edge of the central outer ear, above where the lobe ends. Anti Helix / Snug size usually 18g or 16g. Hoop size 6mm- 8mm. Upper Lobe- Piercing that goes through the upper ear lobe where the skin is still soft and fleshy. Lobe- Piercing of the ear lobe where the skin is still soft and fleshy. (Most standard ear lobe piercing). Lobe size usually 20g or 18g. Anti Tragus- Piercing across from the tragus (see ear piercing diagram above) Tragus- Piercing that goes through the thick cartilage in front of the ear canal. Tragus size usually 18g or 16g. 6mm-8mm. Surface Tragus- Piercing that traverses through the flesh of cartilage without making a hole. Daith- Piercing through the inner ridge of cartilage. Forward Helix- Piercing goes through the cartilage at the front of the ear. Directly above where the daith piercing would be & where the helix connects to the head. Ear Stretching Size Chart Stretching of the ears is when one gradually increases the size of their initial piercing, usually on the ear lobe. The types of jewelry used are called by many names...plugs, gauges, expanders, tapers, spirals, hollow eyelets. To learn how to properly stretch your ears read this: https://www.bodyj4you.com/blogs/news/ear-stretching-safety-and-care VIDEO on how to stretch your ears with a gauges kit and aftercare - Ear stretching size conversion chart: This chart converts from gauge to millimeters to inches. Piercing chart: This piercing chart will give you information about the different styles, sizing and how to use the different types of piercing jewelry. Ear lobe: the gauge (piercing size) is usually at 18g or 20g. The length of an ear lobe piercing is around 6mm-8mm. The types of jewelry worn in an ear lobe piercing are earring studs, hoop earrings, and plugs (ear stretching jewelry). Cartilage piercing: 14g or 16g is the usual size. The length is around 6mm-8mm. The jewelry worn in a cartilage piercing are studs, small hoops, curved barbell, straight barbell or a horseshoe jewelry piece. Labret: The labret piercing is usually sized at 14g or 16g with a length of 8mm-12mm. Labret jewelry pieces are flat back studs, horseshoe or labrets. Monroe: (lip piercing placed off-center and is above the upper lip) The monroe piercing is sized at 16g or 18g with a length of 8mm-12mm. Monroe jewelry is a flat back stud. Tragus: The tragus piercing is gauged at 16g or 18g with the length being around 6mm-8mm. Jewelry commonly used in a tragus piercing is a round or flat back barbell. Helix: The helix piercing is sized at 16g or 18g with the length being around 6mm-10mm. Jewelry worn in the helix piercing are hoops, straight or curved barbells, and horseshoe. Rook: The rook piercing is sized at 16g or 18g with the length being around 6mm-8mm. Jewelry worn in the rook piercing are hoops, straight or curved barbells, and horseshoe. Conch: The conch piercing is sized at 16g or 18g with the length being around 6mm-8mm. Jewelry worn in the conch piercing are hoops, straight or curved barbells, and horseshoe. Nostril: The nostril piercing is sized at 18g or 20g with the length being around 6mm. Jewelry worn in the nostril are hoops, L-shape, screw, bone, and fishtail. Septum: The septum piercing is sized at 16g or 18g. Jewelry worn in the septum piercing are hoops, horseshoe, and retainer pieces. Tongue: The tongue piercing is sized at 14g with the length being around 16mm. Jewelry worn in a tongue piercing are barbells. Eyebrow: The eyebrow piercing is sized at 16g with the length being around 8mm-10mm. Jewelry worn in the eyebrow piercing are curved barbells, straight barbells, and horseshoe. Nipple: The nipple piercing is sized at 12g, 14g or 16g with the length being around 16mm-19mm. Jewelry worn in a nipple piercing are usually curved and straight barbells. Navel: The navel piercing is sized at 14g with the length being around 8mm-11mm. Jewelry worn in a navel piercing are curved barbells. Shop Our Best Sellers!
Learn moreEar Piercing 101: What You Should Know
So you're ready for a new piercing! Whether it's your first or fifth, it's critical to learn or refresh your knowledge on piercing safety and aftercare. Piercings are a fantastic way to change up your look, highlight your favorite features, and is full of fun accessories to show self-expression! Before you take that step into the piercing parlor make sure you know what you want! Pinterest is a great tool to use for body modification inspiration, or maybe you have a favorite pierced Instagrammer whose style you love! There are so many piercings to choose from, and while you are able to take many piercings out down the road if you are no longer in love with it, many can leave small scars or marks on your skin, so making sure this piercing is something you are committed too is important. We always suggest getting your piercings done by a professional piercer who usually work out of piercing parlors. Thankfully, we live in the age of Yelp and Google reviews! Or simply ask the suggestion of a friend, but do your research to find a piercer who is right for you! Once you have, communicate with your piercer about what it is you want, you can even have some inspiration pictures ready so your piercer understands fully what you're looking to get done. We also suggest only getting pierced with hypoallergenic metals to avoid the risk of infection or allergic reaction. Aftercare Yay! You got through the needle! Now it's time to share that new piercing selfie and learn about aftercare! First things first… Hands off!! Despite popular belief, twisting and pulling at a new piercing will only agitate it and disrupt the healing process. While mild inflammation is normal, continuing to touch and twist a new piercing increases the chances of infection. Listen to your piercers instructions on how to further clean and help the healing process of your new piercing. What is important to remember about a piercing, especially a new piercing, is that it is an open wound. Always wash your hands before cleaning your piercing!! Our hands contain tons of bacteria that we don't even notice! During the healing process you'll be anxious to touch your piercing by rotating it, or touching it, don't. Unless there is an issue with the size, material or style of the first piece of jewelry in your piercing, we recommend that you leave it in during the entire healing process. If you must take it out, please go to a professional piercer for help. Taking out the piercing leaves risk to the skin shrinking or closing up quickly. Putting the jewelry back in later may be difficult or impossible. Keep your new piercing clean According to SafePiercing.Org they recommend this way of cleaning your new piercing WASH your hands really well before you clean or touch your piercing for any reason. SALINE soak for five minutes once or more per day. Seal a cup of warm saline solution over the area. For some piercings it will be easier to use clean gauze or paper towels soaked in saline solution. Rinse after you salt soak because dried salt crystals could hurt you and your piercing. SOAP only once or twice a day. While showering, lather up a dime sized drop of the soap to clean the jewelry and the piercing. Leave the soap on the piercing no more than thirty seconds. RINSE to remove all of the soap from the piercing. You do not have to rotate your jewelry through the piercing. DRY gently with clean, disposable paper products. Cloth towels could snag on jewelry, and they might have bacteria on them. While on average most piercings take three to six months to heal, it's important to realize everybody is different and will heal in different ways, there is no way to make any wound heal “faster” and yes, you can “over clean” a piercing, which is another disruption of your body’s natural healing process just keep up with consistent cleaning schedule of the suggested twice a day cleanings and you'll be enjoying your piercing to its fullest in no time! Once it is fully healed it's time to start planning an purchasing new accessories to show off your new look! (check out some ideas here: BodyJ4You.com) After a piercing, is this normal? After getting pierced a few common things people experience are as follows bleeding swelling redness soreness mild pain During the healing process you may experience itching discoloration oozing whitish yellow fluid that when dried forms crust on the jewelry After the healing process jewelry in the piercing may not move easily (please do not force movement) be sure to clean your piercing and make the cleaning part of your daily cleanliness routine. If you do not its normal that a smell can appear due to the secretions build up. Be ware that the healing process can take a longer than it may appear on the outside. The skin on the outside will heal faster than the skin on the inside. So continue to clean the area until the end of the healing period. Tips to keep your piercing healthy and safe from infections. During the healing process keep your piercing away from any bodily fluids, like oral contact...etc Try and stay away from submerging your new piercing in bodies of water that are unhygienic, like hot tubs, lakes pools, etc. If you must engage in these activities protect your piercing with a waterproof wound-sealant bandage. These are offered at most drugstores. Stay away from beauty products on or near your piercing examples: lotion, cosmetics, sprays Keep your sheets and pillows cleaned at least once a week. you can also slip a clean t-shirt onto your pillow and rotate it to a clean side each night. Make sure anything that may be in contact with your piercing is cleaned and not pressing on the piercing. phone headphones eyeglasses hats helmets clothing...etc Share your selfie with us by using the hashtag #BodyJ4You and tagging @BodyJ4You in your posts!
Learn moreEar Stretching Safety and Care
Ear Stretching Safety Are you thinking of stretching your ears? Or are in need of some information on how to stretch your ears safely? You have come to the right place. We at BodyJ4You carry a wide selection of gauging kits. Aside from what we carry, we also want to be your go to source for information regarding ear stretching safety and care. Ear stretching is a rewarding type of body modification. It garners visual satisfaction from patience and dedication. The avenues to express yourself are endless, it allows one to wear something impactful, unique, and bold. Before you can being stretching your ears, your ears need to be pierced. Then make sure your ears have been fully healed from the initial piercing before starting the stretching process. What is stretching? Stretching of the ears is done by slowly enlarging an earlobe to accommodate increasingly larger sizes of jewelry. This is done through the process of slowly increasing the gauge (size) of jewelry in the ear. This is a potentially permanent type of body modification so please keep that in mind. Will there be pain while stretching? This type of piercing is a soft tissue piercing, therefore when stretching your ears there should not be much pain or discomfort, if any. If there is pain or discomfort at severe levels then this is a sign you have overstretched. When this occurs consider dropping to a smaller size, or visiting your local piercing professional for some assistance. What to wear when stretching? First things first, pay attention to the material of the jewelry before putting it in your ear. We suggest wearing materials such as surgical steel, titanium, niobium, gold, platinum, and biocompatible polymers when you initially stretch up. These materials are said to lower the cause of irritation, allergy or infections. It is safe to wear other materials like acrylic, silicone, and organics once your piercing and stretched lobe is healed. We sell gauges kits with both types of materials for a seamless ear stretching experience: According to safepiercing.org they recommend “Solid plugs and hollow eyelets are especially popular styles. For initial stretches, they should be single flared or non-flared, and preferably without grooves for O-rings. Caution: It can be damaging to put double-flared jewelry in a freshly stretched piercing.” Stretching Maintenance & Healing Process: When your ear is freshly stretched we suggest leaving your new piece of ear stretching jewelry in place for about several days to weeks. You can risk difficulty or not being able to reinsert the jewelry if you take it out too soon. The area can shrink. It’s common that you will feel some soreness and inflammation. This should be rather mild and last a few days, but pass. Once your ear is healed (wait a few week to a month) you can continue to stretch your ears to a bigger size. Save this ear gauge in-between healing wait times chart for your reference: It can be helpful to stretch your ears after a hot shower and / or an ear massage. This helps your ears become more flexible and less painful when stretching because it helps break down scar tissue and stimulate circulation. How to massage your stretched ears: Rub your ear lobes with an ear lobe balm cream/oil in continuous, circular motions for 5 minutes. Once the swelling has gone down from the stretch, we recommend you apply antiseptic and lubricant to your ear jewelry. (Always make sure you wash your hands before doing any maintenance or touching of the ears.) Remove the ear stretching jewelry from your ears and clean them. You can do this by rubbing soap on the outside and inside of the jewelry while allowing warm water to run onto the jewelry. You want to wash away dirt, dried and dead skin cells, and any other type of gunk. Finish off by rinsing them with cool water, and letting them dry with a paper towel. Now to clean your ears. You can either do this in the shower or by lathering your hands with soap and warm water. Then use your fingers to clean the inside of your earlobe piercings. Repeat and do the same for the outside of your earlobe piercing as well at the front and back of the earlobe. Then rinse off all the soap with water. While your ears are clean and wet, insert the jewelry into your earlobes for a lubricated insertion. Or use an organic stretching lube when stretching your ear. Then dry around your ear piercings and jewelry with a paper towel. If you’ve just stretched your ears and they are really sore and you don't want to take them out, apply an antibacterial cream around the rim of your piercing to prevent infections. We recommend using a cotton swab to remove any dirt, crust, or dried skin from around your piercing. Massaging your ears once or twice a day, will aid in it accommodating the new size. Use an organic oil when messaging. Try out our best selling ear lobe stretching balm: Stretching Lube Making sure your ears are lubricated when stretching is essential when stretching your ears, its everyday maintenance. But don't go and buy any type of lube. We suggest a quality lube, and make sure its organic. Here are a few recommendations, Jojoba Oil, Coconut Oil, Avocado Oil, Emu Oil, Raw Cocoa Butter, Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. There are also others you can use, but do the research before buying one. Here's a stretching lube we recommend: Take your time! Patience is very important. Your ears should be fully healed before you attempt another stretch. If you rush the process, you risk permanent damage to your ear lobes. The longer you wait the healthier your ears will be. Overstretching Safepiercing.org says “Overstretching tends to result in a buildup of scar tissue and reduction of healthy blood flow It can also cause an unsightly “blowout,” in which a section of skin pushes out from the interior of the channel. Overstretching can damage your tissue, cause thinning, or even lead to the total loss of your piercing. Stretching more than one full gauge size should be avoided. Half sizes should be used when possible, particularly in larger size jumps or in sensitive areas. Piercings can only handle small incremental stretches without the delicate lining of the piercing becoming stressed, torn, or otherwise damaged. Your body needs sufficient time to rejuvenate blood flow and produce new healthy tissue, this can take weeks or months.” Watch for infections Swelling, green / yellow discharge are common signs of an infection. Although they don't always indicate an infection they could mean just ear irritation. If you notice multiple symptoms at once then visit your local piercer, or medical professional for treatment. These signs could mean you need to down-size (usually to the size you were previously). Safepiercing.org recommends “downsizing is a great way to keep your tissue healthy. Afterwards, you will need to wait at least a few additional months before attempting further stretching. Go slow from the start and avoid having to downsize or stall your process.” Ready to get started? Check out these top recommended products for stretching your ears:
Learn moreThe Daith Piercing
The Daith is a popular body piercing trend and you will find both men and women opting for these piercings. This is an ear piercing which passes right through the innermost cartilage fold of the ear, called the crus of the helix. It is situated in a curvy and awkward place and a straight hollow needle is generally used in the piercing. Many consider this to be a very painful spot for a piercing but in recent years, there has been interesting recent discussion and debate around whether daith piercings help relieve migraines. Daith jewelry options While their currently lacks conclusive medical evidence that supports this particular theory, it’s not difficult to understand exactly why so many migraine-sufferers are choosing to get daith piercings done. Regardless of the reasons for getting this specific piercing, if you are looking for some interesting jewelry to use in it, you will find there are a number of designs and styles to choose from. Let’s take a look at the different Daith piercing jewelry options you can choose from:Daith hearts- Many people like to wear these heart-shaped designs in their daith piercing. These are available in a range of metals, colors, and styles you can choose from; pieces with and without precious stones. You can also choose from left and right ear options as the design may be based on the ear you are wearing the jewelry in. Clickers- Most people associate the use of clickers with the septum, but the fact is that they are perfect for your daith as well. Those that use these prefer them because they are very easy to change. These pieces of jewelry are available in a range of intricate designs and styles and many also have semi-precious and precious stones in the setting. You can choose from metals and stones of different colors and hues.Curved-style barbells- These are an excellent choice if you are considering interesting jewelry option for a new daith piercing. These are inconspicuous and serve the purpose of ensuring the piercing doesn’t close up, which makes them a great option if you need to keep your piercing hidden for a sport or while at work. The only part of the barbells that will be seen are the beads. Hoop-style jewelry- These are an extremely versatile type of jewelry that look great in just about any body piercing. You can choose from styles such as hinge rings, captive bead rings, and segment rings and from various colors such as yellow gold plating, rose gold plating, titanium etc. For the last 16 years, we at BodyJ4You have been blazing trails in the high-quality fashion and body jewelry space. We are the go-to online store for all types of body jewelry, stretching & piercing kits, plugs, tunnels, the latest cufflinks, choker necklaces, men’s stainless steel bracelets & necklaces, genuine leather cuffs and more. Feel free to browse our website; create your online account and start shopping on BodyJ4You today.
Learn moreHow to Choose the Right Combination to Wear Multiple Earrings
Todays piercings are becoming a major trend, with previously unlikely people sporting body piercings. And those that have them also think of different ways in which they can incorporate and coordinate their body piercings into their broader fashion and style. Here we discuss some areas of the body where multiple piercings look great and what you can do to personalize and add your unique look. Which earrings to buy When purchasing jewelry, one often wants to try it on to see how it looks first. But with online jewelry purchase, this becomes a barrier to purchase. However, there is a very simple way to check whether multiple piercings will look good in a particular area- simply buy some stick on gem stickers and try them; it will give you a fair idea about how the actual jewelry will look. There are various areas of the anatomy that people pierce in multiple spots and most of these piercings are often in close proximity. One of the commonest areas is the forward helix and most people get at least two to three piercings in a row here. Another popular spot is the face of the helix or the cartilage. Some styling options to try You can get dermal piercings in shapes, lines, clusters or any design you like. Many people like to get creative with this aspect and may also get dermals in the shape of constellations. But piercings aren’t the only thing you can get creative with. Today there are innumerable jewelry options to choose from and the sky’s the limit when it comes to you being able to mix-and-match piercing jewelry designs and styles; here are some ideas:Not only will you find jewelry in a wide range of color options, but there are numerous semi-precious stone settings, ranging from solid-colored beads and gems to opals and crystals etc. to choose from.You can get minimalistic or elaborate jewelry based on your specific preferences and styling choice. Some of these pieces are available in sets and will have a similar styling. But you can always innovate and mix-and-match and find something that looks aesthetically-appealing as a whole even without the same styling or materials. If you like, you can also wear a single larger earring that becomes the statement piece and then complement it with clusters of smaller earrings in the surrounding piercings. Create a unique style of yourselfVery simply put, there are no rules and you can create your own style or emulate a style you have seen celebrities sporting. For the last 16 years, we at BodyJ4You have been blazing trails in the high-quality fashion and body jewelry space. We are the go-to online store for all types of body jewelry, stretching & piercing kits, plugs, tunnels, the latest cufflinks, choker necklaces, men’s stainless steel bracelets & necklaces, genuine leather cuffs and more. Feel free to browse our website; create your online account and start shopping on BodyJ4You today.
Learn moreThe Most Popular Body Jewelry and Piercing Trends This Year
As 2017 come to a close, we thought we’d look at the most popular body jewelry and piercing trends that made a mark this year and also appear to be headliners for 2018. Piercings are one of the easiest ways to keep your finger on the most current fashion pulse. It’s great to be innovative and display your creativity in the way you present your unique personality to the world. Many people do this by following the latest trends in clothing, makeup, and hairstyles etc. but if you want something more permanent and impactful, piercings are the best way to go. Trends to look out for Being in sync with the latest piercing & body jewelry trends doesn’t always mean you need to get new piercings. If you are perfectly happy with the number of piercings you already have, there are numerous ways in which you can incorporate various trends only by using some new jewelry. But if you have no qualms about getting some new piercings done, it opens up a world of new, head-turning trends for you. Navel piercings- These have been going strong this year and seem to have made a classic comeback after taking a short break from the body piercing scene. But now, more young as well as middle-aged women are gravitating towards navel piercings- once again. Hoops and asymmetrical earring styles- This trend made it big in 2017 and is a continuation of their popularity in 2016. Small, dainty hoops look traditional and eclectic all at once. You see both men and women sporting earrings in asymmetrical styles and this look goes well with chic and modern clothing. Septum clickers- Plain surgical steel beaded septum rings are a thing of the past. These pieces of jewelry are now taking on a more ornate form and are embellished with filigree work and embedded semi-precious and precious stones. Minimalist stud sequence- Wearers are now putting on many of the same studs in a diameter range that’s in the ascending order. This can be done in any section of the ear that is able to hold three/more piercings but look particularly arresting when worn on the inner helix. Earring jackets- This jewelry has been around for quite a while now; but it has made a major revival with wearers who prefer a minimalist look. The ear jacket has a small stud on the front of the lobe, and its bedazzled side dangles and peeks out from behind. Medusa-septum combo- Medusa piercings fit in the little dip just above the top lip, and now wearers have caught on to the design idea that a Medusa stud complements a septum clicker very well; you can get these in coordinating tones and stones. For the last 16 years, we at BodyJ4You have been blazing trails in the high-quality fashion and body jewelry space. We are the go-to online store for all types of body jewelry, stretching & piercing kits, plugs, tunnels, the latest cufflinks, choker necklaces, men’s stainless steel bracelets & necklaces, genuine leather cuffs and more. Feel free to browse our website; create your online account and start shopping on BodyJ4You today.
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