To Hoop or Not to Hoop: Is It Safe to Start an Initial Piercing with a Ring?
Ah, the 90s and early 2000s—an era of baggy jeans, frosted tips, and, in the world of body piercing, a dominant piece of jewelry: the captive bead ring. Back then, piercing jewelry options were limited, and rings reigned supreme. Whether it was an eyebrow, navel, or even nipple piercing, we were putting rings in EVERYTHING. And hey, some piercings healed just fine. But many times? Healing turned into a long, frustrating process.
As someone who’s been piercing since 2002, I can tell you from firsthand experience that we’ve come a long way in understanding how different types of jewelry impact healing. Rings, with their constant movement and larger size to accommodate swelling, were a common choice. But more often than not, they led to prolonged healing, irritation, and a lot of unhappy clients. You’d see folks walking around with oversized, floppy rings in their red and swollen piercings, which didn’t exactly scream "healing well."
Here’s the thing: piercings swell. That’s normal. But to accommodate that swelling, rings need to be large, leaving a lot of room for movement, which means more friction and irritation. Plus, captive bead rings (and rings in general) tend to rotate and shift around. This movement causes microtears inside the piercing, which can slow down healing or even lead to infection.
In contrast, a barbell or stud remains much more stable. Without the constant rotation, your body can focus on healing rather than dealing with constant irritation. That’s why we eventually moved away from defaulting to rings in new piercings.
Piercings That Are Better Off With Barbells
For most piercings, starting with a straight or curved barbell is a much better choice. Here are a few reasons why:
Less Movement: Barbells stay put, reducing the chances of accidental snagging, twisting, or rotating, which gives your piercing a much better chance to heal smoothly.
Room for Swelling: Barbells can be sized to allow for some initial swelling without looking oversized or floppy. They provide just enough space to accommodate the body’s natural response to a fresh piercing without overcompensating like a large ring.
Better Healing: With less movement and irritation, barbells support quicker and more efficient healing.
When Rings Are the Right Choice
Now, there are exceptions to the rule! Some piercings are just better suited for rings right from the start. Two examples that come to mind are septum and daith piercings. Both are traditionally intended to have rings, and their anatomy allows for more stable healing with this type of jewelry. There are also a few genital piercings that thrive with rings from the get-go, but to keep this blog PG, we avoid discussing those.
For most other piercings, though, I recommend starting with a barbell and switching to a ring a few months down the line—once the piercing has fully healed. Your body will thank you for it.
Conclusion
In the early days, rings were the go-to for practically everything, but as piercing techniques and aftercare have evolved, we’ve learned that initial healing is usually smoother with a barbell. That doesn’t mean rings are a no-go forever. They just need to wait their turn. So, to hoop or not to hoop? For most new piercings, I’d say wait a few months, let things heal, and then bring on the hoops when the time is right!
Happy healing!
— Marilyn
