Industrial Piercing Jewelry & Barbells

An industrial is the piercing everyone notices. One barbell running the length of your upper ear, connecting two cartilage piercings in a single straight line. It deserves better than the plain bar it healed with. This is the deep end of industrial piercing jewelry, well over a thousand barbells in 14 gauge, from clean basics to arrows, swords, glow-in-the-dark, opals, dangles and licensed designs you won't find at the mall, in 316L surgical steel and implant-grade titanium. Your ear did the hard part. We handle the fun part.

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Industrial Barbell Size & Fit Guide

Sizing is simpler than it looks. Industrials are pierced at 14 gauge, and most of our barbells come in the standard 38mm (1 1/2") wearable length, with shorter and adjustable bars for ears that run their own race. The distance between your two piercings is what matters. Measure the bar you're wearing now, post length between the balls and not including them, and check each product page for the exact length before you buy.

An industrial is two cartilage piercings sharing one bar, and cartilage heals on its own schedule, 3 to 9 months or more per piercing. Industrials often take the long road because the connected bar can transfer pressure between the two. Some piercers heal them as two separate studs and connect the bar later. Statement barbells are a healed-piercing reward. When your piercer clears you, that's what this collection is for.

Not sure which way to go? Start here:

FAQ

An industrial, also called a scaffold piercing, is a single straight barbell connecting two piercings in your upper ear cartilage. Most commonly one near the front of the ear and one across from it, so the bar runs diagonally across the top. One bar, two holes, maximum presence.

The standard is 14 gauge for thickness, and most industrial barbells are 38mm (1 1/2") in wearable length, which is the bar between the balls, not including them. Ears vary, so measure the barbell you're wearing now. If your piercings sit closer or farther apart, look for our shorter and adjustable-length bars. Every product page lists the exact gauge and length.

Longer than most. It's two cartilage piercings, and cartilage takes 3 to 9 months per piercing at a minimum, often more for industrials because the shared bar can transfer pressure between the two holes. Mild swelling in one or both spots early on is normal. If healing is being stubborn, ask your piercer about wearing two separate studs and reconnecting the bar once both have settled.

Not everyone, and that's an anatomy thing, not a you thing. An industrial needs enough cartilage at the right angle to seat both piercings without stressing the tissue, and some ears aren't shaped for the ideal placement. A good piercer will look at your ear and tell you straight.

Once both piercings are fully healed and your piercer gives the all-clear. Swapping early is the classic way to restart the clock. If the first change feels awkward, your piercer can do the swap in seconds. After that, changing an industrial barbell is the fastest personality change in body jewelry. One bar out, one bar in.

The backbone of the collection is 316L surgical steel. From there it branches into anodized titanium for the rainbow, black and rose-gold finishes, plus acrylic and sterling-silver-accented designs. Every product page lists exactly what the piece is made of.