Q: Should I transition my nipple barbells to nipple horseshoes before going straight to nipple rings?

- Candy

A: You can definitely put in horseshoes if that’s the look you want. But there’s no need to use them as transitional jewelry between barbells and captive rings. After all, horseshoes are just circular barbells so they’re going to be the same shape and dimension as any other circular jewelry. Best of luck!

 Q: About 2 years ago I got my belly button pierced and it had a hard time healing. I’m not sure if my body was rejecting the jewelry or it having to do with the fact that I gained weight afterwards, but I left my piercing in for about a year and a half after getting it pierced. I feel as if it never was healing because it constantly hurt and was always sore (I was still cleaning it properly). I took my belly ring out one night and the next morning my hole had closed. It left a major scar and it’s about 1 inch long. But I really miss my piercing and it was super cute! What is your opinion on getting it redone?

- Lacie

A: So, it sounds like your belly piercing was rejecting. You would need to see a trustworthy, reputable piercer to make sure that you are anatomically suited to this piercing and that there isn’t too much scar tissue for you to give it another try. It’s possible that your anatomy wasn’t suited for the piercing, or it was placed incorrectly. It’s also possible that you were pierced with poor quality jewelry and were having an allergic reaction to the metal. You want any new piercing to be performed using ASTM F-136 titanium, nothing else, and a navel piercing should be done with a simple curved barbell that has no dangle charm on it. Belly piercings do come with an inherent risk of rejecting and there’s always a chance that a new one will too. But if your piercer says that it’s okay and it’s something you really want, that’s your decision to make. Happy piercing!

Disclaimer: Body Candy is only here to give you fun and helpful advice and information when it comes to getting pierced. Always consult a professional piercer to make sure a new piercing is right for you!