Q: My name is Lee, I got nipple piercings back in October and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THEM! The only thing I have with them is the nipple piercings are always too small for me. I recently bought 5/8" which I’ve heard they are the longest ones people make. Is there any way I can find out where I can buy bigger ones? I’ve had on the ones my piercing put on me since I first got them and never realized I would struggle so much with finding the right size. Please help!

- Lee

A: Congratulations on the new addition! Your best bet might be to go with threadless barbells. You can pick out the ends you want and then get barbell portion separately. That means you don’t have to rely on “standard” sizes to get the fit you need, and you can keep the same ends regardless of the barbell you’re using. (Threadless ends use tiny wire posts to bend into the hollow barbell instead of using threading to screw on or off the barbells. This means you can widely interchange them between jewelry.) You may want to consult a piercer or get a pair of digital calipers to see exactly what length of barbell you need, to avoid making annoying and costly mistakes. Best of luck!

 Q: I got an industrial piercing last week with a 16-gauge barbell. My question is, when it heals can I use a 14-gauge barbell? Because that is the only size I can find! Thanks!

A: You may want to just check in with a piercer and make sure that your anatomy can support 14-gauge jewelry. Since that is the typical size for an industrial, it’s possible that a smaller gauge was used to prevent the jewelry from rubbing against your ear cartilage. Otherwise, there is NO reason why you can’t stretch your piercings to accommodate a larger barbell, so long as it is fully healed. Hope that helps, 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!