Q: Can I start with a ring in my cartilage piercing? My piercer told me that a stud would be best, but I really don't like the look of that. -Brian
A: First of all, it depends on the specific piercing. Some cartilage piercings, most commonly the daith, require that you get circular jewelry. However virtually all other cartilage piercings are best performed with straight jewelry. Straight jewelry (such as a labret or straight barbell) doesn’t move as much as a circular piece such as a horseshoe or captive ring. The constant movement of jewelry in a new piercing disrupts the healing process by disturbing the fragile new cells inside the fistula. This can lead to irritation bumps, delayed healing, and can even cause the onset of rejection. The good news is that once your piercing is fully healed, you can change it to whatever style of jewelry you like, and that straight jewelry can go to the back of a drawer or wherever you like to store such things. (A good piece of advice is to never throw away the jewelry you were pierced with as it comes in very handy in emergencies. Lost ball ends, broken jewelry, and other problems can arise and having extra jewelry on hand can help keep your piercing open until you can solve them.) Happy piercing!
Q: Haha, so I think my piercing ball is stuck! I went to change out my jewelry and I can't get the ball off now lol! Am I going to have to wear this same nipple ring until I die? Will I have to call the fire department to cut it off? Jokes aside, before I go running to my piercer... any ideas? -Myranda
A: You don’t specify what style of jewelry you are referring to, but it seems safe to assume that you are referring to a straight barbell. (A captive bead ring could be removed by bending the ring. It would likely destroy the jewelry, but at least would be out.) The first thing you should try in this situation is to take a hot shower. This should help remove any possible crustiness that might be keeping the ball end stuck on the barbell. Once out of the shower, make sure you are thoroughly dried and then put on a pair of rubber, vinyl, or nitrile gloves. (The medical kind, not the dishwashing kind!) The gloves will help you get the best possible grip on the ball end. Another thing that might help is, if you happen to have them, using a set of clean forceps or jewelry-sized needle nose pliers to grip the barbell. If you choose to use them, be very careful that you are only gripping the barbell and not skin, and also don’t use maximum force with them lest you accidentally dent or bend the barbell. Once you have a good grip on the barbell and the ball end, twist in opposite directions in a gentle-but-firm manner. (And remember the old adage: righty tighty, lefty loosey.) Any style of jewelry, whether threaded or threadless, should respond to a gentle twist-and-pull. If none of this helps, you may need to visit a professional piercer and have them remove the jewelry. The upside of this is that they can insert new jewelry for you on the spot. You may also want to try reversing the process and trying to remove the opposite ball end. Piercing jewelry is very curious in that it often seems like one ball end is easier to shift than the other one. Best of luck!
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!
