Q:  My top cartilage was pierced many years ago and I gave it a second piercing two days after the first one. Well, the second one got infected and was removed, then it healed. Months later, I tried the second one again but under the first one, it got infected again. So, I gave it more time to heal. I tried a third time. Infection again. So, this January, I finally tried, but closer to my lobes - nothing. Why does my top cartilage refuse two piercings, but I can get my lower cartilage done? -Liz

A: This is a tough question because many people use “infection” and “irritation” interchangeably. Infections generally require antibiotics to clear whereas irritation will resolve itself when the irritant has been removed. If your piercings kept getting infected, one could guess that something (your hair, your earbuds, etc) may have been touching the piercings and introducing bacteria. Or that your aftercare instructions were not correct. If the piercings were irritated, it could have been from sleeping on them or the jewelry used to pierce them. Sorry if this is not an exact answer but hopefully it might give you some idea of what the issue was. Best of luck!

 Q: Way back when, probably 15 years ago, when I got my bellybutton pierced, they put on a full-circle RING, with a ball closure. I cannot find these types of piercings anywhere anymore. I tried finding them on your website with no luck. Am I just missing them on your website? Or do you know where I can find them? Thank you!! -Sue K

A: What you are looking for is called either a “captive bead ring” or a “ball closure ring”. These are sometimes referred to as CBRs and BCRs. They are still a standard item of jewelry and are available pretty much everywhere – Body Candy included (click here to see more) 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!