Internally Threaded Body Jewelry: Labrets, Flat Backs & Belly Rings

The thread is on the inside, so the post is smooth: that one detail is why piercers put internally threaded jewelry in new piercings and why it feels better going in every time after. This page gathers every internally threaded piece in the store: 16G labret, Monroe and tragus studs, flat back earrings, 14G belly rings, nipple barbells and industrial bars, in 316L surgical steel, implant-grade titanium and solid 14k gold, with opal, CZ and licensed Playboy tops. Since 1999.

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Internal vs. External Threading, and How to Size It

The difference: on an externally threaded barbell the threads sit on the tip of the post and the ball screws over them, so those ridges scrape through the piercing on the way in and out. On an internally threaded piece the post is tapped and the top carries a tiny threaded pin that screws into it; the post itself is smooth end to end. That makes it the standard for initial and still-settling piercings and the better choice for the tongue and lip, where exposed threads collect buildup. Industry practice keeps internally threaded posts at 18G and thicker so the tapped post stays strong, which is why this page is 16G and 14G jewelry; 18G and 20G nostril and lobe pieces use the threadless system instead.

Sizing and fit: match the gauge and length you wear now, 16G labrets and flat backs in 1/4 or 5/16 inch, 14G belly rings in 3/8 inch, 14G nipple barbells in 9/16 inch, industrials at 1 1/2 inch. Internal and external threads never interchange, and the pitch changes with gauge, so tops only swap between internally threaded posts of the same gauge. Seat a top with a gentle quarter turn past snug and no more; a fine internal thread strips more easily than an external one if you force it. Check tops weekly.

Metal: most of this page is 316L surgical steel, the everyday standard with a trace of nickel locked in the alloy; implant-grade and Grade 23 titanium pieces are the nickel-free lane and say so in the title; solid 14k gold belly rings and tongue bars are made to order and priced as gold. Gold-tone, rosy-hue and black are PVD finishes, named in the title. Buy-one-get-two offers apply here as everywhere, except to 14k gold.

Internally threaded by piercing, and the other smooth-post system:

FAQ

The thread is cut inside the post instead of on the outside of it. The ball or gem top carries a tiny threaded pin that screws into the post, so the bar that passes through your piercing is completely smooth from end to end. On an externally threaded piece the threads sit on the tip of the post and the ball screws over them, which means those ridges drag through the channel every time you put the jewelry in or take it out. Internal threading costs more to make, which is why it is the mark of better-quality body jewelry.

Because the smooth post slides through tissue without scraping, it is the standard for new piercings and for anything still settling, and it is the better choice for tongue and lip piercings, where exposed threads collect buildup. Industry practice keeps internally threaded posts at 18 gauge and thicker so the tapped post stays strong, which is why nearly everything on this page is 16G or 14G; thinner nostril and lobe jewelry uses the threadless system instead.

Only other internally threaded posts of the same gauge. Internal and external threading do not interchange at all, and thread pitch changes with gauge, so a 16G top will not seat on a 14G post. Threadless tops are a third system again and press in rather than screw. Our internally threaded tops and posts are made to fit each other; when you mix brands, test the fit gently before you wear it, and never force a thread that resists.

Mostly 16G labret, Monroe and tragus studs and flat back earrings for the lip and the ear cartilage, then 14G belly rings, nipple barbells, industrial barbells and a few curved eyebrow rings and bridge bars. You will see almost no nostril jewelry here: nose studs run 18G and 20G, below the gauge where internal threading is practical, so that lane belongs to the threadless page.

Most of the page is 316L surgical steel, the everyday standard that holds a trace of nickel locked inside the alloy, so it is not nickel-free. Implant-grade and Grade 23 titanium pieces are the nickel-free lane and say so in the title. Solid 14k gold belly rings and tongue barbells are gold all the way through, made to order and priced as gold. Gold-tone, rosy-hue and black finishes are PVD coatings over steel or titanium, and the title names them.

Match the gauge and length of the piece you wear now: 16G labrets and flat backs in 1/4 or 5/16 inch, 14G belly rings in 3/8 inch, 14G nipple barbells in 9/16 inch, 14G industrials at 1 1/2 inch. Screw the top in until it stops and add a gentle quarter turn, no more; the finer internal thread strips more easily than an external one if you crank it. Check tops weekly, dry the threads before reseating, and keep a spare from the Replacement Balls and Parts page.