How to Change Your Piercing Jewelry (and why it's different from normal jewelry) 💫
A handy little guide all about piercing jewelry and how to change out your flat back earrings and cartilage hoops 🥰
Now that your piercing has healed, it's time to play! You can change out your starter earrings for new flat back studs, cartilage hoops and huggies. #letsearparty
You've been asking us all of the right questions - how do I change out my piercing jewelry? What's the difference between a clicker hoop and a seamless hoop? Do I want push pin flat back earrings or threaded flat back earrings? And what's the difference between piercing jewelry and the rest of the jewelry on the site? Happy to break it all down for you - here's what you need to know:
What do I need to know about piercing jewelry?
Piercing jewelry is different from normal jewelry - it's designed to be implant grade (so as to not irritate healing piercings), it's made of different materials, and it also is constructed differently and has different sizing. Here are the key things you need to know:
✨ Good quality piercing jewelry is made of implant grade materials - solid 14k gold, implant grade titanium, and special kinds of surgical steel. At Maison Miru, we have solid 14k gold and implant grade titanium piercing jewelry - safe for your piercings and sensitive skin.
✨ Stud style earrings that are made for piercings don't have the traditional butterfly backing: instead, they have a flat back post that's called a labret.
✨ Labret backings come in different sizes so they can fit your personal anatomy. The two size dimensions you'll need to know are gauge (the thickness of the post) and length (exactly what it sounds like - the length of the post). Learn more about what size jewelry you need in our guide to jewelry sizing.
✨ There are two types of labret backings: push pin (aka press fit) style and threaded (aka screw) style. Push pin labret backings have a hollow tube where you can insert the front piece of your jewelry (which has a push pin type piece attached to it). Threaded or screw style labret backings have a threading inside so that you can screw in the front piece of your jewelry.
✨ There are two main types of cartilage hoops, which are designed to have smooth ends to not irritate your piercing. Seamless hoops are just that - hoops that you twist open and closed (best for leaving in 24/7). Clicker style cartilage hoops have a subtle hinge and closure that clicks in and out.
✨ Thinking of getting another piercing? Learn more about all of your different cartilage piercing options - from the daith to the helix to the tragus - in our ultimate guide to cartilage piercings.
Push Pin flat back earrings have a top with a super thin, bendable post that you insert into the labret backing. The post should be bent - this is how the front piece secures into the backing. If the post is not bent, your stud earring will fall out of its backing.
✨ To insert your push pin earring, first insert the labret backing from the back of your ear.
✨ Insert the pin halfway into the labret backing, then slightly bend the pin by gently pushing it against the backing. The more you bend the pin, the tighter the earring will stay in.
✨ Fully push the pin into the labret backing to secure it.
✨ To remove your push pin flat back, gently pull both ends of the earring in opposite directions, twisting the front of the earring as you pull.
✨ Learn more about push pin flat backs vs. threaded screw flat backs here.
Shop Push Pin Flat Back Earrings
Threaded screw flat back earrings have a top with a screw attached to the bottom. This screw secures to the threaded labret backing for an extra secure fit. Make sure that your earrings are screwed in all the way, and know that they may loosen as you wear them (especially while sleeping or if you touch your earrings). This is completely normal: just tighten them every few days or so to make sure they stay in securely.
✨ First, remove the front piece from the back. Twist the front piece out gently to unscrew it while holding the back piece. These earrings are small - so it might be a little tricky to unscrew, especially on tiny styles like the Tiny Trinity - that's normal.
✨ To insert your threaded screw earring, first insert the labret backing from the back of your ear.
✨ From the front of your ear, start to insert the front piece into the labret backing. Make sure that the threading is aligned to the post before you tighten - if it's not, you may strip the threading.
✨ Rotate the front piece (while holding the back piece) to tighten and secure your jewelry.
✨ To remove your threaded flat back, hold both the front and back of the earring and unscrew the top by rotating it.
✨ Learn more about push pin flat backs vs. threaded screw flat backs here.
Shop Threaded Flat Back EarringsOur clicker style cartilage hoops feature a hinge and closure that clicks in and out. You might need to look closely to find the hinge and closure.
✨ To open your clicker cartilage hoop, find the closure point, then gently click the hinged segment of the hoop out, away from the earring.
✨ Insert the cartilage hoop into your piercing, and then click the hinged portion closed.
Shop Cartilage Hoops
Our seamless hoops are designed to be dainty, sleek and simple - and are perfect for leaving in 24/7. We make our seamless hoops in solid 14k gold for quality, and they're great in helix, tragus and other cartilage piercings. They can also be worn as nose rings and lip rings.
✨ To open your seamless hoop and insert it into your piercing, gently twist the ends away from each other instead of pulling them apart. When you open the earring, it should look like a spiral.
✨ Once you have your hoop inserted, twist the hoop back into place to realign it.
✨ It is very important to not pull the ends apart in order to maintain the shape of your new seamless hoop. Pulling the ends apart will bend it out of shape, and once bent out of shape, it is very difficult to re-shape it.
Shop Seamless HoopsNeed some help with sizing? We have a guide for sizing for all of your piercings. We also have recommendations for starter earrings for brand new piercings. If there's anything we can help with, message us anytime at hello@maisonmiru.com.
👇 Shop our whole collection of piercing jewelry 👇
Word on the Street 💬
“This ring is the perfect dainty ring for your cartilage. Once it’s in and closed you can’t see the clasp so it always looks perfect. The clasp holds well and hasn’t opened on me unless I’ve opened it. It’s also so comfortable I forget I’m wearing it.”
Meghan W.
Classic Cartilage Hoop
"I've been searching for this type of earring forever! I have 8 piercings...[so] I need earrings that can stay in for long periods of time because there's no way I'm taking all those in and out every day, I need light enough jewelry as to not weigh down my lobes, and I need smooth edges so when I'm laying down, things don't pinch. The flat back earrings hit all those points! I hate how messy traditional earring backs look and the flat back earrings are so elegant they could be worn both directions honestly."
Tory H.
Little Sphere Push Pin Flat Back Earring
"This fits my Tragus piercing perfectly. The shipping was quick and efficient. I had an issue with the post office unrelated to Maison Miru and the customer service from Maison Miru was top notch in helping me. Highly recommend buying this earring and from this company. Will be purchasing more!"
Chelsea
Pave Moon Threaded Flat Back Earring
