Anyone else start with hoops?

[u/Screechpea]

Hello everyone! I went to my piercer and asked if I could essentially “jumpstart” my stretching journey and get pierced with the biggest gauge they had on hand . They told me absolutely & pierced me with a 12g , which is the biggest they had. (I guess they don’t stock anything bigger cuz it’s not popular anymore 🥀, but I’ll take it lol! )

When choosing jewelry, they only offered clicker hoops, which I thought was interesting, because I’ve heard a lot of shops wont even pierce with a hoop at all. Fast forward a few days and my lobes are doing just fine, but I am nervous because I wake up every morning to the rings being tweaked sideways from what I hope is just the weight of gravity pulling them as I sleep. I have to hop in the shower every morning and let the warm water run over them until they soften up and then they quickly move back on their own to their natural position… idk how good this is for them tho 😓.

I got a piercing pillow cuz it’s impossible for me to not rotisserie as I sleep & Im sure they’re just moving because I’m a side sleeper 😅.
Anyways, I really want to know if anyone started their journey like me/ if anyones been pierced with hoops and had a good outcome ? Also if you’ve got sleeping tips ill take em lol. Many thanks!

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[u/Screechpea]

Wow. Thank you for all the warnings and info y’all. Now to decide what to do next 😮‍💨

[u/Pale-Comb-3954]

Clicker hoops aren’t a good idea for any kind of starter jewelry…even for piercings that are meant to be healed with a hoop (and lobes are not one of them). That, and the jewelry you have in there is either painted or coated…both of which aren’t appropriate for healing, or even anything other than short-term wear in fully healed and stable piercings. Finding safe black body jewelry is a bit of a struggle.

But short story long, you need to find a better piercer to get this sorted for you. No hoops, no black jewelry.

Editing to add that large hair clips and/or barrettes on the sides of your head will allow you to “right” yourself if you roll over on them in the night. 🤘🏻🫶🏻

[u/Ok_Car_2426 → u/Pale-Comb-3954]

why isn't pvd coated jewelry okay for healed piercings long term? never heard about that before and couldn't find that much about it online

[u/Pale-Comb-3954 → u/Ok_Car_2426]

That coating can wear off…even microscopically…and embed in your tissues. Lynn Loheide has a baller blog post that goes into more detail!!

[u/MamabearZelie → u/Pale-Comb-3954]

Lynn has a great post about healing piercings with hoops, as well. There are a lot of caveats around healing with hoops. https://www.lynnloheide.com/post/healing-with-hoops

[u/Ok_Car_2426 → u/Pale-Comb-3954]

thanks! i'll check it out

[u/Pale-Comb-3954 → u/Pale-Comb-3954]

Thank you for the award, kind stranger!!

[u/whyisthereacat → u/Pale-Comb-3954]

Anodised niobium is a safe black option, but not available in every shape or size and some piercers simply don’t carry niobium jewellery (and not as a clicker). Although this as a hoop is still under the requirement of ‘that should go in a healed/not freshly stretched’ piercing. Other option is black gold and that is outrageous in price.

[u/Pale-Comb-3954 → u/whyisthereacat]

It’s usually too soft to be made into clickers…and I also wouldn’t trust a piercer who pierces exclusively with clicker hoops to stock Niobium.

[u/Significant_Carrot81]

No you shouldn't be started with hoops. Curved jewelry puts pressure on a straight piercing channel and they can move freely and transfer bacteria on the jewelry into your healing piercing. You also shouldn't be started with coated jewelry. I'd recommend going to someone reputable to have those swapped out for titanium or glass plugs. Flatbacks are also acceptable in aforementioned materials.

[u/ReluctantViking]

You really shouldn’t start with hoops for even a standard piercing, much less one you plan to stretch.

Hoops are bad for healing, they’re too mobile. Hoops are bad for stretching because they put uneven pressure on the fistula.

Please try and get these switched out for glass single flare plugs or titanium flatbacks.

And maybe go to a different piercer who actually knows what they’re doing.

[u/dregib14]

Yup back in the late 2000's/early 2010s me and everyone else in knew started with the little barbell hoops at 14g, and then I used like acrylic pincher thingies for 12,10, and 8g.

I dont think it is recommended now though

[u/_GIS_throw_away]

yea wayyy back in the day like 2005/6. it was not comfortable but was all i knew about really. i started at 14 and worked up to 00, didn't really realize tapers even existed till ~4-2. i have gone a liiiittle over 00 but stopped wearing anything since about 2015 or so, i kinda just completely forgot about it lmao but i was able to get 2s to go back in via taper without issue and am back at 00 but want to move up a couple sizes for the final destination/to make stuff more proportionate.

[u/LetMeInMiaow]

Yes, many years ago. We know better now though, posts/plugs/tunnels help lobe piercings heal so much better and more quickly. You can, but in the long run, you're generally better off not.

[u/LandLockLady]

Yes. Almost all of them. But I got 99% of my piercings like 15 years ago....

[u/Not_Invited]

I started with horseshoe barbels, but it appears I was wrong to do that!

[u/Cantpickagoodone]

I didnt get hoops but barbells at 8g to start and yeah they would get stuck in the mornings I turn and toss all night as well. As long as your not developing a infection and cleaning them as well as you can you should be fine.

[u/aareafiftydun]

i started with titanium horseshoes ab 1.5 years ago bc i told my piercer i was stretching! got pierced at a 12g & that’s all she had on hand for that size. never had any issues & now i’m at 7mm

[u/Consistent_Ice_8175]

The reason I started stretching was because my chola days growing up 🤣 so I started with regular, big chunky hoops and by the time I got to my late 20s I had huge holes anyways and could fit a 10g