Getting a helix piercing — or already have one and looking for new jewelry? Understanding gauge sizes is the first step to finding earrings that actually fit.
What Is a Piercing Gauge?
Gauge refers to the thickness of the jewelry post that goes through your piercing. Confusingly, lower gauge numbers = thicker posts. The most common gauges for ear piercings are 20G, 18G, and 16G.
What Gauge Are Helix Piercings?
Most professional piercers use 16G (1.2mm) for helix piercings — this is the standard gauge. Some piercers use 18G (1.0mm), particularly for smaller or more delicate placements.
| Gauge | Thickness | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| 20G | 0.8mm | Nose, some lobe piercings |
| 18G | 1.0mm | Lobe, some helix piercings |
| 16G | 1.2mm | Standard helix, tragus, cartilage |
| 14G | 1.6mm | Industrial, navel |
What Size Hoop Fits a Helix Piercing?
For helix hoops, the most popular sizes are 8mm and 10mm. The 8mm sits closest to the ear for a minimal huggie look — perfect for helix and tragus. The 10mm works well for lobes and some helix placements where you want slightly more visibility.
Our Halo huggie hoops are available in 8mm, 10mm, and 12mm — all with an implant grade titanium post that fits standard helix piercing gauges.
What Material Should Helix Jewelry Be?
For helix piercings — especially healing ones — implant grade titanium (ASTM F136) is the only recommended material. Cartilage piercings take 6-12 months to heal and are more prone to irritation than lobe piercings. Using anything other than implant grade material during healing significantly increases the risk of complications.
Never use surgical steel, sterling silver, or gold-plated jewelry in a healing helix piercing.
Standard Gauge for Tragus Piercing
The standard gauge for tragus piercings is also 16G (1.2mm), the same as helix. An 8mm huggie hoop or flat back stud is the most popular jewelry style for tragus piercings.
👉 Shop the Halo — implant grade titanium huggie hoops for helix piercings in 8mm, 10mm & 12mm
