Circular Barbells

If you’re looking for a versatile piercing, a circular barbell could be just what you’re after. Both ends of the barbell are threaded so both balls can be removed, making it easy to insert into the piercing. These are also commonly known as horseshoe barbells.

Which circular barbell is right for me?

As you’re likely already aware, there are literally thousands of different styles available, ranging from plain and simple surgical steel through to acrylic bars with glow in the dark balls.

The first thing to consider is how recent the piercing is - if it’s a new piercing then ensure you use a high quality smooth metal or if you have an allergy to metal, BioFlex could be the answer.

You may also want to consider where the piercing is located, particularly if you’re looking for a bigger gauge circular barbell. The bigger 316L surgical steel piercings will be heavier and could become uncomfortable for example.

What piercings are circular barbells suitable for?

As noted above, circular barbells are highly versatile. Some of the most common piercings you’ll see them being used in include:

• Septum piercings - becoming ever more common to see horseshoe barbells in these piercings as the shape of the bar makes it easy to insert and hands comfortably from the piercing. These will generally be pierced at 1.2mm (16 gauge).
• Ear piercings - circular barbells are suitable for various types of ear piercing, including (but not limited to), Helix, Tragus and lobe piercings. Again the most common size is 1.2mm (16 gauge), although bigger sizes (wider gauges) are being seen more often nowadays.

We also stock a great range of other universal piercings including Ball Closure Rings, Segment Rings and Barbells.

What’s the best material for circular barbells?

There are a number of different metals and materials which circular barbells come in. Below we’ve summarised the 3 most common along with the pros and cons of each.

316L Surgical Steel Circular Barbells - a great choice if you’re looking for something which is good quality and long lasting but doesn’t have the big price tag. No real disadvantages to this type of barbell - just be mindful if your skin is particularly sensitive to metal piercings.

Titanium Circular Barbells - these will be a little lighter than the 316L Surgical Steel but still offer great quality albeit with a slightly higher price tag. As mentioned above if you are sensitive to metal piercings a solid titanium piercing is likely to minimise any reaction.

BioFlex Circular Barbells - a great choice if you’re on a budget or have a new piercing. BioFlex is much softer and will flex slightly which can help ensure a new piercing heals as quickly as possible. Of course it may not be quite as long lasting as the metal piercings but still a perfectly good option.

Alongside our barbells, we also offer a huge range of other body jewellery including belly bars, segment rings and cartilage piercings.