Hoop Size Guide & How To Measure Your Piercings

Hoop Sizes By Placement

These sizes are a guide only, as there can be individual differences depending on your ear anatomy

How To Measure Your Piercings

These sizes are a guide only, as there can be individual differences depending on your ear anatomy

Measure a hoop you already own

If you own a hoop that fits you well, this is the easiest and most reliable way to find your size.

1.      Lay the hoop flat on a table with the clasp closed.  Line the zero on your ruler up with the inside edge of the hoop, not the outside.

3.     Measure straight across the widest part of the circle from inside edge to inside edge on the other side.

4.     Read the number in millimetres, and that's your inner diameter.

Measure your piercing

No hoop to measure? You can work out a starting size from how you'd like the hoop to sit. This is for healed piercings only, so if yours is still healing, leave it alone for now.

1.      Stand in front of a mirror and take your earring out. Hold a ruler against your ear from the piercing down to the edge of the ear and make a note of that measurement. That's the minimum inner diameter you want to wear.

4.     Decide how you want the hoop to hang. (particularly if it is a helix piercing) A snug fit sits close to the ear and a looser fit swings lower. Or for the helix piercing it is about whether you want it hugging the cartilage horizontally or hanging down vertically, the two measurements will be a lot different.

5.     For a looser fit, pick an inner diameter a few millimetres bigger than that distance. For a snug fit, pick one close to it.

Ears vary a lot, so treat this as a starting point. If you land between two sizes, I'd go for the bigger one, since a hoop that's too small can pinch.

FAQs

Is hoop size the inner or outer diameter? Inner, always: it's the space across the inside of the circle.

What if I'm between two sizes? Go bigger for comfort or smaller for a snugger look, whichever suits you, but a tight hoop that alters the cartilage silhouette is not a good look.

Can I measure over a new piercing? Wait until it's fully healed, as swelling will throw your measurement off. Your piercer is the best person to advise on what to wear while it heals.

Will a bigger hoop look different on me? It will. Larger hoops hang lower and show more of the circle, while smaller ones sit tight to the ear.