How do you guys decide which gauge size you want when getting a new piercing? Ehh I know the obvious answer depends on personal opinion of how you want the jewelry to look on yourself. But I'm talking more about an average/minimum size dealing with safety/healing, not aesthetics.

Also I'm planning to get my nose (regular nostril) pierced. It seems typical for girls to get 18g-20g.. I'm having trouble choosing, I kind of wanted to have it done at a bigger size. But I'm going to pierce my nose twice eventually (same side) is 18g recommended so there'll be enough space? And if I do both of them at 16g or bigger would it be really hard to find jewelry, because looking on BAF it's mostly 18g screws :<

For the future I'm thinking about cheek, Medusa, bridge, tongue, smiley, and tragus (for sure), Anyone know the average gauge those are pierced at? :O ..Omg seems like a lot *nervous laugh*.

For most piercings, my piercer picks the size. They have experience in what will and won't work and what will fit and work with my anatomy, so I talk about it with them, and ultimately, it's their word over mine anyway.

 But choose the good piercer, cause I did't and got my helix piercing 2 gauge too big. Results: it never healed and I can't pierce this part of the ear anymore (no industrials, no conch).

 (I'd say, choose the smaller you want and try to stretch it a little later. That's what I do, even if it's not the better way)

I'd also suggest getting your nostril done at the "standard" 20g-18g. You can always stretch!

As far as other piercings, anatomy really does matter. Ask your piercer and s/he'll give you his/her opinion! I think that generally the most common sizes to get pierced at would be 16g-14g-12g for oral piercings. I had my snakebites (RIP) done at 16g.

On BME galleries, the most common size for a smiley seems to be 16g.

Everyone I know who has gotten his/her tongue pierced: 14g.

I had my tongue pierced at 12, my helices, conch and industrial at 14 and daiths at 16.

Most oral piercings seem to be 14, as are most bridges I've seen.

Nostril jewelry is a lot easier to get in the average sizes, so I went with 18 for my nostril, but have 20 in there now.

I had my tongue done at 14, can't remember what my naval was, my industrial is a 14, and both nostrils are 18. I like 18g for my nose because I find more jewelry I like in that size.

Hmm I guess I will go with 18g for my nose then, to keep my jewelry options open. Thanks guys, I'll just have to try and question my piercer more about what he recommends is best next time.

i would do 18g, because then you can wear neometal labret posts in there. i did screws in mine for 5 years until i found the neometals and OMG!! i would never go back. well if i hadn't have gone to 8g ;)

I wear the neometal labret in my one nostril (a hoop in the other) and I will never ever go back to anything else.

While I love the idea of Neometal, it doesn't work out for me...I do however LOVE glass in my nose. I wear white glass GG screws in mine and they're very subtle and comfy...tho I do wish I'd gotten them done at 16g instead of 18g. I tend to the larger "normal" size for most of my piercings. I don't generally like the way small gauge jewelry looks, both aesthetically and safety-wise. Seeing ears, lips and septums especially in little gauges always make me think of them cheese cuttering thru tissue. Also, while it is possible to stretch nostrils, it is still cartilage and doesn't stretch as easily as softer tissue. If you decide you don't like the 18g, you'd be stuck there for a year before you could really do anything about it, whereas if you get them done at 16g they would tighten up pretty quickly once you were able to change jewelry if you decided it was too big.