What's the next gauge size up if you are at an 18 gauge??

Question

My sister got her belly button pierced about a year ago.... and she wants to go to the next gauge size up.... She was told that the next gauge size is a 14.... I was told it is a 16.... So.... My question is.... what is the next gauge size up if you are at an 18 gauge??

Answer 1

Size 16 is next larger Gauge in diameter than 18 Gauge; however, 14 may be the next larger Gauge carried and the most practical.

The size of a wire is the measure of its diameter. For convenience, the different wires are numbered in order of decreasing size, the number being known as the Gauge, or gage; the higher the gauge the smaller the diameter.

Increasing gauge numbers give decreasing wire diameters, which is similar to many other non-metric gauging systems. This seemingly-counterintuitive numbering is derived from the fact that the gauge number is related to the number of drawing operations that must be used to produce a given gauge of wire; very fine wire (for example, 30 gauge) requires far more passes through the drawing dies than does 0 gauge wire.

Note that for gauges 5 through about 14, the wire gauge is effectively the number of bare solid wires that, when placed side by side, span 1 inch. That is, 8 gauge is about 1/8" in diameter.

Answer 2

It is 16

Answer 3

16, then 14, then 12, then 10, and so on. But 16 is definitely next. Although she might want to go ahead and go with a 14, since it is the standard belly piercing size. It doesn't hurt.

Answer 4

Wire gauge's usually go in 2-number gaps. The next one BIGGER than 18 gauge is 16 gauge, and the next one THINNER than 18 gauge is 20 gauge.

Answer 5

it is 16

Answer 6

16...assuming you want to go bigger, right? I don't know what kind of piercer would start a belly button piercing with an 18...standard is fourteen, I believe.