If you only learn one specification before buying piercing jewellery, make it this one.
Internally threaded jewellery has a smooth bar with a small threaded hole, into which a tiny screw on the decorative top is fitted. Externally threaded jewellery has the screw threads cut into the bar itself, which is then forced through the piercing channel. Internally threaded is the professional standard because it does not drag thread grooves through your wound.
The Difference, Visualised
Imagine threading a screw through your earlobe. Now imagine pulling that same screw back out. That is what externally threaded jewellery does to your piercing every time you change tops. The spiral grooves on the bar drag through the soft tissue inside the channel, scraping cells, causing micro-trauma, and slowing healing.
Internally threaded jewellery solves this by reversing the geometry. The bar is perfectly smooth. The threads are inside the bar, in a small recessed hole at one end. The decorative top has a tiny pin with the threads on it, which screws into the bar.
Threading types comparison
| Type | Bar surface | Safe for fresh piercings | Common in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internally threaded | Smooth | Yes (professional standard) | High-end piercing studios |
| Externally threaded | Threaded | No — drags through tissue | Cheap online jewellery |
| Threadless (press-fit) | Smooth (hollow bar) | Yes (professional standard) | Modern piercing studios |
Why It Matters During Healing
• Removing the top to clean the piercing pulls threads through tissue
• Changing decoration tops causes repeated micro-trauma
• Inserting jewellery for the first time often catches and tears
• Bumps, prolonged inflammation and slow healing are far more common
Why Externally Threaded Jewellery Still Exists
Two reasons: cost and history. External threading is much cheaper and easier to manufacture. The Association of Professional Piercers has been clear for two decades that internally threaded or threadless designs should be the standard for fresh piercings, and the European piercing industry has largely followed.
Internally Threaded vs Threadless
Internally Threaded
Smooth bar with a threaded recess. Tops screw in. Reliable, classic, available in every imaginable design.
Threadless (Press-Fit)
Smooth bar with a small hole. Tops have a slightly bent pin that pushes into the bar and holds by friction.
Read more: Threadless Piercing Jewellery Explained
How to Identify Each Type on a Product Page
• "Internally threaded" — the smooth-bar professional standard
• "Threadless" or "press-fit" — the friction-fit alternative
• "Externally threaded" — avoid for fresh or healing piercings
What About Captive Bead Rings and Clickers?
• Captive bead rings (CBR) hold a small bead in place by tension between the ring's open ends.
• Clicker rings use a hinge that snaps shut.
Both bypass the threading question entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I tell internal vs external threading from a photo?
Sometimes. If the bar shows visible spiral grooves running along its length, it is externally threaded. If the bar looks perfectly smooth and only the tiny pin on the top has threads, it is internally threaded.
Are internally threaded pieces always better quality?
They generally are, because the manufacturing precision required is higher. Internally threaded jewellery is also far more likely to be made of implant-grade titanium and to follow other professional standards.
Do internally and externally threaded tops fit the same bars?
No. They are not interchangeable. Within internal threading, gauge size matters too — common sizes are 14G, 16G and 18G threading, and they do not cross-fit.
Is threadless safe for fresh piercings?
Yes. The smooth bar means the same minimal channel disturbance as internal threading.
Shop Internally Threaded Titanium
• All Internally Threaded Tops
• Labrets
• Barbells