Internally threaded jewelry has its screw threads hidden inside a smooth, bead-free post, so nothing but polished metal ever touches your piercing. Externally threaded jewelry puts the screw threads on the outside of the post itself, meaning the sharp-edged threading drags through your piercing channel every time you insert or remove it. For a fresh piercing, that difference is the single biggest factor in whether changing your jewelry feels effortless or tears healing tissue.
In this article
- What does "threaded" mean on body jewelry?
- What's the actual difference between internal and external threading?
- Why does this matter for a healing piercing?
- Which piercings actually use threaded jewelry?
- How do I tell which kind I have?
- FAQ
What does "threaded" mean on body jewelry?
Most flat back studs, labrets, and straight or curved barbells come in two pieces: a post that goes through your skin, and a decorative end (a ball, a gem, or a flat disc) that screws onto it so you can take the jewelry apart. "Threading" just refers to how those two pieces connect, the same way a screw and a nut connect. Where that threading physically sits on the post is what separates internally threaded jewelry from externally threaded jewelry, and it's not a cosmetic detail. It's a structural one.
What's the actual difference between internal and external threading?
On internally threaded jewelry, the threads are cut into the inside of the post, and the decorative end has a tiny threaded pin that screws into that cavity. The part of the post that actually passes through your skin stays completely smooth from end to end. On externally threaded jewelry, it's reversed: the threads are cut directly into the outside of the post, and the decorative end screws over them. That means the threaded section of the post itself has to pass through your piercing on every insertion.
A Kentucky Department for Public Health body art fact sheet lays out the practical rule regulators actually use: only internally threaded or threadless (push-pin) jewelry is approved for a fresh piercing, while externally threaded jewelry is restricted to already-healed piercings. That's a meaningful detail. This isn't a Zahav preference, it's the standard public health inspectors check for.
Solid 14K gold with a smooth, threading-free post. The threads live entirely inside the removable top.
Why does this matter for a healing piercing?
A fresh piercing channel is raw tissue, not unlike a healing cut. Every time externally threaded jewelry goes in or comes out, the exposed threads on the post scrape against that tissue, the same way dragging a screw through soft material leaves a ragged edge instead of a clean one. Internally threaded jewelry never does this, because the post itself is smooth all the way through. The only threading involved sits on the tiny pin inside the removable end, which never touches your skin at all.
This is why piercers overwhelmingly prefer internally threaded or threadless jewelry for initial piercings, and why so many studios simply won't insert externally threaded jewelry into something that hasn't fully healed yet. It's also why changing internally threaded jewelry mid-healing, something APP generally still advises against doing too early regardless of thread type, is far less risky if you do need to.
Which piercings actually use threaded jewelry?
Threading only applies to jewelry built from a separate post and a separate decorative end, which covers most flat back studs, labrets, and straight or curved barbells (think belly rings and some eyebrow jewelry). It doesn't apply to everything, though. Captive bead rings and seamless hoops don't have removable ends to thread. Nose L-pins and nose bones are a single solid piece with no connection point at all. Hinged clickers close with a latch, not a screw. If a style doesn't come apart into two pieces, the internal-versus-external threading question simply doesn't apply to it, which is worth knowing before you assume every piece of jewelry you own needs checking.
Internally threaded flat back built for cartilage, with the same smooth-post construction throughout.
If you're not sure yet which placement you're even considering, our ear piercing placement guide and complete healing time chart are good starting points before you shop for jewelry at all.
How do I tell which kind of threading my jewelry has?
Look at the post itself, not the decorative end. Unscrew the top and run a fingernail along the bar that was inside your skin. If it's completely smooth, it's internally threaded (or threadless, which has no threading on either piece). If you can feel ridges or a visible spiral along that bar, it's externally threaded, and it should only go into a fully healed piercing, never a fresh one. When in doubt, ask your piercer to check it for you before you insert anything new.
Frequently asked questions
Is externally threaded jewelry unsafe?
Not for a healed piercing. The concern is specifically about inserting it into fresh, unhealed tissue, where the exposed threads can scrape the piercing channel. Once a piercing is fully healed, the risk drops significantly, though internally threaded jewelry is still gentler on insertion either way.
How can I tell if jewelry is internally or externally threaded before I buy it?
Check the listing description. Reputable sellers state it directly, usually as "internally threaded," "externally threaded," or "threadless/push-pin." If a listing doesn't say, that's worth asking about before you buy, especially for a first piece of jewelry in a new piercing.
Does threadless jewelry count as internally threaded?
Not technically, but it's treated the same way for safety purposes. Threadless jewelry uses a smooth pin and a friction-fit coupling instead of any screw threads at all, so the post stays just as smooth as an internally threaded one.
Can I switch from externally threaded to internally threaded jewelry mid-healing?
Yes, and it's generally a safe upgrade at any point in healing, since you're only improving on what was already there. Just avoid unnecessary jewelry changes of any kind during the first weeks, since reinsertion itself carries some risk regardless of thread type.
Why is externally threaded jewelry still so common if it's not ideal for fresh piercings?
It's cheaper to manufacture, since cutting threads into the outside of a post is a simpler process than threading the inside. That cost difference is exactly why it's worth checking before you buy, rather than assuming every stud or barbell on the market meets the same standard.
Every Zahav flat back is internally threaded, always.
Solid 10K, 14K, or 18K gold, with a smooth post from end to end. No exposed threading, no shortcuts.
Shop Solid Gold Jewelry →Solid gold, always. Made in New York.