How to Wear Flat Back Earrings

A regular earring goes in from the front and is held by a butterfly back on a long post. A flat back earring works the other way around. The post, called a labret, goes in from behind your ear, its flat end rests against the back of your ear, and the decorative top attaches to it from the front.

On a push pin flat back, the top has a thin pin that slides into the hollow labret. A slight bend in the pin creates the tension that holds it in place, so there are no tiny threads to line up. Because the back is flat and the post is cut to a set length, there's no sharp end to poke your neck or catch on a pillow, and your stack looks finished from behind as well as in front.

The pieces aren't interchangeable with regular earrings. A flat back top only fits a labret with a matching closure, so to get the comfort of a flat back you need earrings made as flat backs.

Push pin flat backs take a minute the first time and seconds after that. Only change jewelry in a healed piercing; for a fresh one, let your piercer do it. Wash your hands, use a mirror, and work over a clean surface, since a dropped top is hard to find.

1. Insert the labret from the back of your ear, flat end behind, so the open end comes through the front of your piercing.
2. Slide the pin of the earring top halfway into the labret.
3. Gently press the pin against the labret to add a slight bend.
4. Push the pin in fully to secure it.

The bend is what keeps the earring in, so if a top feels loose, take it out and add a little more bend. With very small tops, it helps to steady the labret from behind with one finger while you push from the front.

To take it out, hold both ends and gently pull them apart while twisting the front. Our guide to changing piercing jewelry shows each step, along with how to open threaded flat backs and cartilage hoops.

Yes. Flat backs aren't just for cartilage. They work in any standard lobe piercing, and they're the reason a lot of people finally sleep in their earrings. Standard lobe piercings are 20 gauge (0.8mm), so choose 20g flat backs with a 6mm or 8mm post.

Our Nap Earrings are flat back earrings made for lobes: 20 gauge with a 6mm post, sold in pairs. Many of our single flat back earrings also come in 20g, which is handy for a second or third lobe piercing.

Most cartilage piercings, including the helix, tragus, and conch, are done at 16 gauge (1.2mm). 18 gauge (1.0mm) is common for the forward helix and fits many healed cartilage piercings, especially one that has tightened from wearing thinner jewelry. Wear the gauge you were pierced at so the piercing doesn't shrink or stretch.

Post length matters more with flat backs than with regular earrings, because there's no extra post to take up the slack. A 6mm post suits most healed helix and tragus piercings. An 8mm post leaves room for swelling in a newer piercing and fits thicker cartilage like the conch. The flat back should sit close to your skin without pressing into it.

Our jewelry sizing guide lists the typical gauge and post length for each piercing, and our guides to the tragus, helix, and conch go deeper on each spot.

Yes, that's what they're designed for. With a flat disc behind your ear instead of a butterfly back and a pointed post, there's nothing to dig into your head when you lie on your side. It's why we call our lobe flat backs Nap Earrings. If your piercing is still healing, sleep on the other side until it settles.

Our flat backs are made to stay in through showers and workouts, too. Titanium won't rust or tarnish, solid 14k gold resists tarnish, and the gold color on our titanium is a titanium nitride PVD finish, which holds up better than traditional gold plating.

Staying in doesn't mean never coming out. Once your piercing has fully healed, take them out about once a week to clean off the buildup that collects on any earring: soak them in warm, soapy water for a few minutes, wipe them with a soft cloth, rinse, and dry them with a clean towel. While a piercing is still healing, leave the jewelry in and follow your piercer's aftercare instructions.

Flat backs are a common choice for new ear piercings, because the flat disc doesn't press into healing tissue and the post can be sized to the piercing. The metal matters most. For a fresh piercing, piercers look for uncoated implant-grade metal or solid gold, so our solid 14k gold flat backs for new piercings are the place to start: internally threaded, solid gold, and never plated.

If you'd like to be pierced with your own jewelry, ask your piercer ahead of time. Many studios will sterilize and use jewelry you bring; some only pierce with their own.

Our titanium flat backs are medical-grade (ASTM F-136) titanium with a PVD finish, so they're made for healed piercings, and the minute yours has healed, they're here for you. Our guide to the best earrings for new piercings has more on choosing starter jewelry.