What to do if you lose an earring backing? Hey, I’m Molly. If you lose your earring backing all the time, this article is for you. If you notice that your earrings fall forward a lot, this article is for you. If you can relate to anything that I just mentioned, it could be because of the type of earring backing that you are wearing. How to choose the right types of earrings backs? Keep on reading because we’re going to be talking about all the different types of earring backings out there and which one may better suit you.
Table of Contents
The following are 5 different types of earrings backs
Butterfly Backing
The first on the earring backing types list is just your traditional butterfly backing. They come in various metal types, and they also come in different sizes. There are smaller ones and larger ones. Keep in mind that gold and silver are not interchangeable, and this is because sterling silver typically has a thicker post than a gold post.
Bubble Backing
The next on the types of earrings backs list is a bubble backing, also known as a silicone backing. These are probably the most popular earring backings. I believe these are like the new universal earring backings. These have a butterfly backing inside the silicone, so that way it kind of makes it easier to support, but it still has the silicone to give you that comfort.
The reason why they started using silicone backings is that people tend to put on their earring backings too tight. With your regular metal earring backings like butterfly backings, people put them on too tight, and then the skin can grow around them, and then they get embedded in the ears.
So, with the silicone backing, that doesn’t happen, at least I have never seen a silicone backing get embedded in someone’s ear.
Now, I do know from selling these earring backings for many years that people have a love-hate relationship with these silicone backings. Well, people either love them or hate them.
Some people tend to love them because they are more comfortable to sleep in. You don’t have that metal right in the back of your ear and in the back here. Now, some people do say that they are more comfortable.
Other people, on the other hand, find that they lose them very easily, and that is my case. So, my ears produce a weird oily substance when I wear these bearing backings, and that oily substance makes the backings just slide off so much easier than regular backing. Like, I can feel this backing right now, like how oily it is. They become very slippery, and I lose them all the time.
Something else that a lot of people say about them is that they turn yellow after a while, and that’s because they’re silicone. They’re plastic. Plastic does tend to discolor after so many years, but they do have a gold backing inside of them.
So, just keep that in mind. Oh, and you can’t take the silicone off of these; it does not work.
Safety Back
The next earring back type I’m going to be talking about is a safety back. Safety backs can be bought separately, but they are traditionally sold on piercing earrings.
The reason for this is that if you’re pierced with a piercing gun, that actual earring is what pierces you. Therefore, the piercing earring is very sharp, and they put the rounded backing on there so that it doesn’t poke you in the back of your neck while you’re sleeping. These are also harder to remove; I mean, they’re not impossible to remove. You can still get them off.
These can also go on other earrings, but they don’t lock as well as they do on piercing earrings. This is because piercing earrings tend to have a groove at the end, which helps them stay on piercing earrings.
Now, there are two reasons why you might want to put these on a regular earring. For one, if it’s a child who tends to lose her earrings, or number two, if you don’t want your earring backing right against your ear. As I mentioned with silicone backings, my ears produce that weird oily substance, and it’s usually because that earring backing is right against my ear. My ear can’t breathe when I wear hoops; this does not happen.
But when I wear the silicone backings that go right against your ear, that happens. So, with a safety backing, that backing stays on the edge of the earring. This will also help if backings make your ears itch a lot; you won’t have an earring backing right against your ear.
Screw Backs
Screw backs: These have a thread on the earrings, so they don’t come off as easily. They are common with diamond earrings and children’s earrings. The posts on diamond earrings do tend to be thicker, and this is so that they can hold the weight of the diamond and also so that they don’t bend easily.
Now, because they are thicker, you’re going to need a specific screw back, and these tend to be a little bit more expensive. Don’t be surprised if you pay more than $35 for this type of earring backing, especially if it’s in gold. You do have to be careful to make sure that you get the right one.
Because if you don’t, and the hole on the backing is too small, then you can strip and remove the threading off of the post, and then they won’t screw anymore. So be careful with that when you are getting Diamond backings.
As far as children’s earrings, sometimes they just make regular butterfly back screw backs, and sometimes they have silicone on them, and they screw wrong. So just remember with these: righty-tighty, lefty-loosey. That is how you remove them.
Disc Backings and Clutch Backings
Next, we have comfort backs or disc backings, and clutch backings. These types of earrings backs are really good if you have heavy earrings or your earrings tend to fall forward a lot. These earring backings help because the disc is larger on the backing, so it can support a slightly heavier earring.
Or if you have a slight tear in your ear from wearing heavy earrings when you were younger, these backings will also be good for you. If you have a big tear, it’s not going to help as much.
Now, some people actually take the disc off and just use the metal backing. I personally don’t like those types of earrings backs because I have seen so many of them get embedded in people’s ears from them putting them on so tightly.
I’ll never forget seeing a guy with an earring fully embedded in his ear; it was unsettling. Worse, he had added a plastic backing on top, making it double-backed. I’ve seen these rear backings get stuck on earrings because they tend to melt on, requiring cutting. By the way, you don’t need two types of earrings backs; those clear ones are meant for fish hooks or specific hoops to stay secure and inconspicuous.
Conclusion On Types of Earrings Backs
What are your favorite types of earrings backs? If you guys learned something new, please share this article with your friend. Hope this article about types of earrings backs may help you.