For quite a number of years now, I've been using a customized jewelry style for Prince Albert piercings that is fantastic for healing! I call it a "C-bar" and I create it by taking a circular barbell that would be too small, and widening it out using ring opening pliers.
Advantages to this style include greater comfort and less trauma, since the jewelry doesn't stick out as far from the body as a ring would, including a captive bead ring, or a regular circular barbell. (Those are both common styles used by other piercers for initial jewelry in the PA piercing.)
The C-bar style is much easier to wear a condom over, since it is lower profile to the body. And wearing condoms is required for sexual activities (including fellatio) throughout the initial healing of 6-8 weeks or so--even with a committed, healthy partner.
A curved bar is sometimes used for initial jewelry in the PA, but extra length required to accommodate the erect size does not rest very gracefully. It will either hang out the front of the penis, or out the bottom, where the piercing is made, and the ball at the tip will rest against the urethral opening. Whereas, with the C-bar, the extra space on the jewelry frames the area more comfortably.
Additionally, I further customize the jewelry by selecting ball sizes to suit individual anatomy. For example, a man with a large urinary meatus (urethral opening) might find that a small ball on that end of the jewelry slips inside. I can place a larger ball at the tip, and one that is more moderately sized near the piercing. Note in the photo that this gentleman has a larger ball at the tip (5/16"), and a smaller one (1/4") on the other end.
I have also started to use this style for reverse Prince Albert piercings with great success.
Yet another advantage is that in-between sizes are possible for a truly custom fit. Captive rings come in set diameters with common increments of 5/8", 3/4", 7/8". But this jewelry can be adjusted to any size, allowing for a better fit. Further, even while the piercing is healing, with the right tools the diameter can easily be adjusted to be larger or smaller. Every piercer should have the tools on hand as standard equipment to adjust jewelry: ring opening pliers, and ring closing pliers.
The ring opening pliers pictured below are used to spread the ring wider.
The ring closing pliers below can be used to "shrink" the diameter of the jewelry if desired.
I've received a tremendous amount of positive feedback about the C-bar for healing of Prince Albert and reverse Prince Albert piercings!
Of course, this style can be worn for the life of the piercing, as well. It isn't required that it be changed after healing. That will be up to the individual wearer. I've been able to adjust jewelry in this style up through 8 gauge (though 10 is the largest and most common size I use for the initial piercing). Larger than that, the metal may be too hard to bend open.
