How to Properly Stretch You Ears
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Ear Gauging
Currently, it's trendy for younger people to have their ear pierced. Well, currently, it's trendy for anyone to have their ears pierced. But, what's more popular in the younger generation is to have a thicker sized earring due to stretching.
Even if you have a piercing that was pierced to a standard size, generally 20 gauge, 18 gauge, and 16 gauge, you can still stretch your ears to a larger size.
It takes time to stretch your ear piercings, as you will want to give your ear time to relax after stretching. Stretching too quickly can cause other concerns (that will be discussed later).
Piercing Gauges
Most people's ear lobes are pierced with a 20, 18, or 16 gauge needle, all depending on where you go to get your piercing, as the mall, for instnace, pierces with piercing guns, the gauge of the piercing will be the gauge of the stud that you choose to start off with.
Common gauge sizes are named in even numbers down to 00, with the size of the gauge increasing as the number decreases. For example, a 10 gauge piercing is smaller than a 2 gauge piercing.
For larger sizes above 00, the gauges are represented by fractions.
Ear Gauge Size Chart
Once I stretch my ears, will they shrink back?
When stretching a piercing, the odds are not in your favor that it will shrink back to normal size. So, when you decide to stretch, be sure that you are prepared to handle a permanent stretch.
But, it is not impossible for a stretched piercings to return to a norma size. However, it will depend on a few factors:
- Size of Stretch: The larger you go, the less likely it will go back to its original size. Generally, 0 gauge has been coined "the point of no return," meaning that once you have stretched that far, it's not going to go back. Over the point of no return, your ears can shrink, but they may not return to normal, just a smaller gauge.
- Length of Stretch Time: If your piercing has been stretched for a couple of years or more, it's pretty well set and probably isn't going to shrink back to a full normal size. A smaller gauge is possible, though.
- How It Was Stretched: If the piercing was stretched too quickly, especially if there was resulting scar tissue, it probably won't revert very easily. If it was done with a scalpel or dermal punch, it definitely will not shrink.
But, as everyone's body is different, the amount of shrinkage will depend on you.
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What should I use to stretch my ears?
There are several different methods that you can use to stretch a piercing.
- Tapering: (the most common and safest method of stretching most soft tissue piercings) A tapered, surgical stainless steel rod is inserted into the piercing. The smaller end of the rod goes in first and the hole is slowly stretched as the wider end of the rod is gently pushed through the hole. Larger gauge jewelry is then inserted behind the taper to keep the hole at its new size.
- Weights: (not recommended by many professional piercers, as it does not stretch the piercing evenly and can thin the skin around the piercing, causing drooping and sagging) Weights apply pressure to the piercing by using some heavy weight in the piercing. Weights can be as simple as heavy, steel jewelry. Weights should only be used for short periods of time, if at all.
- Tapered Claws and Talons: The use of pinschers and such body jewelry that tends to be smaller on one or both ends, to which the jewelry is slowly pushed through the piercing, until it is at its thickest point. This method allows you to push the jewelry through as you see fit, allowing yourself healing time.
- Scalpeling: (A more extreme technique that is near a surgerical method) A sharp blade is used to cut away enough flesh to allow for larger gauge jewelry. Sometimes the blade is heated enough to cauterize the skin as it cuts, and then the jewelry is inserted. This technique is prone to infection and generally requires a long healing process.
- Taping: (most common method used to stretch a piercing that has already been stretched to a larger size) A plug or tunnel is wrapped with a layer of tape in order to increase the diameter of the jewelry, which is then inserted back into the hole. This is repeated (after each stretch has healed) until the desired size is reached.
- Dermal Punch: This method cuts away a section of flesh by "punching" a hole through it. The dermal punch method is as traumatic to the skin as it sounds, but it is sometimes preferred over tapering for stretching cartilage piercings, as cartilage has less blood flow and can be damaged under the pressure of tapered stretching. The dermal punch can also be used to stretch several gauges at once, but it is still only recommended for cartilage, not soft tissue.
Dermal Punch
Click thumbnail to view full-size
Tips to stretching your ears
It's important to change your gauge gradually, allowing plenty of healing time between sizes because if you move too fast, you might damage your skin enough to create scar tissue. Scars make your ear look as if it is cracking around the hole and also makes it very difficult to change gauge, whether up or down.
Use stainless steel jewelry for initial stretching because steel is not porous, so it will not absorb bacteria. Also, steel is heavy, and the weight will help the stretching process, every so slightly. You do not want to use acrylic or wood jewelry to stretch you ears because they are porous; save them for when your piercing has healed.
Note: You never wantto use acrylic, silicone, bone, stone, wood, or any other material that's not steel or even titanium to stretch a piercing.
As everyone is different, you will need to listen to your own body while you are in the process of stretching your piercings. Don't stretch to a larger size until you are comfortable doing so.
You will want to buy jewelry that is the next size up to your current gauge; if your piercing is a 16 gauge, then purchase 14 gauge jewelry.
The longer you keep the old gauge, usually, the easier it will be to insert the new, larger jewelry.
Do consider that smaller gauges tend to be easier to pop right through, than larger gauges, especially if you have the smalelr gauge in your ear for a longer period of time. So your best bet, to an easier stretching is to wait longer in between stretches. The minimum time lapse in between should be no less than two weeks.
Ear Stretching 101
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The process of stretching your ears
- Make sure that your hands and the piercing is clean. You can wash both with an antibacterial soap.
- Massage the earlobe for a few minutes.
- Inster the larger piece of jewelry into the piercing. Depending on the gauge that you are stretching too, the new jewelry may not slide right in, so gently push the jewelry through. You may have to use some kind of lubricant (water-based) to help the jewelry through.
Do not force the jewelry in as you can cause tears and bleeding. If you have problems inserting the new jewelry, even with a lubricant, give the piercing a rest and try again later or the following day.
Another option, you can try, is to stretch your ears in the shower. The warm water will loosing the piercing, making it a little easier to slide the new jewelry carefully through the hole.
Expect some soreness as your lobes heal and adjust to the new hole size.
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Stretched ear aftercare
Healing a newly stretched piercing is going to be similar to healing a brand new piercing. It's very important to keep the piercing clean and allow it the opportunity to "breathe."
Sea salt or saline soaks are important in keeping an infection from developing. The soaks will, also, soothe the soreness of the piercing.
Complications while stretching your ears
Bleeding and soreness are common but can continue longer than necessary if you stretch too fast.
Blow-outs can occur if you stretch too early and too quickly before the piercing has the proper time to heal.
Tearing can occur when you stretch too fast too soon. This particular complication will not heal itself, and the ear love will remain with a large split or opening. You may want to nquire about plastic surgery to correct ear tearing.
Infections can develop if the piercing is not cleaned regularly/properly, or if you use improper jewelry.
Stretching an Inner Conch Piercing
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Comments
Ah come on.. You sure you don't want to try? Ha.
One complication I don't see discussed here is tearing. If the stretched earlobe is torn or ripped, it won't actually heal back together. The ear will permanently be left with a large split/opening. Ear piercings that break the ear loop or are torn out can only be repaired with (highly-expensive) plastic surgery.
Ah yes... Good catch. Thank you.
uhmm..i definitely think who ever explained this did a good job.i completely agreee.soooooo. chill, people. jeeez.
hey this site is helpful thanks for having it i have never had my ear streched before and I want to do it but had no luck with it so with this i will try agein
thanks agein
Two of my friends recently gauged their ears. (one a 0 and one to a 6) and it looks so awesome... I just wish i could convince my parents.
No need to convince your parents just do it,
Actually my mum just saw mine today and went right off at me, and I told her it would close over and blah blah, she hasnt seen the homemade tats yet
Becca, it's best to convince your parents that it'll be ok. Because before you hit the point of no return, they holes will close back without problems.
El, I think that you're in for a rude awakening in life. You can go around hiding things and keeping secrets. I started stretching my ears at 18, but even still my grandparents could care less tattoo and piercing-wise. They don't tell me no just that it's stupid. By the way, homemade tattoos are unsanitary and you risk a lot of problems if not done correctly. You're better of waiting till you're old enough to go to a professional. Be smart about your body. Not stupid.
I recently stretched my ears to a 6 gauge.... they had been at an 8 gauge before, and I wore acrylic plugs in them... this time, I have been wearing ebony plugs... I have another pair of olivewood ones I would like to wear.. but the thing is.. I can't get the plugs out!!They're single flared plugs, so they should be able to slide out on the un-flared side.. but for some reason, they wont budge.. tips??
How long has it been since you've stretched them? You need to leave the current ones in longer. You ears haven't had time to adjust to the new jewelry and new size. Remember that you really shouldn't stretch with anything except steel. Acrylic, wood, and bone jewelry can harbor bacteria and can cause infection in a newly stretched ear.
Well, I'm sure it hasn't been long enough.. I was just hoping to take them out and give them a good cleaning... but I'll leave them alone for a while longer.. thank you for your help!! :)
Yea, I'd just wait a few more weeks to try to take it out. You can still clean it with saline and Q-tips or cotton balls. I would actually recommend you doing that.
I wouldn't like to do it behind my parent's back, just because if it got infected then they'd find out anyway, and it just complicates things. I did manage to convince my parents to stretch my ears a size bigger, only because it's not very noticible. So, I bought a pair of 14g claws and had my friend (who has 0 gauges in her ears, and expirience with it) help me. I've also bookmarked this page, thanks so much for the help. :)
Becca, remember to give your newly stretched piercing a break before you attempt to go any larger. 14 is actually pretty average. I'd say up to 10 gauge and it's not too noticeable maybe even 12g.
wooo i am a 2g now well in the process!
i love love love it!
feels great
looks f'ing rad too
mmm mum hated it at first thought i was starting a tribe ha
but now shes learned to love it
i mean ppl get worse things pierced and tat
plus im 22 ha sooo really ... i make the rules now
peace
xo
I have my 2's in for a while and I cant get my 0's in. I tried in the shower and with soap and anything to help slide them in but for some reason they wont go in. I dont know any other ways to try it or what to do next. Help meeee.
Ashleigh, don't force the 0's in your ears. You can cause tearing or a blowout. You may consider using pinchers to slowly slide them through the piercing. One of the biggest jumps is to 0 gauge. My girl had to push pinchers through over a period of 2-3 days.
I really cant figure out where to get a good pair of pinchers i want them to swirl around so i dont have huge post sticking out of my ear for a double zero all i can find are zeros or i can find the straight post but i have those and they are way too difficult to push through. does anyone know where i can get some for a cheap price?
I have some listed in the middle of this page. Check those out. Make sure to get steel ones.
Im at a 7/16 now, ive been back and forth alot with stretching. i first went from a normal to a 14g, then in the car one day up to a 8g like nothing, then went to a 6g, then skipped four and went to the 2g..had that in for awhile..then had to take them out..after about a month or so..i could barely fit a 12g in there..then after about a year i decided i wanted them back and stupidly went from the 12g to a 2g..luckly nothing bad happend at all..then after about a month or so i went to a 0g, then bought sum 0g plugs that were double flared, and the flare was a 00g, after awhile these jus kept fallin out..soo i got sum 7/16g plugs and the left one slipped in like nothing..the right one took a taper just because i dont want a blowout or tare at ALL. from what ive learned..if it bleeds somewhere somthing isnt right..if the pain is unbarable..somthing isnt right..i think it was completely retarded to go as fast as i did..but im lucky..stretching is FERSURE addicting..i remember i said id never go past a 6g, then a 2g, then swore never bigger then 0g and here i am..7/16
hahaha
Spaded- I wouldn't recommend what you're doing. Although, you haven't had any problems yet, that doesn't mean that you won't. You need to gradually gauge up versus play with your body.
How long do you have to wait to stretch after you've had your lobes pierced? I got mine done three months ago so they just have 1mm circular barbells in at the moment, and when I asked my piercer and she gave me some 1.6 for when I want to stretch. How much longer should I wait until a actually stretch them, though, because I'm scared that if I try now I'll end up with a blowout or something...
You need to make sure that the piercing is completely healed before you put in larger gauged jewelry. The longer you keep in the current gauge, the easier it will be to up the gauge becuase your ears will begin to relax around the current gauge.
i wanna stretch to a 7/16 gauge......i am at 00g.....should i push the tapers in slowly or fast
It's best to do it slowly. If you have to take an extra day, it'll be worth it in the long run. You want to prevent tears and blowouts.
aight so i got my ears studded at the mall last year and then jumped to a 14 in a matter of 3 weeks, then waited about 4 months and jumped to a 12 and then tried a 10 but that went right in so jumped to a 8. On monday i am going to be jumping from a 8 to a 2.
i know your gonna say ahh blowout or ahh tear, but i go nice and slow and lube it up and do it in the shower and if need be i will take a extra day but so be it i want this shit done and cant wait
Greg- you are correct. 8 to 2 is not smart. You ARE risking a tear or blowout, but it's your body and if you want to risk it go right ahead. Stupidity is a thing of youth. You'll figure it out one day.
By the way piercing guns are not appropriate for any piercing. You should have gotten your ears pierced by a profession versus someone with a few weeks or less of training with a gun.
Patience is a virtue. You should really wait. Be smart about your body. If you create a tear or blowout, you'll have to start all over. Is it worth it to start from stratch or to do it smart the first time?
I know I'm not forcing them but I have pinchers. I bought pinchers before I got tapers. But my pinchers are metal and my friend that has 00s told me that the metal probably isnt best to start with. I tried again with the pinchers in the shower the other day and I just couldnt get them through. I'm so cautious about ripping my ear that I just am scared to try and push it through more everytime I do it...Usually if it doesnt go then I dont push it anymore because i dont want to force it.
Steel pinchers are fine to stretch with. I'm not sure what your current gauge is, but if it's 0, then you'll be fine. Stretch in the shower. Don't force it too much. A little pressure is normal, but don't put yourself in excruciating pain. You'll know somethign wrong then. Just do a little bit by little bit.
I'm wanting to get my ears stretched. I have my ears peirced right now, but it's the normal 18. What is the best way to go through with it? I want them to be small so that they can grow back to normal when I get tired of them. I know sometimes, depending on the person, they never fully grow back to the original size. I was thinking a 6. Any tips and suggestions? Thanks.
megs, as for the point of no return. That depends on your body. Some say 0gauge is that point, others disagree. 6 is fine. It's still pretty small. Buy the next gauge up. You're at 18, buy a pair of 16 gauge jewelry. You may be able to go straight for 14, depending on how long you're had your ears pierced. The longer you wait the easier it is to stretch because you're body relaxes more to the piercing size. My girl, started stretching her initial hole about 12 years after they were pierced, she went straight to 14 with just a little sting; she probably could have done 12. But, be safe and go with 14 at the most.
Aight so im the dumbass that said before that i wanted to jump from a 8 to a 2. Well lets just say i should have been smart and listened to well....everyone. I got the entire 2 gauge taper in and it hurt so bad i had to bite down on a towel the entire time. Once the taper was taken out blood was literally dripping and pouring out to having a hole in my ear full of blood and a sink as well. I thankfully got no tears or blowouts or keloids or anything BUT the bad news is that i could no successfully put the 2 gauge earring in for some reason and i cant go to school and work with a 2 inch spike chilling in my ears so i ened up just cleaning each year to make them sanitary and then put my old 8 guage earrings back in and istantly bought a kit off ebay with 6,4,2,0,00 tapers and plugs for $15 so i can do this shit the correct way. My question after all of my whinning is.....How long will it take my ear to shrink back to a 8. I did this all around 6 o'clock last night and i was messing with it until around 8 or 9. and now its got the 8 gauge and i keep cleaning it and such. i was thinking around a week or 2 but i figure you know more than me since you were right about not jumping sizes lol.
so yea people, no matter how cocky and bad ass you think you are DO NOT i repeat DO NOT jump from a size 8 gauge to a size 2 gauge all at once do it gradually.
that is all thanks lol
Yea dude I remember you. I've been curious how that went for you. Ha. Obviously not too well. Not to say it, but you should have listened...
Honestly, because you went ahead and did it anyway, you should have had 4 gauges just in case. You could have slipped the 4's in easy. Also, I'm not a big fan of tapering. I prefer the pinchers. They're easier to slide through. And, you're not stressing your ear tissues any more than you have too; you let the pincher sit for a few days to a week or so to allow the ear to get settled and heal and then slip a regular piece of jewelry in.
It's going to take a little while for your ear to properly heal now. You need to wait until the ear is not only back to 8 guage but is healed and relaxed around the jewelry, which may take anywhere to a week or more. If you do it too soon, you'll cause more damage.
One tip, when you go to a 0 gauge from the 2. Wait longer than you did with any other stretches. It's the biggest stretch you'll make until you get higher up in guages.
Ok man thanks, how will i know when its fully healed right now? Just take it out about every week and see it or will i be able to tell without taking the plug out?
thanks in advance
When it doesn't hurt, isn't scabbed. isn't sore. You should just know. Make sure to clean the piercing daily with saline.
I jusr started stretching about a month ago. I went from a tight 20 to a 16. It was hot and tingly for about a day. There was never any pain. There is a bit of stink, but it's incredibly mild, and only when handling the piercing do I know it exists. How do I know when I am ready to stretch again? I have a tapered spiral in a 14 g coming today, I'd like to give it a try.
Brie- the spirals aren't the best to stretch with, but you can give it a try. Make sure that it's metal and not acrylic or bone. Once your current stretch has healed, you can stretch to the 14. The longer you wait, the easier it will be to push the jewelry through.
The stink, if you're referring to what I think, it's always going to be there. The higher your gauge the more the stink. You'll need to clean your ears daily in the shower without the jewelry once you're at the gauge you're wanting to keep. And in-between stretches after the new stretch has healed and before you stretch again.
Aight im back and today my kit came with all my new gauges and i took the 8g's out today to see how they have healed since i put them through hell on monday with the 2g's and they are fully healed and everything. I put the 6g taper in and it slid right through with me not forcing it AT ALL so i wondered....4g??? so i put the 4g taper in and to my surprise it went in with ease and then followed by my new 4g plugs. so now i got the plugs in for 4g and in about 2 weeks or so im gonna try the 2g's.
Thanks for the advice man, is the 4g to 2g gonna be easy or is it gonna be a pain like you said the 2g to 0g would be?
4 to 2 isn't as bad as 2 to 0, but it's not going to be easy. Good luck. I'd wait more than 2 weeks, personally. Just make sure to properly clean daily as though you have a new peircing. Saline will be all that you need.
OK, possibly stupid question ahead. I'm currently at 4g, which is where I want to be, and I want to wear my new double flare plugs (which I can't, at the moment, get in). So, I am going to taper on up to a 2g to fit the plugs in, but I'm concerned I'll never be able to get them out. Any suggestions anyone? Or should I just get some single flare plugs and deal with the fact I can't wear the double flares?
I will say that the smaller your gauge the harder it will be to get double flares in and out. My girl's at a 0 gauge and when she can get her stone plugs in, she tends to have problems getting them back out. Because the outter flare is usually either the next gauge or inbetween and the middle is the correct gauge, if you stretch to a 2 gauge, you'll have problems getting them back out. Your lobe will shrink around them.
The trick in any case is to put the bottom in first and then pop the jewelry in.
I'd suggest just buying single flares.
Hey AMBER, if your stuck on having the look of a double flared earring in, then might i suggest getting internally threaded double flared earrings. Same look and feel but less pain since you pop em in and just screw together.
i bought a pair of ebay for around 10, just type internally threaded plug
Greg, you're correct, but I'm just not a fan of the internally threaded. They aren't built for all bodies. They can create discomfort in some people.
Hi there, I have prolly had my ears pierced for maybe a yr and a month or two. I am at a 2 atm, I started at a 16, But pierced them with a saftey pin, Had my friend shove it through so it would be even and perfect. I cleaned them reguarly and took care of them, and coninued to jump my ears up every 2 to 3 weeks, and never jumped a size, except 16 to 12. But I had my 2's in for maybe a month and a half, then I purchased 0 and 00 tapers. I lubed up the 0 taper and slowly worked it in, got about 3/4 way in and it began to feel a bit of pressure, then when it hit the 0 part it felt horrible with throbbing ect. My friend who pierced them told me to keep them in for an hour tops and if it doesn't stop put my 2's back in. Well it ended up subsiding a bit. But I was in English 11 I think and The o-ring fell off and the taper slid out when I was trying to put my trench coat on, Well it was bleeding rather profusely. So I cleaned it out with saline and put the 2's back in. I allowed like a month for them to heal. Well then I jumped down from my 2's to 4's that I just got. I did that about 2-3 weeks ago, And I just recently put my 2's back in and it wasn't a problem but it hurt a small bit due to the fact of the Edge around the plugs where the o rings sit.But anyways after that long explanation, I have had my 2's back in for maybe 4 days, When should I try the 0 jump agian? And would you have any tips for it seeing as it is the biggest jump I've faced yet a whole 2mm =d.
Aight so today i put my 2g's in each ear and now just gotta wait till they are healed for 0g's.
Everybody says the jump from 2g-0g is the biggest since its 2mm but i wanted to know if my idea would work. MY idea is to use a silicone 0g plug and just fold and pop it in and thats it.If you dont understand what im saying then watch this video and imagine doing it from a 2g to a 0g and let me know if you think it would cut the taper time down and make it faster thanks
the vid url is as follow, thanks to youtube
Travis, as I've mentioned in other comments the jump from 2 to 0 is the biggest, and should really be taken in a series of a few days. I would give it a full month before trying to gauge to the 0 tapers. Push the taper in gently with the lube until you start to feel pressure, and then stop. Finish the stretching once the piercing relaxes. This can be a pain since I'm sure you want it done now, but if you wait and stretch over a few days, the stretch will go a lot smoother.
Greg, I understand completely what you're saying, and no it won't work. You shouldn't stretch with silicone, acrylic, bone, stone, or any material besides titanium or steel. Silicone is the worst! It is the most porous of the materials that I've mentioned not to stretch with, so you open yourself up to bacteria and then infection. Stick with a steel pincher or taper and stretch over a period of a few days, as I've just mentioned to Travis.
Also, if you've read the hub, you would have noticed that I mentioned not to stretech with silicone.
Hey. Right now I have 16g and I would like to go to an 8 or 6 and don't have the money to buy everything for each guage up until 8 or 6. I read on another site that this guys piercer stretch his ear from an 16 to a 10 with no problems. Then he himself stretched to a 6 from the 10 with no problems. What should I do?
Charlotte, it's one thing for a piercer to professionally stretch your ear by tapering and skipping gauges (although still not recommended), but it's another to do it yourself. Read Greg's comments about stretching from 8 to 2 gauge; it didn't go well. You should just spend whatever money you have on a pair of 14 or 12 guage pinchers. Depending on how long you've had the 16g, you may be able to go straight to 12. My girl was able to after having her's several years. But, otherwise, it's recommended to go one gauge at a time. Then when you have the money for more jewelry, buy the next gauge up.
It would be stupid to, on your own, go from a 16 to 6 or 8 gauge. Personally, even with a piercer it would be stupid, and I've done it before. (I've been a body piercer for several years.) If you choose to go to a piercer, you'll probably spend more as he'll use tapers and jewelry, so you're (1) paying for 2 sets of jewelry and (2) paying for the services.
Just buy what you can now, and save up for more later.
I am at a 2 gauge, and have had these rings in for about 3 months now. I am going to go down to 0's within the next week.
My question is this - do I have to wear steel until I am at my final size?
So im at 2 and want to go to 0 and have the hardware and everything to do it.
Before you said it would take a long time but i just tape the plug to the back of the taper then push it through would it go in fine ???? (after having the taper go all the way through of course)
Misha, You need to stretch with steel, and then change once your newly stretched piercing is fully healed.
Greg, what I was saying was that it may take a few days to comfortible stretch from a 2 to 0 gauge. That some people do better with making such a big stretch over a day or so versus all at once. You may be able to use the tapers and pop in the new jewelry all at once, but that's up to you. I don't really recommend taping a plug to the taper and doing it at once. I'm hoping you're using a steel plug. If you are going to do that, I'd recommend waiting because you were just at a 8 a week or so ago and you really haven't given your ears much time to heal at each stretching. You're still rushing yourself with this. Also, I'd say not to tape the plug to the taper, but to push the taper through and have the plug right behind to push the taper out and push in the plug.
Ok so i figured i would try it after massaging my lobes in the shower for about 30 mins with neosporin and water,the tapers went right in with NO problems and the plugs followed behind with ease. It was just as fast and easy as going from a 4g to a 2g. So WOOO now i can succesfully say i am at a 0g and im probabaly gonna wait about 2-3 months to go to a 00g cuz 00g are another 2mm jump so i want to let my ear ACTUALLY relax a bit..
thanks for the help man both comments and this page in general
appreciate it a lot
Jaymz, thanks so much for the information!
im at a 14g and want to got down to a 12g and eventually get to an 8.. how do i go about doin that and what will i need supply wise.. im new at this hah.. and also if i get down to an 8 will my ears go back to normal if i ever want to take them out?
Greg- I still think you're stretching too soon. Definitely wait a good 3 months before stretching more. You've really stressed out your body by making so many jumps within 2 weeks.
Misha- if you have any questions just ask.
Alex- Just follow the directions that I'm created above. It depends on your body as to how far you can stretch if you want them to go back down later on. The rule is to make every stretch as though it's going to be permanent. So, if you think that there's the possibility of wanting to de-gauge then you may not want to gauge up to a certain point. Many people say 0 gauge is the gauge that won't go back to normal, but it really depends on your body. If you want to stretch, purchase steel pinschers or tapers of the next gauge. If you're at 14, buy 12's, at 12 buy 10, and at 10 buy 8's.
There is professional help available for this type of social misbehaviour.
ok thanks! and jw but which kind of lubricant/ neosporin works best or is the best to use?
I wouldn't say that it's the best to use, but you can use it. I better lubricant to use is surgilube. It's a sterile bacteriostatic surgical lubricant.
arrite thanks.. where do i get it at?
I jsut added a section above for surgical lubricants. You can check out those items.
thanks.. also i was wonderin i just got a set of tapers and i know some say pinchers are better but they are surgical steel tapers and i was wondering if its still ok to use those as long as i stretch properly and wait the right amount of time between each stretch? and how long do you have to keep the taper in before you put in normal jewelry?
Yo ill help you out man
For me i keep the taper in for literally 2 secs, once the taper has gotten to the biggest point in my ear i hold the plug RIGHT behind the taper so as the taper exits the plug enters, its the easiest way i found and ive done it and im at 0g now.Any taper is going to work but any type of surgical graded steel would be best cause acrylic and other materials made into tapers have small pores that can have dead skin and dead skin cells etc etc go into and cause infection and shit like that.and if for some reason you cant stand the pain of the taper goin thru then just stretch as far as you can with the taper and wrap some tape around your old jewerly so your ear slowly stretches inbetween and then in a week or so you can go back and try the taper and get the desired size.
Alex- tapers are fine as long as you stretch properly with enough healing time between each stretch. I just find that pinschers look better while letting the newly stretch piercing heal. Some people just pop the jewelry in as they pop the pinscher out all on the same stretching day. It's up to you.
You can do what Greg has suggested, but again tape around a plug is porous and can cause infection.
I'm at 5/8" and have been for a while. Ok well I had to degauge for several months, but I restretched to 5/8," and I've always stretched by massaging the ear lobe, putting lube on the jewelry, and carefully pushing through, letting my ears heal up and relax before putting in plugs or whatever. I've also used heavy CBRs to help weight down my lobes, but that's really not recommended because it won't stretch the ear evenly. I just use that technique to loosen up the ear for a soon to be stretch.
thanks .. you guys know any good places to get cheep plugs n jewelry since im gunna buy alot cuz im goin down to about a 6 or 4 and im only at a 14
oh and if i put the plug or whhatev in right behind the taper is that ok or is that bad for my ears should i wait?
hey. i just pushed thorw a 0 but my ears so red. and when i tried to but the pulg in it wasnt big eough.whats the deal?and allso aorund my 1 ear i hav like white its like skin and it doesnt hert what would that be allso?
alex- ebay is the cheapest place. Just make sure to buy new from a store. I don't like the technique, but you can do it. That technique is really better off done by a professional.
kevin-I'm not really sure what you're asking. You pushed a 0gauge plug through your ear. What size were you before? Maybe you purchased the wrong plug. 0 guage is 0 guage in plugs, tapers, pinchers, cbrs, etc. It's hard to tell you what's going on with your ear because I can't see it and don't really understand what you have done. If you're worried go to a body piercer and he can help you more because he'll be able to see it, whereas I can't. I'm assuming though that the white skin is stress from where you've just pushes a 0 gauge through your ear.
Man, after reading all of this I feel like a total dumbass.
When I pierced my ears I was at an 18 and I waited two weeks and went straight to a 12. I waited a few months after that and went to 8's. Again, about two months or so and I was at 4's. The 4's I got were double flared but they came with tapers, so I put the tapers in and tried to put the 4's in the next day. It bled...a lot. About 2 and 1/2 weeks ago I went up to 0's. Suprisingly, that wasn't the worst jump. Today I put in 00's and I can't wait to put in my glass ones. I haven't had any tears or blowouts, thank god. I know now to be smarter about it while I'm going up. I think I'll probably get up to 1".
i was a 2 guage.and i went to a 0 but when i went to put the flair style tunnel it didnt fit so i dont no what the problom wasand i didnt no what the wh ite skin was.it didn tno if it was a tear or not
Kyro- definitely be a little smarter about it with your next jump. Ha.
Kevin- The outter rims of hte flares are bigger than the gauge that it says. IE if it says 0 gauge, the outter rims are usually 1 gauge up, so that would mean the outter rims are near 00 gauge. That's why it didn't fit. As for the skin, you'd need to go to a body piercer to definitively tell you what it is.
ya since its a fliarthe front of it look bigger.but for the back.i got a taper that goes to a 0 so it shoud fit?and iv never herd of 1 gauge so what do i do? for that to get it in
how long should you keep in tapers? Im at 12 and when should i stretch up to a 10?
Kevin- There's no such thin as 1 gauge. Not really that is. The middle of the flared plug will fit, but it will take some pushing and proding to get the flare through.
Jamel- When you ear is relaxed and healed from the stretch, you can stretch again.
sorry to bothrer you but i wanna get it down right.like shoudnt the taper stertch it to be bigeigh so i dont hav to do more pushing?
ok i just got my ears pierced with a 16g about a week ago and i was gonna buy 14g to stretch them eventually but the girl who did it told me that 14s wouldnt do much and suggested 12g.... i know i still have a lil while b4 i should try to stretch my piercings but i was wondering if her advise is correct
Kevin- I'm not quite sure what you're asking. But the taper needs to be slowly pushed through. It will start to stretch the piercing the further your push the taper in. When you put the plug in, you'll have to carefully push it in. You really shouldn't start with the flared plugs because it'll be hard getting them into an initial stretch before the ear is able to relax. try steel plugs with o-rings.
Damian- You should go for the 14g instead of the 12g because you just got your ears pierced, the skin will be tight versus loose. If you wait a good while, at least 2 months after healed, you 'may' be able to go straight for the 12g, but You have to judge that. Ask you body piercer.
4 Years ago (2004) I pierced & stretch my ears for the first time on the same day... Went from 14 to 6g and nothing has happen to my ears except it sting a bit. Im fully recoverd and this year (2008) my girlfriend bought me 0g. Is it possible to go from 6g to 0g for me? or maybe go to 2g instead?
Joe, what you did was pretty stupid. I wouldn't recommend it. Go out and buy 4 gauge jewelry and stretch from there. Then 2g, then 0. If you've read the comments above, Greg did something similar and it didn't work for him. The 4 years has given you ears plenty of time to heal and relax, so you should be just fine going from 6 to 4. I wouldn't puch anything further. Just because you didn't have problems before doesn't mean that you won't ever. If you're going to do it, do it smart.
so i got impatient as always and now i went from 0g to 00g. Woo, the 00g taper went in with ease and the plugs followed with ease as well.
so yea now im at 00g and i have no more tapers cuz the set i bought was from 6g to 00g so im probably gonna just stop since in the future i want my ears to go back to normal.
Thanks
im back to bug you once again.my b uddy has 1 inch ears and he put a 2 gauge silacone. and he says it streachis it is it true that it will work?
Greg- dude that's kind of stupid but whatever. Some bodies don't shrink all the way back to normal, that's why you should make every stretch as though it will be that size forever.
kevin- it is true, but you shouldn't do it because silicone is very porous and can cause infection. Youre better off stretching with steel and nothing else. It's safer.
hey its me again.. i tried to go to a 10g last night because ive been at a 12g now for a while and its completely healed and i was wonderin when i put the steel taper through is it going to hurt because when i tried it did a little but i stopped because im not sure if its suppose to. so i still need to bump up to a 10g
Wow, thanks for all that. I'm 12 and I've pursuaded my parents to let me have a gauge [: Ive wanted one for a while and I'm getting one tomorrow. I'm glad you posted this, I needed to know the correct way of stretching your ear, before I go andd do something insane! Thanks!
alex-the pain is going to be up to your body. just make sure to push slowly. it may feel like a pinch. do remembery our stretching skin so it's not going to be the most pleasant in the world, usually there is a pinching feeling sometimes a little burning.
adele-glad you found my page. good luck with your stretching endeavor.
hi i need some advice cause i am worried, okso first i pirced my left ear and gradually moved down to a 2 with not probs at all then last fri day i wanted my right ear so i pireced it. well i got inpatient and about3 days later gaurged it to a 8 but that night i lost it so i was like fuck. i dint want to start over so i pushed my 6 taper in there the after only 2 days then tonight i fucken drop my taper down the sink when i was cleaning my ear, again not wanting to start over i put my 4 in there. tommrow it will be a week since i pireced my ear and its already a 4. its very swollen but very clean and i dont want a blow out.i also heal fast and there is no sign of the skin coming out the back. Should i be worried?
okie.but is silacone bad for your ears??like i mean they use it for sergurys and stuff so it cant be that bad for you?
Matthew-I would be worried. You pushed your body to an extreme. You need to make sure to clean daily. You shouldn't have to remove the jewelry to clean the piercing, and shouldn't at a new stretch. Removing the jewelry right after stretching without proper healing time will irritate you piercing more than stretching alone. Just keep cleaning, you may end up with an infection to with you may have to get antibiotics for. Otherwise, if it's a light infection an ointment may clear it up, but not always the case.
Kevin-it is true that they use silicon in surgery, but it's a different procedure to stretch an ear. Silicone is very porous and can harbor spores that can cause irritation in a stretched piercing. It can also harbor skin cells from the stretch that can cause irritation. It's best to stick with steel. Titanium will do, as well, but other than that you shouldn't stretch a piercing with any other material. Remember irritaion can lead to infection, which may heal with an ointment but may cause you to need antibiotics. You may lose the stretch and have to start over. Sometimes you can't stretch after an infection, tear, or blowout, so you'll lose everything you've worked at.
Thanks jaymz i will be wacthing it for the infection, i clean it with this special ear cleaner that i use. could that stop the infection from froming cause it was made for pirced/gaurging ears?
If you just clean the stretch with saline solution, you should be fine, but that's not guaranteed. I'm vaguely familiar with what you're talking about, and I'd stick with saline (not eye solution but saline). You can buy it at a pharmacy; it'll say saline solution.
The stretch should not be swollen or overly sore.
hey its alex again i just moved up to a 10g the other day and i was taking the pincher out to clean it today and there was a little blood i was wondering if thats ok. it was just a spot it wasnt dramatic or dripping or anything. but i cleaned it with hydrogen peroxide i was wondering if thats ok. its not swollen and im pretty sure its not infected just a little sore though
Alex, never use peroxide on a piercing. It's way too strong. In the hub above, I stressed what you should and should not use on a healing piercing. Blood isn't uncommon. Just clean with saline only. You may consider just cleaning the piercing without removing the jewelry. take a cotton ball dipped in saline and hold against either side of the jewelry for 5 to 10 minutes. Or you a Q-Tip to clean around the piercing.
2 days ago i finally stretched to a 10g, i was wondering if you can wear flesh tunnels with a 10g ear?
in one weekend, on a friday, i went from a 14g to a 12g.then the next day, i bought 8g's and worked them throughand basically going from 14g to 8g in two days, i wouldnt sugest it, i bled, but now im going to be getting 6g's to put itwish me luck. im not sure how big im making them yet.
Jamel you can find earlets on ebay. My girl's got 2- 10 gauges in each ear and she just purchased single flares. They're a little long in her longs because they're her 2nd and 3rd holes, but they look fine. Let the new stretch heal and then try them out.
Nicole remember to make each stretch as though they won't go back to a smaller size. Give each new stretch a good healing time in between. It wasn't smart by any means to stretch 3 gauges within a few days.
I'm still at a 2 unfortunately. Even after how long I've been trying. My friends gave up with helping. I found a site to order 1 gauges, I dont have money to get them. I've tried so many times in the past couple weeks to get them in and I cant get them any further as I did last month, and I'm always trying it in the shower.
What would be easier if you purchased 0 guage pinschers and slowly slid the jewelry through the piercing over a period of a few days. Use a lube to help slide the jewelry through. The shower is also a great option because the warm water will loosen the skin.
Well I have pinchers. They're metal. I tried with them also but they didnt do much at all. Like I think I got the tapers in more. I never do it out of the shower now. But this friday my friend wants me to get silicone plugs and try thoughs to gauge it because I dont have to push it through, just let it unfold. He said it doesnt hurt as much as using a taper or pincher. So I'm getting those and trying it.
As I've mentioned to someone else, you should not stretch with anything other than steel. The silicone method is not safe and can cause irritation and infection. Silicone is a porous material that can harbor fungus and bacteria. Also, because it is porous, it can harbor skin cells, which can irritate a healing stretch. You're best bet is to slowly push the pinchers through over a period of a few days, allowing for a little tightness with each stretch. I don't understand how they didn't do much for you? If you push them a little, put in the o rings, and push a little more the next day, move the o rings, and continue this until you are in the middle of the pincher, you should not have any problems.
I can try that but the pinchers are wicked heavy and I cant sleep with the steel ones in because they're so heavy. My friend is gonna try and help me put them in. I have the tapers and I can put something else in like the pinchers if they'll go but I cant sleep with the pinchers because of the weight.
I would try the pinchers or tapers first. I think you'd have to deal with sleeping if it's what you really want. find a way around sleeping with them and all until you were able to put in a steel plug for healing.
I just recently got my ears stretched to a 8 gauge(3 days ago) at the piercing shop. I was stocked about getting them that i didn't really listen to the guys instructions, When i'm cleaning out my ears 2 times a day, am I suppose to take off my jewelry and dip my ears in sea salt water or keep my jewelry on and dip them with the jewelry?
Hey bud.i desided to lisiton to you.i didnt use silacone. but i did oder 100 dollers in silacone pulgs after thoi find the pinhcers are the easyist way to do it bevacuse i ilike to play with my earrings and over the coures of a day it will be in befor you no it.but thank you very much for all your help its been great. i hope shit goes well for you and you contiuy to help people out because its well needed.and quick thing. are size are your ears?and what cleaning this do u suggeist?
Marcio, you can keep the jewelry in. It will reduce irritation. After a few days, you can remove the jewelry to clean more thoroughly.
kevbo, my ears are 5/8" I suggest using saline only. Glad I could help.
Yo dude. I gotta quick question for you. Ok, so I use to have 7/16 gauges about 9 months ago, I took them out for work reasons. Anyways, I decided recently I wanted to start gauging them again. Long story short I found out that my holes ( which looked like normal holes) were actually somewhere in between a 6 and a 8. I remember when I first stretched them I did them to way to fast, so is that a normal size for them to downsize to after 9 months? Also, will me being a dumbass and stretching too fast the first time effect my ears this time around, like will they be harder to stretch? and will stretching them again make it harder for me to downsize later on in life? Sorry for the lengthy message, any help would be awesome, thanks dude.
The rate at which your body shrinks is going to vary per person. I've had my 5/8"s out for 4 months at length and they'd shrink down to a 00, but nothing further than that. It is possible to restretch them. You just need to be careful doing so. I have stretched mine back to 5/8"s since letting them close up a bit. Again, as for restretching and down sizing later, that's always going to depend on your body. As I've said before in the hub and in a few comments, make sure that when you stretch any piercing, you're prepared to live with it that way forever. You can't anticipate how your piercing will shrink and to what size they will shrink back to. Just make sure that you're prepared to live with the piercing in case that it doesn't shrink back the way you want it.
i would like to get it but i wouldnt want it for the rest of my life and i was wondering at wat size would the go back to normal??
for most people its between 0g and 00g for the last step before not going back to 100% normal.
so ive been at 00g for a good month 1/2 now and either tonight or tommorow im gonna buy some 000g or 7/16 however i should say it off ebay then put them in, is the jump from 00g to 000g a bitch like the one from 2-0 or is gonna be slighlty easier.
thanks
Elmo, you have to make each stretch as though it will be there forever. Generally, 0 is the point of no return, but that's not always the case. If you don't want the stretch for the rest of your life, you shouldn't stretch very far.
Greg most people don't really do 000 they just go straight for 7/16. I've never really heard about it until my girlfriend was asking me about it.
hey ive been stretching my ears for a couple of months now, i seem to be doing everything like you say, do it slowly and using steel tapers to stretch with. although recently i have been getting some clear liquid weeping from where the o rings go, i was wondering could i be allergic to the o rings as when i take these out it seems to clear up, the only problem with this is i need to use the o ring to hold the tapers in place. Help
siobhan the the clear liquid is normal. You just need to clean the piercing. Take out the jewelry in the shower, wash off the jewelry and clean the piercing. Unless the piercing is sore and irritated, the clear liquid should be normal. I've experienced it on occassion when I go too long between cleanings.
you talked about taping earrings, i was just wondering what a good tape is to use, and how often you should change the tape, to avoid an infection or something.
that would make sence but i clean them in the morning and at night, or is this too much and am i over cleaning them? as they are starting to get a little sore, it first started out as a bit of dry skin and now it weeps the clear stuff also whats the best thing to use for cleaning? at the moment im using surgical spirt, is this ok?
so im at an 8g right now and im tryin to go up to a 6 and for some reason is seems more hard to move up than it has before, is that normal? because lastime when i went up it went in really easy and this time i tried and couldnt get the pincher through
Yo daniel either use electrical tape or the white plumbing tape, both are nice and slick so they slide well and arn't too sticky so you wont get residue in your ear.
i ended up buying the 7/16's so now its time to wait lol
daniel, like greg said. electrical tape works best.
siobhan, twice a day should be fine. You could probably get away with in the morning and then cleaning while in the shower at night, or vice versa depending on when you get a shower. Just make sure that you're cleaning with saline.
alex, How long has it been since your last stretch? I'd give it some time. Don't force it. Push gently, but don't force. You may consider leaving the pincher in your ear, and making it a stretch over a few days, pushing a little each day.
greg, yes please wait. Remember make each stretch as if they won't shrink.
Hey! Is it ok to go from a 18g to a 12g? or should i go to a 14 first? thanks
hey, after gauging my ears for the first time i kind of have a problem. like i went from a 16 to a 12, not that big of a jump, but its been a couple days and they still kind of bleed. they dont bleed all the time just when i take the taper out they tend to bleed, but not that much. what should i do? i put the tapers in on sunday, so that same night i took them out cause they were to long so i cut them, when i took them out they bleed a little. then last night i took a shower and got out and was drying my hair, and kept catching my taper and my taper fell out, so when i went to put it back in the ear started bleeding again. whats a good way to get them to heal? i mean there fine when the taper is in. i put peroxide on since i wanted it to stop bleeding. is there something else i can use to clean my ears that will help them heal faster, because you said peroxide is bad, but the ear cleaning stuff i got when i pierced my ears doesnt seem to be enough. thanks
Hey thanx for the tips on this guys!! ive just stretched my lobe from a normal peircing (0.8mm , 20 gauge) to a 2mm (12 Gauge) it hurt a little, but i used a taper to stretch it and it really worked well as its like a cone and the small bit goes in first gradually making it bigger. But will defo take the advice and keep it spanking clean!!
Yea im almost positive im not going any bigger.
Hey daniel the reason it keeps bleeding is because you are not supposed to irritate aka move it or spin it around for the first few days since its still healing. It takes time to heal and you are pretty much killing the small amount of progression when it fell out. If i were you i would get some plugs or something to stick in there instead of keeping the taper in.
kay, you want to go to the 14. It's not that big of a jump, but I don't know how long you've been at 16, so you may end up pressing your luck.
daniel, saline is all that you need. don't use peroxide!! ever! and like greg said, you're irritating the piercing by taking out the jewelry and by messing with it. When you stretch a piercing it shouldn't bleed. Use saline, and stop messing with it.
Sammy, try not to over clean. You'll risk drying out the piercing.
Greg, it's your decision. I just like to remind people to make each new stretch as though the piercing will not go back to normal. Also, you just keep beating me to answering the questions. Ha.
I realize now that im at 7/16 it wont go back to normal but will it reduce in size in the future like go down to a smaller size gauge?
And yea sorry bout answering the questions i just get madd bored and keep viewing the site and such and figure what the hell.
thanks for the help again. and its not that i keep taking them out purposely. well the first time but that was because they were to irratating due to them being to long, and the second was on accident.
Hey. im 13 and want to stretch my ears (im a girl) lol and i only want little ones with a hole through the middle but just a little one and i was wondering what the best way to get a little one is? does anyone have an answer? please help.
I have a 12mm (1/2" or 000g) in each ear, and I have never had any trouble with stretching at all. I've used acrylic claws and horns since the beginning, going up a max of 2mm each time, alternating each ear. The secret to a successful stretch, in my opinion, is to use savlon or some other antiseptic cream on both your lobe and the jewellery to lubricate. Never try and push jewellery through when the lobe is dry as this can increase risk of tearing.
I've also found that the point of no return is 12mm - any bigger than that and your lobe won't shrink down fully. I guess it depends on the individual!
I'm planning on going higher, perhaps to 18mm (11/16") eventually, but for now i'm settled with my black screw-in flesh tunnels :-)
oh okay,
so what is the smallest sized tunnel?
The smallest tunnel I've seen is a 12g (2mm) but you can probably get smaller than that if you look around. Have you tried internet shops? There's a few sellers on Ebay that have a massive range of body jewellery
Ebony, just follow the outlines that I've outlayed here. The piercing in the middle is an inner conch. My girl has her's and she's been having problems with them.
Ravyn, the point of no return really varies per person. Some people at 0gauge. Other people less.
Lucy, I've seen earlets, which are essentially very small tunnels for 14g piercings. Check ebay.
I've spent about 19 months going from an 6g to 1/2'' with my goal being 1' but the more I look at it I feel it an unreachable gauge, due to the complications when I had them done. The lady that pierced them I think had no idea what she was doing, or was lazy. She pierced my ear with an 8g needle then forced 6g posts in. I was already in pain so I decided to just suffer through it and now I pay the consequences. My right lobe to me, (keep in mind I am not a proffesional) looks as though if I try and go one more gauge it may break, then I saw the "Taping" idea and was thinking on maybe trying that. Not sure. Any suggestions? But yeah, it amazes me to see ears stretched to more than 1'' because their earlobes look so healthy, and here I am at 1/2'' inch and fearing a break.
It's very horrible.
Well belive it or not I got the 0s in FINALLY! :]. I used my 6 and 4's that are like tribal but are heavy and I could fit them both in the hole so I left them in there for 2 days and weighed the hole down to help make it a little bigger and I just slid my plugs into them the other day with no problem. I wish I tried that a while ago. I am CONSTANTLY cleaning them cause I'm afraid of any infection obviously. I always do this when I gauge them.
Squidward, some peircers will pierce with a smaller gauge and use a larger size jewelry to help minimize bleeding and something else I forget. It's never been something I've practiced, so I forget the purpose. But, it's not lazy nor does it mean that she didn't know what she was doing. It's actually a somewhat common practice with some piercers. I've never thought it worth it, since you can do the same thing with a 6gneedle and a 6g piece of jewelry. It makes the process smoother, in my opinion, by using the same gauge needle as jewelry. If you think that at 1/2" your lobe may tear, then don't gauge up anymore. Your best bet is to go to a body piercer to ask their advice, since I can't see a picture of your lobes.
Ashleigh, don't over clean them, you can dry out the piercing and cause irritation.
dude im at an inch!!! i kinda hurt puting it in but not to bad!!!i had my 7/8 in for the longest time so they kinda streched them selfeves a lill XD
i`ve got a question. i`ve heard that usually around the 2g range as you stated is the point of no return(i know it varies). but like if you had 1/2 or somewhere around there could you let them close up as far as they will on there own, then gauge up(like as if you were starting the stretching process over again) take those out so it triggers your ears to heal, and continue this until there closed? i heard about this just wondering if it worked, and about to what size can you turn around from.
I have a question. I am currently at a 6g and want to go to a 4g but I think my left ear is ready but my right has been infected a few times shrinking and all so I don't know if it's ready. It isnt sore or anything. The reason my right has been infected alot is because my lobes are allergic to the o-rings so now I dont wear them because if i don in a couple minutes they'll be itchy and red and get crusty. Is there anything to hold them in place besides the cheap plastic o-rings?Also, I want to go to a 2g but I'm afraid they'll never close up if I regret and alot of people say you can't get a decent job with holes in your ears.
daniel I've heard about this as well, but I'm not 100% of it's accuracy or how it will work in every person. The point of no return varies per person, so even the techniwue that you have mentioned will vary per person. I highly doubt that if you're at a 1/2" you will be able to get back to a normal gauge, though. So as I've mentioned numerous times before, make every stretch as though the piercing will NEVER go back to normal. I would stop stretching your piercings since you keep trying to find techniques and methods to to shrink them later on. You obviously don't want to keep them at a larger guage for the rest of your life. No offense, that's just what I've gathered as you keep looking for methods to shrink stretched piercings.
manily, make each stretch as though you will never be able to shrink them back. I acn be hard to find jobs in professional atmospheres with largely stretched piercings. The point of no return varies per person, you may be able to shrink a piercing back from a 2 gauge, but your friend may not. It will vary per person and per body. I'm not sure how long you've been at 6g, but if they are currently infected, do not stretch them yet. O-rings are the only thing that will keep plugs in. You may need to find different style jewelry, such as double flares. My girlfriend is successful at keeping single flares in her ear without using the back O-ring.
why is it better to use steel? i just put 14s in a couple hours ago and my left ear is a little soar. but its not swolen or
MrMarmalade says:
8 months ago
I am leaving this up the a younger generation