This highly taboo form of body modification may have been around for centuries in African and Asian cultures, but only in recent years has it really popularized among the body modification community. Once a career-debilitating statement, ear stretching has taken strides toward mainstream acceptance. Today celebrities such as Adam Lambert and Lil Wayne sport stretched ears and this form of modification is growing in popularity among some of the most feminine and poised females. So to those who are curious about ‘sizing up’ their lobes whether to a subtle stretch or eye-catching dangles, here is your need to know guide to ear stretching.
If you’re considering stretching, you will have to follow a strict code of instructions both during and after your stretch. If you plan on stretching your ears yourself (without the assistance of a licensed piercer), it is imperative to follow the appropriate timeline of stretching your ears so as not to earn a blowout. Far too many people ignore the warnings and skip sizes or size up too soon and they are bound to pay the consequences.
1. Before you even buy a kit, really think about if this is something that you want for yourself. Unlike a tattoo, it is pretty hard to hide stretched ears and once you get to a certain point (beyond a size 0 or 00, depending on how fast you stretch), you will not be able to get your ears back to normal without surgery.
2. When buying a kit, make sure that you buy one with surgical steel or titanium tapers and tunnels. A fresh stretch is comparable to a fresh piercing and you wouldn’t want to put an acrylic or silicon taper into a fresh piercing. It is easiest to buy an ‘all in one kit’, which includes tapers and tunnels from sizes 16g to 00g. These can be purchased on Amazon.
3. Learn the lingo. They are not called ‘gauges’. A gauge is a unit of measurement, for example you go from a 16 gauge to a 14 gauge when you stretch your ears. A plug/ tunnel is the jewelry that you put in your ears. You stretch your ears, never gauge your ears.
4. Make sure that you have jojoba oil (or another stretching-recommend oil) to lube up a taper for stretching and to massage your lobes with before and after a stretch.
5. If you plan on piercing your ears with the intention to stretch, make sure you wait at least six months for them to heal.
6. All right! Once you’ve got your kit and your oil you are ready to stretch. To start make sure you have clean hands. Slowly push the taper through your ear using your index and thumb.
7. Align the tunnel at the end of the taper and once you’ve reached the widest part of the taper, use a gentle yet swift push to get the taper though your ear and slide the tunnel through as if it was an extension of the taper. Once the tunnel is in, put the O rings (little black rubber bands) onto the backs (or fronts if they don’t have flares).
8. It is normal for a bit of stinging and discomfort after a stretch. You should never force a stretch. If the taper won’t go through with a bit of light force, the stretch is too soon. Your piercing should never puss or bleed after a stretch and if you feel a burning, itching, or tearing, immediately take out the jewelry and downsize to your last size.
9. The most important part of ear stretching is making sure that you time your stretches appropriately. You may ‘feel’ like your ears are ready for your next stretch but in actuality you should wait four to six weeks between every stretch. This will prevent blowouts, which is when the inside layer of skin within your piercing extends outside of your hole and can be compared to the appearance of a cat butt. No one wants cat-butted ears.
10. If you have a hard time getting a taper through even after 4-6 weeks, do not force a stretch. Depending on your anatomy you may need more time. Sometimes you can get assistance from a piercer to stretch your ears for you, as stretching will get harder as the jump between millimeters increases.
11. Once you reach a size 00 or 0, the best way to stretch your ears is through the taping method. Teflon tape and bondage tape are ideal for ear stretching, because they are tapes that only stick to themselves. If you’d like to stretch using tape, lube up your existing plug with oil and wrap 2-3 layers of tape onto the plug. Trim the excess tape and place the plug back into your ear. Be sure to change the tape every few days so that bacteria doesn’t build up and after 4-5 days you can add a few more layers of tape. Once your tape build up is comparable to your next size, the bigger tunnel should slip in nicely.
12. Ear-weights can also be used for stretching once you reach larger sizes. These ear weights can be purchased with the direct intent of stretching or you can improvise by sliding a small key-lock through your tunnel. (be careful with these though, especially if you lock them!)
13. Never stretch your ears by folding up a silicon plug and letting it ‘explode’ in your ear. Putting silicon into a fresh piercing is one of the worst ideas imaginable and can still result in a blowout or tearing.
14. NEVER wear a taper as jewelry. Tapers are a tool intended for stretching and cause uneven weight distribution if worn for too long when stretching.
15. Once you’ve reach your goal size, you may feel yourself wishing to rock your old ear jewelry. Dangle earrings can be worn with plugs by slipping them under the plug within your stretched ear, but make sure that you wear light earrings. The weight of a dangle will cause thin spots in your holes. I’ve come to just wearing dangles or studs in my 16g second holes.
16. Once you’ve reached a size you plan on staying at, it’s time to accessorize. My picks for great plug distributors are the organic brands of wood and stone plugs from Hot Topic, Kings Body Jewelry, Etsy, UK Custom Plugs, Omerica Organics, Plugs by Emma, and Alternative Earth Organics. Stone, wood, steel, and glass are considered the safest and most natural plug materials, but quality acrylics and silicons can be worn as well.