Ear Gauges - Gauging Your Ear Piercings
Comments on article "Ear Gauges - Gauging Your Ear Piercings"| Name | Views and Comments | Date |
| Doja | I am here to ask a question of my own though. If you will read my last post it tells how big my ears were.. that was 3 years ago. Now i could possibly push an 8 through the top but im not sure what my bottoms are and I want to order some off of ebay~ If anyone could give me a tip on finding out what size my bottoms are it would be appreciated. I thought about using a socket set but... cant find it lol | 6/5/2011 |
| Doja | Well.. to let you know I have had my experience with this I had 3/4 of an inch in my bottom and doubles above that. My tongue gaged to a 6 and my labret to a 4. Occasionally depending on what your going to and from your ear will go numb for a day or so. If i remember correctly going from 2-0 was a bit rough. I used 2 gage horseshoes in each ear to stretch for that jump. Padlocks help as well if your having trouble getting the next size in. | 6/5/2011 |
| Frin | I went from a 2G to a 0G :/ and Now my whole ear is numb and I cant feel anything is something wrong with my ear? Or will it go back to normal? | 6/4/2011 |
| cody s. | to Anna yeah you should be fine going to a 2, but keep it in for a week or so before you go to the 0, after that you should be able to stretch normally |
5/19/2011 |
| anna | I've had plugs two times before. The first time I went up to a 0 and the second time up to 7/16. I wanted them back so a couple of days ago I put some 4's in and they slipped right in. Would it be of to skip 2 and go to 0 since I've had them before orrrr? | 5/19/2011 |
| cody s. | to Pris Kris well your first mistake is taking them out to clean them, if possible try to keep them in for at least a week and a half after the stretch. i would say leave the plugs in for a few more days, but if the pain is to bad i would go to the nearest tattoo/piercing shop and see what they think, hope it helps |
5/19/2011 |
| Pris Kris | I have been stretching my ears for a little while now. I just went to a size 4g using acrylic tapers then putting in metal plugs. I've had issues with my ears being sensitive and pussing but never like this. My left ear is plain out painful to the lightest touch (like wind blowing light) and pussing. I took it out to clean it a twice a day for the first two days but now it's just TOO painful to touch.. I am thinking about taking them out for a day & going back down to a 6g if they do heal up a little bit.. What do y'all think? | 5/19/2011 |
| Aymes | Thanks. I'll definitely remember that when I'm stretching to 4g in a couple months. :) | 5/10/2011 |
| cody s. | to Aymes leave em in, the pain should start to go away in a few days -a little tip when stretching your ears, do it right after a shower, there is less pain and the moistness helps lubricate the lobe |
5/10/2011 |
| Aymes | I had my 8s in for about two months before I decided to stretch to 6s a few days ago. While I was stretching them, there was some pain, but it wasn't as bad as it is now. My ears have been swollen and bleeding for about two days and I was wondering whether or not I should take them out or just leave them in. Note: I tried to stretch them before and had the same issue, so I took them out and tried again two weeks |
5/10/2011 |
| cody s. | Sally E. i suggest that you put it back in, if possible. then you should leave it in for a least a week so it can heal. if you cant get the 4 back in put the 6 in and let it heal for about a week and a half, then put the for back in. if you notice a little blood seeping out just leave it be, it will heal just fine |
5/7/2011 |
| Sally e. | hey I have gagues for a while my 10's, 8's, 6's where fine when I put them in, when I got my 4's they where kinda easy to put but just a couple days ago I woke up in the morning my left ear was swollen it hurts a little and when I ttok it out to clean them it bled a lil what do I do? | 5/7/2011 |
| ryan | my left ear peircing is straight but the right one is angled down kinda will this affect how they look when i get to bigget gauge sizes | 4/30/2011 |
| cody s. | to Becca M first off never use peroxide, i suggest just waiting it out, if it takes more then 3 more days for the pain to subside i would go back to the 10s for about a week and a half the put the 8s back in |
4/29/2011 |
| cody s. | to Havok you skipped 7/16s, so i suggest you put your 00s back in for about a week then get some 7/16s, wait about two weeks and then go to the 1/2s |
4/23/2011 |
| Havok | OK so i was at 0s and jumped to 00s in 2weeks but when i did it didnt feel like a stretch at all so two days after i went and got my goal size which are 1/2s and these are the hardest 2 put in yet. ive never had this much of a problem putting gauges in. i have my left taper in but the right one just wont go through. its really tender and swollen. any tips? | 4/23/2011 |
| jenny | ok, here is my problem I stuck a sixteen gage iin my ear and let it heal. then like two weeks later i put in a ten gage. Two weels later I went to a tattoo shop and got a tapper. He said it was like a eight or a six. He told me to go home put vasoline on it and slowly slide it in. I did that yesterday and they swelled up right after i did it. then I slept last night and when I got up today they was swollen bigger. i took them out and there was alot of puss and oozing and blood. Im not sure what to do. this is the size that i want to stay at but i dont know how to get it to heal. I really dont want to take them out. Any suggestions? | 4/17/2011 |
| cody s. | to Sabrina no need to worry it just seems like its smaller but it will easily stretch back to the size of your plugs |
4/16/2011 |
| Sabrina | I've slowly been stretching for a while now. Going on three years; I'm at 5/8ths. I was just wondering; whenever I take out my plug or anything the whole looks SO SMALL. Almost as if it's shrinked a million sizes. Just after seconds of take out the plug. Anyone know why that is? ): | 4/12/2011 |
| Vivian | I'm at 9/16ths, from a half inch. A good way to get the gauges in if you've had them in for a while and just want to jump without a taper or weights... Take a nice hot shower, play with your ear, make sure it's really relaxed. Clean the gauge, and use some shampoo. Smother your ear and the gauge and try working it through. It can be slightly painful but not enough to cry. Stretching normally stings and redness almost always occurs when you get to the larger sizes. If it bleeds, or hurts a lot, stop. I normally leave gauges in for a few months and go up, in the shower. It's an easy way for me, but everyone is different. |
4/6/2011 |
| Gary | PS I put the 0's in yesterday, and 00's in today. | 4/6/2011 |
| Gary | I pierced my ears and put in 10s, next day 8's. Waited maybe 3-4 days and put in 6's, next day skipped 4 to 2's. Had 2's in for a week and two days, did 0's. Today I put in 00's and its the first time I've been bothered by pain, though it's not too bad. They're swollen now, and they swelled up on the 2'd, I believe. I bought 7/16ths today along with my 00's. I'm seriously considering actually taking the time to allow the 00's to heal for a month before moving on.. but I said the same thing about 2-0's as well.. so, we'll see. Anyway, point being, I was able to jump fairly quickly with no issues until today. |
4/6/2011 |
| Trenise morgan | yesterday I went from a 2G to a 0G in my right ear an from a 0G to a 00G in my left, I never skip sizes and I always let them heal fully before I go to the next size, my left ear is really red, swollen and earlier was bleeding, I'm not sure what to do, this has never happened before, if anyone has any suggestions please add me on Facebook: Trenise Morgan. thank you. | 4/5/2011 |
| Sammy A, | Samantha, Well.. if you wanna look kinda weird having a taper halfway sticking out.. then sure? xD BUT.. if you take your time and slowly slide it through you should be fine. It might be a little painfull for a few hours but you shoud be fine. |
4/4/2011 |
| Samantha | i just Started gauging my ears today. i've got a ten gauge taper halfway in right now. im not sure of i should just leave it in halfway or take it out?... but personally im just going to leave it in until my hole stretches. | 4/4/2011 |
| Sammy A. | Danielle, You need to see a doctor. I know you don't want to jump to that RIGHT away but it's better to do it NOW just in case you can't do anything and have it become worse. I'm not going to look over ALL these comments, but somethings I have learned since I started stretching my ears(i'm at a 0 now) when using tappers, or anything with the "O" rings to keep your stretch open and secure, WILL cause irritation. You might noticce after some time your ears get itchy RIGHT in the center/around the sides of your hole and it might get red and swell yade yade yada. This is because of the silicon. Silicon can grow ONTO your skin, that's why sometimes the O rings get stuck into your ears and their hard to get off. I used to use alcohol swabs, then my one ear got infected and I started washing them in the shower with just warm water and a warm clean cloth. IT HEALED IN LESS THEN A WEEK! I'm back to every now and again using alcohol swabs to help the itchy irratation, and keep them extra extra clean! |
3/20/2011 |
| danielle | Wayyy too lazy to read through all the comments. I've been stretching my ears since I was 14 (I'm now 19) and I've never experienced what I'm going through to this degree. A few days ago I was at 3/4's in both ears. When I was sleeping, my right tunnel managed to fall out and magically disappear into a black abyss. So seeing as how I'm extremely poor, I either had the option of putting in my 7/8 silicone double flares or downsizing to my 5/8ths. My left lobe was an easy transition and it's perfect. From that perspective I'm now a huge fan of silicone, but because my right lobe had closed up when I was sleeping, I'm assuming that I jumped too far and managed to rip the hole. I attempted to keep the 7/8 in but last night I got sick of having the throbbing so I decided to downsize to a 5/8 gauge and let it heal. The second I took it out, blood poured all the way down my neck. After some messy work, I have cleaned and placed my 5/8 gauge in and wrapped it to help the blood clot so it won't continuously bleed. Now, in the past I've used sea salt soaking as a method of healing, but I've done that and I'm starting to think I actually might need to get stitched up. Before I make any drastic decision, does anyone know any better methods, and a general timeline of when I should see improvements, so I know when to see a doctor about getting something done with it? | 3/15/2011 |
| hjcatastrophe | I go every other size. I had a 16, and I got what I thought were fourteens but turned out to be tens(box was labeled wrong)...I had no problem with them. A little bleeding but nothing else. and everytime I gauge up I get like red spoltches on the bottom of my ear lobe, and it's only my left ear that does it, and my left is always the one that hurts most. I went from a ten to sixs without a problem, some burning but that's it. it's been a day Nd they're not even sore. | 3/11/2011 |
| cody k | i had my helix peirced nothing special and it constantly feels like someone is pinching it. is it because she used a safety pin to do it or is it infected or is that normal. please help! | 3/9/2011 |
| Luly | If there is some irritation and just a bit of redness with very mild puffiness, is this just part of the normal process of adjustment? Is it ok, or even beneficial, to use an antiseptic ointment like neosporin? And how about at night? It's not comfortable to sleep wearing the spiral, tapers I'm using? One more thing; Is surgical steel the only, or preferred, material for enlarging a piercing? Thanks for your help. The information in this article was very helpful and reassuring. |
3/2/2011 |
| Val | Im at 1/2 Inch... ANd I wear silicone tunnels... b ut i feel like my hole is smaller than before... im wondering if anyone else has experienced this? And a WORD TO EVERYONE! A lot of peoples ears tear or rip. Your ears WILL be swollen. They will probably BLEED and be gross and be crusty and have puss. Some people stretch with no problenm, everytone is different. If it tears, take care of it. DO NOT USE ALCOHOL. This drys the ear, and does it no good. Id take the plug/taper out a few times a week, to clean it. But also clean it EVERYDAY , spinning it and using Q tips. Hot showers before you clean them, or a hot wash rag to the ear, will soften the crusties, so when you spin it or try to take it out, your not ripping the scab. Makes sense right.? Its just like a scab somewhere else. if you rip it off, it takes longer to heal and hurts. And advice.. For those who comeplain about smell, Silicone doesnt smell. Anything else will.. Make sure after showers you take your jewlery out, dry it and your earholes. It prevents built up moisture for being smell.y |
2/26/2011 |
| SUZY | TO JOHN, YOUR QUESTION IS, HOW DO I TCONVINCE MY DAUGHTER THIS IS STUPID TO DO? YOU TELL HER POINT BLANK, THIS IS SOMETHING YOU WILL NOT DO... THE END. BE A PARENT. | 2/25/2011 |
| SUZY | THIS IS SO CRAZY THAT YOU ALL WOULD WANT TO DO THIS TO YOUR EARS. IT IS NOT ATTACTIVE WHAT SO EVER... PLAY BALL, GO TO DANCING SCHOOL OR GET A JOB. MAYBE YOU WILL GROW UP. THIS IS SO DISCUSTING | 2/25/2011 |
| Pete | I have recently gone from a 16g to a 6g in 1 day, no blow outs, no bleeding, they are just swollen and warm. Its not bad. Any suggestions on lowering the swelling? I'm thinking ice... | 2/24/2011 |
| Matthew B | I just got my ears pieced 2 1/2 weeks ago and i was asking if i should go up to a 18g or a 16g? I have a 20 and its doing just fine. | 2/22/2011 |
| Cody | i don't do the inbetween sizes, i'm currently at 3/4ths and i'm using electrical tape to get up to an inch, its working pretty well, ALITTLE TIP: don't make huge skips in your gauging experience, and electrical tape will be your bestfriend if you don't like buying alot of pointless gauges :) |
2/1/2011 |
| hallie | i went from a 10 to a 0... and then i put 2g plugs in... its not that hard. | 1/31/2011 |
| Ralph | i had 8s 3 weeks ago and i switched to 4s 2weeks ago and now im at 0's. my ears blewout from 8 to 4 because i only had a week to heal. then i waited for 2 weeks to go to 0's and they never blew out :] its jus burning hot and sore :[ haha |
1/31/2011 |
| Marylinn | i went from 16g - 1" in two months. started with regular barbells then went on to tapers, stopped the tapers at 00 and started using silicon. perfecto. no blow outs, infections, or tears. baby lotion if they were itchy, teflon to slowly stretch. i stayed at an inch for about 3 1/2 months, im now at my goal of 1 1/2 inches :D word to the wise, dont ever skip. | 1/28/2011 |
| Glenn | I was at a 2g for like 1 week and I just put in my 0g like a day ago and my ears are swollen and like dried pus and blood is coming out of my ears. Should I take them out and clean them or leave them in and clean around them until the swelling goes down? | 1/21/2011 |
| Ryan | You guys are ridiculous, i went from a 14g to a 7/16 in less then a month and my ears are fine they never been infected and ive had them like this for 4 months now. | 1/20/2011 |
| samantha | i woke up this morning andd my ears are very swallon how do i fix this asap.? my gages are 6's | 1/19/2011 |
| cody s. | to aly he should wait about 2 mounts, after that he should be fine |
1/7/2011 |
| aly | oh and to brooklin. my ears bled wen i put in my 12g and i skipped a size and went to a 8 g. wen i put in the 8g they bled horribly. if urs bleed keep them in dont take them out and clean them like.. two three times a day for about four days then take them out and clean them that way, thats how i did it and now my gauges r fine and healthy. if ur ears itch it just means they r healing. have fun gaugin ur ears lol. peacee. | 1/6/2011 |
| aly | hrrrmm. i have a question. so for christmas i got my boyfriend his ears pierced. he wants to start guaging them but how long are you suppose to wait after u pierce them to start gauging them? i have 8g but ive had my ears peirced for as long as i can remember. so i dont kno how it works. | 1/6/2011 |
| Band Geek | Hahaha Im at a size 6g about to go to 4g :) Minimun-00 Maxium-1/2 | 1/3/2011 |
| john | how do i convince my daughter this is a stupid thing to do | 12/30/2010 |
| Brooklin | I have a questiion i am 14 i just put new 14gauge in my ear i know small;:/ but i took them out to wear regular ones then i put them back it hurt worce and they bled alot i was wondering is that normal? and do i jsut clean then i peroxide? and if i take them out one night will they grow up? | 12/26/2010 |
| barbara | i have gauged ears i went from 14g to 8g i had no problem putting dem in. they did not hurt at all. when i go to clean my gauges i seen white crust over it is infected-barb | 12/26/2010 |
| Taylor | Okay someone answer this, because im freaking out ha. I first gauged my ears with a twelve for a day with to tapers, i dont even know what those are. then i put in tens. the left one moves very well but burns and the ear lobe is very swollen with some puss stuff, and my left one isnt that swollen but looks like it grew around the gauge. should i take them out and stop gaugeing? |
12/26/2010 |
| jeff | ok sweet that means i can go bigger if i wantd to . and i found an easyer way to gauge your ears you take a hot facde cloth and hold it on your ear that your gaugeing for awail then you put the gauge rite through no pain no problume | 12/20/2010 |
| Alice | That is not true i had my ears at 7/16 once before and had to take my gauges out for modeling. They closed up completely in a little less than a year. | 12/17/2010 |
| jeff | yya im only going as far as a 7/16 and iv heard if you go past a 00 that the hole wont close is that true ? | 12/17/2010 |
| Alice | excuse me i went from a 1/2 in to a 9/16th silly me. | 12/16/2010 |
| Alice | I went from a 7/16 to a 9/16th a few days ago and my left ear is perfectly fine. Almost like i can stretch to my 5/8th which is my stopping point but my right ear is hurting around where my lobe and side of my head meets and i have a lot of crustys. in my whole year of stretching my ears this has never happend to me. is there a reason why? should i down size and then go back up in the one ear? i really dont want to but its starting to get on my nerves lol. | 12/16/2010 |
| Kadie A | the other day i went from a 14g to a 10g in both sides of my cartilidge. I know its not smart to gauge your cartilidge but this is as large as i'm going. When i went to the 10 my right ear went in fine but my left had some trouble. Now my left ear is fine and my right is swollen and red. Both get those weird crusty things so i take my earrings out and clean them and my ear with alcohol. How can i tell if my right ear is ripped or messed up? If it is what do i do? | 12/15/2010 |
| heather | Im at a 1/2, have been since august. I want to get my ears up to an inch but im kinda scared the next sizes will hurt alot. Do they or am i just being a baby? | 12/14/2010 |
| Mike | Everyone needs to understand that if you tear your ear or if it is swollen or infected. Just take them out for a day. It's not going to close up. Clean them and then place your old size in. Let it heal and try again. If you don't do this (even if it does heal) you are much more likely to have a blowout or a rip in the future. Take your time, is there really any reason you cant wait for another 2 weeks? It's worth it, blowouts are nasty. |
12/9/2010 |
| Krizchyn | i just stretched my ears to a 00 and my right ear healed fine but my left ear is EXTREMELY swollen,firm,sensitive and tender and idk what to do should i just leave the taper in and let it heal or take it out and reguage it ? | 12/9/2010 |
| Akana | I'm just curious, but this weekend I stretched to a 0g from a 2g, after having the 2's in for quite a long time. It's about 4 days later and there is a constant pretty strong pain, but it's just in one ear and it's really swollen, although both have pain when I press a little past my ear like on my neck as if I had bruises there. I used tapers and made sure to lubricate them really well, but I had a massive headache after I stretched them where normally I'm very resistant to pain. I'm wearing silicone tunnels now though, because I just borrowed my friends tapers for one day to stretch them. I'm not sure if they are infected or torn or what, but is there anything wrong or anyway to make the pain be reduced? | 12/8/2010 |
| katiie | I started gauging my ears a while ago, and now im finally up to an eight, but when i tried to put them in, at first they wouldn't go, and now that i have them in my right lobe is hurting pretty bad, and i don't know what to do, because my gauges have never hurt before. is there something i can do to get rid of the pain, cause i don't want to take them out if they would of just been fine after a few days. | 12/7/2010 |
| Noneyabusineess | when i first got mine they bleed for like 3 days and hurt for like a week, notice that i skippeda few sizes. from a 16g to a 8g. it hurt but was worth it. :D | 12/4/2010 |
| Sheri | So I put in my gauge 6s last nights. I've been really nice to my ears and all, done everything right, waited 2 weeks and all. They hurt really bad when I put them in and they were throbbing and I couldn't sleep but eventually, I did. This morning I went to school, came back and they still hurt. none of gauges have hurt like this...it's kinda like itchy and stabbing. is something wrong? or is this just normal and i'm being my neurotic self? |
12/2/2010 |
| angelica | i just got my 1/2 in and they hurt like a mother. they bleed for 3 days straight. now they are just tender. but yeah i juts shoved them in and it was all good. | 12/1/2010 |
| Vanessa :) | i went straight to size 10 two day ago, the right one didnt hurt at all but thee left one i think may have ripped i didnt think i shouldve cleaned them soo i havent and i took it out today and its all crusty around the hole soo i cleaned it off with water will it go away? | 12/1/2010 |
| Artemio | I am at a 0 now i been stretching for like 2 months. 0 was my goal and im just wondering how long i should wait till i put in a kaos rubber tunnel? | 11/30/2010 |
| Stephany R. | I went staright to a size 8g my first time, it did hurt and i bled a little. Then i went to a size 6g, It didn't hurt as bad, now i'm at a size 4g and i wanna get to a size 0g but I'm scared that my ear wont go back to normal, will it heal? | 11/30/2010 |
| Matt | Gah. It's not ear gauging. It's stretching. A gauge is a measurement, not a title. | 11/29/2010 |
| vermilion | Great advice. Everything I've ever wondered about gauging my ears is right here. Just got me some 14's. Thank you. | 11/28/2010 |
| Will | I went from a 4 to a 2, idc if i skipped a size, it bled for like a day not even and it wasn't massive amounts of blood, it was just when i took out my taper to clean it there was a little bit of blood. not a big deal god. | 11/24/2010 |
| cody s. | to BarbaraJeanne theres a techneique that you can use that is cheap and simple, what you will need is ptfe thread seal tape (sold in any home improvement store, and walmart) what you need to do is take a peice that is about 1 1/2 inches long and wrap it around your earing, i also suggest useing some type of lube, i myself use bacitracin gel go to youtube and typ this in: Ear Stretching, the tape wrapping method, gauging the channel name is "thekingflatland" hope it helps |
11/24/2010 |
| c.tiger | im a piercing and gauging artist i have my ears gauged out to a 7/16 and dont regret it one bit if any one tells you your stupid for doin it they are wrong its just a life expierence | 11/19/2010 |
| Remy | I noticed a lot of people asking about normal earrings and stretched ears and whether or not stretched ears will heal back to normal once the jewelry is removed. On the first point, it's my experience that once 14G is surpassed, wearing normal earrings alone just won't happen; the post/hook is too thin and the backing too small at that point to stay put. However, it's totally plausible (and looks really cool) to put normal 18G jewelry in WITH larger gauges once they're healed. I wear 18G dangling earrings with my 12G and 10G all the time. Just take them out before bed! On the second point, healing stretched ears depends on the individual, really. Rips and blowouts will certainly make for a tough sizing down, especially if the damage was bad. But, for the most part, I've learned that anything below 1/2" can be healed without surgery and using the very same tapers that were used to stretch can be used to shrink. I've already done it before; I went from 00G to 4G using my old tapers and jewelry and some patience. So, hope this helps a little! :) | 11/17/2010 |
| dropdead | to BarbaraJeanne, umm i just went from a 1/2 inch to an 5/8. uhh it didnt really hurt my ears that much. if your having a problem you can always go to 9/16 its right after 1/2 its not that much bigger, but if it helps you can do that... | 11/15/2010 |
| BarbaraJeanne | I'm at 1/2 inch and I just bought 5/8 tunnels non flared. But I can not get them in for the life of me. And now after trying to get them in they are sore and tender and a bit swollen. What's a way a could stretch my ears to get them in and a way to make my ears not sore and swollen? | 11/15/2010 |
| kwentonn | okay the front part of my ear looks perfectly normal but the back doesn't look the same as the front. it looks as if its been ripped but i take my time with them, i go size by size and im only at a 4. is that normal? im going to leave the 4's in for about a month and see if it goes away. | 11/11/2010 |
| Stephanie.M.E | ok kool | 11/3/2010 |
| cody s | to Jasmine A. the reason its like that is you skipped so many sizes, a regular piercing with a gun is 18g or 20g so skipping that many traumatized your ear, but keep it clean and dont take the earrings out for about two weeks and you should be fine |
10/18/2010 |
| Ashley Polk | You don't want to use alcohol to clean. It will dry the holes out and actually cause the holes to heal to the jewelry. Use hydrogen peroxide, or better yet use a sterile saline solution. | 10/18/2010 |
| Gurt | Im 15 and im at 1/2 , when i did a 2g-0g stretch, my rite ear got a blow out . now at 1/2 my left ear is red swollen and pussing.. i soaked in a bath with anti bacterial soap to help it go down... i cant take it out cuz it hurts really bad.. Suggestions? | 10/18/2010 |
| Jasmine A. | Hello :) A few days ago, I went from a regular piercing to a 10. Ever since then, my right ear has been swollen and even bleeding while my left ear is totally fine. Can anyone help me and tell me what might be going on? Ive had my regular piercings since i was a baby so I know it has nothing to do with that. When i had put the gauges in, the left one didn't hurt at all while i just felt a slight punch with the right one. What should i do? Is it infected? Please help. |
10/17/2010 |
| cody s. | my ear is gauged to a 6, it doesnt hurt but when i take the tapper out there is pus. is it infected, or is it just normal? | 10/16/2010 |
| cameron | collinm if u plan to get 2 inches in 2 years dont even plan to gauge ur ears cuz ur just gunna end up blowing ur ear n my girl has 4 inches its not a matter of how big u are n how much pain u can handle its a matter of how patient u can be | 10/9/2010 |
| cameron | you can use flared n double flared just leave in the size you have intell u can easyily slidem in and out i currently have 1 inch n 3 8ths use the tape method after 1/2 iv never had a problem with electrical tape n u can also use silicone gauges with a solid plug as long as its the size below the silicone size to go up one size | 10/9/2010 |
| jake | Hey! So i do not currently have a piercing, however, I want to get one in each earlobe and then stretch it down to around gauge 4. My question is this, If i get the piercing now, how long should I wait until i start the first stretch, and then how much time in between should I wait.(I know it is different for each person but a ball park figure would be nice) Thanks soo much! |
10/3/2010 |
| danielle. | I went to a 0g last night using a taper. i was at a 2g. earlier today i put the plug in and its a little sore, a little puffy but it doesn't throb or anything. i clean it really well and make sure i wait long enough before going on to the next size. ive never skipped a size or anything. i started out at a 14g july 29th and today im at a 0g. i try to wait at least a week or two before i go up a size. i've never had puss or anything like that. but today it bled more than i would have liked. hopefully everything is okay tho. i don't think i ripped it or anything. they look healthy. going from a 2g to a 0g was by far the worst for me. i plan to stop at 00g or 7/16. not sure yet. does it get less painful as you get pass a 0g? | 9/29/2010 |
| shawn | I find that the best way to taper your ears. Is electrical tape. And if you don't know how this is done. Then look it up on youtube. And they will show you how to do it. | 9/23/2010 |
| Mariama | This was very helpful | 9/21/2010 |
| nina | idk, i have size 4 gauges, ive been having them for about 3 months but in my second month, i started taking them out at night, and i would go days without them, when i tried putting them back in they hurt somewhat, then puss started coming out but now their fine... is that normal? | 9/20/2010 |
| ash | you have to stretch down size by size...any faster can cause MAJOR problems. take your time and let it heal in between tapering | 9/19/2010 |
| Jerk | i've been gauging for years and used to use household objects when i couldn't afford new ones when i was younger. for the last several months, i've stayed at a 3/4 and just went to a 7/8s the other day with a taper. my ear is very swollen and extremely tender. normal? or infected? leave it in and wait it out? or take it out cause my ear's gonna fall off? (lol) thanks. :] |
9/17/2010 |
| nick | oh and maybe it wouldnt go in cuz ur ears were dry try and pick up some vitamin e oil or if u got the money jojoba oil or some of the toher oils they have fro stretching some people use neosporin like a few of my friends do she has no blow outs at i think 3/4 | 9/14/2010 |
| nick | yeah go to walmart and pick up some teflon tape and start taping your plugs i usually do 3-4 wraps around every 2-3 days | 9/13/2010 |
| Amanda Reaper | I have 5/8 in right now, and i just recently bought 3/4 plugs. I cant get them in. They dont even go half way in! Is there an easier way to get them in than to force it in. I dont want to blow my ear out | 9/11/2010 |
| nick | and also from what i have heard if you want to get your wholes even smaller you can slam a taper about a size or two big through your ear get in infected take out the taper and let it heal it will make your holes even smaller | 9/10/2010 |
| nick | i dont have much experince and i have never read about stretching/body modification in my life but i used to skip sizes alot (ive been stretching for about 2 years) i have been to a half inch thats the biggest i plan on going to that again maybe bigger im at a 2G but as i was saying i skipped alot of sizes but i just got my first ripped ear but its not even a bad rip just a little one and i have never had a infection or a sign of a blow out so i guess im pretty good but from wht im reading all the methods i use are wrong they just work turns out i probably should shoved a knife in my ear and twisted it around :/ i dry stretch and use double flares only and i taper everything and if im going to tape my ears my tape has adehesive so i know thats bad but i still dont have anything wrong but a little tear thats already almost healed and hasnt off set the holes in my ears still all good oh and for everyone saying you cant go back ot a normal size after two is wrong i went from half inch to 18 in like 2 months just put vitamin e loation/oil it helps trust me ur good if u go past | 9/10/2010 |
| dani | Okay people first off after passing a 2 gauge there is no gauntee of ur ear going back to normal also if u skip sizes ur ears will either tare or look like buttholes when u don't want them anymore. At least wait a month to go up one more size. Clean them like new peicings everytime u go up in size use luke warm salt water to clean them twice a day. If u jump sizes to quickly u can get a blowout and those are hidious good luck people don't jump sizez! | 9/6/2010 |
| surge | i just got my first gauge and i went straight to the 2G and havent had any problems with it just cleaaning it daily just a litte sore | 9/6/2010 |
| Kat G | Kayla is right and i prolly look dumb but hey if i dont know the lingo that well im still a noob sorry. im now at 00 now no more 4 but i just wanted to say when ur at 2s and u go bigger its so much easier doest hurt as much :) peace out :D | 9/5/2010 |
| zach | ive only had my gauges like 2 maybe 3 weeks and im at a 0 goin on 00 in both ears... im proud | 9/4/2010 |
| Jennifer | I just tapered my ears for the first time this past Friday. i went from an 18 to an 8. They hurt and they are swollan. The tattoo place i had them done at said that is normal. Has anyone else gone through the same thing? How long do they hurt for? When do i start to take them out to clean them? thx for the help! | 8/30/2010 |
| Kayla | A lot of you are complaining about going from 4 to a 2 and what not. Its not that difficult. If you can't be patient and wait for your ears to heal then you shouldn't be stretching. Stretching is a long process and shouldn't be rushed. If your ear is swollen, red, bleeding, puss oozing out and it feels like you can feel your heart beat then you probably ripped it. Than means take it out and let it heal. Blow outs do heal but its a very long process, it involves actually taking your plug/tunnel out and leaving it out for a long period of time. Electrical Tape is not good for your ears so I don't recommend you using it. Use bondage tape and emu oil. Also wooden plugs are not good either. I've been stretching for 4 years now. I'm now at 1 1/4th so I know a lot about stretching. Lastly if you do not know the correct term for stretching your ears then you should not be stretching your lobes. Gauging does not mean stretching, its the size of the plug/tunnel/taper etc that you're using. Do not use the term "Gauging" around those who take body modification seriously. Its a form of art and you're making yourself look like a joke. | 8/27/2010 |
| Cortney | good info :D | 8/26/2010 |
| Kikaharu | Lisa, ur baby is probably playing with the piercing. if ur baby has a normal 22, 20, or 18 gauge ear piercing in it should get smaller when he/she stops playing with it. and i named those three gauge numbers cuz those r the mostly the normal size for ear piercings. And my own news, I got my left ear to an 8 gauge and my right ear is really close too. but i have a question about my right it. it always slower at stretching and healing. like i'll wait until my ears r healed and then when i try to stretch them up a gauge my right ear hurts more and it takes longer to stretch it. y is that? |
8/25/2010 |
| lisa | i have a 7 mths old baby girl, i was so anxious that i pierce her ears before nine days,which im very sorry now, but now the hole is gettin bigger, im wondering if it can block up now,any answers? | 8/24/2010 |
| Kat G | Well i didnt have any problems whatsoever until now its just swollen so decided to leave my tapers in for about a week for it to heal :) i started at an 8G after a month or so i went to a 6g then a 4g a week after lol its perfectly fine :) going to go to a size 2G in 2 months maybe less depending on recovery. Its addicting lmao. Allin all the only major things that happened were puss and redness. But my secret was gaugin in the shower then after i put Neosporin on the tapers for it to slide thru and kill infection at the same time :) just thought id share my lil story haha :) Neosporin is ur best friend heals my ears in about 4 days. My 4G was painful worst ever, but nothing neosporin cant handle :P haha so im proud to say in a 4G oh yaa | 8/19/2010 |
| Mike | Then buy Sea Salt from the store... It's located next to the table salt. | 8/18/2010 |
| Kikaharu | Mike yeah its ok to use table salt. but sea salt is better. it helps with cleaning it and its what professional piercers say to clean piercings with. so either one would work but i say to go with the sea salt | 8/17/2010 |
| Mike | Buy salt add warm water place your ear in water... pretty easy. Why would you pay $4 for a spray that contains salt and water? | 8/16/2010 |
| Kikaharu | Jessie-Lyn. u can get sea salt spray at malwart, hot topic, or any piercings shop. there is different brands but they work the same. and its easy to do u spray the piercing with the spray thats all. | 8/16/2010 |
| chato | yea christina have u try puting a little bit of vaseline on the tapers? or u did and u still have trouble if so.and are ur ear's heal? | 8/16/2010 |
| Jessie-Lynn | where do i get the sea salt soak stuff, and how do i do it? | 8/15/2010 |
| Kikaharu | Jessie-Lynn sea salt soaks r the best way to clean any piercings. Craigggj yes it should heal up fine. there shouldnt be any damage. ColinM. stretching ur ear shouldnt hurt one bit. personal experince my ears never hurt when getting them pierced or stretched. so as long as u take it slow and listen to ur body it should go well and shouldnt hurt | 8/15/2010 |
| Rayy | Bro, yer a bit off. 2" in that short of time may not be easy. The pain is horrible, but it's worth it. Don't give up (: | 8/14/2010 |
| ColinM. | Hey, I am looking into gauging my ears. The ultimate goal for me would be 2" plugs in about 2 years. I was looking at starting at a 12 gauge. Thing is, I'm super sensitive to pain. Anyone have advice to get me through this ? I am 150 pounds and I have taken a lot of pain in my life, and it frustrates me that 100 pound scene girls can get HUGE plugs. I have never experienced the pain, but people describe it as the worst thing ever. Someone, mentor? Please and Thanks -Colin. |
8/14/2010 |
| Craigggj | I've had my ears 8g for about three weeks and all the sudden it's sore I think I may have torn it slightly while sleeping will everything heal up well? Also I was wondering if vitamin E oil would help heal it. | 8/14/2010 |
| Jessie-Lynn | all i need to know is whats the best way to clean your ears after gauging them, ive been at a 14g for the past 4 days, can i clean them with rubbing alcohol or poroxide or something around the house? | 8/14/2010 |
| Kikaharu | Winter. swollenness is normal but u shouldnt skip gauges cuz u can have a blow out or tear ur ear. alot of people go down a gauge at a time. and everyone is different. i dont really say its ok to skip from a 14 to 6. but if u didnt ruin ur ear it should be fine. take care of it and clean it too u dont want to get it infected. cuz when u stretch it u r making little rips in ur tissue. and that is an open wound that bacteria can go into. also I would do sea salt soaks. and that could help with the swollenness. but if its too swollen and red and hurts. I would go to a piercer and talk to them about it specially if u r new to stretching ur ears. | 8/11/2010 |
| winter | ok i hav a Q ..i had a 14 gauge in and i went to a 6 is tht ok? and is it normal if your ear lobe it swollen after tht ...cuz mine is | 8/11/2010 |
| Kikaharu | Sammy A. u can take ur gauges out to clean them then put them back in even tho it bled a little. it probably would be a better thing to do. cuz if it bled some and u dont clean it it could get infected. ok now im just updating from a old status of mine. I finally got it to stretch to a 10. and Im going to wait awhile longer before using my tapers instead of my pinchers to stretch it to a 8g. and once I get to 8g. then Im probably stopping. | 8/11/2010 |
| Sammy A. | Wellll, I never had a problem BEFORE. I needed to clean them. They were REALLY itchy and I"ve done it before and nothing happened so =]. And thanks. But, I still need my other part answered. |
8/8/2010 |
| Sandra | usually when you gauge up youre not suppose to be touching your gauges at all. you can find sea salt at places where they do piercings. they sell it there. walgreens and dhals too. | 8/8/2010 |
| Sammy A. | Hahaha, wow. I never thought, I would be asking a question on here but I am. I recently gauged my ears to a 4, never had ANY bleeding intill now. I gauged them like a week ago and my skin is very sensitive, and became a little itchy. So, I took them out and cleaned them. My left ear is COMPLETELY healed. But my right began to bleed a little, and it was only in one spot. Is it OK to keep my 4 gauge tappers in, and just give it like another week or 2, to heal before I take them out to clean them? (what should I do?) Also. Where can I find Sea Salt, for soaks? Someone EXPIRENCED please answer me. |
8/7/2010 |
| Sandra | Allright people. Fist things first...everyones skin tissues are different. Just because one person went from a 10 to a 6 and it didnt hurt them or did any damage, dont expect the same. I went from a regular piercing to a 10 and i was fine. Best advice i can give you guys is...TAKE IT SLOW! Being in pain isn't fun at all. Go in order. It might be more expensive...but it's cheaper than getting surgery due to an infection. Buy cheap, ugly gauges to start with. I have all clear plugs and tapers. Now im at my FINAL size (3/4) and I am gonna treat myself and buy me amazing stone gauges that are $40. Clean your ears every night. wait at least 3 weeks before sizing. Do not skip. It will tear your skin and you have a bigger chance of your piercing not going back. Also if you skip you have a bigger chance of a blow out. give your ear time to heal. if its bleeding and crusty..take a shower and clean your gauges until they sparkle and put them back in CLEAN. Dont touch your skin if you havent wasked your hands. All the bacteria will get in your wound and make it worse-learned the hard way when i got,my belly button pierced. The best way to gauge up is when youre in the shower. thats when your skin is relaxed, also you have water as lubrication. DO NOT dry gauge. When you get new gauges dont put them in right away. CLEAN THEM first. When you get bigger it is easier to stretch. but every ear has its limit. if you think your skin cant handle a bigger size...dont go bigger. some ways to stretch your ear is metal weights. i was actually really lazg and i took my school lock and put it through my tunnel so i could size up sunday night when stores were closed. haha. well please be smart and take your time, give your ear time. :) | 8/7/2010 |
| Noise | Ok so today makes 5 days that I've gauged to a 10. My ears are completly healed and im dieing to size up to 8. I know im suppose to wait at least 2 weeks. But if I do gauge up now will something bad happen? | 8/6/2010 |
| hayley | im in the process of going from a 8 to a 6 , i had the 6 tapers in for two days but took them out to switch to plugs. but my one ear is super infected how do i heal that to keep moving on i dont want to start over | 8/2/2010 |
| Kikaharu | I stretched my left ear from 12 to 10. and I tried to stretch my right ear from 12 to 10. but everytime i try my right ear doesnt want to stretch for the 10. any advice that will make it stretch to the 10? I have had my right ear at 12 for over a month. | 7/31/2010 |
| Lindy | This article is full of incorrect "facts". First of all, it is called stretching, not gauging. Second, not all ears will go back down to their original size after being stretched. Third, you should wait at LEAST a month in between stretches, not a week or two. Fourth, petroleum jelly is not recommended at all. And finally, DO NOT wear tapers as jewelry. You should slide the tapers through, then follow up with regular jewelry of that size. Don't give advice if you don't know what you're talking about. | 7/28/2010 |
| rj | i never used tape to stretch, just pull on your ears a few times an hour for two weeks or so and you'll go up 2 sizes. simple, easy, fun, and painless. | 7/28/2010 |
| Jeff7 | the 14s are tapers as well. | 7/27/2010 |
| Jeff7 | I just gauged my ears straight to a 14 from a standard ear piercing. I forgot to snatch up the ear cleaning solution. What can i use to clean my ears? When should I take them out to clean? I wanna know everything i should do to make it perfect, i wont be gauging up for a long time either | 7/27/2010 |
| Sarah | I woke up this morning to find my 0 plug fallen out and grew back in some over-night. So I put in my 7/16 tapers to stretch it back out a tad. And that part was fine, it's the damn o-ring that I can't get on. When I first strechted to 0, I put in my plugs with the o-rings already on, and it hurt a ton. So I put back in my plug after it had fallen out, and I can't get the o-ring on the back. | 7/26/2010 |
| Allison. | I just went from a 0 To a 00 and it was VERY painful. I thought i might pass out; It was the worst size ive ever put through my ears. Its completely worth it though. But my ears are throbbing. I havent skipped sizes, And i wait atleast a week for them to heal. CLEAN it, atleast everyday. My left ear was like twice the size as my right; because it was infected. Im stopped at a 00, Just because someday i might want to close my ears up. | 7/25/2010 |
| nick | Also those who say its impossible to go back sizes all u have to do(exept for after 00) is guage it up enough so that it starts bleeding and take it out it causes the newly opend wound to fix itself and will shrink...just makes sure to keep it clean! | 7/25/2010 |
| nick | I went from a 16 straight down to a 4 then from a twelve to a 2 and I'm sick of peple being wimpy about guaging lol this one girl was in tears when she went from a 14 to a twelve come one | 7/25/2010 |
| Jo | im on 5/8 and i skip 3/4 going to 7/8, WASTE OF MONEY! it wont go in. and i have always skipped sizes, never done baby sizes. | 7/22/2010 |
| Jayme G | i'm having the same issue as Jasmine G! i've had 6s in my ears for about a month and i want to go up to a 4 but my ear wont budge! i havent had and problems before until now, it just wont go in! why is this and how can i fix it? (ive tried to get them in after a shower and using neosporin, neither helped) | 7/17/2010 |
| tyler | i'm trying to sleep with my plugs out and i have 1/2 inches. i take them out all the time when i shower but i'm scared that i will downsize. i still have the tapers i just don't want to have to deal with that. and i want the KAOS silicone plugs but i don't have the money. thanks | 7/17/2010 |
| corey C | gauging for me was super easy. used tapers after 8. I went from an 18 to 1/2 in less that three months | 7/14/2010 |
| Mike | Why would be wearing tapers after 2 months? You should only have them in for a small time frame. Put in normal plugs at this time. I usually just take mine out for swimming or showering. Bondage tape? Just use plumbers Teflon Tape or Electrical tape around some old tunnels. Put a couple wraps around it then re-insert. Do this every day or two until you have reached the appropriate size. |
7/13/2010 |
| Max | My ears have been gauged for about 2 months, and they're size 2's. I was wondering if it's like, safe to go to the pool? (I plan to wear tapers btw) |
7/13/2010 |
| Jesus | what do u all mean by bondage tape? wat do u do with it after the 00 gauge? | 7/13/2010 |
| Jane | About two weeks ago i went from a normal percing to 10g had to push it in, hurt for that night but was fine the next day. now i just went from 10g to 4g. this was more difficult that before. it hurt but now it's going down. hopefully no damage was done | 7/12/2010 |
| stephanie | go i went from a 10 to a 6 the other night i put it in and it didnt wanna go in so i put more pressure on it then it popped and just went right in. now it is swollen and red and one of my lobes around it is like hard. it hurt really bad when i did it but the pain is going away now what should i do? | 7/11/2010 |
| Kikaharu | no the taper is a 14 that goes to an 8 i kno that u dont stretch it all the way right away. the taper has like stops on it 14, 12, 10, then 8. and its fine im not going to use the tapers. i got pinchers now and they work better | 7/8/2010 |
| Mike | First off, you shouldn't be going from a 14 to an 8 in one stretch. Secondly, it shouldn't take overnight to do a stretch... maybe a few hours. Buy a new taper and start over. Try right after a shower. | 7/3/2010 |
| Kikaharu | my question. ok well I got tapers like 3 days ago. & cuz its my first time using them I decided to do my left ear first. the gauge im at is 14 & I got tapers that go from 14 to 8. I got the taper in & got the o ring on the front but the o ring is to big for the back of the taper. & I went to sleep & when I woke up my taper wasnt in so I grabbed my 14g & put that in & found my taper. & put that in. then the next time I went to sleep. I woke my taper wasnt in so I tried putting my 14g in but I couldnt find the hole like I usually do without looking so I took the other taper I have & put that in & I could find the hole fine with that & i tried to put the taper in more but I cant cuz it will start hurting some so I stop. & im afraid that everytime I go to sleep it will be pushed out & that it wont heal cuz it keeps being knocked out when Im sleeping. so if it doesnt heal then I cant stretch it bigger so that the o ring will fit on the back. the taper stays fine in my ear when Im awake but once I sleep and wake up it wont be in. What can I do to make it stop being knocked out? & Will it keep being knocked out when I sleep? | 7/3/2010 |
| Mayhemxx | I have been gauging my ears for a long time now and all i can say is dont skip sizes. I skipped sizes and hurt like hell and i ended up having to take them out and down size to let them heal.Also some advice i can give is : with blowouts you have to let them heal if you dont it wont look so good. Also dont use tapper after a 1/2 inch use the tape method. Thats some addvice i have. | 7/3/2010 |
| MayhemXX | Dont jump sizes..no point | 7/3/2010 |
| Mike | Depending on the original piercing size... I would buy a SS Taper kit, it's cheaper in the long run and a lot of times when you start out you will find that the taper just flies through. As for going from 00 to 7/16... when I did that, I had no problems. The larger you go the easier it is to stretch. Shouldn't need a taper. Just tape it and go slow. Use Jojoba oil as lubricant. Now going from 0 to 7/16 is a big jump... I wouldn't do that :) |
7/2/2010 |
| megan r | hi i just got some gauges at the store ealier and i got a 14g size is this bad for a first time user? | 7/2/2010 |
| Jess | Okay so I went from 00 to 7/16 and it's been a few days or what ever but I went swimming yesterday and now my ears are more swollen and pussing and bleeding as well... should I take them out or let them heal? | 6/27/2010 |
| Jennifer | Hey guys. Today I went with a friend to get more piercings. I decided to stretch my ears while I was there. I thought the gauges I brought from home were 00. I was at a 0 and wanted to go to a 00. The gauges I bought were double flared, and he had to stretch it to a 7/16" in order to get them in. Well, he got the taper through, and could not get the gauges in. He then informed me that the gauges I brought were 7/16" instead of 00. I am upset he did not check first, so now I am at a 7/16". Both of my ears ripped. I know they will heal, but I have never gotten to this large size. Will they shrink back to a fairly normal size if I ever decide to take them out? I NEVER wanted to go this large. I only wanted to go to 00 and then stop. I am a little worried. | 6/23/2010 |
| kevinn | hey i had a 8g n now i got a 6g, but it hurts a little since past two days, and also is swollen n and kind of red. is that normal? or my ear is getting infected? i need help. oh and another thing... how do i clean imy ear with? because it hurts. | 6/22/2010 |
| Mike | you went from a 14 to a 4 in one night!?! I love how people only research this AFTER they screw up their ears! Take them out! Soak in Sea Salt w/ warm water! don't put the 4s back in. put the 14s in and wait a few weeks. Then go slower. Don't be a moron! Take your time! |
6/19/2010 |
| amber. | I went from a 14 gauge, to a 4 gauge last nightt, my ears kinda hurt. but not severely. but there bleeding when i take em out. is that bad? i don't know what i should doo! |
6/18/2010 |
| morgan | wow almost everyone has baby gauges lol | 6/17/2010 |
| morgan | Bellz- omg! you need to just take them out now! massage them in the shower with soap and after put vitamin e oil on them vitamin e oil is also good for making your ears thicker | 6/17/2010 |
| Bellz | Hey I gauged my ears I went from 10 8 6 4 2 now I'm at a 0 and my ear is red I can twist my tappers on my left ear and I look at it this morning and it had crust and blood it has pus what can I do both of my ear lobes are hard why is that please help me. |
6/16/2010 |
| tristan | haha you guysaree noobies, im at 1 1/4 and a little more (bondage tape, which is the BEST tape to use). you can get it at spencers, and i reccomend that to anyone stretching because i was unfortuante to stretch to first and now have what is actually a blowout, not just blood in the back of my right ear. which is skin forced from the inside back out, its not cute. bleeding is normal, its not "good" but its more than common | 6/15/2010 |
| Ryan | Steven, you most likely blew out, that is a term in the piercing world that simply means the inside of your piercing has torn, so you have an open wound. The best thing to do is just to treat it with piercing aftercare solution like should be done when you first get any kind of piercing. Another option is to but epsom salt from walmart. Put a tablespoon of that in warm water, and just let your piercing soak in that for a couple minutes, that will heal more quickly than the aftercare solution. Hope this helps | 6/14/2010 |
| Jackie | Okay I need help I'm at zeros right now. And my left ear is always hard to get in but this time I got it in just fine. Put the plug in & now it swollen... What do I do I'm putting Vitimin E oil around my ear but that doesn't seem to be working. I'm going to go & take a shower to see if that reduces the swollen part :/ because I can get the o ring on but it hurts really badd. I don't know what's wrong with it though can someone please help me? |
6/13/2010 |
| rrrrrrr | Just take it out, wait a day or two until the swelling goes down, then try it again. Mine did the same thing. Try putting it back in really early during the day. |
6/12/2010 |
| nestor martinez | just buy fake ones plugs | 6/12/2010 |
| Jennifer | I just started stretching my ears, so I'm only at a 14. They say not to skip sizes but I went from an 18 or 20 to the 14. And for the first two days it was fine, then last night I slept on my left side and this morning it was red and swollen, so I took out the gauge, which was kind of crusty, washed my ear and it was bleeding slightly and there was puss comin out of it. So I just washed it more then put a taper in, and after a couple hours put my gauge back in. It fit fine an it doesn't hurt or anything right now. In fact it feels fine but it's still all swollen and kind of red. I'm afraid that if I sleep on my ear again tonight the same thing might happen or the swelling could get worse. Why's it swollen? I'm pretty sure there's no blowout or anything. It's just red and swollen, and gross. Lol | 6/12/2010 |
| Mike | Becca, Start over... soak in salt water a couple times a day for a few weeks. Take out your 2s and keep your sixes in for a couple months. You probably just went too fast after your infection. The skin wasn't healed and ripped. Everyone should note that the toughest jumps come from 10Ga - 0Ga... on these sizes you should go in order and wait a few weeks until you jump up again. 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 0... It may cost more money, but its cheaper than seeing a doctor. Once you get over a 0, I have noticed that it's much easier to stretch. I'm at 3/4" now. Also, when you go at this appropriately you will have the experience you need for the larger sizes so you don't rip your ear apart. |
6/11/2010 |
| Becca | Hi my names Becca , I'm 15 and a couple weeks ago , I went from a size 12 to a 6 . It got infected but I fixed it . Last night , I bought 2's and I could only put one in cuz they hurt so bad and aparently I ripped my ears my friends say , and they won't go back to normal . I'll be more careful on the other ear , but for the left one , is there anything (other than surgery) that will make it go kinda back to normal ? Even if it take years ?! Please help :( |
6/10/2010 |
| Anthony C. | Size. not sixe. sorry | 6/8/2010 |
| Anthony C. | I'm at 11/16ths right now and im going to 3/4ths but i just gotta buy the tunnels. You all should try taping. thats the way to do it and there's no pain. just add one layer of electrical tape to your current plug every 30min and you should have at least four layers of tape. then just slide the new sixe in. that's what i do:D | 6/8/2010 |
| Mike | This board is like a Ear ER! Does anyone actually research what you need to do before you start this process? Just read a bit about this process or just don't do it! First things first: Olivia, What size did you move up from? Take the PJ off and do a sea salt soak. Do this a couple times a day. Make sure you put is some Surgical Steel plugs that are at least one size smaller than the ones you have in now. Scoutable, Do the same as above, just keep in the 0 HeavyDuty, If you think your ear is going to rip then don't go any more. The ear can thin out easily so dont push it. Give it time, let it heal... use jojoba oil, it will help heal the skin and strengthen the tissue. Kendel, Small amounts of swelling is normal... but you have gone way too fast. Keep it up and you should just expect a trip to the ER! |
6/7/2010 |
| Olivia. | I have 7/16 gauges and they are really sore and bleeding. I have petroleum jelly on them. Is thar gonna work? | 6/7/2010 |
| Scoutable. | Okay. I've had 0s for about 4 months now and I tried sticking a 00 in and half way through I decided to stay at 0 because my dad wouldnt hush about it. And then it was swollen and raw . I put my regular zeros in and the next night I twisted my plug and liquid came out . WHAT THE F JUST HAPPENED?! help! |
6/7/2010 |
| HeavyDuty | How can you tell when your ear is gona rip in half?, Im almost at an '' and i wanna go all the way up but im scared my ear is gona rip in half? | 6/6/2010 |
| Kendel | Went from a normal size earring to a 6 a couple days back, no "slow" bull-ish just drove the gauge through... Its a tad bit swollen, was wondering if I needed to worry about anything? | 6/6/2010 |
| Mike | jhairo, That's probably just bruising and thin scar tissue... you are seeing bare capillaries through your skin. Ryan, Don't push it... remember, this is something you should prepare to have for the rest of your life. So take your time, the last thing you want to do is look like an Ogre for the rest of your life. |
6/5/2010 |
| jhairo | what to do if the inside of your ear is back and purple? | 6/4/2010 |
| Ryan | I went from a regular gauge like a 20 or 18 i dont know what it was, so i went from that to a 14 and that was ok it hurt a little pushing the tapper through and after like a week and 2 days i went to a 12 and it didnt hurt at all and ive been looking around the internet and they say to wait like 2 weeks to a month. So all in all, is it ok to go ahead to the next one if they just dont hurt and theirs no irritation at all? Its been like 4 days since ive put my 12 in and it doesnt hurt at all. | 6/2/2010 |
| Megan. | i went from a 16g to an 8g about 4 days ago. my right ear is perfectly fine. but my left ear is swollen is really crusty. I took the Spacer out to clean it cause it was getting pretty gross, when I looked at the hole there was this white/yellow puss like stuff in the hole that i couldn't completely wash out. Is this a healing process or an infection? what should I do? | 6/2/2010 |
| Mike | WOW! Not to smart there bro... Take them out, soak them in salt water... maybe see a doctor if it doesn't go down. Don't try again for a few months (or ever). |
6/1/2010 |
| bob | hi, im 16 years old, had a 18g and now im at an 00g after 3 weeks. bleeding, red, hurts, skin like lips coming out the back of my plug, is that normal please help me? | 5/31/2010 |
| Mke | Jake, There are flesh colored silicone plugs available that you can use. For the most part they work well although 10g holes are hardly noticeable. |
5/27/2010 |
| Jake | Im thinking about going from a 12 downt o a 10, but for work im not really supposed to have visible wholes when i take the peircingts out. will a 10gauge leave a very visible one? | 5/27/2010 |
| Mike | Aly, Double Flares are about 1mm larger than the actual taper... I wouldn't recommend putting in double flares in after a fresh stretch. But if you are going to do it then get some jojoba oil and don't try to force it in. put your tapers through your ears multiple times until it becomes comfortable. put oil on the plug and your ear. What kind of material is the plug? |
5/27/2010 |
| Aly | I put in 00 tapers but I can't get me double wedge 00's in my ear at all. I need to get them in within the next 2 days because I prom got them to match my prom dress. As for the normal earring thing, you can get away with hook earrings, but posts may fall out or cause problems. |
5/26/2010 |
| Francisco | i have a size 00g and it doesnt hurt at all but ima stop at 1inch.. it started bleeding when i changed from 0g to 00g but that was like 3 years ago.. how come that happened..? |
5/25/2010 |
| bre | i got to a 5/8 in fourth months, whenever my ears didnt hurt anymore i would just go to the next size. it worked perfectly for me. | 5/23/2010 |
| kyle | hey im on a 6 can i skip 4 and go to a 2?... | 5/23/2010 |
| Sammy A. | Victoria, It sounds like you might have poped a blood vessel in your ear. It will heal over time. Just keep doing what your doing and be carefull putting your gauges back in. Des, Your ears shouldn't be bleeding with a gauge that small. You must have done something wrong. |
5/19/2010 |
| snot328 | does anyone know what size is after 1 1/2?im trying to get to 2 inches.. | 5/19/2010 |
| Kira | i put a 5/8 in my ears, and i was at a 00, and now i'm just sliding them in a little bit at a time. but it should be at the 7/16 point right now and they are bleeding really bad | 5/15/2010 |
| jessica | i think its great i want to do my ears myself, but just small ones i dont know if ill look good with big holes in my ears. | 5/14/2010 |
| james r | gauging your ears doesnt hurt at all im up to a inch and 3/4 and the whole time i was doing that i never bleed or ripped my ears | 5/12/2010 |
| deseree | i just started and im at a 12; its bleeding is that bad; i cleaned my ears and it still bleeds; helpp? |
5/10/2010 |
| slater | im at 9/16 right now and have never ripped my ears not once, nor have they ever bled or been blown out or had any pain gaging my ears, you all are doing them too fast, i went from nothing to 12 to 4 in a weeks time frame about a year back, no pain then either, and i waited about a month between gaging my ears, i have had zero pain whatsoever from gaging, all you complaining about gaging your ears means your going to fast and not being careful | 5/10/2010 |
| Victoria | Alright I have a question, lol, I had my ears at a 2 and now I've been at a 0 for about a month and I clean my ears every morning and yesterday I had noticed that I had what looks like a bruise on the inside part of my right ear. Can anyone help me out here?! | 5/9/2010 |
| Justin M | I think getting my ears punched with a 4 and stretching to a 2 right away was better than going through all the other sizes. My ear's were never pierced before. It's been about 2 months and im at a 0 now, planning on going to 00. | 5/9/2010 |
| Kira | i'm at a 00 and i was wondering if i could skip 7/16 and go straight to a 1/2 | 5/7/2010 |
| coral | i was at 1/2in. in one ear snd 7/16 in the other. and i stretched them again the day before yesterday. to 1/2 snd 5/8. and the one i stretched to 1/2 in. is infected...and i have a feeling the skin has grown to it. cause i cant even move it. what do i do? cuz i dont want to take it out... | 5/7/2010 |
| amydiz | Yo. Right well i'v read thru all the shiz on here and cant find anyone with similar question so here it is: Left ear- 4g and a saftey pin Right ear - 1/2" metal plug My right has been fine for AGES, but my left, I have just gone from a 6 to a 4 and it swelled, sore etc etc which i assumed was from the new wood spiral i put in (even though i'v worn wood in other ear and been fine) so i went back to the 6 waited for it to heal and then put a 4g metal piece in and its kind healed but never really been the same. And now even the safety pin has started to give me jip. its obviously sterile etc and i have had it in for about a year and its always been fine but since the recent swelling and minor infection it has just not been the same... then to top it all off, randomly my other ear, the 1/2" has started to itch on the loose stretced part of the lobe and i have to take it out to itch it but then its hard to get back in,. this is just totally random! Do you reckon ears perhaps resist modification after a while? i cant work out why they'r all of a sudden being so problematic. I started stretching about two years ago? |
5/5/2010 |
| Clarissa | You guys honestly shouldn't gauge to fast, I am on my 2nd time trying to gauge my ears. Because a couple months back, I gauged my ears & I was at a 4. But I gauged them to fast, & my ears got hella infected & the infection started going down my throat, and I had two big bumps in my throat on my right side. Now, I am gauging them again & I did the right ear to fast again... So my right ear is a little infected & Swollen. SO PLEASE, BE CAREFUL! But gauging is an addiction. (: | 5/4/2010 |
| LOLA | I hear that ears often submit to the crisis of the three fifty five | 5/4/2010 |
| Sammy A. | Bree Bree, Is it like a clear liquid or is it like the stuff that is left on the gauges when you take them out? |
4/30/2010 |
| Samantha | For any one asking about closing them mine are 4's personally i will take them out to shower and when i put them back in i will find it a little more difficult i have to move the earring around to get it to go in but its only like 4-5 seconds to get it back in.. | 4/28/2010 |
| breebree(: | i have 1 inch gauges, and i clean them all the freakin time but they never get rid of the liquids that come out of them, it just never stops. and ive had them gauged to this size for over 2 months. what should i do? | 4/28/2010 |
| kmavaz | I started at the traditional 18 gauge, I have progressed down to a 0 gauge. Some gauges hurt sometimes for up to 3 weeks. Just bear the pain and you will be fine as long as their is no bleeding or pus. Whenever I gauge, I use a pincher style earring and before inserting I coat in with Triple Antibiotic salve which is available at all walmarts. This helps control any infection and allows the metal to slide into the ear easier. I do each ear separately while watching TV and the process can take up to an hour to gauge safely. Google a ear gauge sizing chart so you can see how much bigger the next size will be in comparison to what you currently have. This can indicate the difficulty and or pain level. I am contemplating going from a 0 to a 00, but it is going from 8mm to 10mm, a 25%increase in size. Good luck to all and don't become ADDICTED! | 4/25/2010 |
| Sammy A. | Mee, keep it really clean. It might just be infrected. There isn't much you can do but clean it daily sea salt soaking works too. |
4/24/2010 |
| mee | So my I stretched my right ear to 7/8 like three days ago and it just got swollen yesterday I have taken it out once and cleaned it there was white pus and a lil blood what should I do? | 4/24/2010 |
| Sammy A. | I want to say sorry for not checking this like I use to! I had A LOT going on with Family and School. I will be trying my hardest to start responding to you guys tho! But you guys seem to have this under control. I notice some of the same similar questions are being asked. Read previous comments =]. |
4/23/2010 |
| Cori Whitesell | Hey yea if anyone knows comment me back i got 9/16 in right now and the gauges are made out of silcone how long will it take for them to heal? Its not like all the other gauges... I am so ready for the 5/8 i bought :) And also its been bout a week now dat i have had the 9/16 in... | 4/23/2010 |
| jizzordon | im at a 5/8s i just put the plugs in and my left ear started bleeding my goal is a inch but i was wondering sense tapers for inch is only sold in one taper so are you just suppose to put it in and then right after just put a plug in? |
4/22/2010 |
| Teresa | I'm currently at 1/2 and I was wondering if it would be a bad idea to ski 9/16, feedback please :) | 4/21/2010 |
| Jasmine G | Nessa, will that make the gauges go in easier? | 4/20/2010 |
| nessa | Lyssa I tried using a taper to go to a 0 froma 2 and my ears hurt like ur discribing. use teflon tape the plumbers tape and wrap a few wraps around each 2 gauge then put lub on it real good so the tape dont come up and do this about once every 2 to 3 days if you dont want pain when gauging ur ears. | 4/20/2010 |
| nessa | use teflon tape to gauge wrap the teflon a few times around each gauge and gradually go to the next size. i went from a 0G to a 7/16 without no pain at all. | 4/20/2010 |
| Jasmine G | I'm going from a 6 to a 4 in gauges. I've had the 6 in sense November. My 4's dnt want to go in. & if I leave them over night they'll get stuck. Is it possible for someone not to be able to gauge their ears? & What should I do about this? | 4/20/2010 |
| lazaro c | well when i first got my piercing i first had to get them pierced then gauge them and i went from a earing to a 8 right away it only hurtt a bit but you get used to it | 4/20/2010 |
| Monique | It's suppose to hurt when you gauge yr ears. So if you skip a size, then you expect pain. If yr scared to gauge yr ear frm a 10 to a 8, take em off. Yr no person to be stretching yr ear. Question: Is it normal for yr ear to itch around tha gauge? I went from a 2 to a 00. |
4/17/2010 |
| Lyssa | Also how do I clean them and how do I know if I blew out my ear? They've been hurting since last night. | 4/13/2010 |
| Lyssa | Hey. I just gauged my ear from a 2 to a 0. But it hurts so bad and i don't know what to do. Is it supposed to hurt this bad? | 4/13/2010 |
| Bang | My tapers just came in a few hours ago and I went from a regular piercing to an 8. I slid it in a little more each hour. After a while, I managed to slide it all the way through. No lube, or anything. My 0 tunnels await me. | 4/12/2010 |
| keith | i have normal earings and want to go to a 16 then in two days ill go to a 10 then in a week ill go to a 8 then in a week ill go to a 6 then about 5 days ill go to a 4 and stay there lol ps. dont some people think that its weird when your like 60 7years old youll have like fuking holes in your ear lol or when u apply for a job and u have freaking holes in your ears lol BOSS: why do u have holes in your ears? YOU: i got bit by a walrus lmfao haha but yea can u have surgery to fill it up once its fully a whole and cant naturally go back to "normal" size? plz answer |
4/11/2010 |
| Fay | I'm at a 4 right now, waiting to go to a 2. But you people are insane to go from a normal earing to something that huge. If at anytime you'll never be able to get them back to a 'normal' size again. I've been gauging my ears for about 2 years now. | 4/10/2010 |
| dalton | i just went form a regular earing to a 2 in 3 day time ive been cleaning it and it seems to help and its swollen of course but its just tramautized i dont recommend doing tis because this stinks but its just pain and to everyone whos worried just keep cleanning it and use neosporin on the gauge and around your ear it works with the pain and helps the inflamation go down | 4/9/2010 |
| Kyle | I went from a 16 to a 4 in a 48 hour time frame with a screw and plugs my gf left me. I left the screws in over night, and later that night I found some plastic sheaths for a thermometer and cut them down to size, got some aneasthetic (sp?) ointment and shoved the b!tches through. Each ear bled for about 15 seconds. 3 days later it feels as if i hadn't stretched them at all. | 4/8/2010 |
| Alexis | First, I don't get why everyone is flipping out about skipping sizes and their ears being swollen and bleeding, it's going to happen. Thats why you shouldn't skip. I skipped 4's and my right ear gushed blood while doing it. It happens, if you're worried take it out. Just clean it. Speaking of skipping sizes how much would going to from a 00 to half an inch hurt? I know people who have done it and they advise not doing it but I want to, haha. |
4/7/2010 |
| whitneyy | I went from a normal piercing to a 10 in 4 days.. grow up it's not hard :) and now im at a 2 and it's been two weeks. | 4/6/2010 |
| Fredd | OMG you ppl that are at a 10 and are sketchy about going to a 8...take your earrings out now, ur not meant for gauging. Nut up, or take them out. Im not against gauging, i just hate little kids who think a 8 is a gauge, and its such a big differnce. | 4/6/2010 |
| matt | i went from 12 to size 2 in two weeks it hurt how long does it take for the hole to close | 4/4/2010 |
| danni | im at a 10 n iv been there seence Oct, do you think it time 4 me 2 move on? | 4/1/2010 |
| Tim | ok so i gauged my ears from a 4 to a 2. it got infected and started bleeding alot. and so i took it out to heal up and clean out. now i try to put my gauge back in but it bleeds and hurts still... what do i do? | 3/29/2010 |
| Scott | I Just Gaued My Ears From A 2 o A 00, Both My Ears Ripped:/ but I Took My Right One OUt And Put A 2 Back In, But The Left Is Still At A 00, And My Plugs Wont Go In?:/ | 3/28/2010 |
| bret | im at a 5/8 and you can do pretty much anything i have only used a taper once and that was when i peirced my right ear i have almost no lobe left on my left ear but i am hoping that i can go to an inch these peopl on here dont know what they are talking about i have benn stretching mine and other peoples ears for about 4 years so if you want any advice let me know btw tapers dont use them be a man about it that is an eay way to do it i have had my left ear ripped twice in the same week from stretching to fast like i said be a man dont use a taper well dont stretch to fast either i was at a 14 about 4 yrs ago and i stretched to a 4 in one stretch with a hoop it hurt for a couple of seconds and btw dont numb it that doesnt help if you are going to gauge them u have to go through the pain the wat it is ment to be so yea ttyl | 3/27/2010 |
| Augustine | Hiya I just want an opinion from you guys... I can't decide weather to stop at 5/8 or 3/4. I'm not going any bigger than 3/4 and that's all there is to it, I guess what I'm asking is how much of an aesthetic impression/effect there is between the 5/8 and 3/4. Tell me what chu think! | 3/26/2010 |
| xDANNYx | ok, long story short i had a late start on my right ear, my left one is at a 2. but my right one is a a well, itwas a 14, but i got a 10 half way through riight now... | 3/26/2010 |
| Megan. | Chris B, thanks for you're advice, I've been seeing alot about Sea Salt Soaks, I haven't heard about it until now so I'll be sure to try it now. I've been using plastic rings though, i've very allergic to most metals so I was reluctant to try to surgical steel, even if its all fancy and not supposed to irritate, i've found that it still does :( though today my ears feel alot better, i can physically feel the difference in the stretch. my right ear is always a little more irritated than the left though :\ it takes longer to stretch. | 3/26/2010 |
| Chris B | Megan, sounds like you had a little bit of a tear, First and foremost, be sure that you have surgical steel gauges in, and do sea salt soaks. boil some water put in a cup, dissolve about 2 teaspoons of sea salt, let cool till its warm, and put on your ear and let it soak for about 15 minutes, this will draw out any bacteria in your ear, don't take your gauges out to clean them, i find that irritates the ear to much, sea salt soak 2-4 times a day, | 3/26/2010 |
| HELP (megan) | So i've just recently started stretching my ears, i bought a 16g, went right through, then a few days later i thought i'd try a 14g. it also went through with much ease. moved up to a ten about two weeks later. this was also super easy, no pain, reddness, sore, swollen, blood or ANYTHING. so i waited another two weeks and moved up to an 8 and I've had THE worse, sore horrible pain for the past three days. It struggled to go through as well, but i slowly pused it through over the time of an hour, wore them, sorely, for two days and each day the pain is worse. i pussed out the other day and decided to put in my 10g again but they hurt just as much as the 8gs and now the 8gs hurt even worse than before. i've found the only thing that really helps is to ice them so i can't feel it. Any suggestions as to what i should do? | 3/25/2010 |
| Raquel | i just recently started from a regular ear peircing and then skipped to a 14 they are really sore and my mom says they should only be sore for a day, i have had them in for like three days now. and they are still sore i clean them with antisepric everyday but what should i do? cause i want to soon go to a twelve:) | 3/23/2010 |
| Luciano B | hey um basicly im a noob to ear streching im trying to reach at least a 16mm. ive started with a 2mm and i think i pushed it in to far and it bled and pussed a bit so have taken it out i think its infected and at the back the hole looks slightly triangular n deformed wat should i do? pleas help | 3/23/2010 |
| chris tallen | is a little bit of puss ok i went from a 4 too a 00 with an extended traper it went in fine without a problem but whem i got up too clean it this orning i gave it a spin and a little bit of puss(looked like bloody snot)oozed out i mean it feels alright just the puss thing kinda creeped me | 3/22/2010 |
| Chris B | One thing I learned with piercings, is don't over clean them. and I think if you go back to the 2, and just clean them maybe 3 or 4 times through out the day you will be fine, and just wait a good 2 weeks after it is not infected anymore to try to stretch again, and use surgical steel or wood next time. | 3/22/2010 |
| HELP | Chris B I think it might be too late to put something in my ear.. going to the mall tmrw to get some small metal gauges and try to put them in. Hopefully it works cause right now I'm not sure if I could put anything in them | 3/22/2010 |
| Chris B | You don't have to start over, u can put some surgical steel gauge in and let it heal... also just search the net for images of ripped ears, and look it | 3/21/2010 |
| HELP | Also, what does a blowout mean? And what does a ripped ear look like.. | 3/21/2010 |
| HELP | Chris B I was using silicone ones and I'm thinking it was an allergic reaction to the material becuase I ended up taking them out and once I did puss and blood just kept coming out, a lot. It's the day after and they feel much better, still a little swollen and sore but it feels much better. I still have a two in the other one though so now I have to start over. I was wondering how professional gauges works? It seems you would have to pay a lot for every time you wanted to gauge up |
3/21/2010 |
| CHRIS B | HELP One more question, what kind of guage did you use? you may be having an allergic reaction to what ever the material is you using, I would only use surgical steel and wood. I just used acrylic because they were the cheapest tapers I could find. augusto. i think stretched ears are sexy... |
3/21/2010 |
| Chris B | HELP If I were you I would remove them and let them heal, clean it with peroxcide and possible take a weeks dose of antibiotics, Can you tell if ur ear ripped? If they are remove them and let them heal and try stretching again. I'm no expert, Ive been stretching for a year and im at 1/2 right now. don't play on going any bigger |
3/21/2010 |
| HELP | Chris B I am not over reacting. My ear is in intensive pain and I have a fever which is a sign of infection. When I chew or even move my head it is a horrible feeling on the side of my face. I feel the need to take out my gauge but I'm afraid that doing that will just seal in the infection.. | 3/21/2010 |
| katie | what happens if you take out infected gauges? | 3/21/2010 |
| informant | I also went from a 2 to a 0 and my ears are so swollen and in pain that I have to go to the doctors tmrw. I'll let you guys know if I find out any importnat information | 3/21/2010 |
| Chris B | Jacob How is Lube not sanitary and electrical tape is? do you know what is in electrical tape? I think I would use lube before tape... |
3/21/2010 |
| Chris B | I've been at 00 for a while now, i bought 1/2 taper's i used a&d to lube it, I doubt the A&D will do anything bad to my ears, but i slid them strait though to the 1/2 just a little red and swollen from being stretched but thats how it's been since i started, i went from a 16 to an 8 from the start then every two weeks went down a size. you guys over react :P | 3/21/2010 |
| HELP | Also, I thought I would add that I'm not sure if my ear is infected, just healing, or if my ears are reacting to the gauge cause its not metal? Please help! | 3/20/2010 |
| HELP | Hi i've had 2's in for a long time and about 6 days ago i pushed a taper through me left ear using petrollium jelly and it went right through. It hurt a lot and become really swollen and would leak gross juices so I just left the taper in for about three days but eventually it fell out and so I put in a plug (it's not metal, it's squishy) and even after 6 days my ear is red, burns, and is super swollen.It really hurts and I've been cleaning it with a sea salt solution but I'm not sure if it's helping. I'm just wondering what to do.. It's starting to freak me out | 3/20/2010 |
| Tanishaa | uhh i hade 16s in mah ear like noot thu long ago n today i went thu the mall thu buy sum n i got 6 bhut the problem is im trying n trying thu push it in bhut its like stuck n it hurts really bad n wanna get it in already what do i do ? :/ | 3/20/2010 |
| MAX H. | HEY EVERYONE, SOME ADIVE HELP PLEEASE. hey whats up im currently at a 0g in my left ear and the right is a 2g the reason is that i couldnt stretch up the right becasue it had a bruise on the inside or some bs like that. the bruise was from one night i geuss i got hit in the ear with a steel tunnel in, the tunnel basically made a ring like cut around half the hole whihc i cleaned up with polysporin very easily. that was 3 months ago and i havent been able to get it to a zero, but i have been kinda stupid casue i havent tried the taping method (which i did with the left ear)... and i really should havce considering the state of the lobe. ANYWAY, main problem is that last night i foolishly tried again with the 0g taper just to SEE what would happen, the bruise / red part ripped a little bit and bled slightly for about a min. it only hurt slightly and has never pussed or excreted any liquids or anything only minimal crusties on my earrings once and a while. im just hoping to get it to ZERO GAUGE at some point, THINK ITS STILL POSSIBLE? or DID I ROYALALY MESS IT UP? thank yo |
3/19/2010 |
| HolllllllllA. | Isn't it crazy how pain can almost be addicting. It's like working hard for something... I mean ina way..ha. I donno. I'm at a 6g & i'm just going slow,having fun with it (: | 3/19/2010 |
| Jake W. | I'm at 7/8ths and for some reason my right ear which is at 3/4 inch won't go to to 7/8ths. The tunnel is double flared hich may be a problem but I've attempting gauging my right ear about 5 times :/ and still no luck. Every attempt rips my ear and it'll bleed | 3/18/2010 |
| Josh | Can you reach a certain point when your ears will just not be able to get any bigger? | 3/16/2010 |
| WtfWJessicaDo | When i First Gauged My Ears I Strted With An Eight, they Bled Often But They Healed In A Couple Weeks. I Moved To Sixes With No Problem, Just Give ThemTime To Heal And I Advise To Not Skip Sizes. Itd Be Less Painful | 3/15/2010 |
| steven | ok im scared i went from an 18 to an 8 and it went fine i left it in for about 3 weeks. then i went from an 8 to a 4 and that went fine i left it in for about 1 week the switched it out for a plug. about 1 week ago it started to puss but it doesnt hurt and it isnt red what is up with it?! | 3/10/2010 |
| nayan | i am not keeping an ear ring in my ears and i am all ways puting the ear ring in my ears i want to know if it will grow | 3/10/2010 |
| MarinaRae | I've been gauging my ears for the past months and they've been just fine. Now I went from a 2 to a 0 two days ago. Now my ear lobes are all swollen and it started bleeding when I took it out. What should I do? I'm scared to take them out again since they've never bled before. Help?! | 3/8/2010 |
| We'reAllMadHere | How do you repair a minor blow out? I used silicone plugs to stretch from 1/2" to 5/8" and and the bottom of each lobe is a tad bit of flesh that sticks out of the back. | 3/7/2010 |
| Jacob | Jenna Jealousy 2-0 is a big jump, as is 0-00, 00-1/2, and 5/8-to13/16. Take this into consideration; I am at one inch, and it has taken me three years to get to this point. when stretching between 2-0, and the larger jumps, try to take black electric tape and slowly wrap peices around the plugs (make sure they are not flesh-tunnels or silicone. Wood works well). Eventually, you will be able to put the 0's in. Do NOT use lube of any sort, as that is not clean. the electric tape method is slow, but it works very well. It worked for me up until 1/2 an inch, at which point I used expanders. From there, because I had done the stretching properlly, I was able to get to an inch in two months. The larger the guage, the easier the skin will stretch. Make sure to clean your plugs every day, using rubbing alchohol. P.S. Dont mind my lack of good spelling. |
3/5/2010 |
| Anna | After a month of 6s I stretched to a 4 but it hurt too much so I downsized back to 6. 2 weeks later I try again and I feel the same amount of pain, but this time I don't want to take them out. It's a little swollen but there isn't any blood or pus. Should I downsize again or can I just keep them in? | 3/3/2010 |
| Abbey | Oh, almost forgot: The process of enlarging a piercing is called stretching, not "gauging". The jewelry you wear in stretched lobes that look like solid circles are called plugs, not "gauges". The ones with the holes that you can see through are called eyelets, not "gauges". The word "gauge" is a measurement, like "size". It is correct to ask "what gauge are those plugs?" or say "these are 4 gauge eyelets." Gauge is abbreviated by a "g" or "ga" after the number, "I have 6g conch piercings." |
3/3/2010 |
| Abbey | Stretching is a long term committed process- it is not done fast or all at once! You strech fully healed piercings one gauge at a time, and you can only stretch every 2 months or so to do it right. Sometimes at the first few sizes (14g to 12g) you can stretch after about 1 month, and once you hit larger sizes- 1/2" or bigger, waiting even longer is recommended, up to 4- 6 months in some cases. If you stretch more than one gauge or faster than this you can tear, damage, or blow-out your tissue, leaving bad looking scars, purple or damaged skin, or bleeding. When you wear jewelry in any piercing all the time, the hole itself will be loose enough to allow for jewery one size bigger fairly easily. The new bigger size fits tight at first, but over the course of the next two months, it loosens up again, and will allow you to put in the next bigger size again, etc. A taper can be used to aid in putting the jewelry into the piercing, but is not meant to force skin open that will not let it. Stretching is not a forceful process. When getting to very large sizes there are some other techniques that help, like taping. Taping is when you have gotten to a size that doesn't seem to loosen up much enough on its own to allow the next bigger size, so you gradually increase the size of your current jewelry by adding a thin layer of tape to it periodically, until it's as big as the next size up. Medical tape works well, and some people have had good luck with electrical tape because its so smooth. Just avoid tapes with too much texture or gross sticky stuff. |
3/3/2010 |
| Sammy A. | Sax, For some people the gauge stays and for others it doesn't. I would believe it will never go completely back to a normal hole. Tristan, That's good =D. I'm glad everything worked out for you love. |
3/2/2010 |
| Tristan | sammy: im pretty sure i nailed down the problem the other night i tried to push through some 6g double flares in the non bruised ear and then THAT ear bruised. regardless, ive moved up to a 4g now with no bleeding or swelling, just some soreness. | 3/1/2010 |
| Sax | Hey, just wanting some tips, can anyone help? I'm currently at 0g, aiming to go to 00g but would still like it to return to normal when I want it to Will the progression from 0g to 00g be permanent, you think? |
3/1/2010 |
| Sammy A. | Once again you guys, I will not be on as much as I use to. I have TONS of stuff to do at school. And I've been sick. But I try responding to all you guys. Since so many of you are asking questions that relate to each other this is for everyone. In my experience, plugs cause more damages then tapers do in the beginning. Once you get bigger I would say...0 to 00 then that's when plugs are good to use. Bleeding/swelling/soreness/pain whatever. Everyone is different everyones body will react different to Gauging Me personally I had NO issues at all when I gauging my ears. Yes, they did hurt in the process but after it was finished it didn't hurt not even sleeping that not to tell you the truth. Tristan, Your plugs could be the problem for the bleeding cause that shouldn't happen. I would have started using tappers first then switch to the plugs hun. SheSaidFace, Every one is different some people will say it will hurt others wont. It all really depends like I said before. Jessika, If you're having doubts follow your gut feeling. I personally like gauges, but it DOES get addicting... It's odd haha. Jesse, That could also be the issues you didn't state that before so I couldn't go off of that haha. But that seems to happen A LOT with people I've seen at my school or around my area. Once again take the process slow. Don't just take them out if there swollen and what not wait acouple days. Keep them clean, REALLY REALLY clean. Do not touch them. Make sure your hands are always washed if you do. Everyones body is different. Unless there getting really really bad and way infected take them out and do that process. It can be anything from the body to cleaning to the jewelery. Your questions are all similar. I will TRY responding as soon as I can more to you guys! I'm sorry. |
2/26/2010 |
| Michigen | Okay so I'm a teen I had a 16 peircing size for normal peircing and yesterday I put plugs in 10z I think they are. And hell did it hurt... But my friend who did them said I should be f fine in tommorow ( todAy) and my ears are sore and still bleeding everytime I u screw it and try to slide it out... Is their somthing she didn't tell me... | 2/26/2010 |
| jessika140 | okay so i've been thinking about gauding alot lately and i want to begin the process, but i have my doubts. i think i would miss wearing normal earings and regret it later on. advice anyone? | 2/25/2010 |
| SheSaidFace | Hey, I have been at a 2g for over a year. I just bought a taper for a 0g and I got it in, while in a HOT shower, I always use this meathod, I only bought one taper, so I only have it in my left ear as of now... anyways.. it is kind of red, swollen and it hurts. It was also bleeding earlier today, but I know I didn't feel a rip or anything. It went in smoothly. Is this normal from a 2g to a 0g? A lot of my friends have told me 2 to 0 is the worst.. What could this swollen-ness/little redness/bleeding be from?.. rather, is it normal? & how long do you possibly think it will be until its not swollen or achey? |
2/25/2010 |
| Tristan | had something odd happen tonight when i was changing my plugs. its been a good 2 weeks since i went to a 6, and ive had almost no problems with them. however, this morning, i went to switch them out, and noticed what at first looked like a black mark on the backside of my left lobe. upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a pocket of blood, which covered the entire inside of my piercing. i popped it, got the blood out, and by that point the hole was so swollen that i could barely get the plug in. has this happened to anyone else? it hasnt been hurting much, only some minor discomfort that has popped up recently. but the whole pocket of blood thing really caught me by surprise. has this happened to anyone else? | 2/24/2010 |
| augustoo. | dennis; you 5\8 to 3\4 probably hurt the worst because you skipped 11\16. but if they're fine then it's all good. i'm at 5\8 and my 0 are what hurt me the worst. |
2/20/2010 |
| Dennis | Just got my 3/4 in and in hurt kinda bad i think 5/8 to a 3/4 was the worst for me just cuz its gettin closer to my cartlage but it went in nice in the shower thanx for the tip | 2/18/2010 |
| john o | i went from a stud to a 6 to a 2 to a 0 in a week then 0 to 00 to 7/16 in the next week, then half to 5/8 in thee week after and my dad wont let me go bigger but idc. my lobes wee perfectly fine no infections blowouts or any kind of damage. just be carefull when streching dont use brutal force and get a blowout | 2/18/2010 |
| unknown | i went to a 14 to a 8 then to a 8 to a 4 gauge in about a week and yes, it will sollen but if you see the inside of your ear popin out the back of it "blowout" then REAL FAST i think you should take it out leave it alone for a day if not the results will stay the same. it happend to me. for a help full tip to everyone gauging your ear do them in the shower.. a HOT shower it will relax your ear lobes and make it twice as ez. :DD and dont forgt to clean them daily or your ears will start to smell. have fun gauging lol |
2/18/2010 |
| Ames | Whitlayy- Just wait at least 3 to 4 months . I waited 4 months until i went up because going to a 00 is pretty big so you have to make sure your completely healed. but since your ears are reacting differently to the new size. I say just wait 3 months 4 max i know you don't want to because there so addicting but its better to wait until your ears heal so you don't risk getting a blow out or infection. | 2/15/2010 |
| Ames | jusagrl50 - No you can cause your going up another size it will just fall out if you try . | 2/15/2010 |
| Dennis | I need some help im currently at 5/8 and the skin on the bottom of my right lobe is kinda thin and i want to continue to an inch but i dont know if my ears will be able to hanndle it | 2/15/2010 |
| jusagrl50 | Hey everyone, Ok so my mom is pretty strickt when it comes to stuff like gauging but im gonna do it any way, I'm at a 14 and of course she hasn't noticed since its not really that big but i REALLY wanna go to a 10. im gonna get some tappers but what i was wondering was if i could still wear normal earrings after that, im really assuming you can but i wanna know, whats the biggest i can go to and still wear normal ones? | 2/14/2010 |
| Lyssa H. | hii, i started gauging my ears in September of 09. I started with two earring posts just to get them ready. I've gone up to a 4 gauge with no problem. I did stop at 8 and let it close up. But then i recently gauged them again and am now debating weather or not to go to a 2. With a 4 i can still put my regular earrings that i wear to dance in. but im afraid if i go to a two the post and little design thing of my regular earring will just slide through. any advice? xx oh also i use neosporn plus pain relief when gauging up a size. :D |
2/13/2010 |
| jesse | How the hell did u go from a 00 to a 5/8th? That's impossible without blowouts,ripping or even lobe snapping. | 2/12/2010 |
| tristan | sammy: i got the 6's in tonight...finally. i just said screw it and didnt force them, but i didnt let myself stop tiill they were through. now they hurt like hell. worse than that even, but i didnt feel any ripping...should i just leave em be for now? or should i take em out in a day or two to check em out? | 2/12/2010 |
| Justin | The best advice I could give to people just starting out, is pace yourself. If you can hear a ripping sound when you push your taper through, stop. Once you get to about 1/2" or 5/8", you can start using nonadhesive bondage tape to wrap your plugs and insert it back into your ear. Do whatever you feel comfortable with, some people can handle only one tape wrap every couple days, whereas my body heals quickly so I tend to do about 4 every 2 or three days, whenever my plug can be removed and inserted easily. Just be sure to cut the tape to the exact width of your plug, any overhang on the front or back can the tape to slip off, ejecting your plug while you're sleeping or drunk and not really thinking about your ears. I only found this stuff out after being really, really stupid. I should have read up on the process more instead of being impatient. I went from a pin-sized hole to a 4g that day. It hurt... A lot. A couple weeks later I went from the 4 to a 00. Which also hurt. A lot. About a month later, I went from 00 to 5/8ths. Worst pain ever. I would never, under any circumstance suggest such large jumps. It was stupid of me and I was lazy, impatient, and ignorant. There's a 90% chance you won't be as lucky as I was, and seriously mess your ear up. Thankfully I've never had any blowouts or major tears, but like I said, I was just lucky. My friend who has two and a half inch plugs laughed at me for being so stupid, and introduced me to tape-wrapping when I was at 5/8ths. Thanks to taking the time to become more educated, I've reached an inch and a half without any pain or complications, and thankfully my lobes are still healthy. |
2/12/2010 |
| Whitlayy | ohXmyXgosh14, wow, get over it and get a life. so, i put in 0's and they hurt so bad, how long should i wait to change them to 00's? i usually wait about 1-2 months, but the others never hurt so bad, should i wait longer to upsize since these ones are reacting different? |
2/11/2010 |
| ohXmyXgosh14 | okayy, idiot. your going to seriously do that to your own ears.? your going to have them til the day you gie, you effing moron. ughh, and BTW: you dont need to go around acting like me. bcuz i will totally drop. |
2/11/2010 |
| jesse | Thanks for the feedback sammy, you stated if my gauges pop out it can mean I can't gauge any further? I still have an extreme amout of room to stretch though..my lobes are not thin at all at an inch. And it my right ear that's having the flared out issue,my left is laid back..could it be that my ears were gauges uneven and since I'm so big I'm starting to notice it more? | 2/11/2010 |
| Shy-Anne | so i had some 10s in for only about five days before i tried to switch to 8s. i decided to skip the 8s and put in 6 gauge pinchers. my right one is incredibly tight and i'm unable to move it at all. my left side will move but it's swollen and gives off some kind of discharge that leaves crust on the jewelry and the back of my ear. i'm sure this is normal but since i'm not a professional, i'm kind of nervous and completely terrified that i'm going to give myself a blowout. could someone give me their opinion? do you think i'll be ok if i just let the 6s heal for a few weeks or month? also, do blowouts ever heal? |
2/11/2010 |
| tristan | sammy: i worked them for a good 15 minutes before throwing in the towel | 2/10/2010 |
| Sarahrahrah:) | I'm going from a 6 to a 4, I've been going in the correct order with my stretching, and it's never really hurt before, they've just gone right in, only like, once, with a tiny fight, but they went in after a little push. But this time it KILLS, and they still won't go all the way in. I've slowly been moving them in more as they day has gone on, but they aren't really going any further. and they HURT. There is no tearing or blowouts, I would flip if that happened, but I've taken the risk and pushed them REALLY hard a couple times. I've tried using lotion(aveeno, not scented or anything), neosporin(once), and warm water. I am not a wimp, I am pretty resistant to pain, but it got so bad at one point I had to ice it. What can I do to make it go in easier or something? | 2/10/2010 |
| Sammy A. | Tristan, What you're going is fine just keep it clean and let it heal. Did you force it to quickly in by any chance hun? |
2/10/2010 |
| Tristan | im workin my way up i just started over christmas. 9/16 is my goal right now. but ill robably go bigger. i just need advice on my previous post | 2/10/2010 |
| z40 | go to atleast an 1inch or go home cause anything smaller is whack | 2/10/2010 |
| tristan | i've been at an 8 for about 3 weeks with few problems. the only one i can think of is a small rip i noticed at a 10 that got a little bigger with the 8, then healed. i tried to put in 6g tapers last night and got them almost all the way in before the pain got to me. i used neo sporin as lubricant, but when i took the right one out there was some blood. it's a small rip, but larger than the one from when i went from a 10 to an 8. any ideas on how i should handle this? i dont think its a blowout because form what ive heard they hurt like hell and this one is only causing very minor discomfort, mostly because its fresh. i've been applying neo sporin now and again. anything else i should do besides take the gauge out? | 2/10/2010 |
| Sammy A. | Hey you guys! Sorry I haven't been on here much at all! I'm really busy with school and home! But as for the questions. Bleeding/swelling/irritation is likely to happen. Some gauges will feel tighter then others. If they are sticking outwards that could indicate your ears can't be gauged any further. Alcohol doesn't ALWAYS dry out the skin. For me it doesn't. I just rub my alcohol wipes on my tappers before I slide them back in and they go in with NO PROBLEM. And A LOT less irritation. You should NOT use baby lotion to lube your ears. It's scented therefor it can irritate the ears. Read comments below to know what you should use. Your ears WILL shrink back but not to normal size. Surgery is NOT always needed. Know your facts hun. GIVE YOUR EARS TIME TO HEAL BEFORE GOING BIGGER! Stop forcing it! Sometimes ears might be infected before they can reach their full stage. All the stuff you guys are asking is answered in the comments below. =] |
2/9/2010 |
| OhXmyXgosh14 | Wow , How pathetic .. I have no life so i troll on buzzle. How cool am i |
2/9/2010 |
| Ryan Andrade | I'm currently at a 1 5/8 on both and randomly i get swelling on one side. Anyone ever have the same troubles ? | 2/9/2010 |
| Eve | i want to guage my ears, but i dont know the order becuase the whole system confuses me. i just have them pierced right now, what do i go to next? | 2/9/2010 |
| Natasha | my ears hurt :( i think i stayed at a 2g for too long now im trying to go to a 0g and it hurts like hell omgggg | 2/9/2010 |
| cassiee | ohXmyXgosh14...are you fcking kidding me? i went to 7/16s and mine shrunk back...i went straight to a 4 the first time stretching. its normal for it to bleed and be tender just massage your ear lobes while you shower. it'll make them feel better. (: | 2/5/2010 |
| Paige | so I've been skipping sizes since i got them. i went from standard ear piercing to 10g to 2g with no problems. just yesterday i put in a 0g. and hey are being friggin stupid. right side is tender, but the other is fine. i took the right one out and it started bleeding:( what do i do? |
2/5/2010 |
| ohXmyXgosh14 | you guys are so stupid for gauging your ears. once you do that, they wont go backk. unles you get surgrey, and i kno someone who did, and they said it was really worthless to even gauge them. you guys are stupid for doing this. |
2/5/2010 |
| deandra | All of that is pretty irrelevent. i stretched my ears to 5/8 or bigger and didnt have to do all of that. | 2/5/2010 |
| Abby | Okay, so I started out at 14's then went down to 12's and now I'm at 10's. My ears keep bleeding and it's not like I skipped, and I kept the 12's in for about three weeks. Any Ideas whats wrong? | 2/2/2010 |
| Zak | my girlfriend is guaging her ears. she has 12s in now, and she wants 8s. is it a bad idea to get an 8 taper and try to skip 10s completely? | 2/2/2010 |
| jesse | I have a question,I'm currently at 1 inch. I have been this size for 3 weeks now and they're fine. I started gauging in june at a 4g I believe so in 7 months I made it to an inch with minor issues. But my question is my gauges flare out as opposed to them being flush with the side of my head. Is tha because of how my ear is shaped or maybe gauging to fast? I've seen them like this before on others but never understood the cause. Also,my right ear is very tight is a sense that my left ear faces more sideways and my right ear faces a tad bit more forward..it just feels tight and my left is flimsy..how can I go about making them more even.thanks! | 2/1/2010 |
| Becca | I started gauging my ears yesterday. I put in a 14g yesteday, and today I switchd it to a 12. Im going to wait 2 weeks before I go to a 10, but do you think its ok if I start the process with a 12 or is that too big that I might get blowout? | 1/30/2010 |
| augusto. | nadine, i'm at 5/8. and my 0s were the one that hurt me the most. it's just a pain you gotta work through. but i guess it just depends on your tolerance of pain. |
1/30/2010 |
| whatever | you should NOT use alcohol on the area because it dries out the skin. don't give people poor information! | 1/30/2010 |
| Runk | Ok so im at 1" in my left ear and on size smaller in my right ear, theeyve never been even my left ear seems to always heal alot faster, regardless lol. i like to wear metal tunnels( actually black steel i think the chick said) , when i sleep on the i cut little cuts right above the back of my guages, anybody else get that and if so could that be the reason why i cant "shove" the inch into my right ear, i work in retail and the fact that my ears arent symetrical tends to bring up alot of weird conversations from old people. | 1/29/2010 |
| taia | so i tried to go from a double zero to a 7/16 and i used baby lotion to like for the lube ya know and they swelled up the next day when i was at school and i was crying cause i didn't wanna take em out an start all over again so next time that happens what should i do without taking them out? | 1/27/2010 |
| caleb | i used to clean mine with acohal but that drys the peircing out i recomed it though just leave the ring in and put it around it | 1/24/2010 |
| Virginia | I started w/ a 12 when I guaged my ears and waited 3wks almost a month later to go up to an 8 I used the olive oil to make it go in a little better and when I woke up this morning I noticed that my right ear is swollen and red from the top of the piercing opening to the end and it has like a clear liquid and sometimes it looks like puss coming out I thought about taking it out and letting it heal but I dont really want to take it out b/c then i'll have to start over again and its only the right not both. What I wanted to know is is it infected or is that normal? And whats the best to clean it w/ when u dont have salt water cleaning solution stuff? | 1/24/2010 |
| Justin | Oh and Nadine. I used 0 gauge tapers when i went up from 2s. Just push it through a little in at a time and give it time to stretch it will work out better that way. | 1/24/2010 |
| Justin | hey morgan i have a question. Im at 5/8 now. I thought the next size up was 11/16 but you said you went up to 5/8. Am i confused or what? Im trying to get to 3/4 and i need the intermediate size between 5/8 and 3/4. So is that not 11/16? | 1/24/2010 |
| nadine | i currently have size 2 gauges and wanna go to a zero but it husts to much and my skin even started to rip. do you know where i can find a size 1 tapper? | 1/22/2010 |
| augusto. | morgan murder, cleaning them well would be my advice. and if they don't heal up soon, then i would advise a down size. victor, i went from a 16 to a half inch in the same amount of time, mine never swelled, but i think they should be okay. chelsi, the uneveness will not affect it at all. i had one ear at 00, and one at 1/2 anch. it didn't affect my gauges, and they are both now at 5/8. sammy a, i decided against it, and went to 5/8. i did em this last weekend, and they are coming along good. ;]]] |
1/21/2010 |
| Victor. | i went to a 0 in less than 2 months and my ear lobe is super swollen i cant even sleep but i love them. just waiting for my ear lobe to heal. | 1/20/2010 |
| chelsi | i started gauging my ears today and theryre not even but i want to go to a 1/2 in or a 1 in. will the unevenness affect how this will turn out? | 1/19/2010 |
| Morgan Murder | Okay so i was at 11/16 flesh tunnels.and i had them in for about 3-4 days or so.and i decided that i wanted to jump up to 5/8 in both ears. so i got 5/8 silicone tunnels.and ive had them in for about 3 days and both ears are really red and swollen and still have that burning feeling.Should i take them out or just clean them VERY well and wait the infection out? cause ive never went down a size in my months of gaugeing and i dont want to start now=[ | 1/19/2010 |
| josh s | i want to go to 8 gauge right know i have a 18 what size should i go to next? | 1/18/2010 |
| Jess | Hey, i just got a 3mm cone for my ears and i was wondering how long it would take for me to push it right through ? because it sticks out of my ear. thanks ! (: |
1/18/2010 |
| Andru | haha Sammy A for the win ! thanks Sammy |
1/18/2010 |
| Sammy A. | Caitlinislame, 2-4 weeks. Doran, Wouldn't advise it. Andru, It should. But honestly everyone is different. It all depends on the person. Cilla, It's fine. Just take good care of your ears =]. |
1/18/2010 |
| Cilla | Sammy, I am totally aware of that, well at least it humors you I suppose. But yes, I've decided to do it on my own. I'm pretty much filled with a whole bunch of information and advice on stretching that I'm good to go. Lol. I just wish my damn boyfriend would listen to me he went from no piercing to a 10g. And he plans to now skip around, but hey I told him, tried, not my problem anymore. But thanks loads. ;) I'll try not to stress to much, it's just my thing. Too cautious I guess. |
1/18/2010 |
| Doran | Andru, i think you can blowout part of your gauge cuz thts what happened to me only the top of my left ear is blown out not the whole thing | 1/18/2010 |
| Andru | I recently gauged from 7/16 to half inch and one swelled up pretty bad and bled alot but it got better, so i threw some flared tunnels in (instead of the plugs i gauged with) a few nights ago, i slept on the side that had gotten swollen and the back flare got pushed partly through my ear i pushed it back threw and it bled a little but now theres a scab on just part of the top of my hole and it looks like just that small section blew out. my question is... is it possible to blow out just a small part of your gauge? or will it heal fine after a while? |
1/17/2010 |
| Doran | Is it ok to gauge bigger if you have a little blow out? | 1/17/2010 |
| caitlinislame | I jut recently started stretching my ears. Last night I went up to an 8 gauge from a 10. It didn't hurt one bit. I would like to know how long I should wait before I stretch to a 6 gauge. | 1/17/2010 |
| Doran | Thanks ill do tht Sammy | 1/16/2010 |
| Sammy A. | Cilla, Honestly love, you really can do it by yourself. That is actually my best advice. If you have your ears pierced already that is. If not, just get them pierced at like mmm 16g?(not big at all) Wait about a month and start gaugen on your own. Cause proper piercers aren't suppose to go past(below) a 16g anyway. You're stressing way to much over this haha. Doran, It sounds like you might have just a minor blow out or just a scab. I have the same problem with my left gauge. But it's more of, only I can tell and feel it kinda thing ya know? If it's not bad just keep it clean and let it heal. |
1/16/2010 |
| Doran | Is it ok if you wait a week to go up a bigger gauge, because i went from a 8G to a 4G and it hurt like crazy but then i waited like a week and put my 2G's in and i think i blew it out in the front im not sure its like a little bump with scabs on it, if anyone knows what it is plz tell me thanks | 1/16/2010 |
| Cilla | Sammy, Cool and thanks for the response. I recently got in contact and the piercers I talked to said the same thing. I don't plan to go that big, possibly just an 8g for now, but a 12g or 10g isn't too far from that. The only thing I have an issue with now is that one of the piercers wants to use the tap wrap method later and the other piercer I talked to said she wouldn't advise that because it's not as sanitary as tapers and usually only done when you get into the bigger sizes. So I was also wondering what method would be best for me to use? I'm getting them done next week, kind of don't know what to expect. Never thought it'd be this hard to decide. Gah. But thank you loads you're an angel. :) |
1/16/2010 |
| Sammy A. | Lilith, I would say a 2. Cause you's doesn't sound that bad. Jessica, I don't think you can do it RIGHT after. Cause I think the ear piercer says you have to wait atleast a month before you change the earing anyways lol. |
1/15/2010 |
| jessica meade | um ok well i have a question ... can you get gauges if you just got you ears pierced | 1/15/2010 |
| Lilith | I stretched my ears from a 2 to a 0 about a week ago, and a few days ago I noticed that one side looks like it might be blown, but from everything I've heard about it, it doesn't seem that bad, it's not really sore or swollen or discolored, it just sort of looks like its pushed out a little. Should I downsize? If so, should I go to a 2 or a 4? | 1/15/2010 |
| Sammy A. | Kaitie, Blow out. Let it heal. Treat it. Jan, All depends on the ear, and the person. Cilla, Start from a 12-10 then work your way. Depending on the gauge size. Some have to me surgically sawed back together. Sometimes after a 0-00 it takes awhile to close. But it honestly all depends on the person. Willow, Be more detailed. Amanda, It sounds like it might be infected. Keep it realllllllyyy clean! Rocky F Babyyy, Someone that's on the same page with me lol. TJ, That my friend I don't know how to answer. Plugs always seem to be harder. Augusto, I honestly wouldn't go any bigger. Cause yes, they get VERY unattractive. And if you decide to take them out, it will look gross. |
1/14/2010 |
| augusto. | i was at a 16 gauge when a first started, then i skipped all the way down to a 4 gauge. then to a 2 gauge, then 0, then 00, then half inch. all within a month and a half period. my gauges are perfectly fine even tho i skipped sizes in between. when i did my half inch my right one wasn't good tho. i don't think it was infected, but it would get really crusty and greeen. i lied. it was probably infected. i'm thinking about going to 5/8. but scared that it would be unattractive. 1. because i'm a girl. and 2. because not many people i kno are even above a 0. moral of the story is, i wouldn't advise it, but it is okay to skip sizes. but not exactly smart. |
1/14/2010 |
| TJ | I have size 0 tapers and i can get them in fine, but i cannot get a 0 plug in! whats the easiest way? | 1/13/2010 |
| Rocky F Babyyy | I currently just stretched my ears to 1/2 inch. Didn't hurt a bit, but the stinging//burning sensation is what kills! When you stretch your ears, the burning sensation is what you're aiming for. If you feel any pain or experience bleeding; something is wrong. There's a very distinct feeling and for those of you who've been stretching for a while know what i'm talking about. As for everyone on here asking if your ears will go back to normal... It depend on your body, the size gauge you're at, and your stretching history. Not everyones body is the same and everyone heals differently. Obviously the bigger you go, the harder its gonna be to downsize. If you have a history of blow outs and rips, wrinkly lobes are in your near future! Always happy to help. Rocky |
1/13/2010 |
| amanda | okay. so, i had these size 0's in for like a month and a half or so. then one of them fell out and i didn't know until around two hours later. so i took a size 2 and stuck it in before it got any smaller. the next day, i put in 00's, and they hurt SO bad. now, my ears are swollen really bad and they keep forming a crust around the edge of the gauges and this booger-looking liquid leaks out when i move it around. what the hell is going on? | 1/13/2010 |
| Hanna vaughn | I stretched my ear up to one inch with no pain no blowouts. :/ stop going to fast and your ear prob won't rip but I suggest tapers till about 5/8 | 1/13/2010 |
| LeeAnn | Ok so I was looking at things for gauging ears and I stumbled across this I have a few questions b/c I decided to gauge my ears this Friday I had my ears pierced since I was baby so I put in I think its the 18g the second one next to a normal ear piecing Friday and I want to go up to at least a 0 or 00. Today(Tues.) I decided to try the next size I know I should have maybe waited longer, I got about half way and I couldnt take the pain anymore so I took them out and my ear started bleeding and I just put the ones I originally had in back in.My friend has been helping me b/c she gauged her ears up to 1/2 inch after having her 00's in for about 5mnths but idk I just want a second opinion. So my first question is if I do get to a 0 or 00 will they eventually go back to normal size earring hole? And u just use olive oil to help make it easier for the gauges to go in w/ less pain(i know there is going to be at least some)? And thats all I can think of right now I'm pretty sure I will have more b/c I want to do this the right way and have it turn out nice w/out any mess ups and hopefully no blowouts. Thanks in advance!(srry for so much reading) | 1/13/2010 |
| willow | i have a quick question. i just got a few 6's that r all different. i'm new to this stuff and just started buying randum crap. theres one that i got that is white and has a small hole through the centre and i dont know how to open it so i can put it in. the lady said 'pull it off' then looked at me like i was a moron. i pulled and pulled and it didnt open so is there a trick to it or am i just week? | 1/12/2010 |
| Cilla | I kind of share Jan's concerns how well will the stretching heal if the pierced decided they don't want them anymore. I'm only wondering because I met this security guard who had to have surgery to close his and honestly they looked odd. Well then again I think he had like way huge gauges before. I don't know, well I don't think I'll get tired of them, but I do wonder how it works. Also, I was looking to get 3 mm stretching to my already pierced ears (which is like an 8 gauge) and I was wondering if that's smart. At first I was looking at a 14 even a 12, but I think that's too small. So do you guys think I should or should I start out smaller? I'm planning to get it professionally done, even though a lot of people I know are telling me I'm better off doing it myself. Going to talk to my potential piercer around this week, but just thought I'd ask around. Finally, about how much does it cost to stretch one's ears to an 8 gauge? I know it varies, but is there an average or an around there estimate? That's quite a mouthful isn't it? :) Sorry. Just curious about what I'm getting myself into. |
1/11/2010 |
| jan | when u stretch pierce your ears will it go back to normal if u dont like it | 1/11/2010 |
| kaitie | so i was at a 0 for more then 4 months, 3 days ago i went to a 00 and it got really swollen. so today i took it out. and im like ninty five % sure i blew it but thats not my concern on the same side as the blwn ear i have a huge lump under my ear i was just seeing is that normal for a blown ear?. | 1/10/2010 |
| Sammy A. | Lea, To be honest. I would prefer the plastic tappers(the long pointy ones at the end.) You don't have to take them out when you shower or anything but do have to clean them about 3 times a week, or they will smell gross haha. |
1/6/2010 |
| Lea | I'm starting to gauge/stretch my ears w/ a 14g acrylic taper. Is that okay? And I take them out when I sleep and shower? Thanks! | 1/6/2010 |
| Sammy A. | Jayy, That's pretty freakin weird! I never heard of that happening. Keep them REALLY clean. Let them heal for about a week. You will probably have to re-gauge tho. Sorry to tell ya. Penis, I believe so. Depending how far apart your piercings are. Uncle Bobby B, Well first of all. You don't clean ear gauges with ear solution! That persons a rere xD. Ear solution is honestly only good up to 10g at the most. Read following comments below to find out what you should use. Austin, Start small with your right ear. I would say a 10-8-6-4-2-0. I know it's annoying, but if you want your ear to look right and heal properly it's the best way. Bri, No problem! =] Jenna, Glad it helped. |
1/3/2010 |
| jayy | tshh i dyed my hair & my my plugs got infected?haa i put "0" like the day b4 & i cleaned it with alcohol so was gonna happen 2 my ears? |
1/3/2010 |
| bri | thanks a bunch Sammy A! | 1/3/2010 |
| Austin | my left ear is at 6 my right is just pierced. I want both at 0g. my left ear will be done sooner than my right. but how long should I wait to put a taper thru my right ear? |
1/3/2010 |
| penis. | Can the gauges in your first hole combine with your second piercing hole if stretched too big? | 1/3/2010 |
| Uncle Bobby B | I recently gauged my ears from no piercing at all to a 6 gauge, these were professionally done and i got them done about 3-4 days ago. Whenever i clean them with the solution the piercer gave me they seem to bleed. I was just wondering if this is normal? | 1/2/2010 |
| Jenna Jealousy | Never mind! I got the black plastic tappers through using petroleum jelly or whatevs. They are burning a little, but are not red or swollen. I believe this worked perfectly! 2 to a 0 is pretty ouch, but it helps if you take a damp cold cloth and hold it against your ear a little bit afterward when the gauge is in. Good luck to everyone else! | 1/2/2010 |
| Jenna Jealousy | May I ask what type of gauge I should use, I'm assuming the tappers, and if I should do it dry or use some sort of oil/lotion on it? Thanks! | 1/2/2010 |
| Jenna Jealousy | Thank you Sammy A, I appreciate it. I will try and tell you how it comes out. Hopefully it won't give me too much more trouble. | 1/2/2010 |
| Sammy A. | Jenna Jealousy, I know the problem your having. My 6's were the same way. Let them heal for acouple more days. Keep trying. Try twisting them slightly as you push them through. Don't force it to much tho. Bri, Mine do that. Sometimes it feels as if I'm re-gauging them. And that does happen. If you take them out and it's harder to get back in just keep trying and twisting them through. You ears might have closed a lil bit, and when you clean them they close a lil bit more sometimes. Atleast, mine do. It will hurt a bit pushing them back through. But you shouldn't have any problems after that. |
1/2/2010 |
| bri | i skipped from a 14 to a 10 and my right eaer took it well but my left gauge wont come out so i can clean it=/ | 1/1/2010 |
| Jenna Jealousy | I am at a 2 gauge right now. I am doing my best to go to a 0, and that's it. For some reason, I am having problems doing this. I have three types of gauges to do this: black plastic tappers (the straight kind that gradually get bigger), metal pinchers (the C shaped kind), and metal tubes (hollow kind). I tried the tappers first, but it wouldn't go all the way through, then I tried the pinchers, and it seemed to weigh to much and I got scared it might heal all odd-shaped. I tried it dry, wet, with Vaseline, olive oil, and even lotion. I can't seem to get them through. I pushed with all my might, and eventually it started to really hurt. I gave up and threw my 2 gauges back in. Its been a couple days now, and I'm willing to try again. Any tips or suggestions? I don't know whats wrong, and its definitely not because my earlobes are too small, because I still have plenty of space. Please help! | 1/1/2010 |
| lucy | they do hurt, i mean not super bad, but enough to tell they are there. i had metal screw gauges in so i think that was it because now i have plastic and it's going down | 12/31/2009 |
| Sammy A. | Lucy, I have the same problem with my left ear. I have what it seems to be a very small "pimple" on the side towards the bottom. It's nothing to worry about I believe. Mine don't hurt. Just keep cleaning. I'm still not sure what to use to have them go away. But I don't think it's anything to worry about only if they get painful. Tina, You're right xD |
12/30/2009 |
| lucy | i went from regular sized gauges to size ten in 20 minutes at a rock concert, not very clean either. and then went to a size 8 soon after. i'm not at a size zero in less than half a year later. i clean them regulary and take them out sometimes for an hour or so while i do so. my left year is fine but my right year gets sore bumps almost like pimples around my hole(although they usually don't have puss at all). they can swell up a lot somtimes and it feel slike when one goes away i get another. they usually go away in like a week but what is this, and how can i stop it? | 12/30/2009 |
| Tina | This is kinda late, but for all the sports ppl and ppl that have to take out their gauges to play gym in school, there's a type of gauge called "software" and its a hollow thin silicon gauge. Its squishy, and moves around but keep your ear the right size, and coaches don't have a problem at all with them. You can't even really tell that they're there. They come in a plethora of colors. You can even get them to match your school or teams colors =) I have purple ones and they're pretty nifty. (I'm at a 2) I've only seen them in hot topic. I hope this helps some what =p | 12/30/2009 |
| Sammy A. | Brainrot, Same to you dear =]. And no problem =] |
12/28/2009 |
| brainrot | Well Thank you Sammy A Merry christmas and A Happy new year my ears are seeming to be healing just fine thank you for the advice |
12/25/2009 |
| Sammy A. | Brainrot, Yup. Let them heal for a bit tho, just to make sure no real big scaring occurs. Sophie, Me personally I would just keep them in. But if your coach or whatever tells you to take them out, do it. It can become a risk factor. I would prefer the tapers that are really short in length and don't stick out much. Alyssa, Yes, the swelling will go down in a couple day. Mine did the same when I went from a 16-8 xD. I prefer warm rags over icecubs, and if it's painfull take Tylenol, Aspirin, Aleve . What ever you prefer if the pain continues. |
12/25/2009 |
| Sophie | Alright, thank you (: And do you have any advice on what to do with them if you play sports? |
12/24/2009 |
| brainrot | Thank you Sammy A i'm glad i made you smile. and thanks for the advice. but will i be able to gauge them again? |
12/24/2009 |
| brandon | Sammy A. i have got some stuff and it is fealling a lot better now |
12/23/2009 |
| Alyssa | I just went from a 10 to a 4 in one day (which was yesterday) and now my ears are really really swollen. When will the swelling go down? | 12/23/2009 |
| Sammy A. | Sophie, Yes you can take regular showers with them. I do xD And the inside of the whole might still be healing when I stretched they didn't bleed at all. Just keep them clean. Brainrot, XD You made me smile ahaha. Keep them out and keep them clean. Mine still crust a little bit even tho they aren't past a 0 gauge. Put some Vitamin E on them. There is also another thing you should use I forgot what it's called. Look some things up. |
12/23/2009 |
| brainrot | went from 1/2 inch to 9/16 but used a 3/4 taper. yes that was stupid i understand my one wouldnt stretch and it hurt to much so i decided screw it i'll close em for abit so i did that . and they like crusted shut and are scabbed i do believe i've ripped them. they're hard and crusty (that sounds disgusting. and believe me it is) ii've cleaned them with alcohol it went away and came back an hour later. WHAT IS HAPPENIN WILL IT gO AWAY!? | 12/23/2009 |
| Sophie | Can you take a regular shower and just leave your gauges in? And also, what if when you take the gauges out they bleed but don't and didn't when you first put them in? |
12/22/2009 |
| Sammy A. | Brandon, Look up things you can use to help your ear heal. It's going to hurt for acouple days. Healing process is 2-3 weeks normally. Illness, Go to a 8. You should be fine. Don't rush it tho. Once you go down to a 6 don't skip 2 sizes. |
12/21/2009 |
| illness | i've had my ears pierced for a couple months and just put in a 12 no problem would it be safe tojump to a 8 or 6? and how long should i wait until i go up | 12/21/2009 |
| brandon | i need help i gauged my ear from a 00 to a 1/2 and it is hurting and idk how long it will take to heal up | 12/20/2009 |
| Sammy A. | Morte, I'm glad their pretty much healed now =D. I'm very glad I could help. Have fun =] You're welcome =] |
12/20/2009 |
| Morte | Hey Sammy A, I took them out, theyve been out for a week, Ive been massaging them with a piercing cleaner and the blowout is nearly gone! I have to restart strectching, but hey I wont have ugly skin flabs aha. Thank you! -Bella Morte. |
12/19/2009 |
| Sammy A. | JJ M, To go down to a 8. Whenever you stretch wait 2-3 weeks first. =] |
12/19/2009 |
| JJ M | So 2-3 weeks to go down to an 8? Or to go lower than that? and thanks :) |
12/18/2009 |
| Sammy A. | JJ M, You're fine. 2-3 weeks love. |
12/18/2009 |
| JJ M | Hey, I just started stretching my ears today. I put the 14g's in and it felt like nothing happened. So i went down to a 12g. Would it be okay if i went down to an 8? and how long would I have to wait. | 12/18/2009 |
| Sammy A. | Bre, Yup easy as said and done xD Dan, You should always start off with tappers(the spiked ones) the swelling should go down. I would move back up to a 10 then in about 3 weeks go to a 8. And when doing gauges, do BOTH ears it looks kinda silly with just one... Atlas Atticus, As in? More specific. |
12/17/2009 |
| Atlas Atticus | Is it safe to put metal screws in my ears? | 12/15/2009 |
| Dan | I dont no much about all this but i liked the look of tunnels so i thought id get one myself so last sunday i bought an 8 mil tunnel and one of those spike things, i had a normal ear piercing at first and just dived in an went straight to an 8 from there i didnt use any lube or nothing my ear lobe has reli swollen and u can tell a big size difference between my left and right ear will this swelling go down soon? and will it be best to keep the spike in or take it out and just let it heal? btw i adive no1 to start higher than atleast a 4 mil its not worth it trust me. | 12/14/2009 |
| Breanna | i dipped mine in peroxide before i gauged them. i did it while they were still wet so that they would just slide in with no problems! | 12/14/2009 |
| Sammy A. | Xsd, It depends all on the person. But normally 2-3 weeks. Morte, You can keep the tappers/plus what ever you have in. Just keep your ears VERY clean. Take them out and clean them often.(a day) DO NOT force it back through. Look up vids on youtube or online and you will get antibiotics you can use to help it, if it gets worse. Kennedyjane, Blowout is when skin is pushed out of the back of your ear and hangs there. It's pretty trippy xD Go on youtube and look up vids you will see. |
12/13/2009 |
| kennedyjane | just wondering , what the heck is a blowout ? | 12/12/2009 |
| Morte | Hey guys, my ears are at an 8 and theres a very small blowout. Should I just leave it free of jewlerry or put my ten back in and wait? |
12/12/2009 |
| xsd | hello i currently have 6 guage hole-size how long will this take to heal? | 12/12/2009 |
| Sideshow | Oh and by the way...my ear didnt rip...it was just alotta puss buildup hahaha i took the hoop out after work today cleaned it up and squeezed triple antibiotic in my hole and slid the hoop back in...nice and lubed up hahaha | 12/8/2009 |
| Sideshow | id atleast wait till like 2 - 3 weeks from yer first jump...aslong as yer ear isnt crusting up and scabbing still cause then its not quite finished healing...atleast wait until theres very minimal crusting | 12/8/2009 |
| HOUSTON | i jumped rite into a size 6. i think my ears are healed already.. should i jump into a 2? | 12/8/2009 |
| Sideshow | Whats goin on yall...Back when i was in highschool i was gaugin my ears...and i went from a 6 straight to a two in one class pieroid...later that night i took the taper out and instantly my hole filled with blood and it started dripping to the floor so i just jumped in the shower cleaned it up slit the taper back in and went on my way...i let it heal up and it was fine i later pierced my other ear and evend it up...well i played professional inline hockey at the time and i had to take them out for a meet in orlando...well i left them there and they closed up i didnt think twice about it until the other night when i was thinkin man i miss my gauges...so i went into the bathroom and slid a 10 gauge hoop in it went in nicely with a nice little pop at the end...so i took that out grabbed the 8 had that in for about 4 days...and then i slid the 6 in noproblem...now im lookin at the 4 gauge and the hoop i have has a pointed end so its not just a blunt tip it has sumwhat of i a point to it i figured no biggie well it slid into my right ear fine...but my left was the took me a good 10 mins of squeezing it until it finally poped threw...and its been a couple days now and ive been takin them out and cleaning them with triple antibiotic and whatnot...well i think i ripped my left ear just a tad witch wouldnt suprize me..but check it...i am not downsizing i have never downsized i have 8's in my nipple's never downsized and im not starting now...and i have a blowout from back in hs when i blasted my ear in class lol but no biggie...allmost all my homeboys that have gauges have blowouts...but yea how long you tihnk it will take this little tear to fill up..its like right in the back of the hole everytime it scabs up the hoop will move and pull it off..im goin to get bactine later after work...witch will be nice for my ears cause the saltwater will clean em up but yea get back at me | 12/8/2009 |
| Sammy A. | Cody, Just make sure your ears are COMPLETELY healed before you do. (2-3 weeks just to make sure) What you did before with the the V.E oil is good. It makes the stretching process go quicker; and less painful. I didn't do it because I didn't want to take the chance of something possibly infecting my ear. And thank you Cody. You're welcome =] Mica, I would NOT go that quick into your 6. Seeming as you already made a big jump. I would just go down to a 8. Read the following comments below. Your question is talked about. And the reasons why. |
12/5/2009 |
| Cody | Mica i am sorta new at the whole stetching thing but one of y best friends was in ur situation he was at a 12 and had a really dumb idea to stretch to a 6 straight from there and he literally almost ripped his ear and he got blowout so bad that hehad to let his ears fill in i suggest if u wanna jump at all if u r at a 12 then only jump from a 12 to an 8 becuz i jumped from a 14 to an 8 with no problem and i have learned the bigger u get if u try to jump the harde the stretch so i wuld say eiter go to a 10 or an 8 gauge becuz i have seen blowout and it is not pretty and trust me if u jump that much that is wat u will get the biggest jump i have ever made was by to sizes and it did not hurt one bit but i tried to skip 3 the 2nd timei stretched and the pain was worse than i ever imagined im telling u this becuz once u get bigger in size and ur ears are healthy u will be completely phsycd. just remember dont jump too much either go to a 10 or an 8 if u have anything else that u wuld like me to answer dont hesitate i check ths daily also Sammy. A gives really good advice. |
12/5/2009 |
| Cody | Sammy. A thank you very much for the advice although i didnt follow it completely i stretched from my 8 to a 2 today i used vitamin e oil and they slid rite in i was very suprised there was no pain at all and my ears are perfect u really helped me the tapers were also alot better than the plugs. u were definately rite i will be stretching to my zero next month. but i do have an additional question would it be safe to stretch from a 2 to a 00 i am asking u cuz u seem to no exactly wat u are talking about. plz respond bak and agian thank u for the help. if i need anymore advice i nowho to ask u are very helpful thank u very much. your friend...Cody. | 12/5/2009 |
| Mica | ok i recently gauge my ears last week, i went from a regular sized ear hole to a 12 with no pain really and i was wondering if i should just try a 6 | 12/4/2009 |
| Sammy A. | Corey, Ummm, well depends. When did you gauge to a 4? |
12/4/2009 |
| Will | personally, i think 00's are the best size out there. | 12/4/2009 |
| Corey | Sammy, no they are fine. other than the expected pain. It was a 4, my mistake, but now going to a zero? should i still be alright? |
12/3/2009 |
| Sammy A. | Charles. Alrighty. I have NEVER heard of a "1g" I think the person is smoking some serious crap xD It goes; starting from 10. 10, 8,6,4,2,0. I would just by them at a local mall around you. Not online. I wouldn't trust it. Corey, More then likely yes. Have you had any problems with your ears yettt? |
12/3/2009 |
| Corey | I just pierced my ear and skipped to a 6 with a taper? should i be alright? |
12/3/2009 |
| Charles | I, like many others am trying to get to size zero. Right now i am at size 4, i haven't skipped any yet, other than... When i got my ears pierced, i did a dermal piercing straight to size 6, so i have only stretched once. I don't want to skip any sizes! i just ordered the rest of the jewlry i need. i got a 2 and a zero. BUT when i ordered the pieces, the person told me i should get a 1 gauge. I have never heard of that! do i get that too? or do i go 6-4-2-0? what is the exact order? | 12/3/2009 |
| Kevin | I jumped basically every size i went from a 14 to a 10 to an 8 to a 6 to a four to a two to a zero to 7/16 then to half inch but im stopping now p.s. i did that in less then 3 weeks my ears look and feel fine when i take my plugs out they shrink up really quick | 12/2/2009 |
| Sammy A. | Juno, I prefer tappers over plugs myself. Yes, you can leave them in. As for the ear closing, It all depends on the person ear if they close or not. I can't give you a straight answer with that. I believe with a 6 there's a possibility they will close faster then everything under 6g. Lu666cy , As for you. Maybe some people want to "know" MORE before they do it. It's not "Stupid" nor are they "Stupid" It's called being educated and learning something knew. Amen =] |
12/1/2009 |
| lu666cy | honestly? you all are getting advice on how to stretch your ears on a web site? gauging your ears is NOT rocket science. and if your that stupid you shoulnt be even doing it in the first place. | 12/1/2009 |
| Juno | Can I just leave the tapers in my ears instead of the plugs? cuz i enjoy wearing tapers more than other stuff... also Mine's at 6 right now and that's where I"ll stay ... Will it close up when I take em out? | 12/1/2009 |
| Sammy A. | Fer sure use tappers! Wait about 2 weeks like I said before then go ahead and put plugs in. Read my following comments first, to make sure you have no rips/blowouts or accidents; since you are skipping sizes love. If you have anymore questions just ask =]. |
12/1/2009 |
| Cody | thank you very much sammy. A i appreciate u telling me this because if i would have gotten blowout or ripped my ea i would have been terribly upset now also wat would be the best way to stretch from an eight to a four should i use tapers and put plugs in aftrwards or can i just gauge with plugs plz get bak to me as soon as possible thank you! | 12/1/2009 |
| Sammy A. | Cody. Love, to be perfectly honest with you. I would NOT skip THAT fast. There is a BIG risk for blow out and rips. May or may not happen, but it's ALWAYS good to think "What if." I would take it slow. Maybe go down to a 4. Wait about 2-3 weeks(depending on the skip size) for healing process. I know you want to just get to it; but taking it slow is the best way to go in the long run You don't want to mess up your ears for good. Once you hit 00 take it slow. Only skip 1-2 size at the most. The size changes may not look like much going up a size bigger, but they will hurt more and more as you progress or you try skipping large amounts. Don't listen to people that say "Just do it man!" No seriously, their dumb. Nuff said xD. I hope this helps. If you want any more info, just ask, I check this every couple hours. |
11/30/2009 |
| cody | ok i am at an 8 gauge rite now im wondering i am planning on skippin sizes to quikly get to my half inch tunnels. wat is the largest amountof sizes i can skip without doing more ripping and tearing than streatching. also another question i have is that i was told if i skip from an 8 straight to a zero my ear will rip in half is that true or no some plz get bak to me on this as soon as possible! thank you. | 11/30/2009 |
| Sammy A. | Alright, I looked up someone crap about "Blow out" and it sounds like that's what you have, Most people get them from gauging to quickly and sometimes forcing the tapper or anything you used through. First, How long did you have your 4s in before you put in the 2s? |
11/28/2009 |
| mike | it dont like a normal hole, its like comeing out .like the back of my ear look like a volcano. | 11/28/2009 |
| Sammy A. | Mike, You said the back of your ears look funny now, since you put your 4 ins without the back? What exactly do they look like? Atleast try explaining the best you can. xD |
11/28/2009 |
| mike | i have twos and i dont have the back rubber band for it, will anything happen if i dont wear them? ,when i had fours i dident have them eather but the back of my ears dont look right .is ther anything rong | 11/28/2009 |
| Sammy A. | No problem (Gmoney :D) Hoped it helpedd. |
11/27/2009 |
| gmoney :D | thanks dude :] my ears are great now (Sammy.A) | 11/23/2009 |
| Sammy A. | Gmoney :D. Your ears are probably still adjusting to the healing process. Gradually twist them and play with them, but make sure your hands are clean and you cleaned the gauges first. Do this a couple times a day. DON'T FORCE IT! If it's not twisting take them out and clean them and as you put them back in SLOWLY twist them in.(they could be dirty so there not twisting.) It's a lot easier, and saves a lot of pain and time in the end. And when you go bigger the gauges slide in way easy. |
11/16/2009 |
| gmoney :D | g-doll i have the same problem. i went from a ten to a six. yeah i know your not supossed to jump. i really dont care. There not turning with our tremendous force i think it might be because i jumped and its really tight. any one know? | 11/16/2009 |
| Melissaaa. | Okay so Sammy A. is totally right. no one can tell you how fast you can and cannot go, how many sizes you should or shouldnt skip. some ppl's ears do close, and others dont. i started at a regular sized earring hole, and i jumped to a 6. then i skipped to a 0, then a 00 using tapers. and i guess i'm a genius and decided to go to 1/2 without a taper. i put the plugs in, luckily nothing happened. and then i went to 5/8ths. which is the size i stayed. what hurt was the jump to a 6, other than that it didnt hurt more then a little pinch. i recently took out my gauges just because, and my left ear is still around a 1/2, and my right ear can barely fit a 2. it's been about a month. i saw my friend have a blowout going from a 2 to a 4. i did my friends ears from a 2 to a 00. he's a big guy, and i havent seen someone with that much pain in their face... i dont even know if ive ever seen that before him. so i highly recommend taking your time and not skipping any size! oh and did i mention i did all my gauging within a period of TWO WEEKS. yikes! oh and Honey... its okay to gauge by yourself, but i highly recommend having an experienced friend do them for you... you wont be able to inflict that much pain onto yourself. but take your time! (: |
11/16/2009 |
| honey | so do i need to go to like hottopic and have someone put it in or what? | 11/13/2009 |
| Sammy A. | Alright, truth be told. There is no correct way for anyone to give advice to a person that is gauging their ears. EVERYONES skin is different, and EVERYONES body heals and works in different ways. I had to be careful when I gauged my ears because A LOT of things irritate my skin (specially earings.) You honestly don't know what's going to happen intill you actually go through the process. I went from a 16(didn't have anything in my ears for about 6+ months) then to a 10 then about 3 weeks later a 8(did this about a month or 2 ago). When I did this, I went EXTREMELY slow. I DID NOT use any lubricant! I would gently push in and if it started to hurt I would stop for a couple mins then start again. I keept a cold and warm paper towel by me and a couple ice cubs. As I would push the tappers(pointy ones) in I would slowly and gently twist them so the hole in my ear was even and healed well when I took them out. I thought I my ears would bleed like a mothhhhheeerrr, but they did not. I will admit it it hurt like no other. The pain laster about 2 days at the most. They will be swallowen and WILL hurt. You're stretching your skin! Do some research before you do this. As in how to clean them. Different types. Healing process ext. Saves A LOT of time in the end. They WILL start to smell if you do not clean them. With ANY type you put in your ears. The longest you should go without cleaning is 1-2 days max. When you first put them in clean them EVERYDAY for about 2 weeks along with your ears(annoying, but it helps them not get infected and makes the pain a bit less.). And as you slide them back in twist them a bit. In the healing process, they get a bit red and itchy. Mine STILL itch sometimes. Alcohol swabs work the best to relive itch. And it does NOT burn what so ever. It will sting for about 2 seconds that's it. Clean your ear an the gauges with that. Wash them in the shower, message your ears. KEEP YOUR HANDS CLEAN! The bestt advice is to keep them CLEAN along with your ears. Do not try skipping large amount of sizes you will end up regretting it. I did about a month or 2 of looking before I went through with it. And if you around the ages of 15-18 if you have not gotten the gauges; and are look for a job MAKE SURE YOU CAN WEAR THEM! Cause you don't want to gauge and be told you have to take them out. | 11/12/2009 |
| Greg | Everyone's ears are going to be different. You're not going to do any damage if you're "skipping sizes from a 18 to a 14". Just try it if you want, your ears will tell you your limits. It's not a big deal. | 11/10/2009 |
| Dook | I am currently at 7/8 of an inch.. It took me about 6 months because I took my time.. I went straight from 7/16 to 9/16 and ripped my ears a little bit and they bleed a lot! Not so good.. I let thise heal and weighed them down with wrenches on necklaces.. About a month later my 5/8s went right in.. I continued to clean clean clean and weigh and eventually taped them bigger to where they still felt comfortable. I went up to 3/4 with no problem.. Continued to clean and massage, taped my 3/4 left them in a few weeks and now im at 7/8. I am in the process of making them 1inch but its taking a while.. I will have them in by the end of the month.. Continue weighing cleaing taping to where they're comfortable and WA-LA! 1 inch gold tunnels! | 11/6/2009 |
| weezybaby89 | its simple on stretching your ears im at 5/8 and that hurt i just use a type of taper that went really quick if u cnt stand the pain numb it with ice or jus use orgel which is used for tooth achs but it works really good,good enough were u dnt fell a thing it numbs that area | 11/6/2009 |
| Dylan | You don't have to wait. I'd recommend it, but you don't have to. I pierced my ears, and 41 days later i was at 5/8. I tore on the jump to 5/8ths. The day after i pierced my ears, i gauged up to a 6. It hurt, but my ears were fine. The only jump that really screwed me over was the jump from 1/2 to 5/8. Yeah, i skipped 9/16ths. It all depends on your ears. It's been two weeks since i went to 5/8ths, and i'm going up again tomorrow. | 11/6/2009 |
| Passerby | This is all very bad advice. It's called "stretching", not "gauging". Tapers should not be used in this fashion, they are not plugs. Stretching should never hurt. You should wait more than 1-2 weeks between stretches. Never use acrylic with a fresh piercing or freshly stretched piercing. wiki. bmezine. com / index. php / Stretching stretched. livejournal. com / profile |
11/3/2009 |
| casey | so i have these earings and they r glass start off small and end at 7/16 i think i put then in were it did not hury and wore them for a couple days now my one ear is really pusey and bleeding can some one tell me y? my ears r only a 0 | 11/3/2009 |
| kirsty | skipping sizes isnt a good idea i agree, BUT if you want them done then and there go for it, i mean ive just got from a 10mm to 14mm ina day and IT HURT dont get me wrong there, but because i had a birthday to goto i knew i wanted it done and outta the way, my ear swelled like a firestone tire and it still burned about 5 hours later but if your willing to put up with the pain then you should be fine :] | 10/31/2009 |
| Buttcock | Sp Yeah I Got 1 Inches And I Was Wondering How FAr Down They Would Go If I Left Them Out? | 10/31/2009 |
| Troy | i just gauged my ears from a 4g to a 0g. MY EARS HURT! i suggest going slow. i got anxious an couldent wait. there is alot of blood but you just gatta have the ballz to stick out the pain. GOD i LUV gauges | 10/31/2009 |
| Carmennn | does anyone know how to heal gages? i changed my mind after a lot of thought (mind you me buying the gages was spur of the moment), their still small, only at a 12, can i just stick an earing in and it wont fall out (i looked) and it'll heal centered or what? | 10/30/2009 |
| Katie | So, before asking my question, I think I should explain my ear gauging "history". I've had my ears gauged at 3/4 inch for about two and a half years. I don't remember a lot about doing it, but I skipped a lot of sized. At one point, I went from a 1/2 to a 3/4 in a matter of days and without in-between sizes...bad idea. I don’t know if my ears have ever blown-out, but I assume that they have. They used to bleed a lot, be really swollen, and scab. Now, the skin around my gauges flakes off occasionally and, obviously, they smell horrible. Anyway, my question: Does it matter how long your ears have been gauged when deciding how to close them? Anyone I've ever talked to says that I'll need plastic surgery one day. Yet, the responses on here tell me differently. Also, what is the best way to start closing them? Should I down-gauge or just take them out completely? As for lotions or vitamins, what would help? Oh, and one more question. I'm just kind of curious... I play lacrosse and have to use cotton balls and band-aids in my ears during games [I use two big cotton balls with a band-air wrapped around the bottom to keep them in]. The cotton balls actually hold the shape and size of my plugs until I can put them back in. As for my 6’s [they’re above my 3/4 ‘s in my second holes], I just take the gauges out. What have other people done when handling the "no jewelry" rule in sports? Thanks for any and all advice :] |
10/30/2009 |
| Toast | Here's a question for you all: Why the heck would you make gigantic holes in your ears? Are you so ignorant to the fact that one day, you will be an old wrinkley person with flabby ears? Y'all are stupid. And you have stinky ears. |
10/29/2009 |
| xhbvhxbv | Can anybody tell me how far down 1 inches will go if u leave them out? | 10/29/2009 |
| BREE BREE | Almost at 1 1/2 inch. people seem to forget that stretching your ears to a large size also causes FLAT SPOTS, which many people mistake for blowouts. |
10/28/2009 |
| kelly. | i have 2 tapers in my ears right now, i think they might stopa at 2g i was an 8 about 4 days ago, and ive been slowly working them in almost to the end, id say im around a 4, so my left ear was swelling about 3 hours ago, so i took them both out, and shortly afterwards both of my ears started to bleed rapidly, so i took wet tissues and squeezed them to release some of the pressure. the bleeding slowed down a little, and i put the tapers back in, but not as far as they were in before, i can still feel a little bit of throbbing, am i doing this right? is there any kind of product i should be putting on to help? |
10/26/2009 |
| RayRay ;D | I took my time and read all of this, and most of the people are right DONT SKIP SIZES seriously im at 9/16 and i skipped from like nothing to a 6. my ear lobes are not to thin but its on the breaking point. i have to stop for winter. If you go bigger, take out your spacers for a while so they shrink and get thicker, remember to use vitemin e oil or jajabo oil. Tea tree oil DOES NOT WORK. But remember everybody is different. Im going up to 5/8ths on friday to my tunnells. Its been about a month since i spaced them. Wish me luck ! (: |
10/26/2009 |
| Lauren :] | hey guys, i just went to a 0g last night. It hurt like hell and there was a little blood. Most of the night i had a pretty bad headache and wasn't able to sleep. I woke up this morning and the pain is still pretty prevalent. They are red, hard, and incredibly swollen. I know I should take them out, but I really don't want to. What's the worst that could happen if I just deal with it? |
10/26/2009 |
| JackXh3rer | I am at 3/4, but i stretched to quick and did it wrong. My ears turned out decent but there are many flaws. Do it right and slow you'll be satisfied. |
10/25/2009 |
| Ace | People who do it for attention and looks are stupid. Im at 3/4 right now and im done stretching. Also, half of the people that stretch their ears dont do it for the right reasons. Its about the artform of body modification. Its about art! Its not about who can have the biggest gauges or who can turn the most heads with their stretched ears! That is what body mod is becoming and it angers me to see how many people are destroying my favorite artform. | 10/24/2009 |
| Samantha | I started gauging my ears when I was 12. It took about a year and a half to get up to an inch. I had 1 blowout in the proccess of stretching.. I was really stubburn about it and would stretch every few days. Of course, the blowout held me back. I never used tapers at all...yeah, you'd be surprised at the stuff you can make gauges into. I'm 15 and am still at 1 inch. I want to stretch to 1 1/4 now. Honestly, I do not recomend for anyone to strech the way I did. Most of the time I had a headache because my ears were always in pain. If you do, please do it the correct way:) All my luck, -Samantha |
10/22/2009 |
| cee | okay soim just starting to gauge my ears ad i have a taper in ; but i dont know what size. but i put it in yesterday and just took it out tonight and when i did it started bleedding. i put alcohol and peroxide in after it stopped bleeding. and then put tha gauge back in. will it get infected and should i take it out ? | 10/22/2009 |
| James | If anyone is going to take any advice from anyone on here, let it be me. Stretching your ears is a personal experience.. It is different for EVERYONE.. So you can't let one person tell you exactly how to stretch.. I have had my ears pierced for 10 months now, and am currently stretched to 3/4 of an inch. There has been times when I had to go slow as hell, and times where I could stretch with no problem what so ever. When I first pierced my ears myself.. I stretched to a 0 from a 14 in a week and a half. Small gauge sizes are stupid to talk about but it was dumb. I've found the best lubricant/organics/medication that works on my ears is Nivea soft unsented lotion, and it actually has Jajoba oil, and vitamin e oil made into it. I've blown out my ear once at 1/2 inch just being stupid and trying to shuv my finger through my ear when I was drunk. I just went back down to a 0 in that ear and pushed the steel tunnels I had in backward so that it would push the blowout back into my ear and it healed perfectly. So I mean.. There are many many techniques out there.. Everyone really needs to find there own.. Big recomendation here, don't go from 5/8 to 3/4, 3/4 to 7/8, or 7/8 to 1in., I know they don't sell 11/16 or other in-between sizes in cool places like hot topic.. Special order them.. You can buy cheap steal tunnels offline.. They work |
10/22/2009 |
| cody thrash. | go to wallgreens and get this stuff called tea tree oil. its made for gauging its moisturizes your earlobe so it will heal faster and let your ear completely heal befoe you go up to the next size. i have 5/8 | 10/21/2009 |
| gabrielle | Mysticmetalsbodyjewelry organi plugs and awesome stuff Minkymonky cheap gauges free shipping over 24$ I think we can all learn something from Aarons post. I'm 25 y/o and I've had my ears stretched since High School. Granted yes I got excited at some points and skipped a size, but in the end I have healthy 9/16. My only problem is my right ear is a bit thin, yet my left is perfectly fine. So the vitamin E has been working well to "plump" my ear up. Also, about the job. I went to college immediately after HS and the amount of young individuals who are just like everyone else is amazing. We are all human. Now my point, I work two amazing jobs. One in the kitchen and the other as a business sales rep. Aka Longhorn and Adidas. Both the companies I work for including adidas, tattoos (which I also have 6 of on my arms) and piercings, are discrimination! Now unless you've got piercings all over your face and eyes and ears, yes that's a problem. But stretched ears, you would be surprised of the amount of people who I get compliments and questions from. "Did that hurt when they did it" is my favourite. Young and older people. But, be yourself. Don't rush. Take care of your skin! Its just like a tattoo. Its addicting. But would you rather take it slow, and have "sick" earlobes, or skip, skip, skip and watch your ears get blown out? Be smart! Moisturize, clean them, and let them breath like Aaron said. Our bodies were given to us for a reason, don't abuse it! |
10/21/2009 |
| Rona | I love stretched ears but I always tell others to do it sensibly. I It hurt leave it alone, don't ever stretch with plastic, use 7mm and 9mm sizes, don't skip 2mm from 6-8 and 8-10! Leave sizes in for at least 1 -2 months before you even think about stretching again. Vitamin E oil is the shizz and cheap. You should massage those lobes daily! It works wonders on scar tissue :) I downsized from 8mm in both ears to 1.6mm and 3mm in my ears and have been massaging daily and I can't believe the difference downsizing and oils make! |
10/19/2009 |
| Pat | I went from 14 to 4 to 00 with no blowouts, ripped ears or anything, just a whole lot of pain. I don't recommend it. | 10/17/2009 |
| drew p | my ears r up to 38 mm it took a long time but my ears r blown out cuz i ripped them at first so dont skip sizes and if ur ears are swollen take ur gauges out cuz it will mess ur ears up and if people talk ish bout yo0ur ears let them cuz u have them you have to like them to put them in if you dont want them u should have not done them so be smart and think first befor u do ur ears if u need any thing hit me up on myspace andrew parker | 10/16/2009 |
| Stephanie | I had my ears at 3/4 of an inch, and I took them out for a year, because of work, and they only got down to a 2. Now I'm stretching them back out and I have my right ear at a 00 and the other I just put a 0 taper in half way cuz I didn't want to force it. Well my ear is swollen and the taper just slid right through is that normal? Do you think since my lobe is masively huge right now it will give me more lobe to hopefully go to an inch? | 10/16/2009 |
| Brittney | My ears are stretched to one inch and an eighth and my advice is GO SLOW no matter how much you want to skip sizes DON'T! Trust me I know from experience. You can severly damage your ears or cause scar tissue or blowouts. I am 18 and have been gauging my ears since I was 15 be patient, it is definetly a process! Also to Kristin Hope how big you go is completly a personal decison. But if you dont want to have them for an extended period of time. Do not go to extreme sizes. Also about controversy if you are letting it get to you now don't go bigger because it just gets worse. In my opinion I love having my ears stretched it is my individuality and I truely think they are beautiful same as any kind of body modification. It's a form of self expression and I do not care what ignorant close minded people have to say. It is my body and I will chose to do with it what I want (: So to everyone out there DO NOT LET SOCIETY SHAPE YOU BE YOURSELF AND LIVE THE WAY YOU WANT. |
10/15/2009 |
| kenny s | i had my ears at a 6 and they were healed so i put a 2 a little while ago. my ears were bleeding and there soar. my friend said if you go too fast then your ears would mutate or get really fcked up. did i go too fast or am i ok. they were really numb a while ago but now i can at least feel them...im 14 is this bad | 10/14/2009 |
| dick | what can you put in your gauged ears? | 10/14/2009 |
| chelsea | this is really helpful | 10/10/2009 |
| Ryo | I think mine may have a small infection. But it's proabaly because I went from having normal sized piercing holes to 10 gauge in less than 20min lol | 10/5/2009 |
| Kristin Hope | At first I skipped from a 10g to a 6g, and I had a horrible blowout and blah it was a bloody disgusting mess. Eventually I took it out and let it completely heal and began re-gauging. I'm now at a 4g, and am contemplating whether or not to stretch bigger. Personally I want to go to a 0g, but there's a lot of controversy that I have to deal with. After doing some research, it finally hit me that if I stretch my ears to a certain size for long enough, it will not close up. I know I won't have my gauges forever, and I don't want to have to deal with the aftermath of having loose and gross lobes and with coming up with the money to pay for surgery. It's around $2,000 (a little more than that) to repair gauged lobes, depending on the situation. So with this and also some other aspects considered, I'm still not sure whether or not to gauge my ears any larger. I really want to, and I know, I'm young and should just enjoy life how it is now, but I really don't want to deal with having to pay for surgery and la la la lalal. Any feedback on this? | 10/5/2009 |
| arron | i went from a regualar stud to a 00 in a bout three weeks it hurt but the thing that helped me was neosporine.( i used tapers btw) like the other dude said dont rush it peoples ears differ mine might be fine but yours could blowout, getinfected, or get keloids and thats bad so. just be paitent xXnightmarearronXx at gmail hit me up with any questions |
10/2/2009 |
| KiKu | so ive stretched my ears to a size 2 no problem and im trying to stretch to size 0 and its like my ears are stuck at 2...or im just not strong enough to push them through. i have tapers in but dont think ill ever geth them stretched all the way to a 0. any ideas? | 10/1/2009 |
| david | ok i got size 2 gauge tapers on and im trying to put a 0 in. but it won't go through and im afraid of blowing my ear or tearing it. plz help thx | 9/30/2009 |
| S.L.R | yehh id say it is ok to do it like that. but obviously using metal is alot better as its less likely to get infected. mine are only 5mm as i carnt go any better because of work but ive never had no trouble when tappering mine. there is a good website i get all of my stretchers off and they are alot cheaper than goign to shops to buy them... but they are a uk site | 9/26/2009 |
| marla | I wanted to start stretching my ears but I knew I had to be very careful and I am allergic to metal so i bought a plastic gauge. I also didn't want to spend a lot of money so I picked one with a size 18 opening at one side that gradually got larger to a 12 (or 10?) I am going at it slowly with my ear at only the 16 right now. I wash my ears twice a day, have them covered with polysporin, and plan to leave them like this for two weeks. Am I doing it right? I read somewhere that you should use the decorative plastic gauges but am i okay with this? Any advice would be awesome! | 9/26/2009 |
| s.l.r | my ears have swollen a little but never bled. im only 5mm but im ears are very healthy. no probs. you should only make your ears to a size you feel right with | 9/25/2009 |
| Ally | Why would you use rubbing alcohol? it dries your ears out terribly.. Ergh.. | 9/24/2009 |
| Nik | acrylic taper and gauges cause cancer | 9/21/2009 |
| Steph. | I want to go up to 5'8 but i think my ear lobe might rip? How do i know if it's okay to still stretch it? | 9/18/2009 |
| Mistyy. | If your ears swell and they're gauged is that bad? | 9/14/2009 |
| Rachel | I was at a 2g for about 4 months, I've been gaugeing for about a year and a half, and I only skipped once so my ears have been perfectly fine. Everyone tells me they also have a tighter ear, mine happens to be the left lobe. I just guaged up to a 0g two days ago, and my right ear is alright, and doesnt even hurt. It is like it wasn't even guaged up, but my left ear is somewhat bloody, and swollen two times bigger than my usual lobe would be. It is also crusty, and feels miserable. I've taken ibprolfen to help it but the swelling hasn't gone down, and it still hurts. I'm going to wait it out a few days, I've not taken the tapers out because I know they aren't ready. | 9/11/2009 |
| griffin | i skipped from a 14 to a 4 the day after peircing in two hours. it hurt like a b*tch and bled alot. it didnt blow out though. gauge them in a hot shower, it sorta helps | 9/9/2009 |
| CannibalJevin | i pierced my ear and immediately got an 18g through it. i waited a day and a half and put in an 8g. waited another day, and at this point the ear wasn't fully healed, but it was pretty close. after the 8g i put in a 6g. after the 6g was in for a day or two, i tried to size to a 2g today. the ear was refusing, so i took it out and it started to bleed alot. how long does anyone ESTIMATE for it to heal and i can start to size up again? | 9/3/2009 |
| cogan | stretch yours ears like crazy skip like 5 sizes everytime...blow out looks good...everybody wants it to look like they have 3 lobes because they have so much blow out lmao... | 9/3/2009 |
| Jennifer | METAL ones are a better idea than ones made of METAL or other materials... please change this sentence |
8/25/2009 |
| jaknife | im at 1 inch and proud of my gauges...i done mine at home but my ear keeps growin out... idk what to do | 8/24/2009 |
| dilbob21d | ive had my gauges for about 3 months now..i went from a reg. earing to a size 2 gauge doing it in school one day using hand lotion yea it was painful but now 3 weeks later i went right to a 00 gauge.. | 8/18/2009 |
| sarah | Using petroleum jelly is a bad idea as it creates a breeding ground for bacteria. Using petroleum jelly will make you more prone to an infection. It's better to use a lubricant that will wash off easily. Also, if you have a natural material in your ear (which, by the way, you shouldn't be using on a new stretch because most naturals are porous and can also house bacteria) Alcohol will dry it out and make it more likely to break and become brittle. Also, there's a better alternative to alcohol to care for your ears and piercings. A mixture of two tablespoons of sea salt in one gallon of distilled water will help keep you piercing healthy. Just heat up some in a small bowl or cup and soak your new piercing or stretch daily. |
8/17/2009 |
| BrittanyCHAOS | Ok, it doesn't matter what u call it. I call it gauging. I know what i'm doing is all that matters. Ok i am at 3 inches now. :) And i love them. And yes when i take them out for too long it shrinks. And i have no thinnning problems. SO, Never skip sizes! Ever! And use oil and sea salt everyday because "ear cheese" is actually dead skin cells which you have to get rid of sometime. And if ur ear is getting thin you should take out ur gauges while you shower and when u get out oil them up real good. It should heal ur ears and make the skin thicker. So, if you have ne questions. My email is whenkissescollide at gmail . Thanks! | 8/17/2009 |
| amberleigh | hey i have mine stretched to an inch...i want them to skrink a lil bit, will they? | 8/11/2009 |
| gi | i shoved 8 plugs in and one of my ears kind of ripped but not exactly. it like popped. . . but i want to get to 0, so what do i do to help my ear heal ? | 8/6/2009 |
| Jerome | Meghann: This may sound a bit weird but try using rubbing alcohol on your ears everyday, it may dry them out a bit but it will shrink the holes. Another suggestion, a more painful one, if you really really want them to go away have a trained professional "scalpel" the holes, this is where they cut the skin from the inside of you lobes. As it heals it will shrink and use hydrogen peroxide on it. It will forsure shrink them to nothing or you can have them scalpel them and stitch them back together. Not much you can do for closing once you past 0. |
8/2/2009 |
| Meghann | hi i got my ears to a 00 about a year or so ago and now i took them out and they will not close! i started stretching them over 5 years ago! now, i need a job. so can anyone suggest some products or anything to help them close fast? please help me! | 8/2/2009 |
| Jerome | I don't see why everyone says 2g-0g is the most painful. Going from 7/8 to 1 1/16 is painful. but Once you get past "bullrings" use bondage tape to stretch your ears with less pain ;) | 8/1/2009 |
| Donnie | 4 years ago I was at a 2ga and my ex-wife didn't like them so I took them out and they completely closed up. Now I'm divorced and have had them repierced about 2 months ago, starting with my local piercer using a 14ga then a 10ga taper to reopen the old holes. I took my time and only skipped 8ga because my piercer said my ears were ready to skip. Now I just went to a 0ga 2 days ago. Every stretch after 6ga I had my local piercer do for me (which she does for free for buying my jewelry there.) The best way that I've found to stretch is once you get past about 4ga you can loop together your curved barbells (bullrings) or captive bead rings to add extra weight. It took only about 2 weeks for me to naturally stretch from 4ga to 2ga and then about 3 weeks to go from 2ga to 0ga, however that last stretch was VERY painful compared to all the previous ones, which my piercer said was more than likely due to scar tissue from where I had stopped at 2ga previously. I'm now going to wait about a month before my final stretch to 00ga, where I -plan- on stopping, but as many previous posters have stated its very addicting. If anyone wants to chat about piercings and/or tattoos or have any questions I might be able to help with just hit me up on myspace as repoman07xbl or dnewton3110 on yahoo messenger. Good luck and avoid skipping sizes and rushing. Preventing damage to your ear should be your first priority. |
8/1/2009 |
| beast | i used nails toi gage my ears and i had them perced for 1 day and i skipskipped to a 000 and i had to have my ear cut off awesome right but now im getting surgery and im gunna do it again yay | 8/1/2009 |
| Jerome | Never stretch with electrical tape. Always use non adhesivebondage tape. I know it sounds weird but it is the best way to safely tape your jewelry to increase the size. I started using it at 1/2 in. and now im at 1 1/4. Another tip would be to use vitamin E oil massages twice a day to keep your ears healthy. Use EMU OIL to slowly plump your lobes when yo uare not stretching, it can really pay off. I had a thin spot at about 7/8, I used emu oil and in about 1 month the thin spot was gone. ONLY use it when you are not stretching, it will make your life easier. :) |
7/31/2009 |
| ladysedna | in reply to bree: IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND A 1g, unless you size it out and make them hand made, the 2g-0g isn't that bad, just use flaxseed oil. | 7/31/2009 |
| bree | i've had 2g's in for almost 4 months now. i bought 0's a while ago because i wanted to make sure i had them when i stretched bigger and i cannot get them in for ANYTHING. this is probably the most painful stretch i've ever had to do. i pull on my plugs every once in a while so hopefully my 2's will stretch a little but it's doing no good. my advice is trying a 1g before a 0 unless you have balls and can deal with the pain. i have a low pain tolerance so it's harder for me. defnitely the WORST stretch. ugh. | 7/31/2009 |
| Mandi | I've been gauging my ears now for a few months, and finally got to to a 2. i didn't wanna go to fast because my friend's at 11/16ths i think and they're freaking huge lol. so i decided i'd stop at a 0. when i went to the 0, it hurt the most out of all my gauges, and my ear lobe felt hard for like 2 or 3 days. so this morning i took them out because the "big boss" is coming in at work and since i had the spikes, i was going to change them into the plugs.. well, when i took out the spikes, my ears started oozing puss and blood and i freaked out when i felt what i believe is the beginning of a blow out. (my friend has blow outs and they're really bad) so i said screw it and i'm leaving them out to heal. yes i loved them, but i think i went too big too fast and my ears just couldn't take it. so i advise being careful. when jumping sizes, atleast wait like 2 weeks minimum for your ears to heal. the only reason i waited so long is because of work. but good luck fellow gaugers :) |
7/30/2009 |
| Alex | I just got my holes sewed up today do to them ripping apart from stretching too fast. The surgery was extremely expensive and I felt terrible afterwords do to the medicine they gave me. Be careful kids! | 7/29/2009 |
| Nate D | Yeah i went from a piercing hole to 0 in 17 days, i'm at 5/8's in about 2 and half months, i love to not love them... i wrestle so they are a pain. i had to take them out a bunch of times at like 00 so i had a pretty nasty blow out in my right ear. i went from 00 to 1/2in to 5/8's i the same week... i would advise it i had another blow out in my left ear. i love them too much to let them heal completely i'll let them heal when i'm safe at 3/4's that's my goal. beware to those who gauge their ears it's addicting and once you start it's hard to stop. my first goal was a 0 then a 1/2 finally i said whatever i'm going to 3/4's so don't have any size in mind because you'll probably go bigger | 7/29/2009 |
| john O | well im at an inch now, but id like to go bigger however i dont wanna do any damage to my ears.. my lobes are a bit thin, but not tooo thin.. so i was wondering if its possible to like "run out of earlobe" and have them tear or if i'd be okay... | 7/27/2009 |
| Mee | Its def. not a cool or good thing to go up sizes so fast. Ur ears will get "blown out" (sag) when u take ur plugs out, and look like craap. Take your time. | 7/26/2009 |
| kimmy | oh hahah its so kool to see my comment up here haha it really is..chow.. oh comment something about i wana feel kool like if people are acually reading my comment | 7/24/2009 |
| kimmy | i have 5/8 gauges i dont know why people here are lying that they dont hurt thats bull they hurted so bad. and besides they smells so bad. they smell like ukk. oh wow the smell makes my eyes water hahaha im just kidding not that bad i recommend people not to get them. there really annoying. they smell nasty, they itch if you dont clean them and well alot more annoying stuff im not really gonna give advice just because im just 16 so i dont really know much about stretching although i have been having them for the longest like 4 years i think. since 7th grade. i can tell you guys to clean with scope leaves your ear minty fresh. |
7/24/2009 |
| Ken | I would say take it slow,I have done some crazy methods of stretching,like shoving a bunch of 10 gauges,8 gauges and 14 gauge hoops in one hole to stretch it out.My holes look fine with no earrings,actually they close up quite a bit just over night.I have 7/16" in both ears and a 2 gauge above the 7/16" in my left ear and Ive been able to get management positions with them out,the trick for me is to take them out about an hr or two before your interview and its not too bad but im sure it depends on the person. | 7/23/2009 |
| Ken | Allie - ever hear of taping? youtube taping up earrings lol | 7/21/2009 |
| Ken | RAHBEE - im at 1 1/4 in 3 1/2 months. | 7/21/2009 |
| ALLIE | i repierced my ears(they shut) with a 10 gauge needle, with 0 being my goal in mind. I was at a 2 gauge the other night. Didnt skip sizes in this whole "Journey" at all. POSSIBLY didnt wait long enough.. I got to a zero in maybe a month in a half. way way not right i dont think. But im rlly ADD with them. If i have the next size available within reach, I WILL try to get it in everynight until it finally goes in lol. I have zeros now, jus t put em in two nights ago, and the left one if red and swollen as hellllll. I took it out rly quick to clean it, and it started bleeding a little bit:( I rly hope i didnt mess up my ears. lol |
7/21/2009 |
| RaHBee | DO NOT SKIP GAUGES. im at 1' and 1/8 and screwed. i skipped from a 10g - 4g then 4g - 0g then from 0g to 7/16 and so on. in just six months i am already at 1' 1/8 and my ears are screwed up, take it slow and follow the correct tutorials | 7/20/2009 |
| karissssaa | hey so i have a problem. i have had my lobes stretched to a double zero for about a yrar now and am currently using plastic screw in plugs. i went to clean tthem the other day and the left one unscrwewed and popped out easily but the right one i cant get to un screw. and the flare on it is way too big to pop out that way so idk what to do. any ideas? | 7/18/2009 |
| Andrew | Abel...Of course it didn't hurt. You only made the hole in your ear 1/16" bigger. That's nothing. I have mine gauged to 3/8(00). It was an interesting process. I skipped a couple of gauges a few times. Hell, at one point, I used a straw...A straw I made a slit in so it would taper...And gauged my ear from ~6 or 8 to a 2. Yeah, it hurt. Nothing too unbearable though. In my opinion, it's all a matter of pain tolerance. I personally think the pain of gauging is absolutely nothing compared to other pains. I've pierced my own nipples twice, without a clamp, and without a receiving tube. Talk about pain...Hah. I've been gauging my ears since I was 16. I'm 18 now, and they're 00. Going to go up to a 1". Excited :) |
7/17/2009 |
| Mee | About cleaning them, it says to dislodge the crusty formation daily while cleaning them. Its best not to. It might smell horrible but it helps your ears heal to that new size. | 7/15/2009 |
| Kdizzle | Im at a 00 right now, it hurt like a mofo, and whoever says it doesnt is lieing. They look sweet though :] | 7/15/2009 |
| caleb | alex wat ever size u are at now i would stay there and not go no bigger ur to young to gauge right now and ur still growing u need to wait till u get older ur ear lobes may not be big enofe to gauge im 14 and im a 00ga i wish i hadnt done it now its hard for me to get a job | 7/15/2009 |
| Rooster | I dont even know where to start... no one can judge how far they can stretch and think it will close. i was in jail for a month and had to take my 7/8 out and when i got out i could only fit a 0 and a 4 in my ears. When it comes to actually gauging your ears i went at a pretty moderate pace the best idea is to not waste money on different sizes but find yourself a diagram of the sizes and make your own thats what i did in high school. from pen caps to markers to cuting up sharpies. also electrical tape is thye easiest way to gradually stretch without killing yourself jumping from one size to another. u can take an entire week and just add a layer every other day worked great for me and now im at 1 1/8 and lovin it. no blow outs, no cuts, no rips, no pain, saved lots of money and now ive got a sick size | 7/15/2009 |
| Naomi | I started guages at 12 yrs old. I started with a 12 gauge and almost started crying becuz it hurt so bad. But gauges get addicting, I am still 12 yrs. old and i now have a size 2 guage. I just slip them in no problem once you get used to having gauges. Every week I get a new size but i set my limit to a size 0 gauge. Make sure to set your limit, becuz gauges are addicting. | 7/12/2009 |
| dalton | that is how i did mine there great | 7/10/2009 |
| lukas | how do you make your lobe skin thicker?, like if you wanna go real big? | 7/2/2009 |
| abel | I had 00 and just popped in 7/16 no pain what so ever. I had the 00 in for a couple of months and when i knew i wanted to gauge up I started slowly pulling on my ears to strech them out so wouldnt have a hard time putting them in which i didnt. also lubed my ears with soap and water to help slide in. So if you want some good advice about gauging here you go: no rushing to get to bigger sizes, my friend tried to skip sizes all the way from like a 6 to a 0 in like less then a month and he had to end up taking them out because of the pain and they closed now he has little balls in his ears. lol i started with 12s and a year later i have 7/16. do not skip sizes! jeez i cant tell you how much pain that is. i went from a 4 to a 0 and it was hell lol just go size by size and if you want your ears to eventually close back up...try not and go past a 0. But i got to warn you gauging up gets addicting so make sure you set your limit. | 6/28/2009 |
| sup | yes i do it for looks and no i dont rush it for the same reason.. chillin in the shower and stretching them helped me a lot. I feel less pain when i do it that way. | 6/24/2009 |
| sup | Its been 2 weeks since i started to gauge my ears and right now I'm at 2g... I'm about to start with my 0g and i havent had any problems with it hurting really bad. I'm not rushing it, i just heal a lot faster then most. Sounds weird but it does. You should go with your feeling about how fast you should gauge your ears. My friend goes a lot slower cuz it takes a longer time for the swelling to go down. I'm planning on stopping at 00g cuz i still want my ears to close in the future | 6/24/2009 |
| Tattoo Jay | to the "Caring Parent", it all depends on the job you're searching for. there are many "open-minded" establishments that are more than accepting to hire those that dare to be different. for example, Hard Rock Corp. their motto: "Love All, Serve All..." in reality, those that choose to practice such arts are our future. some will go to school and earn degrees. they will start new businesses. "Caring Parent"- it's a shame that you still live in the past. you segregate those that choose this kind of lifestyle. you judge by outer appearance. you think it's stupid. but it's people like these that will change our future. just as the blacks did. just as the gays are doing. we should all have equal rights. no matter how different we are and try to be. please, go back to your boring life and stop envying those that are doing what you wished to do. |
6/22/2009 |
| Caring Parent | You may think it is the cool thing to do and all of the pain is worth it, but it will be more painful when time comes for job interviews and you need to make an impression. Then who is going to pick up the tab when Mom and Dad are not there and you are an adult in the working world trying to earn a living? | 6/21/2009 |
| andrew b | gday, im andrew, 20, from australia... mine are about 1inch diametre... and i wear double flared stainless tunnels, can fit your fingers straight through lol... had them for 4 or 5 years now... did them myself ... sure they smell... what were you expecting? fresh skin + stainless steel is always going to smell... you can combat some of the smell with bone and tusk plugs... iv never tried... i see bone and tusk as a good way to introduce bad sh*t to your ears ;) alcohol wipes are a bit strong for cleaning your lobes... but i use them, just because its what works... i also take my tunnels out mid shower and give them and my lobes a bit of a wash... they are still going to smell whether you wash them or not... i was once told that it is good to moisturise them... but the blokes that told me that specifed an exact moisteriser which i have forgotten the name of (theres chemicals you need to look out for) but that was years ago... the guys were from a body modification shop called polymorph, here in sydney... they know their stuff... i might go back and have another chat about the smell and see if theres any new methods to combat it... |
6/21/2009 |
| Andrew | I started gauging mine when I was 16. Now I'm 20 and I wish I had never done it. Its so embarrassing to try to get a job, there's no way to hide them. They are 1/2 inch and they won't go back to normal. Please listen to me. I wouldn't listen to my mother and father when they tried to tell me. Now I'm screwed. Don't do it! | 6/21/2009 |
| alex | im 11 and i started gauging my ears 3 yrs ago it doesnt hurt | 6/13/2009 |
| Mel | I went to 7/16 and they were in for 4 yrs. took them out and they closed and you couldnt tell i even gauged them in the first place | 6/7/2009 |
| dwayne | hahaha i didnt do any of that i just got my gauges and put em when i didnt taper anything untill i got to 00 gauge and 7/16 but other then that dont do it the wuss way | 6/3/2009 |
| KC | ok i do alot of my own piercings but one im not to educated on is my Prince Albert i dont feel comfortable atempting this one on my own my parents dont care about piercings i just would be embarresd to have my mom kno about this i was wondering if there were any liscensed professionals willing 2 work outside there shop for a decent price im am 14 years old and i am completely aware of the dangers and facts on piercings | 6/2/2009 |
| KC | and cait the same method as i suggested for roy may work just as well for you i found the hardest stretch for me was from a 2 to 0 i made the mistake to push threw and ignore the pain not smart i ended up ripping and that lead 2 infection. if you want ur ears 2 close dont rip them | 6/2/2009 |
| KC | yo roy ive noticed its hard 2 find tapers that bigg 2 ive found alot cheaper way 2 stretch it may help you. people say bondage tape but i found electrical tape works fine. tape a layer or 2 around ur plugs untill ur lobe fits snug and kinda tight repeat this untill youve stretched 2 ur desired size | 6/2/2009 |
| Caleb | some one plz send me some 00 gauge tapers plz my address is 4093 Elk Creek Darby Rd Ferguson NorhCarolina | 6/1/2009 |
| caleb | ok Cait wat i did was just pushed the 0 taper on thru and i didnt use a strait taper i used a pincher | 6/1/2009 |
| Cait | Ok so, I am at a 2 gauge and I want to ONLY go one size bigger (to a 0). No big deal, right? Wrong! I can't seem to get my taper through, and certainly not my 0 sized earring. Is it possible my ears have reached a stopping point and won't stretch anymore?! This seems ridiculous, I know, but I want to figure out how to get them just one size bigger (as I have 3 pairs of earrings in size 0 and I kind of want to wear them :-D ). |
6/1/2009 |
| Nellz | I went From A Standard To A 10 Then I Was Gauging My Ear Like Every Day I Skip From A 10 To A 6 Then When I Was At a 2 I took them out For a Formal and i Was Back At A standard Size in a Couple of Hours Im Back At A 2 Now I Hop To Be At 7/16 by next week | 6/1/2009 |
| Caleb | hey chris were is ur piercing shop at | 5/31/2009 |
| Caleb | I dont have no money im 14 years old and im at a 0 gauge i was wonding were i could get some realy cheap gauges 00 or someone who might send me some in the mail i was wanting some tapers plz thanks | 5/31/2009 |
| Jessica | How do i close up my already healed gauges? | 5/30/2009 |
| e'zeekiel | and skylar thats not gunna happen you cant just throw a ton of earrings in your ear if you can lemme know | 5/29/2009 |
| e'zeekiel | gauging is your own thing don't let OTHER people put you down,be who you want to be and NOT what the puplic eye wants you to be | 5/29/2009 |
| Gina | I just put in 3/4 silicone and i skipped sizes, they were bleeding, pussing and very very swollen for about 6 days until i went to a local tattoo parlor, she told me that i had a massive infection and that i had to take them out and use iodine (what doctors use before you have surgery) to clean them, it hurt like hell to take them out, but i want to keep stretching so i can get back up to 3/4 but they shrunk alot and im not sure when to put gauges back in, any ideas? | 5/28/2009 |
| Skylar | what if you gauge your ears by sticking as many pairs of earings in your ear as you can and leaving it for a couple of weeks and then adding another earing till' you get the size you want? | 5/26/2009 |
| chris | working at a reputable piercing shop, there's nothing more frustrating than when customers come into the shop asking about "gauging" or "where's the gauges" or "i'm gauging my ears" etc... take a look in a dictionary, (if you don't have one, or the internet, check your local library) look under the G section and you will see that gauge is and never will be a verb. so from there you can see that using the proper term "stretching" will at least make you appear intelligent... thank you | 5/25/2009 |
| Bryson | so i just pierced my ears over the weekend and im already to 10g. I went to work and i was told to not wear them again. im thinking about just taking them out during work and them putting them back in, but i dont know if they will grow back with in that period of time? is this a good idea or should i just screw it and take em out? | 5/25/2009 |
| D | Hey Kerry, yea you're a bxtch. we all know that the ears actually stretch. we just say 'gauge' because we are more use to it. so chill out |
5/24/2009 |
| julian | the silicon guages are the worst cuz they can fuse with your ears and it can be very painful to get them out your best bet is is the teflon tape or using a heavy lock as for skipping sizes dont i almost lost an ear doing it just be patient trust me i know howyou guys deel wanting to get to a certain size you do not want keloids they are disgusting but when going up do it while taking a hot shower and once its in for a while like enough where u know its not gonna shrink put neosporin on the guage for one it lubes it up and it makes it heal faster | 5/24/2009 |
| julian | hey guys im at 4 and a quarter inches mostly evryone here is correct but i dontrecall seeing anything bout silicone guages all i can say is dont use them | 5/24/2009 |
| JennaxSUICIDE | I stretched to 5/8 about 3 weeks ago and then about 5 days ago i went to a 3/4 and they are swollen as hell. i have been stretching for years and they have NEVER gotten swollen before. And ive been using sillicone plugs since size 0...how do i know if they are infected?(as they have never done this before) and what do you recommend i do to make the swelling go down faster?..it look kinda funny right now | 5/22/2009 |
| Amber | I started at a normal pierced ear, both sides of course, about two months ago. I went to a 12, 10, 8 then skipped 6 and went to a 4. That hurt a bit. Then skipped 2s and now I have 0's. Which, it hurts, but its tolerable. Not too bad. Just rubbed my lobes with lotion and pushed through. I wasn't worried at all. |
5/21/2009 |
| cris rodriguez | i started at a 14 and i nl ike 3 days i went to a 8 and then i went to a 4 in about 3 weeks i skipped 2 went straight to a 0 then my left ear was kinda behind it was at a 2 so i gaged my right with the 00 now i have one ear a 00 and another a 0 so yea take it slow it has taken me about 2 months to get to a 00 so take it slow and be carefull | 5/15/2009 |
| Aaron | My names Aaron and i'm at 38mm (1 and 1/2 inches) FOR EVERY ONE THINKING ABOUT STRETCHING THIER LOBES! -some helpfull tips for healthy lobes- 1. MAKE SURE YOUR EARS ARE PEIRCED DIRECTLY IN THE CENTER!. If you peircings are off center, your ears will be thinner on one side of the lobe later down the road. This will make them more likely to develop keloids (a built up ball of scar tissue, causing the lobe to look deformed), also makes it easier to develop blow outs, and some cases it makes it hard to stretch the lobe. Also when you start to get up over an inch or so, your ear can develop Necrosis, a premature death of skin cells (in these cases) caused by a lack of blood flow to the lobe, causing it to become very brittle and eventually to break. 2. TAKE IT EASY! DO NOT JUMP SIZES! Yes, i know your excitedt to get your lobes bigger, but rushing is not worth the problems you can cause. a good rule of thumb is 1 size every three weeks (NOT ANY SONNER). Remeber everyones ears are different. Even though some people may have stretched fast or jumped sizes and ended up fine, you may not be so lucky. Know your own body. If your ear starts bleeding, or starts to hurt realy bad, you've gone too fast. In this case, just go back to the previous size and wait another week or so before reatempting the stretch. 3. TIPS FOR STRETCHING- Before you strectch, it is good to massage the ear lobe with some vitamin E oil or some Emu oil pre stretch, (lotions will work also but E and Emu are better for the lobes). Lube up the taper with the oils I listed earlier (if not vaseline works well too) Slowly push the taper through, don't shove! be nice to your lobes, remember "A HEALTHY LOBE IS A HAPPY LOBE" -STRETCHING FOR OVER AN INCH- The most effective way to go up is the tape method. Use a non-adhesive tape (teflon or bondage tape). [You can find teflon tape in wal-mart]. Every other day or so, wrap you plug once with the tape and pop it back in. you won't notice a change at first but over about two weeks or so, you'll notice your ear has stretched. in about a month your ear will be about 3mm (1/8) bigger, which will be ready for the next size. When doing the tape method, do not use a flared or saddled plug. It'll make it harder to put the plug back in after applying the tape. 4. LOBE CARE TIPS It's good to take your plugs out for about an hour a day (also if not recently stretched, try to sleep with them out). This releives pressure in the skin and allows blood to flow throughout the lobe Massage your lobes for about 5 min, a day. (Try to message with E or Emu oil, even vaseline works for this too). When massaging the lobe, massage from the top and work your way down. This will also help blood flow. Also if you live in a cold state, it's good to down size in the winter. The thinnned skin of the lobe is easier to develop frost bite, which also could cause the lobe to break in half. Remeber, NO ONE WANTS THE LOBSTER CLAW LOBE 5. BE PREPARED FOR PERMANENT If you stretched bigger than your pinky or so, your ear may not go back to normal. You can downsize but it may not close. Having lobes make it harder to find a job, and the bigger you go the harder it gets. Unfortunately, the world is closed minded. So if your looking to have a normal perfesional career, don't strecth. Also the only way to put your lobe back to normal is plastic surgery, which is pricey. So really think about this before you get to far along in the stretchin process. if you have any questions, my e-mail is Sk8erlvsJC at yahoo |
5/15/2009 |
| MICHELLE(AGAIN) | Oh, and when you get a blow out you need to downsize so that the skin that pops out the back will re-obsorb itself in your ear. If you don't downsize you'll permenently ruin you ears and lose elasticity. : [ | 5/14/2009 |
| MICHELLE | I'm at 3/4ths. I LOVE them, they're gorgeous! : ] | 5/14/2009 |
| Ronnie G | I went from no hole to 5/8 in a month and a half, skipped half inch, and went from 7/16 to 9/16 with silicone plugs. I haven't used tapers since 00, my ears are perfectly fine. I remember during sleep my 7/16 plug fell out and shrunk to a 0, and i popped to plug back in. That hurt, but it's worth it. | 5/13/2009 |
| corey | i just went from a double zero to a 7/16 and it hurt really bad. but now its just swollen and blead a lil bit bu im not sure if there any infection. but since it hurt so bad i dont want to take it out and have to do it again xD so how long would it take for the swelling to go down? |
5/13/2009 |
| Sumzii | i went from 2mm to 5mm to 8mm to 10mm then a 12 plug. It took about 3 months..it was fine and had no problems for ages. So it depends on each person..some will be worse than others. Stretch your ear in the shower..it helps..dont use ice..doesnt do much just makes the lobe hard not soft. Just salt water or genural cleansing piercing products will help..like Tcp ect. Hope i helped? Add me on bebo the bebo link with ' SumziiLalala 'or facebook ..thats also my user name. | 5/13/2009 |
| misz.rosa | i reaLLy wanna qet them done but i stiLL dont know of these are the riqht thinq for me nd these thinqs arnt reaLLy heLpinq eitherr. | 5/11/2009 |
| sara | so what do i do if i blow my ear out should i take them out or just go down some sizes please help me my ear looks bad and its making me pretty dang sad | 5/6/2009 |
| T Woodard | Ha, if only i was patient. I will go ahead and say, my ears are screwed. But i learned a lesson. Just last night i went from a 00 to 1/2. And my right ear is swollen like a mother. But, anyone who is guaging, listen to this guy, he knows what hes talking about. And like he said the best thing to do is use a sea salt soak on your ears, and i threw in some neosporin to help with faster healing and less chance of infection and scabbing. |
4/30/2009 |
| Andi J | Oye, I can't believe that I haven't read about some nastly infections or blowouts on here. Trust me, it's just not worth the risk. If you want to play extra safe, talk a to a local piercer, most of them will be happy to help you out free of charge. As for everything else: 1) Stretch with tapers. They are the best, and don't shock your lobe as much as pinchers, solid plugs, or silicone plugs do. 2) Don't make more then one jump at a time, that's just asking for trouble. If you really want to, get a piercer to dermal punch or expand it for you. 3) Salt soak once or twice a day for the first week or so, and leave the tapers in for as long as you can bear, or at least until any swelling has gone down. Do not jump right into plugs. 4) IF THEY BLEED, TAKE THEM OUT. Your ears weren't ready. 5) If you do blow out or have any sort of infection, even if they're not bleeding or hurt 'that much'; take them out and stay at a the next step down for a month or so. Sea salt soak if you did tear or have an infection. 6) Give your ears at least three months to heal. Yeah, it seems overboard, but your ears will thank you. Besides, it hurts all that much less, since your lobes get a chance to loosen up. 7) Take the precautions. Some people get lucky, some people don't, and you really don't want to be in the don't catergory. You can disfigure your lobes to the point were stretching isn't fun anymore, and besides, reconstruction surgery costs more then you want to spend. Scar tissues a pain to stretch. (If you do have scar tissue, emu oil works the best to soften it up.) 8) Have fun, and remember that not everyone's stretching journey is going to be the same. Each lobe, even the two opposite ones on your face, are going to react differently, and you need to respond the right way. If you're stretching with friends, some may need to go faster or go slower. That's fine, and don't push it. |
4/30/2009 |
| Beamer | I've been gauging mine with the silicone flexi ones since size 2. Before that i used the horseshoe shaped ones, which seemed easiest. I never used tapers. But i've gone from 2 to 0 to 00 to 7/16 and now to 1/2 today all with silicone gauges. Siliocone ones worked best for me, but they do make your ears sore and swollen for a few days. One of mine hurts like hell right now. I wouldn't recommend skipping, just because I don't like the pain. I usually keep mine in for a month or two before stretching them. Except I got impatient and went from 7/16 to half in like 3 weeks after my ears were healed. They are fine though. Everything just depends on the person. If you don't like pain I'd recommend the silicone just because their quick and after a couple days it goes away. If you don't skip sizes your ears shouldn't get messed up or blownout.. mine never have. I would like to find a way that makes them temporarily feel better after gauging, but don't know if anything really helps much. | 4/29/2009 |
| doyle | i have 5/8 tunnels in both my ears with 4 gauge hoops inside them and a 10 in my lip and none of them hurt what so ever besides the left one the first time becaus i went from a 14 to a 4 in like an hour cause i was impatient but take it slow and you'll be fine | 4/29/2009 |
| jessie | I put a size 2 in a size 12, and i riped my ear, it was swollen for like a week, and started bleeding. I felt like i was going to passout. I really didnt enjoy that. | 4/27/2009 |
| brittani | I just stretched my ear from a 4g to a 2g abput three days ago it hurt pretty bad the first day but the next morning the pain was gone, but I'm left with a massive migraine for the last 3 days do u think thts from my ears or something else | 4/26/2009 |
| m.m.a fighter | yah i skiped from a 8 to a zero and blew my right ear out so i had to back out and go with a 6 for a couple weeks until my 4 and 2 tapers came in mail im just gonna wait 2 weeks between sizes so i dont mess my ears up again,kinda looks like a cats but now lol.but ill be to a zero in like a month or so.i was also wondering if your fighting,say...mma and you take your gauges out can you get hit and pust the ear open? | 4/25/2009 |
| taylor jordan | gauging dont hurt when you first start but as you go up sizes then the more irritation you'll feel. but it shouldnt hurt for more than atleast 2 or 3 days up to a week. the swelling eventually will go down. | 4/19/2009 |
| Karlii | i am going to put in size 14 stretchers soon but i have a question i was wondering if i could put normal earrings in after i take them out and if the holes wont be that noticeable once there out. A dance that i do requires no earrings so they cant be that big of a hole/ | 4/18/2009 |
| Mariah XP | i just started with my gauges like a week ago i went from a 14 to a 12 in like two day but the thing is it didn't hurt and i clean them everyday with rubbing alchohol.i have had the 12's in for a couple days there totally clean and don't hurt at all ill prob go to the 10's sometime this week when i have a chance. Im just worried my ears will blow out even though they don't hurt at all...oh and i have been trying to figure out ways to hide it from my parents until i get to like 0 or 00 . im 16 and i go to a private school so hopefully my principla won't notice and tell me to get rid of them. well anyway i love plugs | 4/14/2009 |
| josh c | ok i love my ears being gauged im at 5/8ths and i like them but there is some downfalls to them like now girls cant nibble mt earlobes cause they stink even though i clean them every day umm i will never be able to let them heal up unless i want it to look like i got little cat buttholes in my ear but dont get me wrong i still like them and i look sexy as heel with them lol but there still sweet | 4/9/2009 |
| michelle. | okay im 14 andd well IT dont hurt at alll! i started at a 14 and i didnt skip any sizes and now im down to a size 2 andd i started guaging like what 2 months ago? they just burn a little when u strech thm at first but only for like 2 seconds and like when u first strech ur ear dont take it out for a couple days cuz thn its gonna get infected or bleed and blah blah blahh. but theyre so cool lol. | 4/3/2009 |
| Mack Aces | So. I stretched my ear to 5/8 three days ago. They arent disgusting but they are kinda bleeding and swollen. Can I keep the jewelry in and just let them heal up?! Plz answer this comment ! Plz know what you are talking about!PLZ! | 4/3/2009 |
| jes | ok the other day i was sleeping and when i woke up my ear looked like it was blown out and now its been red and puffy and i dont no why it would do this cuz i have not messed with my ears for months | 4/1/2009 |
| xx | THEY ARE NOT CALLED GAUGES THE GAUGE IS THE SIZE THEYRE CALLED SPACERS NOOBS. |
4/1/2009 |
| Bree | gauging doesnt hurt at all im at a 5/8 on my left ear and 0 on my right because i did hurt myself.. but if you take it slow it will be fine |
3/31/2009 |
| Donny | I went from a healed pierceing size to a 2 in a month but i did hurt. I dont recomend it. I t gopt infected once and that was the first one because i kept taking it out. I know you want to take it out but just leave it. I strwetched mine in the shower after i washed them really good to prevent germs from getting in, and then i putt alcohol on them and didnt touch them.I dont know if thats the right thing to do but its working for me | 3/31/2009 |
| Kayla | I've been working on my gauge size for a year now. I recently as of Saturday went up to a 0. Every time i take out my taper they bleed. Is that cuz i ripped tissue? What should I do now? I gradually went up like i was supposed to. |
3/30/2009 |
| Johnny | I'm at about 1 1/4. I wouldnt recomend skipping sizes, if you do they dont skip to far. Hurts. If your ears are healed and everything, then it should be ok to keep them out for the day. I take mine out for the night so my gauges dont keep weighing them down. If you guys wanna stretch or make some plugs or something for cheap, I'd suggest getting some fimo. Its like clay but you bake it and it gets hard and you can put some kind of lubricant on them and they will slide right in. I made myself some square gauges. I'm thinking about taking them out though. | 3/29/2009 |
| bethany | i think it is allright for people to gauge thier ears but most people go over board with it like the size''00'' thats too big and that also affects job interviews and that also realates to tatoos (full body).But i have to agree it is really awsome haveing your ears gauged because i also have them but im only on a size ''12'' and i sometimes whare the exughtick ones too but take a tip from me done go over board with anything in life and what you do to yourself. |
3/24/2009 |
| Meghan | I have half inch and trust me, gauges are so fun. I didn't use any lubricant or anything to stretch my ears, and I skipped sizes many times. Really, all those precautions about ear-gauging and what not--don't worry about it. Honestly, nothing too bad will happen. I guess different people have different ears. But the worst thing that ever happened to me was my ears got infected. But all the bad things people say not to do with your gauges, I've done them, and my ears are fine and healthy. (: |
3/23/2009 |
| Robert | oh yeah and stretching your ears is extremely trendy now amongst EVERY crowd, not just the 'scene' anymore. and always use vitamin E when you're stretching up. and never EVER EVER EVER skip sizes if you want your ears to stay healthy and to not blow out. trust me. |
3/22/2009 |
| Robert | you're all dumb. if you want to stretch your ears as large as possible as fast as possible, use weights. (i.e. - heavy captives, deadlocks, locker locks, etc) and a 2 is DEFINITELY NOT the point of no return. I know many people that have been MUCH bigger than that, that have gone back down. and depending on the size of the needle and the way you piece the lobe, some skin may come off. it's not always just a slit. if you piece with a 12 or bigger, normally a very tiny chunk of skin will come off. it's not a big deal at all. and when you stretch, never stretch up and put wood in immediately. yes, organic pieces are the BEST POSSIBLE thing you could put in your ear, but your skin will begin to stick to the wood even if you lube it. us organics in your ear as much as possible for best ear health. (i.e. - wood, bone, rock) don't use these forums to ever try to get advice for stretching your ears. i barely stumbled across it when searching for the world record for the largest stretched lobes. listen to me. don't take other people that have no idea what they're doing with their ears' advice. cheers |
3/22/2009 |
| Krystal | by the way... if you want your ears to stretch easier, i recommend naked oil, you can get it off of bodyartforms, you just rub it on your ear lobe before you put in your next size gauge. It made stretching such a breeze for me. | 3/19/2009 |
| Krystal | I myself am at 1/2 inch right now going up to 9/16, Ive gauged my ears myself and i have no pain what so ever, however... when i first started out, i stretched my ear from a 16g to a 10g... it DID hurt and it DID get infected. It took alot of wearing and alot of cleaning to get the pussing and bleeding to stop. My advice? unless you are completely sure that your ears are capable of skipping gauge sizes, dont do it. As many other people have warned, it can cause permanent damage to your ears. Think of it this way, we're all gonna sag when we hit 70, we dont need our ears to sag twice as much. P.S. dont think you need to be a certain stereotype to stretch your ears.. theres two hardcore 'preps' in my school that wear gauges (though they are like 4g but still) if you really want them then GO FOR IT ;) |
3/19/2009 |
| Vanessa | once you go past 0. its harder to go back to normal. | 3/18/2009 |
| alex(L) | i just spaced my ears from a 2 to 0 today and i hurt soo much but ii was wondering if someone could tell me how far u can space ur ears out till u cant go back to normal? someone please tell me...thanks | 3/16/2009 |
| Christin | It is easier to gauge your ears when you are in the shower the hot water and steam make it easier to stretch your ears. And when gauging remember anything above a double zero normally will not close up. Your ears will sometimes bleed and pop when gauging. It is wise to not skip sizes when gauging, it is not bad but it hurts and your ears will be red for longer but that is a choice. | 3/15/2009 |
| Samuel | I pierced my ears for the first time last friday, and on tuesday I went to a 6. My ears are very very red, tender, and swollen, when will it wear off? I clean them daily. |
3/13/2009 |
| jayy | mallory, please do yourself a favor and go to a professional body piercer and let him take care of that for you, dont try doing things on your own, this is why you have professionals sweetheart lol. we study these things and take alot alot of classes so for your safety go see someone okay | 3/10/2009 |
| jayy | im a body piercer, if your stretching your ears, about a week and a half to 2 weeks id say or until you dont have any of that crusty garbage on your ears or it doesnt still look raw when you pull the plug out, than your safe to go up to the next size, i also wouldnt reccommened the peroxide ! because the alcahol is 10x better because it kills all infection right away and id used bactine on it as well it keeps it fresh feeling and clean. and skipping sizes most certainly a no, youll blow out your ears and they wont heal up correctly | 3/10/2009 |
| tommyboy101 | dose it hurt i want to get mine done but idk where to get it done at | 3/4/2009 |
| tommyboy101 | dose it hurt i want to get mine done but idk where | 3/4/2009 |
| kenny james | ive been at 7/8 for about 2 or 3 months but when i stretched it from 3/4 i got blow outs in both ears that lasted about a month and i just got diamond plugs but they only had em in 1" where i went so i baught them and tapers even though i didnt wanna go to an inch cause im sick of them. and not the tapers pushed all the extra skin from the blowout out of my ears and so i took em out and they started bleeding... how can i get rid of all this extra raw skin in my ear? |
3/3/2009 |
| katt | hi. I went from an 18 to 1/2 inch in 4 weeks. My mom just saw my piercing after 4 months and made me take it out. I've gone down to a 6 in just 4 days. I'm pretty amazing. | 3/1/2009 |
| Dan | Jonathan just put them from the back and pull down they should pop right in | 2/27/2009 |
| Kasie | Well guys, my ears were at a 00g. I went up to a 7/16. My left ear is completely blown out. If you do choose to stretch your ears, be very careful. Do not skip sizes, or go up sizes too early. | 2/26/2009 |
| Jonathan | So I'm at 5/8 since about 1 week and a half ago. I bought some double flared saddle plugs from Hot Topic a couple days ago, but I still can't seem to get em in. Any ideas on how I can? Or something I can weigh my ear down with so I can get em in easier? |
2/25/2009 |
| mallory | i cant get my double flared gauge in my ear...i got one in but now i cant get the other in. and when i went to take the one thats in out...i cant get that out now...plz help? | 2/24/2009 |
| nick | ive had my ears at 4 for since december 27 does anyone know if its safe to take em out for the day without the hole closing ? | 2/22/2009 |
| Dan | my ear is at a 5/8's and im trying to get a job i was wondering of they will go back to normal? |
2/20/2009 |
| hayley | i just stretched my ears from 2 to 0 last night. it was extremely painful, and the next day its still horribly hurting. i don't know what to do, i cleaned them in the shower, but they won't rotate in my ear. help please? | 2/17/2009 |
| Brad | I'd say take out your gauges for a day or so and they should shrink up a bit and get thicker. I have an inch and three quarters going to 2 inches and I had a blowout but my gauge fell out one night and my ear shrunk down a little and it healed and got thicker. I just shoved the earign back in so I didn't downsize but it was still healed and everything was fine. | 2/10/2009 |
| godcalledinsick | i currently have a 10g and i was wondering how long it takese for a 10g to heal back to a normal earing size ( i dont know what that is? ) | 2/6/2009 |
| xJWx315 | yo i streched my lobes and now i am at an inch and a half but i had a massive blowout on my way to 1 1/2 so now my lobes are wicked thin and i need to know what can i do to thicken them...my goal is 2 inch. | 2/5/2009 |
| jesse | the best place to buy wood plugs omerica organic . c o m |
2/4/2009 |
| TTSK820 | I currantly have my ears to 1 3/4 inches...i started at a regular size and just gauged up every two weeks or so and they were fine...the only time ive had a blowout its been with a taper so i would highly recomend not using those..use the teflon tape technique that u are hearing about...and dont ever DONT EVER EVER EVER GAUGE YOUR EARS WITH SILICONE THAT WILL DEFFINATLY MESS UP YOUR EAR LOBS. i was only planning on going to a 2 and i didnt like them i thought they were way to small so i said screw it and a year and a half later..here i am..and they fit my head perfectly..and they dont look corny..o man this profanity check is some Bs | 2/4/2009 |
| [johnvon][acbc] | ya, im using elictrical tape in top of caps, my goal is 1-1/2", im only a mm away but im decided to go down 5mm. i have thinning ear lobes real bad and im trieing to fix that, i massage with "tattoo majik" its like vitamin E oil in balm form, and rest them for about an hour every day. so heres my question, how do i fatten up lbes quickly? |
2/2/2009 |
| Tina | I'm at a size 8 right now and i want to go to a 2 but i want to skip sizes 4 and 6 can i just use a taper or a pitcher or should i not skip sizes | 2/1/2009 |
| help pleaseee. | i have a question. i started stretching my ears a couple days ago. now one of the back of my ears is getting stiffer. is it swollen or blown out? | 1/29/2009 |
| Hailey | The teflon tape thing is good even if you're not having trouble going up sizes. After 00 the sizes jump drastically. It's helpful for preventing blow outs. | 1/28/2009 |
| Hailey | Oh and just some random advice. Don't wear acrylic gauges. When they get wet, it's not very good news for your ear. Ask a piercing place. | 1/28/2009 |
| Hailey | If you're having trouble going up a size, get teflon tape and rap it around the gauges you're already wearing. It doesn't leave any adhesive on your gauges or in your ear. It's a really good way to move up. Just keep adding more tape until you can get your bigger gauges in :) | 1/28/2009 |
| Zach Tromp | My ears are at an inch, and i got them pierced at a 10, and tapered to a 0, in the same 5 minutes, and im still confident they'll close up close enough, people are all different, it depends on the person...dont ever skip sizes if you want them to ever close up...you can also damage your ear for good and you will be sorry,. | 1/26/2009 |
| adnextis | lol i skipped from an 8g to a 2g with a pincher pinchers and tapers are the best to skip sizes, otherwize, their basically pointless. if your going size to size, just pull the lobe down and cadycorner the gauge in, its the easiest wayy |
1/24/2009 |
| Crisii | I have a 7/16 screw on guages well its not stuck on my ear, but the other day i was going to clean them I cleaned the left one but the right one dosent want to screw off and its starting to scare me.help? | 1/22/2009 |
| Shanea | oil is the easiest way to go up a size with a taper. i went from an 8 to a 6 last night and i was having trouble with the taper, i put some baby oil on it, and it slid right through. now i just need to wait till it heals so i can go to my 4's | 1/21/2009 |
| Christina | I'm at 00g at the moment and I'm trying to get to 7/16g. I'm having trouble getting them to go in. Does anyone have any advice? | 1/20/2009 |
| CM2009 | Stretching... gauging... whatever. | 1/12/2009 |
| CM2009 | I gauged my ears to 9/16 of an inch and they won't close up... but my friend went to the same gauge and her's closed up perfectly to a normal size piercing. Everyone heals differently so there is no set point at where the hole will grow up! | 1/12/2009 |
| Stretch | TJ and Louie- Props to y'all for telling it like it is. Patience ain't one of my better qualities, wish they sold it in a bottle. My ear doesn't look like the hole in the rear end of a cat, it looks worse! Ha ha! | 1/11/2009 |
| Stretch | I knew that my lobe was thin on one ear, from gauging my ears, using flexis. I'd put the next size up in my ear, then "pop" them. I'd have a headache for 3 days, but all would be good after 3 days. Then I found steel ear tapers. They were definitely the way to go. I could gauge up one size in about 30 minutes, with no pain or discomfort. This last stretch was a really bad move. Like I said, from "popping" my lobes with the flexis, by lobe was paper thin on one side, but I just HAD to get up to an inch. So, I gauged up from a 7/8 to a full inch in about 30 minutes, and put in a pair of double flared stone plugs. The thin side, did fine for a week- then I started to experience some pain, with nasty oozing goo and blood. I would take the plug out to clean it up, and my ear lobe was so thin, it would literally twist up when the plug was removed. I didn't want to take the plug out, since I had a feeling that the thin part of my lobe, would just dry out and fall off. I had a crippling headache, and couldn't stand the pain anymore. I went to the emergency room, where they told me I had a severe infection. I was treated for tetanus, diptheria, and cellulitis. I was also given a referral for a plastic surgeon, for lobe reconstruction. I'm still taking these heavy duty antibiotics that are screwing up my stomach, and the painkiller (thank god for those!) I feel like I'm on the mend, but my ear looks terrible. I haven't decided to go to the plastic surgeon or not, since I don't actually know what my ear is gonna wind up looking like, since it's still in the healing process. BOTTOM LINE: If your ear hurts, and looks rough, go see the doctor before it's too late. If you think your lobe is too thin, it IS! I learned this the hard way. | 1/11/2009 |
| Dad H | And if you put a bone in your nose you will fit right in with some of the natives in africa | 1/7/2009 |
| TRIKZ | i have my ears at a 2 but i wanna go up to about 00 but when is the point to where the ear lobe wont close back on its own! | 1/4/2009 |
| dillberry | wow! i couldnt agree with tj and louie more. finally somebody on this message board that knows something | 12/23/2008 |
| TJ | Austin: Do NOT use rubbing alcohol on your ears! Number one no-no! "Stinky ear cheese" is extremely common and is not just a result of new stretch but ear secretions that will continue no matter how healed your lobes are. Don't worry, although some people barely experience it while others are a ear gunk factory, it is extremely common. The BEST way to get rid of the smell, AND care for your ears AND your jewelry (all for one) is to use oil. You can use naked oil (which was created for this exact purpose) or emu oil, etc. Oil, oil, oil! I have even heard of olive oil although I have yet to try it. Take out your plugs before you shower (don't worry, the steam will prevent them from shrinking drastically) and when you get out, oil up your ears and then pop your plugs back in. Added bonus? Your lobes may even fatten up and if you have ANY scar tissue from previous hap hazard stretches, it may break that down and dissolve that away too. |
12/22/2008 |
| Louie | Most of you need to check out a forum other than this, which is hot topic customers and "tattoo artists" who don't even know how to spell tattoo. Hmm.. fishy? I think so. First off, lets forget the preaching about the right way and the MULTIPLE reasons for stretching which INCLUDE MORE THAN THE LOOK (ie. the spiritual and cultural connections). If you're someone who is just rushing in some imagainary contest of the biggest lobes simply because you think it looks cool, I have a few questions for you. Do thinned lobes look cool? Do CAT BU*T lobes look cool? Do blowouts look cool? How about when you stretch too fast in which your ears stop circulating properly and your lobes snap in two and have resulting necrosis? Seriously. Do your damn research first. If you want to be REALLY cool, then become the geniune article. Otherwise what I see here is exactly what my shop makes fun of. A few sources worth their weight in gold are places like baf messageboards or bmezine forums. Check those out and I'm sure you'll be AMAZED at the shear mass of information out there. As far as how to fatten up thin lobes to someone who asked previously? massage, oil and downsize. Depending on your anatomy it could take one round or a few and you will end up with some healthy looking fatties. You can find more info on that if you search around the proper places. |
12/22/2008 |
| koby | whats up guys ive had my ears stretched at a 0 for over a year now and i stretched them to a 00 3 days ago and i just got home from snowboarding and had pain all day in my ears and i looked in the mirror before i shower and they were like monkey years my ear lobes were all red and swollen. anyone know what that is and they hurt so bad. and i can take pain i usually dont complain when something hurts but this hurts so bad... any ideas? | 12/19/2008 |
| eric s | thanks ill see how that goes and im getting it cause i love the look:) | 12/18/2008 |
| erik s | hey im a 14 year old skater and i really want to gauge my ears. I think the look obsolutly sick. But my dads totaly against it. lol but my moms cool with it. Im still triing to convince him but its not working. I cant gauge them but are those fake gauges any good? Do they look real? are they worth the trouble ? cause they sound kinda pouser but im desperate . lol Please help! | 12/16/2008 |
| Ben R | how do you sleep with the taper in? | 12/16/2008 |
| pepr | well your ear hole would close back only if your at 00 and smaller other than that nop it wont close no more; well right know im at an inch | 12/12/2008 |
| jake | i am at an inch ive had one blow out but i simply took it out and let it heal and it was back to normal in no time | 12/9/2008 |
| matt | you all are dumb asses it the point of no return for most people is about 12 to 16 mm witch is about 7/16 to 5/8 there has been people i know that have went to 1inch and it closed to a 10 or about 2 millimeters witch you cant even see through | 12/1/2008 |
| kurt w | Is this safe? last night i made 5mm plugs out of a paintbush handle. dont ask why i just did. i sanded it down to the right size and they went in fine. i dont know what type of wood it is but i cleaned it and stuff before i put them in | 12/1/2008 |
| Vinny | if you have 0 gauge how long can you take it out before the hole closes up? | 11/27/2008 |
| Rick | Hey everybody.I'm a profetional piercer/tatoo artist,and my opinion and personal experience is,that everyone is free of will with their bodies but,not everybodie's ears/skin is safe to do stuff like rushing their gauging.You can go from one size to another in a matter of DAYS!and feel great,no problem but remember that it depends on your ear.You may cause an infection or some sort of a rash,and then your ears would close up again or really hurt for a while. | 11/27/2008 |
| dillberry | if your ear is rlly skinny stop stretching it its at its max and it could snap if you go any bigger. and molly your wrong theres a right way and a wrong way the right being the healthy way and wrong for the stupid immiture ppl like | 11/24/2008 |
| jb | my left ear is at a 1/2 inch nd its rlly skinny how can i make it fatter? lol | 11/23/2008 |
| molly | Stretching your gauges too fast doesnt mean you want some attention, most people think that and whoever does your just a flat out idiots who needs to re-think what you said and check your sources. I gauged my ears because i simply like the look of them, it doesnt mean im doing it for attention. Honestly you get no attention since most people have them now. And if your ear is bleeding and swollen if it was me i would keep them in but clean them about 3 times a day. And i think theres no rush, if you wanna get bigger ones in a matter of a week go for it, im at 7/16s right now and ive only had them for about a week and im going to go buy 1/2in. in a few days. If you have a high tolerance for pain like i do then you wouldnt mind getting them bigger in a week or two. I hate people who tell you otherwise, you dont need any help from people its up to you what your mind says. If you can take the pain then go bigger, if not then wait awhile. No one has a right or wrong answer we just have opinions. Some people think they know everything but no on knows anything these days. |
11/23/2008 |
| cody | oops forgot to add this in my last comment... i bought 1/2 inch gauges... thats what i bought from HotTopic | 11/22/2008 |
| cody | i gauged my ears to a 00 last tuesday the 18th. and i already bought these awesome tapers and plugs from my local HotTopic, think i should give it about a week or two before i gauge? | 11/22/2008 |
| dillberry | of course you have to like them but you gotta have other reasons besides that mine was that its a lost art because its been around for as long as the piercing and when i started doing it wasent cause it wasent popular or cause i wanted to be different it just felt right like i had to celebrate human history and i would never take them out or do it because everyone else was doing it and most pppl never know i have them cause i dont show them around until i go bigger there a secret from almost everyone | 11/20/2008 |
| Matthew | oh. and i went from a needle to a 00 in one week. its probably because i swam every day of the week. and also. i jumped from a 4 to a 00. it hurt a bit but went away in a half hour. |
11/19/2008 |
| Matthew | come on. why else are you going to gauge your ears unless you like how they look | 11/19/2008 |
| brandon | if your ear is ripped at a 5/8' how long should i keep it out? | 11/18/2008 |
| Roy | whats the best way to strech to 1 1/4 without tapers beacause i've looked everywhere nobody has them? | 11/17/2008 |
| hannah | I stretched mine from a normal earring to a 12 my left ear is fine but my right is hard swollen and bleeding and it hurs any help? |
11/15/2008 |
| dillberry | listen ppl the minimum amount of time you should ever wait between gauges is 2 months if you rush your a loser that just wants attention and if you only can say you stretched your ears because you liked the way it looks them take them out get a job and get in the real world cause i love the way they look litarally translates to look at me | 11/15/2008 |
| Rob | hears the best, healthiest advice for stretching. DO not skip sizes really its just dumb. Its not a competittion to see who can stretch the fastest. Take your time and wait untill they are healed. Unlike most people on this article i have mine stretched to 1 inch and i lost them. They were out for 6months and did not shrink at all. Thats because i skipped sizes and used perxide when i was a kid. take your time, use sea salt or dial soap on your ears. Also if you dont want them to smell the secret is take them out when you shower and sleep after they are healed. | 11/14/2008 |
| MIKE | Well ive gone to a double zero 3 times already .i always have to take them off because i m always changing jobs lol.Well on 3rd time that i did it i went str8 to a 6g then to a 4g that step dint really hurt, in 2 days i went to a 0G and the next day i went to a 00G...if u have big ear lobes , then yes you can just sizes ...But if their smll then i dont recommened you 2 cause u get a blowout...If you guys need anytips hit me up on my emil hialeahjoker45 at yahoo |
11/13/2008 |
| Lucy | "... i have had my ear peirced for a couple of years and i stretched it a couple of times to a 12mm which is 1/2" for you stupid people who are like the only country who doesnt use metric terms..." Timmy, don't judge an entire country by a dumb decision a handful of politicians made some time ago. Fyi, not everyone in the States hasn't learned the metric system, or agrees with the fact that it's the only country which doesn't use it on a regular basis. Anyways, I've always loved the look of stretched (or gauged, whatever you want to call it) ears, but I was concerned about whether they'd go back if the plugs were taken out. Now that I know I can go reasonably far without too much risk of not returning my lobe holes to a semi-typical size if I so choose, stretching my ears, at least to a point, is not out of the question |
11/10/2008 |
| GennaKate | I was stupid and went from a 4g to a 0g I have a horrible headache. Just in case anyone wants to try that, don't! |
11/8/2008 |
| AddictiveAlicia | Austin just use ubbing alcohol. every1s ears stink after STRETCHING them. its the dead skin also known as ear cheese | 11/7/2008 |
| AddictiveAlicia | hi every 1 whats up? | 11/7/2008 |
| Austin | have any of you had problems with yours stinking? and what to you use to clean out your ears? | 11/6/2008 |
| kurt w | my brother had 5/8 in his ears and he took them out like a year ago and there about a 8g now. so you can go pretty far and still have them close up. | 11/6/2008 |
| whitegirl | aree you guys dumbb i gaugrd my ears with damn eyeliner after i used a taper thanpoped the plug in and my ears got blewout a little but then they were perfectly fine! | 11/4/2008 |
| kayla | seriously some people can go all the way up to 5/8 and they will close mine are 1/2 and they fell out in the middle of the night and it hurt realy bad to put them back in it will just take time to heal and if you have fat ear lobes they willl mostlike;y close no matter what size just no the huge sizes | 11/4/2008 |
| jeremy | I am in a band myspace/surrender Im the merch boy and 4 of us are gauging our ears and i gauged mine yester day nov 2 2008 to and 8g i wanna go bigger to 00 or bigger soon as possible how do i stretch them quick get me back myspace/girlsdigme07 | 11/3/2008 |
| lylah | i meant to say don't go from 00 to 7/16ths with silicone, unless you've had 00's in forever. | 11/2/2008 |
| lylah rae. | i suggest you take them out and see if you've ripped them, that much swelling isn't normal. if you did rip them, clean them at least twice a day with sea salt and water. if they're really really swollen, then maybe you should size back down one size till they heal. | 11/1/2008 |
| AyeJay | Okay i just gauged my ears from a 0 to a 00 and there REALLY swollen & they hurt, bad. My 00's have been in for 3 days. Is that okay? |
11/1/2008 |
| lylah rae. | DO NOT size a big jump like 00 to 7/16ths, it screwed my ears, and now it will take months to get my ears back to normal. it was a jump of 2mm and it was the worst. it really depends on your ears though. i had my 00s in for a week longer than my boyfriend and he just put the same plugs i used in and they were fine. i guess i'm just a slow healer. =[ | 11/1/2008 |
| dillberry | use a slow taper stretch with lots of non petroleum lube and do not rush your gauges wait at the very least a month btwn sizes | 10/31/2008 |
| kurt w | lylah rae yeah its true if your ears arent all the way healed up before your put in silicon gauges then your ear can grow to it im having a little troble with that right now i went from 4mm to a 5mm about 2weeks ago and im having trouble with them just play with them a little bit everyday and they cant grow to it to much | 10/31/2008 |
| lylah rae | i just went from a 00 to 7/16ths it hurt like a terd and i used silicone plugs, a guy once told me that if i stretched with silicone that my skin could grow into the plugs. is this legit? | 10/30/2008 |
| Timmy from G.C. | Me again... i have had my ear peirced for a couple of years and i stretched it a couple of times to a 12mm which is 1/2" for you stupid people who are like the only country who doesnt use metric terms...and i had a normal peircing for about 1 year after i took out my 1/2"or 12mm...14 days ago i went straight to a 7.2mm ( it is between 2g and 0g)and my ear is fine it hurt a little but i done it anyways... harden up | 10/29/2008 |
| Timmy from G.C. | what the is with people complaining about a 6g/4g hurting sooo bad, weak as a plastic bridge... 6g/4g is only 4mm-5mm shouldnt hurt alot, the way we do it in austrailia is normal peircing 2weeks later 8g/3mm then we go to 4g or 2g/5mm-6.5mm then we go to 0g/8mm then we go to 10mm(is no gauge rating for that) then we go to 12mm (closest gauge is 1/2") we do all that in a matter of about a month or two, and if we wanna go higher we normally go up in 2mm at a time... ur all little girls...and the term is Stretching...not "gauging"... Learn to get things right or dont get them at all.. | 10/29/2008 |
| Timmy | Musick, its called stretching... u may call it gauging but its not what your doing... | 10/29/2008 |
| fook u | ITS NOT CALLED EAR GAUGING ITS STRETCHING... | 10/29/2008 |
| Kurt w | i had a blowout when i put my 6g double flares back in after i had just cleaned them it like didnt even hurt my ears started bleeding and all i really had to do was push the skin back in it was kinda funny to me. | 10/27/2008 |
| jess | i just had a blow out when i was going to 7/8 . it has taking me 3 years to get to that, with never skiping sizes and i dont understand why it happened to me when i was always being careful...please give me tips as i do this all over | 10/26/2008 |
| evan | Ive had 6 gauges in for about a month and i just tried to put 4 gauges in but it was excrutiating. i could not put it in it was so painful. ive never had this problem before, why do i have it ? | 10/25/2008 |
| JenNco2 | Hi, can anyone tell me how to put a double flare earring in? I bought 6g earrings, my ear is gauged to 6, but I can't seem to find a way to get it in. Anyone have any tricks that will help? The earring is a metal tube if that helps, and it's kinda sharp on the edges and doesn't come apart. Please email me at jen and company 2 at yahoo if you would. Thanks a bunch! | 10/23/2008 |
| AddictiveAlicia | LizOwns i had this same prob. i just cleand mine w/rubbing alcohol. itll be fine. it depends if itll heal good. do u want the whole to be normal? if u take out ur gauge 2 let it get smaller ur ear will get abnormally fatter. if ur ear is fatter then u can go bigger!. | 10/23/2008 |
| AddictiveAlicia | zachary... u shud wait til ur ear is healed from the peircing 1st...from my experience ive known sum1 tht went straight frm reg. peircing as soon as they got there ears dun 2 a 00 nd it messed his ears up. remember to go low with the gauging. | 10/23/2008 |
| AddictiveAlicia | sarah 5/8s come after 1/2 hun. becareful if u go to big with ur stretching ur ear can begin rotting. to prevent this as u gauge ur ear nd u notice that it is purple after it is healed up take the gauges out for bout 1-2 hrs a day. if u dnt do this then ur ear WILL begin rotting. if ur ear is already rotted. apply olive oil to the rotted part it shud heal but it takes time...any ?s id be more than happy to answer. |
10/23/2008 |
| AddictiveAlicia | yay! i finally have 1/2 inches. hey every 1 add me one myspace. my name is AddictiveAlicia | 10/23/2008 |
| Andii | in the past 5 months ive gone from a standard peircing to a 6 to a 4 now im down at a 0. | 10/22/2008 |
| aex | what if you never had a gauge and you do it at one time besides the pain what else is the risk? | 10/22/2008 |
| KristenKrunk | Annah, just take your time, they're going to look great! | 10/21/2008 |
| Annah | I just put in my 6 yesterday and they are still tender. Workin' my way to 00! | 10/20/2008 |
| KristenKrunk | I like this Musick character, he definitely knows what he is talking about when it comes to gauging your ears. Always remember to take your gauges out before you fight. :) Or you'll whined up in the hospital getting your ear lobes sewed up, and the doctor looking at you telling you your going to have to go down a size. |
10/20/2008 |
| Musick | yea you shouldn't have taken it out unless you wanted it close if your still planning on gauging up you wanna get it back in asap cuz your ear will gt scar tissue I am at an 1" 1/4 and I have ripped my ears to many times, my brother just messed his ears by stretching to an inch with silicon and now they've held to about a 2 and a 7/16. And this is to that "bones" guy ... I call it gauging and i know what I am doing. |
10/20/2008 |
| LizOwns | Yoo, so I just gauged muhh earrs to 00 a couple of days ago and last night I took one out becuase it got huge and when I took it out it was bleeding ALOt and puussinngg Aloott. I think I either bleww it or its infected? Now leeting one close but I'm scared it'll scarr, Should I have just left it in? And what can I doo soo that it'll heal nicely? |
10/16/2008 |
| Anna Chasar | I think ear gauging is cool! I have mine done, and I love it. Right now I'm at an 8, but I'm planning to go to 00. | 10/15/2008 |
| Sarahh | what comes after 1/2 because im at that and i want to go up one more size :) | 10/14/2008 |
| Mike | i just bought a 3/4's taper yesterday and it was $20 bucks. for just one. Thank god I already have 7/8s and a inch taper, its easier to just use the old things friends don't use anymore. I have maybe bought 3 pairs of plugs. for 18 to 5/8's. :D | 10/14/2008 |
| Azusa Ito | you're suppose to use a water based lubricant when you stretch your ear yourself. I asked the other day and you ARE NOT suppose to use oil based lubricants or petroleum. It's so the lubricant can be easily be washed away where oil based reject the water. | 10/12/2008 |
| Alexis | I love ear gauging! | 10/8/2008 |
| Zachary | Hey, i was wondering how long after i get a piercing, should i wait to start gauging them, i just got a second row in my ears done at walmart, and im not sure of the gauge so i was going to buy an 18 gauge and 16 gauge taper. please mail me with the answer and possible a good place to buy these tapers ztpalmer93 at yahoo dot c o m i had to put it in words because it wont let me post links | 10/5/2008 |
| Labia | I need some advice, i just went from a 0 to 00 in around a 2 week waiting span in between, and theyve torn a litle at the top, it was an unbearable stretch to say the least. it bled and pussed, and its a tad swollen stilll ripped. Recommendations? | 10/4/2008 |
| Adrien Assault | I'm finally at 5/8, almost 3/4. The price goes way up depending on the gauge you're at. | 9/30/2008 |
| Ana | For better advice go to onetribe.nu/faqs/11 | 9/29/2008 |
| Bones | Haha, this is AWFUL advice! First, the term is STRETCHING. You STRETCH your ears, you don't GAUGE them. A gauge is the object that is placed in your ear after you have STRETCHED it. Second, NEVER USE PEROXIDE OR ANY TYPE OF RUBBING ALCOHOL ON YOUR EARS! That is not good for it at all. If you really want to do it right use sea salt. If you don't have that, then dial antibacterial soap works perfectly. Third, No one can tell you how long to wait or if skipping sizes is okay. Everyone's ears are different. Some will take the stretching very lightly and heal faster then others. Meaning you'll be able to get to your desired size quicker and without as much pain. Others ears will reject the stretching and you'll have to wait a while for them to heal. My only advice is NEVER stretch your ear if you can not pull down on your plug/taper and not feel any pain. Your ear should be normal size, not swollen any, and its normal color. If your ears bleed or puss when you take the plug/taper out, then you are NOT ready to move to the next size. Everyone that I have known that's taken their gauges out has had their ears grow up fine. Some people were at a 8g while others were past an inch. It really depends on your own personal ears, but most of the time your ears will go back to normal. Happy Stretching! :) |
9/24/2008 |
| Erica | Weights can be used to stretch a piercing by applying pressure that is created from a heavy weight hanging from the hole (fistula). This method is not recommended because it doesn’t stretch the hole evenly and can thin the skin around the hole, causing drooping and sagging. Weights should only be used for short periods of time, if at all. | 9/19/2008 |
| Erin | Thats the stupidest thing i ever hear! You NEVER use stuff around your house to help keep your ear gauged or to gauge them at all with electric tape! If you want to do it the right way don't take advice from losers on here! Go to a damn perfessional an have them give you advice not some loser who saw people strech their ears on youtube an though they knew everything about it. My god how dumb can people be! Americans these days can never wait to have something so they have to have it right now an in the end get worst results :-/ | 9/19/2008 |
| Brittany | Okay, so the last pair of gauges that I had in my ear were 3/4. I've added electrical tape to them all the way up to 7/8. The tape irritates my ears and I was wondering if any one knew what I could use as far as things around the house that are equivalent to 7/8 gauges until I can buy a pair. | 9/17/2008 |
| Eric | never skip sizes, always wait 2-3 mounths before going to the next size. If it looks like it is fine 2-3 after you streched your ear then do'nt try to show off an be an idoit just wait. You also never want to clean your ears with Alcohol or anything besides sea salt an warm water. Around 4 weeks after you streached its a good idea to take out your olugs for 5-10 mins (or longer) about 3 times a day to lep your lobes relaxe an not be so stressed out by the plugs you hardly take out. If you do happen to be an idoit an strech fast an skip sizes then the inside of your holes well start to look more and more like a cats behinde. They well never heal if you dont down size your jewlery once you notice pain an bleeding. Vitamin E oil is good to help prevent the scaring. An also most people dont tell you if u rush anything with the process you well get a blow out. There not pretty. A blow out is when the hole of the ear starts to get push out in back out your piercing. If this does happen. After you take a hot shower message your ears 5 mins with vitamin E oil an put in your plugs, get the stoppers an have them snugged on your plugs the preassure should try to push the skin back in, while the steam an the oil help unharden the skin. If you dont do something about a blow out soon. The only way to get rid of it is having it cut off by a surgent. Its not fun doing that. If you listion to people saying it never hurt them gauging from a 12 to a 8, please dont attempt to do what their doing. They are destorying their own ears, their way. Most perfssional say a size 2,0,or 00, maybe even a 000 is the point to no return for anyone. So choose what size you want wisely. |
9/17/2008 |
| adam | hey, i peirced my ears then waited six weeks and then went to 18. from 18 i waited 3 days,then went to ten. i waited maybe 2 or 3 days and went to six. it hurt like hell and i think my ears were infected while i was at a 20 but once i started guaging my ears went to normal. i am on my school football team and i want to take my guages out while i play but i dont want the hole to close up, will it close up since i am at six and leave them out for 3 hours? |
9/16/2008 |
| NIX13 | what do u think of stretching with weights | 9/16/2008 |
| gauge guy 101 | i have a question, how long does it take to heal the first size gauge ? | 9/11/2008 |
| Mike | I got my ears pierced at a 16g. and went to a 10g. two days later, then went all the way down to a six, and now am at 3/4" going to 1", so i think skipping sizes isn't that bad, except I think I ripped my ear twice and had a blowout! So if your gonna gauge your ears take my advice and don't do it to fast, just let them heal and you'll get there! | 9/9/2008 |
| Indy | I just started stretching my ears and I dont know how long I should wait until I move to the next size and also what I should put on my ears to help them heal. please help | 9/7/2008 |
| Sandra | There is SO MUCH wrong with this article. Petroleum jelly is the worst thing you could use. And ear gauging is about as right as saying ear inching. Or metering my ear piercings. Maybe this is why so many kids are screwing up their ears. | 9/4/2008 |
| goth kid | what do you do if you have a cat arse? | 9/3/2008 |
| sean | do you need a regular ear piercing before starting the gauging process? | 8/31/2008 |
| Phoenix | I have half inch screw on gauges and i wanted to know if anyone knows what to do if my screw on doesnt wanna screw off? | 8/30/2008 |
| megan | okay umm.. wow. thats an insanely long process to go through with gauging your ears. i went from a 20 to a 16 using just alchohol and ive experienced no pain or discomfort what so ever. | 8/24/2008 |
| Sarah | Aha!(: I'm lame and bought these gauges that are like a hoop and ball And I don't know how to take it off So I can't put it on:( help me? |
8/23/2008 |
| Allyssa | I had my ears at 1/2 '' for over 6 months when I got sick of them I took them out, they closed perfectly. Mind you I stretched properly, I never skipped sizes and I only stretched a size every two or three weeks. If you eventually want them to go back to normal, then I suggest you do it carefully. | 8/20/2008 |
| squirt | great advice ur giving. =] im already at 3/4 going to an inch and i did this all by myself! 4607 |
8/20/2008 |
| Xiamara | Okay. First of all. Unless you are a masochist you should NEVER skip sizes ESPECIALLY if you are at an 8 or less. That is careless and you will strain your lobes and you can scar them and they won't go back to normal should you not want to have big holes in your ears at age 40. lol Also if you use cheap gauges that you buy in hippy shops or whatever, the material is cheap and is not quality product. Don't be surprised if the color of the gauge changes the color of your ear and infects it. If you force wooden earrings, they can stick to your flesh and that will not be pleasant. Take your time. This is a process that should not be very painful. Every time you go up in a size it should just feel like you just pierced your ears again. It should not swell around and sure as hell shouldn't puss or bleed. Use water based lubricants or petroleum jelly when you go up a size. Most people can go up to a 0 or 00 and eventually go back down to a normal hole size. Also unless you are at a 16-12 do not switch a size in a day. If you are at an 8 or bigger I highly suggest you take around a month before you go up in size because even if it doesn't hurt, you're doing damage that you don't realize. Be smart. | 8/18/2008 |
| kittie | another reminder never use peroxide when in the gauging process. ive had mine since fifth grade back when no one know what gauging was lol i think there easier to take care of than regular ear piercings. also the healing process is crucialif you dont want scar tissue buildup and want to go up sizes i suggest being patient |
8/17/2008 |
| Gabby | heyyy i have 2sized guages if i leave them in for like years will they close after that? |
8/16/2008 |
| Sean | THE TERM IS STRETCHING A GAUGE is the piece of jewelry you put into your ear. And if your ear rips when STRETCHING then keep it clean (i use bactine and peroxide) and keep the size you have in for a while. Your lobe needs time to heal. Everyones lobe is different, some people can go up a size a day and some people it takes a month or more to go up the next size. So just chill out. You'll get the size you want eventually. |
8/15/2008 |
| YOMAN. | If i go up to a 0 will my ear heal? | 8/14/2008 |
| mreno420 | oh, and for your questions, my friend got all the way to a 2, and took them out and they closed up perfectly, so im sure you guys can go much bigger! :) | 8/12/2008 |
| mreno420 | I gauged my ears myself, with tapers that I bought at Hot Topic, im all the way at 00 now, and there perfect. this was the first time I attempted anything on my ears, and they turned out fine. People can gauges there own ears as long as there careful, rarely any pain was involved. | 8/12/2008 |
| fred fred | you can clos then up by them geting infected and then they will close up fast fast im at an 1 inch and im only 14 i had them for about 2 years and every 1 looks at me like what the hell when i was at a 3/4 thats what i did and they when back like to a 12 | 8/12/2008 |
| Ashley | I want to gauge my ears, but just to a 16. I don't want to make them any bigger than that, because i want them to be able to close back up if i choose to take them out again. Will my ears go back to an average 18 if i take out the 16s for long enough? Please respond |
8/8/2008 |
| Dana | hey, i have a question i have a size 6 gauge, and my parents just found out and got heated they said they wouldnt close if i had them in long enough. do they actually kno wat there talking about? | 8/6/2008 |
| Ally | Okay so my ears are at an 8 right now.. and I just bought the plugs that are like steel and you know, the ends are bigger than the middle..and it wont go in my ear.. like at all. Does any one know whyyy | 8/3/2008 |
| Karen | the same thing that happened to the nora chick happened to me but im at a 0 and the sma ewith the feeling of a ripped muscle or some but instead theres a huge bump under my ear on my neck where it feels like a knot from th e muscle being screwed up anyone know what i should do ? | 8/2/2008 |
| livvie | Jesus Christ, I know it's common to find terrible advice on the internet, but WOW. If you want to COMPLETELY screw up your ears, then go ahead to do what this article tells you. D: | 7/29/2008 |
| Nora | Hey, can someone help me? I'm not sure what happened, but when I stretched my ears from an 8 to a six (which I've heard is the biggest difference) one of them went through beautifully and the other swelled up and pussed really badly. The better one is fine, in the other one the lobe swelled. In the weird one I can feel a little line starting at the edge closest to my neck going all the way to the stretched hole. Did I rip it? I'm worried... | 7/28/2008 |
| grizzly | hey guys i just stretched out my penis peircing to 00g and it is awesome. i just put a taper right through it and what's funny is it felt so good that i ejaculated all over myself. i cant wait to gauge out my nipple piercing from 00 to 1/2". it's going to be brutal | 7/26/2008 |
| jesse | i was going to a 7/8 useing a taper and i think i blown my ear out.and it s u c k s cuz i always take my time with it ..its swollen a bit and red, in the back there is skin over the back of my plug...so i put 5/8 back in will that help any? plz help! | 7/25/2008 |
| CodyJames | Well on the 'skipping sizes topic', it really hurts, and not smart to do later, and bigger in sizes, because the bigger sizes go, the bigger the inrease in sizes. the only sizes I ever skipped was when I went from 6 to a 2. it was only 2mm but it hurt, because it was my first time skipping that big. and before that I skipped a '12', but that was after mine was already stretched and they just shrunk back. For Questions on stretching feel free to myspace me, cuz Now I'm at 5/8; myspace(dot)com/codyandtheband |
7/24/2008 |
| Jenna | thanks for the information its really helpful =) | 7/23/2008 |
| CodyJames | well I'm at 5/8 of an inch and I did all of it myself, theres not really much you need to know when you start, just do it slowly, and take your time, clean them, and nothing bad will come of it, for questions myspace me; myspace(dot)com/codyandtheband | 7/22/2008 |
| sara | Connor...It isn't all that big of a deal to skip sizes, in my opinion. I got my ears piercing at 14, went to 10 a week later. Next day I went to 8, next day 6. I had 6 in for 5 or 6 days due to money issues. I went to 4 after that. 3 days later I went to 2, then the day after I went to 0. Going to 0 hurt, but not all that bad.. It went away in like 10 minutes. $ or 5 days after that, I went from 0 to 7/16. Hurt like hell. I just skipped 00 because I didn't want to waste money on them. But my ears are all flesh and skin inside, so don't get too bent out of shape if you skip a size ...(you will see what happens to your ears if you keep doing that !) |
7/22/2008 |
| sara | never use tapers they s u c k and they hurt but what to do it is with i heavy ear ring just over time it will get bigger and you wont have any probs, and you will have good looking ears | 7/22/2008 |
| Olivia Marie | THE TERM IS GAUGING. NOT STRETCHING. Gauging is not a slang term either. |
7/17/2008 |
| angelica. | i just gauged my ears from a 4 to a 2 and one ear is about 2 times bugger than the other one, its been swollen for a good 3 days. will it go down or is there anything i can do to help it heal properly? i havent skipped sizes while gauging and i wait at least 2 weeks before going to the next size. | 7/3/2008 |
| WTF | Jve- well if you are concerned about wanting your ears to have really bad infecions which is the most outrageous thing i have heard. i mean if your questioning putting bacteria filled pencils through them.. and you peirced them with a ball point pen... looks like your trying to get attention for your stupid acts. and why does everyone keep fighting about whether its called stretching or gauging? its both. GET OVER IT. |
7/3/2008 |
| Connor | It isn't all that big of a deal to skip sizes, in my opinion. I got my ears piercing at 14, went to 10 a week later. Next day I went to 8, next day 6. I had 6 in for 5 or 6 days due to money issues. I went to 4 after that. 3 days later I went to 2, then the day after I went to 0. Going to 0 hurt, but not all that bad.. It went away in like 10 minutes. $ or 5 days after that, I went from 0 to 7/16. Hurt like hell. I just skipped 00 because I didn't want to waste money on them. But my ears are all flesh and skin inside, so don't get too bent out of shape if you skip a size. |
7/3/2008 |
| LuLzNaB | The pusseh way to do it. 1 1/2 inches using random stuff, tape, no soap or oil. Lulz pwnt. |
7/2/2008 |
| Kayyy | And the whole thing about the blood drippin down you neck.That happened to me too.I went from a 8 to a 4.Lol and yea it was gross. | 7/1/2008 |
| Kayyy | Im Kasey.I have a nose ring and my lip.I had 15 holes in my ears.6 on each side.2 on the left at the top and 1 on the right at the top.They were all size 16.Now I have 1 on the left at the top and it's a 4. At the botton I have 2 size 14 and 2 size 4.I want to get my first holes up to a 0. | 7/1/2008 |
| Stephennn:D | casey, im at a 0 and that is as far as im going. i used the same method your using. i'd wait because i did that while i was badly swollen and it hurt like hell but i got the next size in... My ear hurt but it was fine. I go to my living room right after to watch television and then i had a burst of pain but ignored it. i go to itch my neck and all over my fingers was blood dripping down my neck. it was rly rly gross. ppl always told me to be paceint but i never listen. but now im at a 0 and not going any bigger because i got bored with them which you prbly are gonna too! :] did i help? ahaa |
6/28/2008 |
| austin and cheb | it not call gaugeing its call stretching | 6/27/2008 |
| gurlie 9595 | really i mean how can u make a BIG hole in ur ear i mean dude come on! | 6/27/2008 |
| jve | i have 4s in both ears, is it alright to put dirty smelly gross rusty bacteria filled pencils in em? they arnt healed yet but i wanna get really bad infections really bad... what to do. i peirced them with a ballpoint pen... |
6/26/2008 |
| Casey E | i just went from 5/8 to 3/4. i think i skipped 11/16. but is it really necessary to go to 11/16? it seems like an inbetween size. but my ears hurt real bad so i wasnt sure. RESPOND PLEASE! |
6/26/2008 |
| Kat | Using a water-based lubricant is much safer, and will cause less of a chance of infections than petroleum jelly. FYI. | 6/25/2008 |
| Casey | I've been gauging my ears using teflon (electrical) tape for about a week and one ear is really swollen on the bottom and hurts to touch. Can I go another size up or should I wait until it's done being swollen? It's not bleeding or anything and I'm really impatient and want my gauges nowww :) |
6/23/2008 |
| Jessy Garcia | I gauged my ear from a 20g, straight to a 00g. :D Painful, yes, But worth it. After 5/8g, I felt no pain. And for some unknown reason, My gauges will actually get bigger themselves. :D Which is amazing. Because I dont have to buy tapers. :D I gauges my ears to a 5/8, And now I'm at 1 Inch, Without tapers. ;D |
6/20/2008 |
| Michelle | I'd like to thank you for this article. It taught me a lot about ear gauges, A year ago I gauged my ear without professional help. But i noticed that i had ripped my ear badly, so now i just have a scar showing where i ripped my ear. but what i'd like to know is since my scar has healed up completely, and the skin has healed back together, is it ok for me to regauge it but this time with professional care? |
6/18/2008 |
| garth vader | gauging is just slang for stretching. | 6/16/2008 |
| Sara | Where can I buy size 1gs? Does anyone know? | 6/15/2008 |
| nick | i have 3 inch gauges and they dont hurt after 1/2 | 6/15/2008 |
| slim | This is so wrong ur not sopose to use petrolium jelly because it clogs ur pores which cause infection. And I would know cause I have 1\2 and I have my own shop were I've been gauging for 17 and half years. | 6/14/2008 |
| alfredo | whats the next size after 1 inch | 6/14/2008 |
| john | I am at size 00, and soo far, wat I been through I would say that 0 and 00 hurt a little bit...im planning 2 go to size 7/16 | 6/12/2008 |
| john | Hey, im at 00, nd I want to go up to 7/16. Some ppl tell me that once u pass size 00, the sizes start 2 hurt more wen u stretch ur ears...is that true? | 6/12/2008 |
| RICKY | i got two 0s in each ear. they are bad ass. but anyways, yes they will close back any size smaller then a 00. YES you should not skip sizes, i went from a 2 to a 0 in a week , worst pain ever (besides shattering my wrist) everyones heal up time is different, but generally you should wait AT LEAST two weeks, then see. if you are woried about going from a 2 to a 0, they make a special 1g at piercing places. i personally never used them but if you are worried use em. Best cleaning applicant out there is h2ocean, you can buy it at hot topic and most piercing places. if you got questions e-mail me at pfifolife at yahoo |
6/11/2008 |
| Gogirl | ATTENTION! If you are looking for SERIOUS answers from professionals DO NOT ask questions here to ammatures who DON'T know exactly what they are speaking of, you need to go to your local piercing shop. ALSO if you are looking into buying tapers, plugs, tunnels, ect. Don't be cheap because if you are going to shove CHEAP things into your ear chances are you are going to get an infection. SO PLEASE PEOPLE think before you stretch, and wait at least a month before going up the next size. The longer you wait the more earlobe you will have, because when you stretch it tears apart the cologne molecules hence waiting will allow them to build back up. Think. | 6/4/2008 |
| Jeff | Hey, I have a size two in both of my ears. They are both tapers and my left ear is healing great. My right ear concerns me though, it is bleeding when I wash it and swollen. I took it out to shower and clean out alittle more and noticed if I pushed the back of my ear, a red almost flab of skin if you will pushed out and was visible till I let go. If I let the two in for say a month or two, will it heal alright or should I got to a size smaller? Any advice? |
6/3/2008 |
| Steve | Hey I have a question. I got my ears pierced and stretched to 4 all at once. I just got some organics after 5 months and they flare out at the ends to a bigger size. They are getting pretty crusty, they are NOT bleeding but I wonder if I should take them out or just keep cleaning my ears and rotating the piercing until it passes. | 6/1/2008 |
| Truth | Ear stretching is addictive and And you want a certain size so bad. I use to cmnt here all the time. They get sickening. I have two 0s and im bored with them so i suggest really thinking about it before you do it. |
5/31/2008 |
| Melanie | Thats true. Everyone has a different answer here |
5/30/2008 |
| Steve | ur all dumb dont ask here ask someone you know that wears them |
5/30/2008 |
| Travy | went from 14-8 in one shot, 8-6 hurt a lil less and was alot faster... no problems though! (simetimes, one ear will hurt more or less than the other... dont know why!) | 5/30/2008 |
| J-dog | same with mine it bled for ages but that was becuz i was stupid... i went from a 12g (1.8mm i think) to a 6g(4mm) and the pain was like someone poked a hot iron in my ear lobe (not fun) but it somehow managed to fit in my ear. it'd bleed but never sting whenever i took it out and cleaned it until day 2 wen it stopped and looked like a regular hole. So my advice is if you want to stretch your ears don't EVER skip a size and clean it everyday... i used some anistetic stuff from a piercing place which made cleaning it easier and not hurt as much | 5/29/2008 |
| jesse moreno | it has taken me 2 and a half years to get to a 3/4 and trying to go bigger. i love them... if you want some bad a$$ hand made plugs go to w w w omericaorganic . com they do some bad a$$ work! | 5/29/2008 |
| Nate | Only around your holes should be "swollen" because your skin was pushed up that happened to mine and bleeding because your ears were streched i had mine bleed quite alot but i never waited lol but just clean it twice a day with a q-tip and either some peroxide or alcohol | 5/28/2008 |
| Renee | so i had 6's and i went to 2's i got them threw but my ears are swollen they hurt really bad. i took one out because i was stupid and now they are like bleeding kinda. is there anyway to make the swelling go down or for it to not hurt as much? |
5/27/2008 |
| Trey R | And is there any other easier way to gauge up than to use tapers because they hurt like really bad? | 5/19/2008 |
| jimjones | i currently have my ears at a 2g, i want to go to a 0g...i do not want the holes for the rest my life. Will these holes close eventually? | 5/18/2008 |
| lisa | and how big can you go where they'll still close up naturally without all the surgery and stuff? | 5/16/2008 |
| lisa | i'm at 5/8 write now and i kind of don't want them anymore. so i was jw will they close up all teh way if i take them out? | 5/16/2008 |
| TJ | First of all the statment "Metal ones are a better idea than ones made of metal or other materials as the chances of infection are considerably reduced." compleatly contradicts itself. Second of all petroleum jelly is possibly the worst thing you could put on a piercing. It harbours bacteria and causes infections. |
5/14/2008 |
| sara mclean | i like the smell of stretched ears too! i lick and smell my boyfriends ears everytime we make love |
5/14/2008 |
| keekee s | i like when my ears look like flaming catbootyholes it really turns me on, and the smell is amazing, the pain i recieve in this process is lovely. |
5/14/2008 |
| Brandon | Can you go bigger if you (blew out) were some skin is pushed back from tapperz on your ear | 5/13/2008 |
| Melany | okay so last night i went from a 8g to a 6g and i been trying to do that for the past couple weeks but it just wouldnt go through. so i waited and i finally did it last night of course it killed. my left ear lobe is fine.. my right ear lobe has always caused me a problem with stretching but never this bad. its completely swollen and it bled more then it has before. i tried cleaning it with a sea salt soak but that just burned... i wanna try the tea tree oil.. has anyone used it before? does it help? | 5/13/2008 |
| Just, ahren. | I NEED HELP! K so, im at 1 inch. my ears stretched just fine. But i was at a show the other night and copped a kick to the side of the head while dancing. and it ripped my ear in a wierd way. idk how to explain it, there is like this little section on bottom of my lobe that looks alomost like a tiny wire holding my ear together between two healthy pieces of ear. is there anything i can do to fix this? |
5/13/2008 |
| sarah barah | BE CAREFUL! | 5/9/2008 |
| chris p. | no doubt a 4g will close up easily, thats what ive got so far...don't know about any bigger, but im not worried about it, gotta live for tha day ya digg? | 5/8/2008 |
| XkamX | i believe once u get past probably 7/16 u should use silicone plugs. there is less of a chance to blow out your ears like u would with tapers. im at inch right now and trying to find some where with 1 1/4 | 5/6/2008 |
| Mr.Buttersworth | gauges are awesome | 5/5/2008 |
| Cameron | Hey, so I have my ears at 1/2" and want to close them up a little, Brainwash, about the sandpaper: what grit count works best? I'm sure it has to be pretty fine but wanted to see if you, or anyone else, had any recommendations. thanks | 5/5/2008 |
| Chella | What is a good way to keep your ears from hurting after you gauge them | 5/5/2008 |
| chels | how long after you get a new piercing should you wait to stretch it? | 5/2/2008 |
| TK | yeahhhh boi gauges are hella rad. | 4/30/2008 |
| Jeff | Loud music dstracts you from the uncomfortable pain* | 4/27/2008 |
| Jeff | Spits also a bad idea. Theres billions of bacteria in it and infection could occur for most people plus what if you breath smells like crap? Anyways also the only way to actually strcth your ears is to do it yourself. So go in the bathroom, throw some whitechapel or bury your dead on and stick it in there. Loud music dstracts you from the uncomfortable music and raises bloodflow if the music is fast paced and extremely brootal. | 4/27/2008 |
| Jeff | Use petroleum jelly such as vaseline to lubricate it. after about 3 hours you can take it out and clean it. Dont leave the excess petroleum in their. Hot weather and hot water from showers will open up pores and the petroleum that stays in will soon accumulate bacteria and dead skin cells. As a result your ears smell like bigfoot's spoog and you recieve a infection or pus growth in your ear causing massive swelling. | 4/27/2008 |
| Jeff | Some more info on stretching faster, use Tea Tree Oil and rub it around the hole and try to get it in. This should cause a warming sensation and will circulate bloodflow making your ear stretch a little easier than before. While taking the Tea Tree Oil also consume vitamin E. The vitamin E will help with the healing process and also the soreness that generally comes with it. Another thing, use Stainless Steel Tapers. |
4/27/2008 |
| Jeff | This is pretty good information but when it comes to the alcohol i would say no, Hydrogen peroxcide is a way better alternative. Also people who are starting need to know that you really dont have to wait a week or 2 weeks to change sizes. I started stretching my ears about 2 and 1/2 weeks ago and im at 2's now. I went three sizes in one day. But skipping sizes i dont recommend. | 4/27/2008 |
| BrainWash | well once you go past a 00 you ear will not close up like it used to be but if you have to go back down take sand paper and pull it though your ear once in the morning and once at night for about a week and take hot showers and use triple antibotic ointment and they will heal up fine i do this for a living | 4/27/2008 |
| Chris | I really like my 4g one too my mom just makes me feel bad about it stressing that theres a great chance that it'll NEVER close back. | 4/24/2008 |
| Chris | Hey guys i just went from amount a 10 or 12g (not sure) to a 4g, it took me about 14 hours slowly pushing the taper through to get it down to the 4g. I took it out the next day and it bled a moderate amount, i washed it, put it back in, took it out in the bus, bled again. Got home and put ear solution on my ear, put it in. Now i sat thinking and realized it'd suuuckk if these never close back up. So i took it out, now im asking for your opinions. Can i keep my 4g in and odds are it'll close fully if i ever decide i should take them out? Or are odds are that i blew out from the bleeding and ill be screwed if i keep them in. (or am i screwed already?) | 4/24/2008 |
| Rain Begley | Hey Im think about getting my ears gauged, what are the differnt sizes? is there any reason I should have it professionally done? if so how much would you say they would charge? im just looking for answeres people. | 4/24/2008 |
| Jon. | alright well, i put spacers/ plugs/ stretchers/ whatever else they go by in last night and they just recently started swelling, is this normal or should i be concerned? | 4/23/2008 |
| Mike | A good way to stretch your lobe if you have big enough hole to do it is to use master locks they stretch out your ear really good i did it to go from a 4 to a 0 | 4/20/2008 |
| Mike | Right now i have 0 in my ears and i never used any tecnique listed on any web site i just bought the next size and shoved it through i ripped my ear once going from a 10 to a 8 and now im fine im going up to an inch (1") | 4/20/2008 |
| alex | ohh and this may sound disgusting, but it works extremely well; when stretching to a new size or even putting in new plugs, use your spit as a lubricant..or vasaline or something but spit works best and it isn't too messy |
4/17/2008 |
| xXalexXx | stretching your piercings is a different kind of process for everyone...somestretching your piercings is a different kind of process for everyone...some people can go to an inch and their ears close up and others ears won't close from a 00..so its according to the person. don't stretch to quickly..if you want to skip sizes, then wrap electrical tape aroung the center of the plug gradually.(every other day or so) I am at 1 inch and my ears are fine..I have used electrical tape around my plugs to get to the next size easier..it helps trust me.it keeps your ears from being as sore when you stretch to a new size.. |
4/17/2008 |
| Connor | merla, leave them in. done take them out!! |
4/15/2008 |
| reed | i think that ear gauges are pretty gnarly. but sometimes it feels a little overrated | 4/14/2008 |
| SPAM | I put in the starters (smaller at one end, bigger at the other) a couple days ago. when can i go ahead and put in the actual gages? | 4/13/2008 |
| Merla | I gaged my years a day ago (im barley at a 10g) and they kinda still hurt.One of them hurts when i try to take it out should i just leave it in until it stops hurting? & my other one starts to bleed when take is out..is it infected & if so how do i treat it??... | 4/13/2008 |
| A. Piercer | www (dot) bmezine (dot) com. Please go there for advice if you want to stretch your piercings safely and without the numerous problems you'll get if you take in most of what's posted here. | 4/12/2008 |
| koolass | how do i get my flared guage in? i am trying to go from a 8 to a 6 but my ear just got hard and red. so i took the thing out. so how can i get my flared earing in when i am ready for it again? | 4/11/2008 |
| Connor | But Goth Kid, will the gauges leave scars or anything around the regular 18g hole? |
4/10/2008 |
| Connor | thanks goth kid. | 4/10/2008 |
| goth kid | Connor you can only go to a 2g anything past that won't heal as fast. I have 00's in and mine will heal but I'm not taking them out |
4/10/2008 |
| Connor | I just gauged me ears at 12's without my parents knowlegde. I want to know how big i can stretch my ears until they are too big to return to a normal peicing size of 18. Can someone please tell me how big i can go? | 4/10/2008 |
| Carrie | He said it was a size 2 and its starting to close and I know it will be awhile, He had it in for only 5 days. Thanks Goth kid. | 4/9/2008 |
| Meez | BOT, for your body to feel sick while stretching i guess is normal, i would say slow down and take a cool rag to your face and neck though. Its just your body going into minor shock.. its natural for a lot of peircings to do this. Always listen to your body though, and never push it if you dont think you can handle it. | 4/8/2008 |
| Meez | Im a little more than a half an inch right now.. ive always dont my stretching on my own.. In vegas they dont sell tapers larger than half an inch and its always been extremley difficult for me to dead stretch in the past. Ive tried anchoring, and that works.. but im getting impatient.. Does anyone know any home techniques/tools to getting to 3/4 & An inch & so on .. so forth.. | 4/8/2008 |
| goth kid | Carrie, you need to find out what size it was. then post it on here and we can tell you if it will heal up. They all heal up just depends on the size |
4/6/2008 |
| Carrie | Thank You Amber!!! | 4/3/2008 |
| amber | CARRIE!!!! yes they will grow back to the normal size. idk how long it takes but they will eventually grow back. don't worry |
4/3/2008 |
| amber | yea you can gauge any piercing. my friend gauged her nose. | 4/3/2008 |
| amber | i agree to this. i gauged my ears not too long ago. stainless steel seems to work really well too. my ears get infected really easily and stainless steel seemed to work. |
4/3/2008 |
| Carrie | My son just put gauges in and his only 13 I told not to put gauges on so he waiting i was on a trip out of town and he stayed at his friends house until I left so that was a 5 days now he has big holes in his ear loop and I hate them and I cant like at him. His Dad told him to take them out. I was wondering will they grow back the small size!? a size of a dime Please help me I'm hurting and so mad at him Thank you | 4/3/2008 |
| BOT | while gaging my ears again, why is my body feeling ill? | 4/2/2008 |
| Penny | Olivia is a cool name :P I think everyone should calm down about the whole "gauging vs stretching" thing. Yes, we all realize it's called stretching. CALM DOWN you dont need to repeat it like 4000 times. Where can I find good cheap 3/4 tapers? Because enchanted dragon is ridiculously expensive!! |
4/2/2008 |
| . | how do you know when to switch to the next size my friend goes by when it stops hurting but mine dont hurt! |
4/1/2008 |
| kathren | does any one have the biggest size? | 4/1/2008 |
| lucy | size chart? | 4/1/2008 |
| Jade | and i like olivia | 3/25/2008 |
| Jade | my ears are at a 5/8 right now and i want to go to 3/4 but 11/16(the size in between those two) is impossible to find. does anyone know where i should look? | 3/25/2008 |
| grth | im at a regular size. i want to go one size down .. what size is that????? and will it ever grow back??? | 3/22/2008 |
| u know nothing | gauging is not the proper term. stretching is the action gauge is the size | 3/17/2008 |
| isaac dawg | Thid is a horrible reference. Please check out Bodyartforms. com |
3/13/2008 |
| G-Doll | Hey all I stretched my ears to a 10g and put in plugs now one of my plugs is really tight and wont turn without major force is that normal? even in the shower they are still tight and hard to turn...I'm trying to wait to stretch any bigger until my ears heal totally..and I want to do this the right way and do it slow. thanks to anyone that can help answer my question |
3/9/2008 |
| Jenna | ......Oliva scares me | 3/5/2008 |
| Olivia | "Metal ones are a better idea than ones made of metal or other materials as the chances of infection are considerably reduced." Wow...metal is better than metal? You learn something new everyday... |
3/4/2008 |
| Olivia | And it's not just stretching ear piercings. You can stretch almost any piercing. | 3/4/2008 |
| Olivia | You really should not be writing an article on this if you not going to have the correct information. It is not called gauging. Gauge means to measure. You stretch piercings, not measure them. | 3/4/2008 |
| SarahLovesTito | Do they do it at tattoo shops?? I went and they wouldnt do it because I'm under 16. I dont think you'll lose an ear! | 2/29/2008 |
| Hector R. | Wow this information is real usfull! Especially since im thinking of getting my ears gauged! When exatly is it going to be? I haven't the slitest clue but eventually I will or when I have the time and/or money! If tatoo/ piercing parlos charge to do it! But now that I know not to do it on my own I'm not, because that's what I was thinking of doing! Well since I don't have any clue what im doing and I really dont want to hurt my self or cause my self to lose an ear! I'll just go to a professional and do it there!! | 2/27/2008 |
| Sam[antha] | Why does everyone care so much that many people call it gauging? It's a word now, isn't it? Since most people know what you're talking about when you say it. Words change. |
2/27/2008 |
| -- | "The question about the 00s PINCHERS and plugs. You will often need to pull down on the pinchers. Syretch your ears out more...You can use metal pinchers that will help weigh down your ears to stretch them faster. This will help alot, but just give it time." Nu uh. pulling may help them stretch out, but it causes an uneven stretch. don't pull. don't use weights. |
2/26/2008 |
| Chrissy Knight | it's not called gauging it's called stretching. gauging is not even a word. please reference your information before posting it. | 2/26/2008 |
| Ali Cat | The question about the 00s PINCHERS and plugs. You will often need to pull down on the pinchers. Syretch your ears out more...You can use metal pinchers that will help weigh down your ears to stretch them faster. This will help alot, but just give it time. | 2/25/2008 |
| Ali Cat | I have 00s right now because about a week ago I put in 7/16 and they were silicone and they got my ears extreamly infected and I basically had a blowout. I took them out and I down sized that day, Now they are almost back to normal but I am going to wait about 2 or so weeks before attempting to go to a 7/16 and I will not be using those silicone ones. | 2/25/2008 |
| dooooo | hmm. does anyone happen to know if the "catbutt" effect goes away once its given time to rest and such? | 2/24/2008 |
| goth kid | What's better flared gauges or non-flared gauges? | 2/22/2008 |
| Kerstin | I waited like 2 days | 2/21/2008 |
| ishamel | when can i go bigger in my plugs?? last time they got all infected and yah.i just went to a size 2 like a week ago and i dont know how long to wait till i go up | 2/19/2008 |
| ron | that is so ture and i dont know why any one would think that is messed up | 2/19/2008 |
| Ian | what are the sizes in order? | 2/18/2008 |
| BEE | so wait, the tapers strech yer ear, right? then you put the earring you want in. | 2/17/2008 |
| katie | how do i gage a regular ear piercing? | 2/14/2008 |
| Samy | It's not 'gauging', it's stretching. They aren't 'gauges', they are plugs. Gauge refers to size. | 2/13/2008 |
| cory | i just got my ears gauged straight to a 2 at a professional piercing shop and they gave me a sheat that strictly says not to use alcohol or peroxide as it can cause white rings, irritation, and possibly infection in the long run | 2/12/2008 |
| goth kid | are you able to use electrical tape to stretch | 2/11/2008 |
| stephennn:D | yea the "tape method" is the best..well thats what i think at least im at a 00g and a 2g and i have TEFLON tape in my ears right now. i addmore and more tape every like 3 days and maybe like a week im at the next size wihtout as much pain. although if you use tape(just like if you use a taper or whatever to stretch your ear) it will stuck in your ear for a few days till your ear adapts to the size. i have a question. my 00g pincher goes in my ear fine. but then wen i put in the plug it will only go half way through..is it because of the back is not healed yet? and should wait a little bit?? |
2/11/2008 |
| Josh | You're right. I know people who've had their ears stretched to 2" and then they shrunk down to a 0.. thats pretty good for an ear healing. It's a good idea to take it slow and stretch your ears. But overall.. and when it comes down to it, it is your life. Do what you want. I typically wait around 2 weeks or more before stretching my ears. I had my ear at a 00 for well over a month and then i stretched to a 1/2". It wasn't painful, but it did get infected and you do want to try to avoid that. It's fine now.. just some epsom salts and cleaning it a couple times a day has got rid of the infection. This took only around 3 days or so. It doesn't seem to have any scar tissue, but I guess we'll see when i take them out and if they shrink or not. I know people who've jumped so many sizes. I've seen people go from a normal piercing hole to a 2 in one sitting. It's taken me around 5 months to get from a normal piercing to a 1/2". Some of what the people here are saying is false... don't listen to them. Do alot of research before stretching your ears. |
2/8/2008 |
| Davis | My Point is, whether you realise it or not, gauging is a serious process. It can have a serious affect on your employment opportunites & your health. So it's alway smart to know what your doing before you do it, especially when it comes to gauging. Skipping sizes is stupid, there is a reason that people always recommend you go slow. If you don't give your ears time to heal fully, and become healthy, then you run a risk of blowing out (For definitions see other post) tearing your hole, and you can get a very serious infection. But even if you do manage to avoid all of that, constant strain and abuse on your fistula (the hole in your ear) causes scar tissue to build rapidly, causing unsightly disgusting holes that will be harder to get rid of in the future. Sources say to wait 2 months, and that's a good idea. |
2/8/2008 |
| Bianca | I wouldn't advise to skip sizes. All depends on your lobes though, everyone is different. My right ear is at a 4g and my left ear was at a 4g too, but now it's at a 10g cause it got infected and it closed up in a matter of hours. Just have patience. | 2/7/2008 |
| CrizzyG | davis is right.... 90% of you guys are idiots hahaha taping is so stupid! anyone can stretch their ear lobes but you have to be educated on it to do it correctly |
2/7/2008 |
| Davis | You guys are idiots. I'll give you some terms you need to know, because apparently no one knows what they mean. As for skipping gauges. You might not see the damage to your ear right away, but when you try to get rid of them, more than likely you'll have a nice disgusting chunk of scar tissue where your hole once was. Point of no return? Supposedly a 2 but never go off of that. Everyone is different. I've seen 1/2 inches heal on some people, and people with 00 who never healed. It's a commitment, your holes may never, ever close all the way. Gauging - Is not a word, you STRETCH your ear. Gauge scale is a way of telling the size of a peice of jewelry. Blowout - Your fistula (hole in your ear) has to much internal pressure from the strech, so it push out, looking like a disgusting pink pair of lips coming out one side of your ear. Taper - Made of several materials, it's a tool you use to stretch your ear to a different size. Tape method - Wrapping TEFLON tape around your current jewlelry to slowly stretch your ear, also cheaply. Dermal punch - punch out a hole of cartilage to quickly get to a larger size. |
2/7/2008 |
| Josh | By the way, I personally think that the best way to stretch and prepare you ears for the next size is to simply pull on them... this way you're not putting your jewellery in and out over and over again. Just grab your spacer (it's easier with a plug) and pull down on it for about a minute.. pull down hard enough that it just starts to hurt.. this is how you know its stretching. I did this for about 2 days and I was able to go from 4-2 and then 2-0 and 0-00 in a week. No swelling, no bleeding etc. |
2/6/2008 |
| Josh | In the morning I spaced my ear from a 00 to 1/2" with a taper and later that night I put in a 1/2" plug. It hurt like hell because the stretch was fresh but then it started to swell.. then i got some puss and some bleeding as well. While I'm sitting here typing this I've got Epsom salts on my ear which draws out the infection. I've never downsized.. and don't plan on it especially after a decent jump in gauges like I just did. Hopefully in a couple days it'll start healing a little more, then it's time to do my other ear which is a 00. Suck it up, it doesn't hurt that bad :) If you get it infected.... either downsize, or just ride it out until the infection is gone (note: you MUST clean it!!!) |
2/6/2008 |
| Lucy | And it doesn't hurt....that bad | 2/6/2008 |
| Lucy | i totally agree with leroy Savoy, people really over react with the whole skipping sizes thing!! Gosh, calm down people, your ears will be fine. I only used 4 pairs of tapers and I'm at 3/4. | 2/6/2008 |
| leroy Savoy | i went form a fresh percing to a 00 in 1 week and my ears are fine the just got puffy for a few days i never ripped them either so i think the people going to a 4 from an 8 will go fine | 2/4/2008 |
| kid of sin | i just got told by my local piercing shop that you can go up to a 14mm/9/16 (my actual size) and it will still shut down pretty much maybe not completly, but at least to a 3-4mm, which im fine with all that dont skip sizes cos it hurts is crap! i had a 10mm/00g and went straight to my actual size, first to 12mm/1/2 g straight out, put in the 14mm taper and then straight after the plug.... so yeah, it did hurt but not as much as every says my septum piercing hurt much more and ive had it done 4 times :) |
1/31/2008 |
| Delilah | Ok i have reagular size pircings i think itz just a 20 gauge if not then itz just stander size i want to know if i were really heavy earing and add put more earings if that will work and if it wil hurt and bleed i want to have an 18 gauge and i have been wearing standner earings for a really long time AIM:ilysfmfersure |
1/30/2008 |
| AngryLittleGirl | I just stretched my ears today. I'd say that you really shouldn't do what I've done, though I know people who have done much worse. One time I went from an 8g to a 4g without ever using the 6g. I nearly fainted because I was in so much pain. It took about 4 full days for the pain to go away. Today I stretched them from a 2g to a 0g, so the pain wasn't as bad, but it's pretty awful. I'd say one of the most physically painful experiences of my life. The first most painful is when I skipped the gauges. Don't ever do that!! You should always wait at least 2 weeks before going up ONE gauge. I tore my earlobes by doing that. They nearly bled, which is NOT good when you taper your ears. Your ears should never bleed during tapering. |
1/29/2008 |
| xXaliciaXx | hey every1 i have 00 i think i might want to go to 7/16s | 1/28/2008 |
| Annie | Well doesn't Mike seem like the sweetest kid in the world!! | 1/28/2008 |
| Mike | I'm currently at 1/2" and I have to say this article really explains NOTHING. And what little it does go into detail with is phrased outright wrongly. Also, most of the people thaqt have posted here sound like they know nothing about what they're doing. Good look just putting a flared 6g plug into your ear. Oh, and awesome, you went from an 18g to a 2, that's so safe, I'm sure your ear is REALLY healthy. Really. |
1/27/2008 |
| Angelica | well when i gagued my ear i had just regular piercing holes and i decided to gauge my ear and i went straight to a two and from there i went to a 0 and then a double zero and i had no infections and i my ears would only hurt for a day but wheni first gauged them it hurt for 3 days and then after that it didnt hurt me as much and i cleaned them once everyday and my ears turned out fine right now im sitting at a 00. | 1/25/2008 |
| jade | oh and you'll probably have to take the second piercing out depending on what size you want to go. i had to take mine out once i got to this size, but i just re-pierced it a bit higher. | 1/24/2008 |
| silent'walker | i want to get my ears gauged but i dont know if it will be the right thing.. like will it sagg or whatever..and i have 2 rows of piercing on my ears will it combine if i get the bottom one gauged? tell me if i should lol..peace | 1/23/2008 |
| kid of sin | mine are at 14mm and im gonna go to 16mm tomorrow ive been told at 14mm they will close up pretty much anyone know if at 16mm it will? my mate had 22mm for about a year, and went down to 5mm, im fine with that lol, i just dont want to have a massive hole forever :/ |
1/22/2008 |
| Rifi | Hannah :] Yeah i guess thats what im trying to say.. like right now i have in 8g's and i want to put in the 6's cause i've had these on long enough but like i bought gauges that said size 6 but its the kind thats wider on the outside and then the size 6 in the center. so idk how im supposed to get it in =/ But i'm gonna try and use the end of a come thingy i found. haha so thanks :D |
1/22/2008 |
| Hannah :) | Hey Rifi, Um, so you only have 8 tapers or plugs and you're trying to put in flared 6's??? Well did you get 6 tapers? Because that might be easier then going from 8s straigt to flared 6's. If not, look around your house and find something you can use to stretch them a little more. HAVE FUN! :) | 1/22/2008 |
| xXaliciaXx | hey steph | 1/22/2008 |
| Rifi | Okay so I'm deffinately not a genoius when it comes to this stuff. I'm only at an 8g and i just purchased my 6g but like the plugs i really dont understand how to use. can someone please explain to me how they work cause likee how am i supposed to get them in if its so big at the outsides and then on the inside its the actualy size 6.. Please help? Thank you so much. |
1/21/2008 |
| Dani | i am at between 11/16-3/4 i am wrapping tape around them to make them bigger, so i'm not sure on the the size but i think i'm gonna stop at 3/4 |
1/20/2008 |
| stephennn:D | hey xXaliciaXx thats cool x] i want to go to a double zero my left ear is at a 0 and my right was just gauged to a 4 a little bit to go.. |
1/20/2008 |
| xXaliciaXx | hey every 1 i have 00s | 1/20/2008 |
| pokemonlover | uhm what if palkia gauged his ears? would he be a cooler pokemon? guys please answer my question its making me really nervous not knowing the answer. SOME1 ANSWER ME PLEASE! i just puked cuz im so nervous bites nails |
1/19/2008 |
| sXXXe | heyy i have 0s and i just went through a couple sizes quick, but without skipping. ive had the 0s in since yesterday and my lobe is pretty swollen. im hoping its not infected and like this brown stuff is comin out of em for some reason. so i cleaned it out and the brown stuff stopped. its still swollen but dosent really hurt. i dont want to take the plug out yet but i was jus wondering if it was infected or not ? | 1/17/2008 |
| cal | if your gauges are flared, then you just have to put somthing to kinda lube it up.. like vaseline.. or lotion. and just put it in at an angle. eventually your flared gauges will stretch your ears as you gradually push them out and back in. then youll be ready for the next size up. :D |
1/17/2008 |
| lalalallama | Arg, you know those gauges that have like bigger outsides so you dont have to use the little rubber bands to keep them on?? Well I cant get mine in. They"re 5/8 so what can I use to gauge them a little bigger (with out tapers, like marker caps or what???) | 1/16/2008 |
| goth kid | clean around is and then like turn it and puchit in and out thats what i did and i'm at a 0g. | 1/15/2008 |
| Elysse | What is that nasty smell??? Cause everyone says different things, so I'm just wondering. | 1/10/2008 |
| goth kid | No it's not bad to stretch cartilage | 1/8/2008 |
| I heart him | Is it bad to stretch cartilage? | 1/5/2008 |
| Andrew | Hey i dont want to buy a 9/16ths taper because i only need to strech one ear because the other i just used a 5/8ths taper but it dosent seem to want to strech and i dont want to blow my ear out so dose anyone no what you can use as a 9/16th taper??? (I.E. For a half inch taper you could use a sharpie or a sharpie cap) | 1/4/2008 |
| xAdrienASSAULTx | Pardon my horrible grammar. o_o; I just noticed how hurting that was. Anyway. I'm looking for someone who can give me opinions on what piercings would look good on me and my friend. Anyone want to help? xX.last.breath.cold.Xx at hotmail. I'm bored. It's 1am. I have no life. XD | 1/4/2008 |
| xAdrienASSAULTx | Mine's at 00ga. I went pretty slow I think. Something I did two in an hour but it wasn't that bad. I didn't really bleed much. Usually the next morning I can go to the next size. I'm planning on going to half an inch. My father will slit my throat. =D I've tried to tape technique. It's fail. XD Well to me. It's quite annoying. I just used stretchers I got at stores and kiosks meant for that type of stuff. Anyway. | 1/4/2008 |
| steven=]] | i streched my left ear to 0g like two months ago then i got my right ear done i went from 14 to 0 in 21/2 weeks [as of today] i know it is bad but now my ears are matching =]] i think i am going to go to 00 and stay there for a long time it is a good size |
1/2/2008 |
| michael vu | im at a 0 and i wanna go to a 30mm it worked before but my ear split in half im black thats why ]= |
1/2/2008 |
| DUBEY | i am at an inch in my left ear and 3/4 in my right ear as long as you go size by size you dont have to worry about blow outs and stuff just wait about 2-3 weeks before gaging again and make sure when you get into the bigger sizes around 4 gages you start to clean your ears alot or else they begin to smell really bad | 1/2/2008 |
| Shantelly | ehh thats exactly what happened to me =/ but when it happened to me it was only for size 12 |
1/1/2008 |
| goth kid | I just put a 4g in today and before i had a 6g in, but now it feels like it's infected or it's blown out, like it's not red but it's a little hard and puffy. is this supposed to happen when you get to this size or is it just infected because it can't be i went up small sizes and it never did that before. | 12/31/2007 |
| stephennn:D | You make the sting go away by cleaning them alot and keeping ice on them. im very impatient but i know to do this i have to be patient. im at a 4 in my left ear and a 10 in my right ear. ahahha |
12/31/2007 |
| Kissing_suicide | and how do u make stinging go away? lol | 12/31/2007 |
| Kissing_suicide | i just put earings in and they were 16's but thye were still a lil big to fit my my ears so now my ears sting...so i was just wondering if i leave them in and itll get better or do i take them out? cause only my left ear hurts the right ear id fine so let me know thanx | 12/31/2007 |
| Shantelly | Well, i just recently started gauging my ears. i started the first time with 14 and then just yesterday i put in 12. when i woke up my earlobes were majorly swollen and numb..is this at all normal and will it go down soon, cause they've been the same all day. Help? | 12/31/2007 |
| Alex! | dude you really don't have to wear the tapers until they heal completely. I'm usually able to put flared in like plugs in two days or so. But you're right that it takes different people different amounts of time to heal. My advice is to find out how long it takes on your first gauge and once u have go by that. I got mine to 1" by doing that and it seemed to work o yah to the other guy who posted a comment to this! kyle there is no such thing as 000 dumb ass! . Always remember to clean your ears at least twice a day. Well, that's about all i have to say on the subject. | 12/30/2007 |
| Alex wright | dude you really don't have to wear the tapers until they heal completely. I'm usually able to put flared in plugs in two days or so. However, you're right that it takes different people different amounts of time to heal. My advice is to find out how long it takes on your first gauge and once u have go by that. I've gotten mine to 1" by using this process. Always remember to clean your ears at least twice a day. Well, that's about all i have to say on the subject. | 12/30/2007 |
| Laura. | Jajaja, you won't die if they get infected....I swear. But if it does get bad then go to a doctor or something. I got an infection and it spread to my chest so I went to the doctor. They'll give you medicine and you'll be fine. | 12/30/2007 |
| nykole | or what can happen if they get infected cause i had a 12 then i stretched to an 8 not really thinking but what will happen if they get infected |
12/30/2007 |
| matthew desuka | yo i love gauging... i got my ear pierced and in one day went to a 000 a lil bit a pain but it was quick and east ...the trick is...electrical tape ... start it with a thin paint brush and make a small role of the tape get it in and strech it to the most u can handle and let it realease 1 hr and keep adding till you get where you want it to be so yeah hope i helped and have fun lol ... | 12/29/2007 |
| PEPSI | OHHHH YEAAA THE MEATBALL MARINARA |
12/29/2007 |
| justinn | im at a 3/4 right now and they r only my 5th size it only took me a month but ill tell ya it hurt like hell haha.. 4 my 3/4 wich i did yesterday i used a silicone plug.. i hate it. dude it hurt so bad and it was a lil jump it hurt more than the jump from jus pircing it 2 a 6 right away.. haha but o well it looks sic now | 12/28/2007 |
| meow | i stretched my ears to 5/8 yesterday and my right one is like purple and hurts like crazy. what should i do???? i refuse to take it out. |
12/25/2007 |
| Elysse | WOW! You went from a standard to a 2!? I am now your biggest fan! | 12/24/2007 |
| Black Dahlia. | I gauged my ears to an inch in about a month and a half with no problems. I went from a standard piercing to a size 2 to start and I'll probably end up goign to an inch and a half or maybe two depending. Everyone thinks it's stupid but I like them. | 12/21/2007 |
| stephennn:D | even 00 close up easily. in the beggining of the school year my friend tayla had 00 but then her mom found out and made her take them out and they have been out for about a month at least and its really hard to get 14's in her ear. | 12/20/2007 |
| I love Incubus | lynn, 10's will close up SUPER easy. And you won't look like a circus freak. 10's really aren't even that big so don't worry about it. Does anyone know the best way to get plugs in? (Obviously just shoving them in works too) but any other way, because I can't get mine in right now, and I've had the tapers for like 3 weeks, they should be stretched enough by now. |
12/19/2007 |
| K | gauges will actually close up when taking them out at size 5"8. if you want to go quick with stretching your ears the best way is to skip 1 size every week. They won't get infected if they are cleaned pretty good. dosnt matter how many sizes u skip | 12/18/2007 |
| lynn | okay i need to get this straight...if i get a 10g...and then decide in the future i dont want them...will they go back to normal?? I want them soo bad but myparents think they would make me look like a "circus freak" and think that they will never close up...soo help me convince them please!! | 12/18/2007 |
| Jon Torres | To anyone out there looking to get rid of that nasty smell! I have had my ears stretched for awhile now, they at a 1/2 inch and I'm staying at that size. Clean your ears with Tea Tree Oil. It's powerful smell destoryed the smell of the dead skin cells. Anyone looking to go as big as mine, they will heal, but not fully, there will be scar tissue there. If anyone has any questions about stretching, IM me at OnTheseWings17 | 12/18/2007 |
| Stephennn:D | i love how i read a lot what ppl said. and like nobody agrees wiht eachother. and i suggest that you go to a professional to get your information.. | 12/16/2007 |
| goth kid | another way to stretch your ears, is you can use silicon tunnels. | 12/15/2007 |
| Stephennn:D | Rachel RadicalX the best thing to do if that happens cuz it happen to me... i went to a 6 and it was bleeding a few days later and there was a lump in the back of my ear. the BESTthing to do is to take the 8 outt and put the 10 back in for about 2 or 3 weeks then do it again and it should go in easilier! :] | 12/14/2007 |
| Elysse | Rachel RadicalX, I ripped my ear when I had 6's. Well, now I have 5/8 and they're fine. What I had to do though is I just had to clean them like crazy and stuff. They'll be fine. I'm not one to wimp out and say "take your time DONT SKIP SIZES" because I do. but when you rip your ear, you need to chill out for a little before you size up. alicia kasey, how in the world did your mom suggest gauges? jaja like seriously. My mom tells me how ugly I look and stuff. You're lucky. So what sizes does everyone have? I'm wondering who has the biggest here. Like I said, I have 5/8, which are decently big I suppose......you? |
12/13/2007 |
| Rachel RadicalX | I am at a 8. I put them in last night. And I ripped my ear. I dint wait long. [[2 weeks]] at most before I put in the 8 from the 10. :\ Can I keep going after it heals.?. | 12/13/2007 |
| goth kid | I'm at a 10 but i'm not stoping. | 12/12/2007 |
| nick | wow this forum has taken off with replies. people be sure to clean your ear on a daily basis. im at a 10 now. and im stoping there. | 12/12/2007 |
| xXalicia kaseyx | xXEmoKidXx u can go 2 1/2 inches and take them out and they will go back to normal.. u dont have to get them sewn up they grow back by there selves!!! | 12/12/2007 |
| alicia kasey | i went from normal size to a 12 to a 8 to a 2 to a 00... it doesnt really hurt...my mom talked me n2 getting them... my mom might get them to.. | 12/12/2007 |
| alicia kasey | i luv gauges i have 00 | 12/12/2007 |
| xXEmoKidXx | Stephennn:D, I think the hole will stay in the same spot. If I'm not mistaken, your ear just produces more.....skin?? Fat? something. But it will stay in the same spot. My question is, what size can you go to so your ears will stretch back? I've heard all kinds of different things from people, like "THEY NEVER GO BACK!" or "00" or "1/2 inch' and I'm just really curious. Because I have 5/8 | 12/11/2007 |
| Damon | hello...... anyone does the weird smell inside to earring ever go away? | 12/10/2007 |
| goth kid | Who ever doesn't like gauges then,- to me there are dumb | 12/10/2007 |
| fghfhdfgh | gauges rock! | 12/10/2007 |
| Stephennn:D | OH and everyone just to let you know the ABSOLUTE BEST WAY TO STRETCH YOUR EAR FOR SAFETY AND A LOT LESS PAIN USE TEFLON TAPE. teflon tape is really really thin. and its safer and a lot less painful cuz ive read some articles about it. all you have to do is wrap one layer of teflon around your gauge then wait 3-5 days and put another layer,or too. you should do that about 3 times and the next gauge size will slip right in very easily. | 12/10/2007 |
| Stephennn:D | okay we all know the proper term is "stretching" not gauging but who cares what ppl call it?? i got my left ear pierced and told myself i only wanted one earring and just a 14 but then i got addicted and went down to a 10 in a bout 2 weeks then an 8. Then i got my second ear pierced about 4 weeks ago and im going to start gauging it Xmas vacation. im either going to go to a 0 or a 00. right now my left ear is at a 6 and my right ear is at a reg. ear piercing. but i feel my ear is pierced a little to close to my face does the whole in your ear move closer to your face or away?? or stay in the same spot??? | 12/10/2007 |
| Damon | Okay heres a good question, about guaged ears..... Does the smell ever go away? like the weird inside of the ear smell? | 12/9/2007 |
| Serina | I stretched my ears to a 0 in a about a year. I took my time with it. I bought all my gauges, and I didn't use household objects-_- Anyway. The best way to stretch your ears is to buy gauges.. even if they're expensive or whatever. Take your time stretching them. If you stretch your ear too quickly you can cause shock and cause it to swell up and bleed .. it will puss and get real crusty and nasty. It's not worth it. I'm at 0's now.. I attempted to go to 00's but I used silicon gauges which you shouldn't use because they can infect your ear really bad and cause a blowout. If you notice your ear is pussing or bleeding or has a really nasty odor with crustys and is sore.. I suggest you downsize. When i went to 2's my one ear stretched better than the other. The other one got real nasty and crusty and gross so I put my 4 back in it and let it shrink and heal then I tried again. Since my 00's didnt' work out, I'm back at 0's and I'll try again later. You don't want to blow out or cause a serious infection. Plus, it hurts like a b*tch. | 12/7/2007 |
| Ryon | CALM DOWN ABOUT SKIPPING SIZES! It works for some people, it just has to do with how your body reacts to them. | 12/7/2007 |
| Elysse | I don't get why people are always like "Gauges are so ugly! Why did you stretch your ears?" Are they really that ugly? Mine aren't even that big. They're 7/16. are they really that ugly? | 12/7/2007 |
| goth kid | Is it possible to stretch your ear with a plug? |
12/6/2007 |
| nick | fully clean i would wait a few days from first streitcing it. then take them out and clean them good. Dont clean the tapers in alcohol because the alcohol will slowly eat the plastic/acrilic. use proxide or ear sanitizer that you can get from a jewlery shop. your ears clean them with the sanitizer and soak them in really warm sea salt water for about 10-15 minuts. | 12/5/2007 |
| t, rodgers | how long should i wait befor i can take my taper out and fully clean my ear out????? | 12/5/2007 |
| nick | you can but i would not recommend it. because you are taking the chance of a blow out and ripping your ear open. | 12/3/2007 |
| nick | People give some people some slack on the terminology of stretching/gauging. yes the correct term is stretching not gauging. gauging is the prossess on the sizing of your ears but most people dont know that the y go by what they hear. so dont critisize them give then a quick chance. ive had my ears pierces since september/october (some where inbetween there) and im barely at a 12, take your time so you dont screw up your ears you will regret it. My cuz went from a 16 to 10 to 6 to a 00. now hes at 1inch all in one month and hes ripped his ears plenty of times and he wish he took his time now he has ears full of scars. be adults people. | 11/28/2007 |
| pro piercer | just saying most people on here are wrong you gauge your ears by your own time clock i have inch gauges and i waited 2 weeks in between each stretch becuase thats wht felt right dont resize when your ears still hurt and dont skip sizes its makes you more likely to rip | 11/27/2007 |
| O Hay | Looking forward to seeing you all on Doctor 90210 or the Discovery channel when you go in for your future re-constructive surgeries. | 11/25/2007 |
| beepbeep | it's called 'stretching'. not 'gauging'. | 11/25/2007 |
| Kerry | You do not GAUGE your ear, you STRETCH it. Jesus christ, you are all morons. |
11/25/2007 |
| Sarah | The person commenting under me is an idiot. | 11/25/2007 |
| Monica | A lot of people say you should be patient and wait until your ear heals to put another gage in.. thats untrue.. If you let your ear heal completely to the gage then your ear will form a cartilage ring around the earring.. So, when you try to upsize it again you have to bust that ring to get it through and it is PAINFUL. Therefore, if your going to gage your ears, wait until the gage you have in currently feels like it doesn't hurt, or maybe just a tad bit sore.. and don't wait any longer. You can get pretty big gages if you just listen to your body and don't rush things, but then again don't wait forever.. |
11/25/2007 |
| Brad | im actually stretching mine to a zero right now haha best way to stretch your ears is for one take your time it will be the best in the future and once you get up higher in size like 2 on down use tapers they look like a long spike they make it easier to size up and alot safer they look rediculous while you have them in but you dont keep them in just until your done stretching and i normally use peroxide or neosporin to help prevent infection and friction while stretching like other people have said if you have second thoughts about stretching your ears dont do it but its your body you get to personalize it the way you want well i hope i was help to someone out there with questions..peace | 11/23/2007 |
| Jessicaaaa | everyone heals differently. some people heal in a couple of days, for others it takes a bit longer. i recommend that you wait about a month until you go to another size. DON'T SKIP SIZES. thats one of the worst things you can can do, and can potentially rip your ear lobe. some peoples close up and some don't. you really don't know until you start stretching them, trust your gut, if you feel like you shouldn't put that size in, don't. most people start at a 14, i started at a 12 though. thats all i have to say really, don't be stupid kids.... and good luck. |
11/23/2007 |
| hernan | haha u just recently gauged my ears like 2 weeks ago i started with a 14 if u have a 14 and dont got bigger size gauges to put in dont use spagetthi cuz i did and it was not good but i went from a 14 to a 8 in two days yeah there cool |
11/22/2007 |
| rawbinn | ive been stretching my lobes for almost 2 years now, and they were at a 26mm. because i was running out of lobe, i decided to downsize and used bio oil to treat the scars, so that i cuold thicken my ear up a bit to go to a 30mm. stupidly i wasnt thinkin gand put my 26mm back in when my ears were at about 22mm. my ears are torn now and got badly infected. so over 3 days my ears went from a 26 to a 16mm my ears havent thickened up. and are covered in scars. so the only answer to good stretching is patience. otherwise you wont get anywhere. |
11/22/2007 |
| tesla | is it dangerous to gauge your ears????? | 11/19/2007 |
| ck rida | all you people are stuped i have 2 and a half in my right ear and i make my own earrings | 11/16/2007 |
| nick | People take your time on gong bigger on your gauge size so that it hase time to heal and reduces that chance of a blow out and ripping your ear. Dont skip sizes like going from a 18 to 14 to 6 to 0. take each step. in my opinion move to the next size every two or more weeks that way you give your ear a chance to heal while using the ear sanitizer and the neo sporin. | 11/16/2007 |
| Laura | Haha, I went from an 18 to a 00 in like a month and a half. Probably not good but whatever. I used neosporne because it kills germs so your ears won't get infected, and it also makes it a lot easier to put them in. :) | 11/15/2007 |
| Damon Sewell | OK... guys heres a fact.... I've Stretched my ears from the day "I" pierced them 6 months ago all the way to a 2, as im typing im stretching to a 0.. So heres a fact... not everyone heals the same.... the day i pierced my left ear i went straight to a 16, within a month it was down to a 6 and by the next month a 2 then i let heal for 3 months..... so within 6 months you can go to a 2 and now on the 7th im going to a 0.... ya it hurts like hell but its me and i heal fast, so remember dealing on your tolerance of pain and healing rate thats what you should base your stretching on | 11/14/2007 |
| nick | Even though it says to use petroleum jelly dont. Petroleum jelly can be used in a bactieria growth dish and bactieria can easily thrive on it. For lubrication use the ear sanitizer liquid that the pros piercers use or some hot sea salt water that way you dont take any chances of an infection. I started at a 20 now im at a 14 im taking my time on this so that if i do want to take them out they will close. Im stopping at a 10 or an 8. An the other people are right its not gauging its called stretching. But give the writers a slack people make mistakes. Its human nature | 11/13/2007 |
| sara | its not called gauging!! thats the measurment "gauge". its called stretching so i can tell ur all wanna-bes. | 11/10/2007 |
| Ruby | How do you tell if you had a "blow out" while stretching your ears? | 11/8/2007 |
| Kelsie | This is the most incorrect artice I have ever read. And by the way, its called "stretcing" your ears not gauging. Gauging is the act of measuring. | 11/7/2007 |
| warhammer | so instead of getting them pierced, and gauging it from then, i could get them gauged to a certian point, but it hurts alot? | 11/7/2007 |
| Max Brand | The person that wrote this is horribly misinformed, and is obviously not a professional piercer. I seriously hope that no one reads this and attempts to use it as instructions on how to perform a body modification..... | 11/3/2007 |
| Ben | I didn't use any luvbrication. I didn't even use a professional stretching taper. I mae them at home. As most poeple do I started by stretching it to a 3mm hole. I did this by getting the inside of a ball point pen cutting about half an inch off and then making a celotape cone at the end. This worked. It healed in 2 weeks and i went on to the next. The next one was a 5mm one. I did it exactly the same way except a wrapped the celotape around the tube to make it 5mm then added the cone. This works completly. It stops hurting after 2 days and after about a week or 2 you can either stretch it more or put a plug in. I know people that have used my method to go up to 20mm! and there is no scaring or marks. |
11/2/2007 |
| foo | STRETCHING. You must not be that smart. In fact, I'd wager you're not very smart at all. |
11/1/2007 |
| Brittany | Gauge is the measurement of the jewelry. You stretch your lobes, not gauge them. |
11/1/2007 |
| Lauren | "This might not be accurate, but when I was in college and stretching my ears seven years ago, in Toronto 0 gauge ears were not that common and usually noticed. My humanities professor told me a story about a tribe in Africa where the stretching of your lobes represented knowledge gained through listening. If done correctly, and done over time, you showed years of knowledge obtained from listening to elders with much larger lobes and much more knowledge than you. If you went too fast though, you would mess up your ears and look like someone who was passing themselves off as falsely knowing more than everyone else... the village idiot." Philip Barbosa taken from BMEzine. Learn patience. Don't stretch for the mere sake of trend. Educate yourselves beyond the ignorance of one blog. For the majority of people, stretching ears beyond 4 or 2 gauge is permanent. Trends are temporary. Make sure you're doing this for the right reasons. |
10/31/2007 |
| joe | Please, do not misinform the masses. | 10/31/2007 |
| Mara | Sorry, this is some of the most misinformed garbage I have ever laid my eyes on. So many things are wrong with this it makes me sick. My ears are at 5/8" and they didn't get that way by wasting my money to go to a piercing parlor, OR by using tapers, which are only okay until you get to maybe a 4. And kids, don't stretch your ears if you're not willing to have them for your WHOLE LIFE. Don't do it just to be hip or cool. Do it because you want to. | 10/31/2007 |
| Lauren | i hope nobody frigin takes this article seriously. this is horrible, horrible advice and unless you want your ears to be irretrievably damaged, do not listen to this idiot. go to bmezine . com and get advice from someone that actually knows what they are talking about. | 10/31/2007 |
| Mne | This is blatantly wrong on a number of levels. While I do like that this author says to go to a piercer, saying it only takes two weeks to heal a new stretch is absurd. It can take upwards of 4 months to heal stretches, and, though it feels healed, you will damage your ears irrepairably by stretching faster than this. Also, once you reach larger gauges, your ears will NOT close up again. For example, I am at 7/16", and I should not expect my ears to close much more than a 6g or so--and this is after many years. Also, gauge means "size." The proper term is stretching. |
10/31/2007 |
| Trisha | This article does not use correct terminology or facts. If one were to stretch his/her ears using this information they would tear/damage their lobes, and potential end up with permanent scar tissue. Please, if anyone wants to stretch their lobes or piercings properly consult a professional or a more reliable source. | 10/31/2007 |
| miki | so your ears are healed when you can move the bigger gauge comfortably? kewl. imma go another size up now, then. | 10/31/2007 |
| jonny | well i went from a 0 to 00 and ready for 7/16ths but my right ear has a flod of skin in the back left inside of my ear and peeks out it hurts extremley bad....should i just scrape it off let it heal and then start to stretch again........well i need help b/c i know it sholdnt hurt this bad. | 10/31/2007 |
| KyotE | I talked to a dermatoligest* about closing. There are ways to fix it later. surgery, botox. That kind of thing. It was stated by another resource that over the counter scar meds will help. and anoter thing about etting them to close. when your body feels a sort of pain it wants to heal. So my friend tried this and it worked...when you want to close them, go the ext size up leave it till the pain starts to stop, the go one size down from where the first one is. EX: your at a 4g. go up to a 2 and then down to a 6. wait a couple months go to a 4 and then to a 8. so forth. I am hopeing it works with me too when the time comes, I am a little hesitent rigt now though. I am at a 4. we will see though. |
10/29/2007 |
| alyssa:] | i have 2 gauges in my ears, but in my left one i shoved an 8 in with it so i could get to a 00 faster. yea, its a stupid move but im impatient. on my right ear i shoved a 6 in with a 2, and i just had to take it out because it was hurting extremly bad. i tore the inside of my hole a little but i've done this before and it'll heal in about 2 weeks. it was bleeding and pussing, but in a couple of days, with the help of peroxide and neosporin and hot salt water, itll eventually heal. so to all of you people, USE TAPERS. be smart. | 10/29/2007 |
| stacy | I streched my tonge and my ears my tonge is about a double zero and my ears are about 2inches now I was woundering if I can still close my holes if I wanted | 10/29/2007 |
| Malachi | Gauging hurts. I had mine cut with a scalpel to make them bigger quicker which caused them to take several months to heal. Anyone who tells you that gauging doesn't hurt is full of crap. Don't be cheap and dumb. Go to a piercer with a good reputation to gauge your ears. I started at 18g 2 years ago and am safely at 11"16 of an inch. Don't buy cheap jewelry at the mall either- it will ruin your ears. | 10/29/2007 |
| whitemex 209 | i wanna get a 2 but i am freaked out because of the hole it leaves but it dont matter the only thing im worried about is if they will go back to normal after like 3 years or till i start a career | 10/29/2007 |
| i forget | helpful | 10/29/2007 |
| Piercing geek | Nigga, all you guys are are dumb. this is the thing, your ears wont go back after a 3/4's and thats a fact. but it dose also depend on how fast you heal. But the most commen size you cant go back after would be about a 00 or a 0 and thats not even big. Beleave me I had to convince my perants about leting me get mine up to a 3/4's On of my friends had a 00 and he had to go to the army so he had to take um out and they came back to his normal earing size. So I recomend just going to a 00 And remember to clean it ever morning and every time you go to sleep, because that will help them not get infected. Hope I helped! |
10/28/2007 |
| maree | ok i never gauged my ears before, i want them to be tiny, smaller then a dime i think its a "2" . i need help! i have questions. say i start stretching them and im at like a 2, if i take them out, will they shrink back to the normal size, and how long will it take to shrink back to the point i can wear regular earings? | 10/28/2007 |
| KIMBERLY L. | IT IS AN EFFICIENT WAS TO INFORM INDIVIDUALS WHO CAN'T POSSIBLY FATHOM IN THEIR MINDS ON HOW ONE OBTAINS SUCH LARGE EAR DIAMETER | 10/26/2007 |
| JTryg | Kay, I have 3/4 inche gauges and work as a piercer part time. The key to not ruining your ears? Go slow, it should never hurt but only feel warm. Whne guaging larger sizes use teflon or electrical tape to "wrap" your plugs and get them to a "half size". (Like between 2 and 0, get to the half size of "one") Point of no return? I once saw a guy go up 3 inches and within a month his ears had already shrunk back down to 1/2 inch. It really depends on the person's ability to heal but if you go slowly that ability becomes greater. Also never gauge with a porous material (wood, bone) as your ears may heal to it and rip when it is removed. Glass and metal are the best overall for gauging. Thanks for reading hope I helped! | 10/26/2007 |
| gauger girl | i started out at a 12. then stupidly skipped to 8. hurt like hell but it's all good now. then went from a 8 to a 6 then fours. now i have a four in my right ear adn a 2 in my left because i rarely have cash due to the fact that i am job hunting. i plan to stop at two. when both are the saem size. but then again i planned to stop at 8 and that never happened. my right ear was infected for a while but i just used soap and the infection went away. my eares havent ripped or tore and bled. just a tiny infection and now i clean them like a million times a day. so whats this point of no return nonsense? i knew someone who went to a 00 and took them out and now her ears are normal | 10/25/2007 |
| emo dan | hay it's emo dan again and i just brought my best friend to get her guages done. i have to admit it is very funny watching your friends go into a tatoo parlor.Her guages are pretty rad, they are size 12.That is pretty big to start with.But it was funny wathing her face as salad(piercing person with tatoos of lettuce and tomatoes on her big boobs.pushed a 12 guage needle through her ear.Last night I almost got her a pair or of size 12 plugs.she says that she loves her guages but she won't go bigger than a 10 guage.She also said that she woulden't be dumb as me to get an 8 guage industrial bar through my cartlage. thats all for now.ps. GUAGES ARE AWSOME. | 10/25/2007 |
| Glock | okay i am seeing the length of plugs and tunnels to be 1/2 inch to a 3/8 inch and i want to make sure that they dont hang out of my ears. Also what is the best thing to sleep in the ones i have in my ears now are killin me when i sleep |
10/24/2007 |
| emo dan | I started guaging my cartilage at the end of last year. I started out with a 20guage. Then I went from the 20 to the 16, After about 6 weeks I went up to the 12 then I got bored one day and and pushed through an 8 guage in my cartlage. But now I have an 8guage industrial piercing in. ps. guaging does not hurt but it is awsome to do but don't go bigger than an 8 in cartlage beacause after it hurts. | 10/24/2007 |
| remember | ended up taking it out, closed up to about my first earring size, and is still obviously swollen. i think in about a week i'll go and get them done to a six again, then when they're healed enough to a four. recommendations? |
10/24/2007 |
| :) | Im at half inch.. and i love my gauges. :) |
10/23/2007 |
| Glock | hey you guys i am doing my stretching my self and i was wondering as far as length goes what is the right length like i want a uv tunnel the cheap ones and they come in like 1/2 inch and 3/8 inch and i dont want it to be sticking out of my ear can anyone answer my question thanks | 10/23/2007 |
| dawgy | i went from a normal size earring to a 14 and then to a what i think is a 10. it is the size of think ink thing in a pen. then i tried to but a 6 in, but i couldnt get it. so now i think i'm just going to go to an 8 then a 6 like i should of....but anyone have any better advice.? | 10/23/2007 |
| Not good | If you stretch your ears out to fast your in some doodoo | 10/23/2007 |
| High man | I was gonna gauge my ears but then I got high doo doo doo I was gonna get up and find the taper but I was high doo doo doo Now my ears are still a size 18 and I know why ( why man) because I got high because I got high because I got high! l | 10/23/2007 |
| brigid | ha just kidding. i really have no idea what i' m talking about. i just want people to like me. i want to emo/scene and have gauges. although i don't. but i was hoping to meet someone. i waited awhile and no one has contacted me at my myspace...so anyone want to start chatting? | 10/23/2007 |
| Kayla | hey guys, im new to stretching and about a month ago i got my first stretched to a 6, then a couple of days ago i got it done to a 4 with new wood earrings instead of the stainless steel. It seems overnight, my right earlobe, the wooden plug has sliped out of the back, causing the back hole to close up. The front hole is still there, with the earring in btu the back is entirely closed. It's pretty swollen and its hurts, and i'm thinking i should take it out. any help on what to do ? :( |
10/23/2007 |
| Silverwolf | So I had a minor blowout in my right ear going to 5/8" I know enogh about stretching to do it...I just went too fast....lol anyone know the best to heal it quickly so I can get back to gauging? |
10/19/2007 |
| Ana | i started gauging my ear over the summer [about july] started with 16, went to a 12 then i went from a 12 to a 6 and right not i'm half way from a 6 to a 0 the taper's going in, and it doesn't hurt much and i've been using neosporin on both my ear and the taper but it's a really slow process the 12 took me less than a day to do and the 6 took me about a day and a half i've been trying the 0's for about 2 days now and i'd guess it's about a 2 at the moment, but i'm not sure any suggestions to help the stretching? |
10/19/2007 |
| sergio ibarra | hey i am writing a speech on body art and if you could help me out by saying why you chose to stretch out your ears and why you got tattoos. thanks |
10/19/2007 |
| brigid | like tattoos and peircings, i find stretching your ears very addictive as well. i said i was going to stop about 10 sizes ago, but that never happened. :] | 10/18/2007 |
| brigid | okay. One person is right about the size 2 gauge being the point of no return, but it also really depends on the persons ability to heal. An inch...there is no shrinking back from an inch. Its highly unlikely to happen. You can down size to a smaller gauge, but not to a regular size earing hole. If you wanted to close your ears up, then your best chance would be surgery. the best way to gauge your ear is actually in the shower. You can use soap...it wont bother or cause bacteria build up in your ear, because if you didnt know, soap takes away the bacteria on our body...that is why we use it, as long as you clean them EVERYDAY while you are in the shower. Also the reason why it is best to stretch your ears in the shower is because the steam from the water helps the skin loosing up, so that it is easier to stretch. it is not good to stretch your ears too fast for you can cause your ear to blow out or even keyloid. A blow out is when the fistula, the skin surrounding the inside of the ear, is pushed out to the back and actually dangles in the back of your ear. Also you can cause your ear to actually rip. So, i would suggest to wait atleast a month before gauging your ears again. That way you can avoid problems a little easier. Also...if your ear doesnt stretch the first time, dont try to stretch it over and over again in the same night, because that can also cause your ear to blow out or keyloid, for it causes the skin around the ear to stress out. ALso the smell that you are smelling ISNT the soap or lube that you are using for your ears...it is actually the dead skin cells that are shedding off of your ear on to your gauge. Because if you noticed...even when you have regular earing post in it still smells...and alot of septum peircings smell as well. so please, if you have any questions about ear stretching contact me, because most of these people have no idea of what they are talking about. myspace . com / brigidxlon i had to space out the site because it wouldnt let me post it. |
10/17/2007 |
| MikE_gRUngE | When you go past an inch i think that you cant go back.... Or it will just take a long time to shrink. | 10/15/2007 |
| David | I have 4's in my ears now and I want to go to like 0 or 00 will they heal completely if i go that big or if i went bigger like when cant they heal any more? | 10/13/2007 |
| MikE_gRUngE | well rightnow my left ear is at a 5/8 and my right one is a little past half an inch. I wanna get my right up to the same size as my left but last time a tried that i hella rippd my ear. So yeah its cool that all of you are doing this. It is a good hobby and a good style kudos on all who have gauges. | 10/12/2007 |
| james | you should not skip sizes unless you want your ears to look like the back side of a cat it blows out the skin causing it to scar rather then stretch. | 10/11/2007 |
| Lily | im currently on a zero and like in a week ima go tew 00 and so on...and i only usually wait about a week to go to the next size up...well other ppl wait 2 weeks...is one week okay ...cuz ive done it like that since i first got em....well i went from 14 gauge to 8 gauge...then 4 gauge...then 2 and now zero but i only waited a week on each... | 10/5/2007 |
| blahblah | chris no you can not die. i prefer to do it myself by adding hoop by hoop slowly about every 2 weeks, until the smallest gauge i can get in, then repeat with that gauge in until your at a size you want. found out at a size 2, its big enough for a McDonalds Straw. which helped me gauge mine.. you crease it in half, and put it in, and open it up inside your ear. worked perfect. easy. and took me about 2 months or not even to get to a 2 gauge doing that with the hoops and McDonalds straw. after like 4 months a '0' goes in with ease. |
10/4/2007 |
| Anna | samantha- the gauge size for a normal ear ring is 18 or 20, 20 being the smallest size | 9/30/2007 |
| neli | Whats the smallest size?? | 9/26/2007 |
| Tamara | Good suggestions, the only thing I could spot was the metal earing bit. This is true, it does reduce chance of infection, but be carefull not to wear them in cold tempuratues, the skin in your ear lobe is vulnerable already when you start stretching, and the extreme tempurature metal reaches in the cold could really damage them. Basically, you get frost bite on your ear lobes really easily. | 9/20/2007 |
| Staceface | heyy, i have in those dangling starter gauges or w/e they're called. i have a 14 an 16 of those but i donno how to actually start the gauging part, helpp anyonee myspace url- yikyak92 |
9/16/2007 |
| Riicky | well, i went from no hole to a 2 gauge in one night during 7th grade then a 0 and every 2 weeks i stretched them so 00,then 1/2 then 5/8 then 3/4 then 1 inch and now im in my 3erd year of highschool and i have a 3 incher in, nothing ever ripped or sacrred either. | 9/2/2007 |
| samantha | what is the gauge size of a normal earring? i want to order a pair from hottopic but i dont know the size of a regular earring. please help. |
9/2/2007 |
| brandon | i started gauging my ears at aobut the end of 8th grade at that point i only had my left ear pierced and i was foolish at that time and jump from standard size to a 6g it healed pretty well but then it yank and it ripped it got infected and closed up i then about 6 months later pierced them again and almost imediatly jumped to a 14 after that i went to a 6 and they were great but i lost one and had to go back to my 14's but i got new ones and my second holes pierced which i gauged that day to a 14 i bought some 10's and 8's i made my first holes 8's and my second holes 10's then i jumped from 8 to 4 with my first holes and put the 8's in my second holes but again i lost one of the 8's and just let them close up but my 4's were tapers and extremely long so i cut them into plugs and then i bought some 4g double flared eyelets after i had the eyelets in for about 3 months i decide to stretch again and instead of doing it the right way i shoved a 0g plug in them and they didnt swell didnt rip didn't bleed and healed in about 2 weeks and now i have 0g screwon flesh tunnels and i plan to stretch them to a 00g (my goal size) and i plan to use silcone tunnels fold them and pop them in they expand and stretch out i can't wait to see the results myspace url is 37464270 |
8/26/2007 |
| brian | gauged ears are differn't for everyone. Your ears may or may not heal. I was up to a 5/8" plug and i took them about for about a month and it closed to about a 6 or a 4. I love having them, just know its hard to get jobs with them and also its not a fun process. after half inch for me was alot less painfull. the worst jumps are from 2 to 0 and 0 to 00. Then again it varys for everyone. | 8/25/2007 |
| Anna | So I put a 14 g lime green neon taper into my ear and and wondering do you keep in the taper or do you remove the taper after a little while and replace with a pincher or a plug? | 8/24/2007 |
| Coyd Kills | I'm up to a 2g,its way abtter to do it on your own, And about the 00g thing, He probably didn't have them in long enough, any hole will seal up over time. |
8/24/2007 |
| dylan. | eh guys? my freind was at 00 and he took them out for like 2 months and now there about 6's? i know weird... im at 10 by the way :) thanks guys, anyone know about my freind? | 8/20/2007 |
| ravennn | my ears have been gauged for about 3 years, and i went from a 10 to a 4, without any pain at all, or infection. so i guess it just depends on how able you're earlobes are to stretch..... |
8/20/2007 |
| elizabeth | im starting to gauge my ears from a regular piercing but i got a 4 taper on accident . can i still use it to gauge? | 8/19/2007 |
| tracii t | i gauged my ears from a size 18 to 5 16 within 3 months. i used tapers and silicone plugs. i was cautious and cleaned them often. if you want to gauge them, but also want the choice of letting them go back to normal, either don't go passed 00 or rethink your choice. i think people just know if it's right for them. if you're having any doubts i wouldn't rush into it. i always knew i wanted to gauge mine, and i don't plan on taking them out. also if you're having the problem of people seeing them, maybe at your work or your parents don't permit it, i suggest getting flesh colored plugs. it won't be as noticable. any questions, my url is xtetx |
8/19/2007 |
| nathan | im at 2 inches. im almost 20 and have been stretching since i was 16. the best thing to do is to go slowly and use tape. you can wrap it around your plugs. when they loosen up wrap more tape and put them back in. theres no sense in sliding tapers through your ears. its bad for them. if you do it right you will never have to get scappeld. i got to a inch and a half and had to cut my left ear to 2 inches because i went to fast at times. | 8/18/2007 |
| danny | this article is the very best article I've read so far. I have just started to gauge my ears and these instructions have helped alot | 8/17/2007 |
| sam.. | oh yeah i forgot--whenever i stretched i used aveeno lotion because it keeps your ear moist and makes whatever you put into it slide through. which means it also prevents it from smelling bad. | 8/17/2007 |
| sam.. | im in the seventh grade, and both my ears are a 13/16. i had to take them out for my brothers funeral and they closed in the time of 4 months to a 00. it took me 2 weeks to go back to a 13/16. i dont use tapers, just what i can find around the house.. my myspace is: fullmoon_at_midnight |
8/17/2007 |
| r.killah | In order to join certain branches of the military, the require you to close your ear gauge holes to the point where you can't see through them. I was at a 00g on both ears and now there closed to a size 8g i think. Anyway, one of the only ways I've heard that could fix this problem, would be to get them sewn up. DAMN HUH!?!!! The cheapest that I've found so far was $650 for both ears. So basically, I advise anyone who is planning on joining the military and wants ear gauges to think twice, unless your a big balla! | 8/14/2007 |
| Betchh. | My ears have been gauged sense i was in 8th grade and I am now going to be a 10th grader. I am at 5/8 but it hurt like a bittttch for me going from 1/2 to what i am now. I think I am going to stop soon. It should take awhile from going back from a 2 to a regular size. |
8/14/2007 |
| Bettie | if my ears are gauged to a size two, how long will it take for them to return to a standard peircing size? | 8/13/2007 |
| sahin | where do you buy tapers in victoria (australia |
8/13/2007 |
| Amber | I just gauged my ears to a 10.. the pinchers really work.. honestly once you do it yourself you realize it really doesn't hurt that bad.. you just have to kinda go for it and don't stop until it's done.. my myspace is fiesty40 peace |
8/2/2007 |
| Incognito | I gauged my ears and was going to stay to a 2 but then I got tunnels and get to a 0 then.Then I bought tapers [the almost bullet looking ones for those who don't know] and my ear lobe streched out very fast because of the weight. In less than a day! So I think it also depends on the person... I was able to put the 00 tunnels that same day without a problem. So yeah. I want to go for a half but that's it. These things are addicting! And if you bleed a little I don't think there is need for a whole doctor thing just clean and let it heal and wait a while. My boyfriend loves them =] he can stick his pinky in my ear lobes lol. | 8/2/2007 |
| Jessica-Erin | thanks! i started a year ago and my dad just saw them once i got to a 2G. and now he's flipping out that they'll never close... and blah blah. now i can show my dad this article. |
7/30/2007 |
| Juggalo 4 Lyfe | My ears are only on 3/4 " I want them bigger! whats the next size??? | 7/26/2007 |
| Frank | This article had so many mistakes, and incorrect information. | 7/23/2007 |
| cody. | Well I had to take them out because I had to go to court and all of this BS. |
7/19/2007 |
| Rusty | wow dude ive been gaugin gmy ears for 3 years now and my ears are ALL the way up to 1 1/2 one and one half inch i went way to fast i would sugust waitng 2 to 3 weeks before streching your ears more if u have any questions my myspace url is gotgrillz | 7/18/2007 |
| Cody | Good job,,But its way better to do it yourself than get it professionally done. I gauged mine all the way up to an eight then let it close and Now I'm all the way up to a six. But when ever I guage them I ALWAYS use Pinchers. and I almost have never skipped any size. But the one time I did..It hurt real bad. If you have any questions about gauging,(cuz I've been doing it for 2 years) look me up on myspace my end URL is codyandtheband, I'd love to help, anwsering questions. :] |
7/15/2007 |
| Julia | this was very imformational except the writer seams to stress the safety too often, im concerned it may scare people wanting to stretch thier ears. |
7/12/2007 |
| shelb boy | i gauged my ear out 14 to a 00 with holo plugs and they got ripid out in a fight and i had to git stichis and that was no fun now i am starting to gauge it agin with hoops i went from reagular pearacing size to a 16 then a 12 then a10 now i am a 6 gauge i would neaver use plugs agin i am going to stick with hoop. | 7/9/2007 |
| lilabe | so i just took my gauges out yesterday. i have four total.. my first holes were at 2g and my second holes were at 4g. Ive had them gauged, various sizes, for the past 3 years or so.. but i never really did any research on the effects... now that i am i see that the point of no return is either 2 0 or 00g, and i was just wondering if anyone knew if that just depends on the person, because i was really hoping mine would go back to 18g. | 6/28/2007 |
| L.Davies. | Good article, very informative and helpful for me as a fresh ear-gauger. | 6/27/2007 |
| Ariel | Ugh no when you reach to a 0 gauge there is no point to turn back. It all depends on how your ear will react to the peircing and how well it stretchs or will stretch back. Never skip sizes because that just causes infections and blowing your ear out. Wash it every day and never use wood earings that aren't perfessional made because that'll dry up your ears and they'll rip in half. | 6/8/2007 |
| emo chique | I didn't think it helped very much because it was talking about doing it yourself, I have pierced my ears myself but never gauged them. I am going to a professional place and letting him do it. | 6/7/2007 |
| nancy presnall | dude i really think this is hipster and i am going to a double zero in about three days and i am super psyiced !!! | 5/30/2007 |
| fixted gooded | If you gauge your ears do sea salt soaks twice a day. 8 oz. (1 cup) of warm water and 1 teaspoon of salt. It soothes your ears and draws out impurities. Don't use alcohol or Hydrogen Peroxide because it kills healing tissue and causes more trouble than it could ever solve. If you have pure Vitamin E oil (not mixed with anything else....you can pop that capsules) do vitamin E oil massages at least once a day and try to take out your ear rings for a little each day. It improves circulation and thickens your lobes. If you have trouble re-inserting your jewlery (which you shouldn't) use a water based lubricant and a taper to re-insert your jewlery. Gauging your ears takes time and care so if you don't plan on taking the steps you need to keep your ears healthy, don't even bother gauging because your ears will look like crap. | 4/19/2007 |
| Bamlikewoah | Wow. The fistula can take up to a month or more to heal. Every serious gauger gauges with no less than a month and a half between each stretch...the every other month rule. Very important for thick and healthy lobes. | 4/18/2007 |
| Maria | i just gauged mine to a size 14 ...still very small. |
4/18/2007 |
| chy | by the way the hole that connects from front to back is called a fitsula (sp) and it takes more then a week to heal! dummy! | 4/18/2007 |
| chy | I have a size one inch gauge and you should be more specific on the pain issues and "lube" actually can actually have dirt and more bacteria caught into the gauge. Saliva works well. And the smell is plasma and trapt sweat shampoo and soap stuck in the gauge! :) |
4/18/2007 |
| true_piercer | Who-ever wrote this article is very misinformed. Go to bmezine (dot com) for better tips on ear stretching. Most of the stuff in this article is not correct so I wouldn't rely on this to gauge your ears because that would be very stupid. bmezine (dot com) is a body modification website and it covers everything and is written by people who actually know what they are talking about. As a piercer, I would not trust this information. I see someone else just posted before me and by the name I am assuming they are also a piercer so trust the professionals and not some misinformed person with no training. I needed to write the website link like that because it won't allow me to post links. | 4/12/2007 |
| just a piercer | When you get pierced with a piercing needle it doesn't remove skin...something most people don't know. It creates a slit. Getting a piercing that is a large gauge will not mean the hole can't get smaller and gauging it doesn't gaurantee it will get smaller either. A hole is a hole...no matter how it got there it will either close or get smaller...even stay the same. Pierced or gauged there is a good chance it may not go back to a smaller or original size after a certain gauge...normally 2 g. | 4/12/2007 |
| Kelly flanagan | I also forgot to mention that a 2 gauge is considered the point of no return which means its less of a chance your ears will ever shrink to a normal 20 or 18 g. Think before you stretch... | 4/7/2007 |
| Kelly flanagan | Actually it can take up to a month or more to heal and it should not be painful just uncomforatble. If you have issues see your piercer cuz usually docs arent educated on piercings just the infections. Use a water based lube to stretch not oil or petrol jelly. Also gold and silver are not good metals for a healing stretch or piercing. Steel needs to be surgical grade and even if u feel no pain it doesnt mean the piercing is fully healed or ready to stretch. | 4/3/2007 |
| Kay's H03 | Yeah, i've been thinking about doing it for ahile now. Thanks for the information. And im deff. doing it with her. :] | 4/2/2007 |
| denalyn's hoe | thanks for all the info i can't wait to try it i think i'll go have it done with my best friend though |
4/2/2007 |
| jj | uh, i still think im gunna do it on my own. | 3/27/2007 |
| 9 | you shouldnt use oil based lubricants or petrolium jelly to lubricate teh jewlery it clogs up your pores and doesnt let your piercing breath or heal, use water based lubricants like k-y and wash the ear and piercing with antibactrial soap like dial or something it should have the active ingredient TRICLOSAN, don't use alcohol it doesnt kill the bacteria on jewlery. | 3/25/2007 |
| lovedit | I gauged my ears and i loved it SO much!!!! DO IT!!! | 3/17/2007 |
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