Stretching my ears.

[Dottie Darling]

For some time now I have wanted to stretch my ears and I'm finally going to do it! Since I have, obviously, not done this before and I'm not a professional I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions or advice.

Particularly on proper cleaning procedures, how long I should wait before going bigger, things of that nature.

Thank you bunches.

xoxo Dottie

[Panda]

I'm sure you've probably heard, but just a double warning... once you gauge your earlobes, they never go back to their normal state. If you want them regular again, you have to have plastic surgery to have them cut and restitched, and they never really look the same. That being said, gauging is really something you should have done (or at least started) by a reputable professional piercer. Ears get infected pretty easily, so you'll want to clean with Bactine, or some other kind of antibiotic solution. They also tear, so you'll have to be extremely careful. Other than that, I would really suggest going to a professional and be like, 300% sure you're ok with the committment.

xoxo
Panda

[Kat Von Chesticles]

H2Ocean is great for piercings.. I always use it on all my piercings and is great for antibacterial and healing

What gauge are you aiming for?

[Zombie Kitten Originals]

hey Dottie,
I am an ex-body body piercer. GO SLOW stretching your ears. DON'T skip guages. You can stretch your ears every two to three weeks. The first few days you stretch them...your ears will swell, be red and tender and leak plasma<---oh yeah and don't think blood plasma dried on your jewelry is an infection.

I would say from 14g to about 6g is fine to do by yourself. Any bigger have a pro do it. The larger you get, the more chance in getting tears (and the more painful it gets).

For aftercare. There are all kinds of fancy aftercare products these days...but really Dial soap is just fine, I have used it for a decade! Aftercare for stretching is simple. (I just washed mine while in the shower- really it is that simple) ALSO check out this site:
www.safepiercing.org

As for ears looking funny. You can go back to a very close to normal look (but it takes a few years) all you do is don't abuse your ears in the stretching process and don't go bigger than 2g.

[Edson Carlos]

Hold up, you mean the holes? You don't look "mean" enough to rock that look IMHO, keep it clean DD!

[Miss Lorin Rose]

how i started stretching my ears is that i got my ears re-pierced with an 8 gauge needle.....hurt like a b****, but it got the job done.....from there, you can use tapers (those icicle looking things) or just slowly go up in gauge sized earrings. be careful not to stretch your ears too fast, let them heal between sizes (1-2 months) and don't jump sizes drastically; you can easily tear your earlobes and cause scar tissue...then your lobes will look like worn out porno buttholes.....pretty gross.

cleaning is easy, i suggest dial antibacterial soap whenever your in the shower. but i have to warn you, the bigger you go, the worse your ears will smell......yes, they smell.

[Dottie Darling]

Don't worry DC, I'm not going to be walking around with basketball hoops in my ears. lol.

I'm not entirely sure how big I'll go but I don't intend on getting anything huge. I want to keep it simple.

Daddy Cool said:

Hold up, you mean the holes? You don't look "mean" enough to rock that look IMHO, keep it clean DD!

[Dottie Darling]

Yeah my ears felt like they were burning for a few minutes. Right now I'm ok, only slight pain.

Zombie Kitten said:

hey Dottie,
I am an ex-body body piercer. GO SLOW stretching your ears. DON'T skip guages. You can stretch your ears every two to three weeks. The first few days you stretch them...your ears will swell, be red and tender and leak plasma<---oh yeah and don't think blood plasma dried on your jewelry is an infection.

I would say from 14g to about 6g is fine to do by yourself. Any bigger have a pro do it. The larger you get, the more chance in getting tears (and the more painful it gets).

For aftercare. There are all kinds of fancy aftercare products these days...but really Dial soap is just fine, I have used it for a decade! Aftercare for stretching is simple. (I just washed mine while in the shower- really it is that simple) ALSO check out this site:
www.safepiercing.org

As for ears looking funny. You can go back to a very close to normal look (but it takes a few years) all you do is don't abuse your ears in the stretching process and don't go bigger than 2g.

[PunkGirl_Inc]

I was never a piercer, but I've been getting piercings, tattoos, sold body jewelery and have known SO MANY people in the industry.. for about 12 years.. so take my advice as a semi-professional.. haha..
If you stretch your ears from a regular sized piercing, they WILL go back to normal. I have had mine from double zero back to regular, back to double zero... its just a matter of patience.
And the time to heal is dependent upon each person... when your ears are no longer red and hurt.. then go to the next gauge.. and they are right, NEVER skip gauges.. it MAY rip your earlobe.. and then you have to have a medical surgeon sew them back together!
Its all about what you personally are comfortable with.. I have heard of piercers telling people that they can stretch a new gauge every other week or wait 3 weeks.. honestly, everyone heals differently.. so when you're ready.. even if it takes 2 months..do it!! No one ever said it was a fast process.. haha

And use a lubricant.. A and D ointment, or even neosporin.. it helps the new gauges go in easier, and will help it heal faster!!

Even use tapers if you cant get the next gauge in.. you can get them at any piercing/tattoo shop...even hot topic sells decent ones... watch the material though..the spiral tapers or curved tapers in glass or bone are VERY nice because you can wear them while they slowly stretch your ears a few gauges... just play with them while you watch tv.. or are on the internet.. sitting at work.. etc.. they will stretch..trust me.
and if you buy your next gauge jewelery from a good tattoo/piercing place.. they'll usually offer to stretch them in FOR you.. now THATS the way to go if you cant stand hurting yourself!!

ALSO.. materials are important!! I would suggest using NO FLARE glass or bone or stone plugs to start.. metal sometimes irritates.. unless it is Niobium or titanium.. and they can get $$.. the glass and such slides in easier and makes the pain a lot less.. even look for the silicone plugs once you get around 4g.. they are AMAZING! they dont hurt or weigh your earlobes down.. and if you wanna stretch, you just fold them in half, lube them up, and slide them in!! it help with tweezers or forceps.. still hurts. but not as much "pushing"..
Its a great addition to anyone's look.. you can hide them with plugs that have jewels, and they just look like big 'ol diamond earrings!!
Sorry if i went on and on.. it's something im kind of passionate about.. let me know if you have any more ??s... HOPE I HELPED!!

[Soda Shop Sue]

not fully true... i had my ears streched to ZERO Gauge, and took them out, and desided to keep em out, they shrunk back.... FULLY.... it has been a few years since i had them, but i had them in longer then they have been out...

DONT GET YouR EARS CUT, it amy be a vintage way of doing things now!!!!!! STRETCH THEM!!!!!!
they used to cut them in, too.... SiCK
i think streched holes are sexy, and i think you would suit them Dottie~!
xoxo Soda Shop Sue
Panda said:

I'm sure you've probably heard, but just a double warning... once you gauge your earlobes, they never go back to their normal state. If you want them regular again, you have to have plastic surgery to have them cut and restitched, and they never really look the same. That being said, gauging is really something you should have done (or at least started) by a reputable professional piercer. Ears get infected pretty easily, so you'll want to clean with Bactine, or some other kind of antibiotic solution. They also tear, so you'll have to be extremely careful. Other than that, I would really suggest going to a professional and be like, 300% sure you're ok with the committment.

xoxo
Panda

[Delyssia LaBelle {Madam}]

cool dottie. its cool my roomates, one stretched her ears quite large, (which are allways big and she cant wear ref earrings, but she dosnt care she loves it) and the other stretched them a little so she could wear some of the smaller gaged pieces, but she could still wear reg earrings. they both love it. the best thing is to keep your jewelry hypoallergenic and use emu oil when your dry!

[Dottie Darling]

Why are materials important? What is the difference in each?

[Edson Carlos]

Emu or Emo oil? Either way I gotcha covered...

Delyssia LaBelle said:

cool dottie. its cool my roomates, one stretched her ears quite large, (which are allways big and she cant wear ref earrings, but she dosnt care she loves it) and the other stretched them a little so she could wear some of the smaller gaged pieces, but she could still wear reg earrings. they both love it. the best thing is to keep your jewelry hypoallergenic and use emu oil when your dry!