Stretching

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Monday July 21st, 2008 @ 4:58 PM

Filed under: Ear, Lip/Cheek

I have been gauging my ears for about 4 years now. I recently reached the size 7/8. I have always taken very good care of my years and try to take my time gauging so that I do not mess up my ears or get any blow outs. When I was at size 8 in my right year I got hit at work and became infected. I immediately removed it, cleaned it, kept any jewelry out of it and let it heal completely. I had to re-pierce it and re-gauge it. Knowing that my ear now had scar-tissue I was very careful when gauging that ear. Instead of tapering them I would get gauges that were double flared and simply wrap a layer of tape around them every so often allowing me to stretch it slowly and without much pain.

When I reached 3/4 I did the same thing. I rapped tape around them until they were about the size of 7/8. Here was my first mistake. The 7/8 I put in was silicon. The measurements of the taped gauge to 7/8 was larger then I had expected. After putting in the 7/8 my ear got very swollen and red. After a little less than a week the swelling went down so I decided to keep them in. My ear then started getting very dry and flaky and started to puss. The back of my ear was also so swollen that it was going over the back lip of the gauge. My ear constantly was pussing and had a very small amount of blood coming out whenever I touched the back. I had to actually cut the gauge out of my ear because it was so tight. Once I got the gauge out I discovered I had a pretty bad rip and my ear was a little blown out. I took out my jewelry, washed all the shit out, washed it with saline solution and put some neuo-sporn on it. I’m not sure what I should do next. I definitely want to re-gauge them when I am able to, but until I would like to know the best way to take care of them and get them back into a better condition.

I realize this is a “losing battle”, and most of the time I just let it go…just can’t do it this time. And please…don’t take it personally…because you’re far from the only person doing this.

1) It isn’t called gauging. It is called stretching. You stretch your piercings, you don’t gauge them. While “gauging” can be a verb, there is no definition that refers to making something bigger by “gauging it”. Much to my dismay, there probably will be one day because the word is mis-used with such regularity now.

2) They aren’t called gauges. They are called plugs or eyelets or hell…even spacers if you must. But not “gauges”. Gauges, in this context, refer to a unit of measurement. 8 gauge. 6 gauge. 00 gauge. Not, “Hey, I really dig your gauges.”

Now…on to the question at hand. First of all, I’m sorry you are having trouble with your ears, especially if you’ve taken so much care with them over the years. Unfortunately, this stuff happens from time-to-time.

The best thing you can do for your lobes right now is to leave them be. Don’t wear any jewelry in them…even if it’s significantly smaller than what you were wearing. Your ears need absolutely no trauma right now. They need to be treated with care and gentleness. You shouldn’t try to do a bunch of stuff to them or put a bunch of stuff on them. Your body knows exactly what it needs to do to heal them…so let it do its thing.

You should be able to ~~re-gauge~~ re-stretch them at a later time. However, you need to give them lots of time before you start this process again. Without seeing exactly what is going on with your ears, I can’t say for sure…but I would imagine you need at least a month before you put something back in. From there, you will need to take the process VERY slowly.

Silicone can be a wonderful material for many people. I personally wear it without any problems. However, it also has the potential to do some serious damage when used for stretching.

Best of luck.

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13 Responses to “Stretching”

ok so I’ve been stretching for some over a year now. I’m at 00 and I just wanted to know if that’s too short a time to be at 00? I started off pierced at 10g and waited about 3 months between each stretch after that. (I was stupid and stretched from an 8 to a 6 in 3 days luckily for me I suffered no blowouts and a minor tear in both lobes. I really paid in pain with that one). I’ve only had my 00’s for 3 weeks and I bought 7/16″ tapers. (hell no am I thinking of putting those puppies in just yet I’m waiting at least 2 more months) but is that enough time? should I give it more? I have double-flared plugs in now and they pop in and out without issues or pain but I hear from 00 to 7/16 is a considerable jump. what say you on the matter? (I’ve read a lot on stretching but I’m still pretty much a novice and try my best to always consult professionals before doing something stupid).

thanks

Dani on August 15th, 2008 at 12:40 pm

everyones body reacts differently to stretching. personally i wait about 3 months in between stretches as long long as my ear is healthy and the stretch isnt very painful. i also use bio oil which is like a vitamin e oil to aid in my stretching. but some people have to wait much longer and only you can really know what works for your ears. just listen to your body and if your ears really hurt after a stretch then downsize and wait longer. its better to wait and have beautiful lobes then rush and have horrible blow outs or worse.

knucklehead nick on September 11th, 2008 at 6:26 pm

my left earlobe on the outside is thin like i think 3mm how strong is that? can it rip easely?

cpttight on September 18th, 2008 at 6:16 am

Ive been stretching my ears for about a month and i went from 16gauge to 9/16 and yeah it hurt really bad but ive really had no problems. Ive had very little bleeding but no tears. So with my ears being very cooperative with my fast stretching should i continue stretching them this fast?

tyson on September 21st, 2008 at 12:38 am

Tyson: That depends, how excited are you going to be about the massive blowouts and cat’s arses that your earlobes are going to rockin’ as they heal? And just so you know, “hurt really bad” is a pretty good indicator of problems when stretching piercings.

Lori St.Leone on September 22nd, 2008 at 8:03 am

I’m with Lori. You need to slow WAY down with the stretching. It might seem “fine” now, but at some point, it’s very much not going to be if you keep up that kind of pace.

And just so you know, when you say:

“Ive had very little bleeding but no tears”

The only thing that causes bleeding…is tears in the skin. So, if you’ve bled, you’ve torn.

Derek Lowe on September 22nd, 2008 at 10:30 am

Hmmm… at 1mm every 3 days or so, I’d probably give it a break after a couple of years to be safe. Nice 8-10″ plugs are hard to find unless you’re willing to settle for the cheap SE Asian crap.

Seriously, if it’s only been a month there’s still some hope you haven’t permanently screwed your ears beyond repair. Take out the jewelry and show your lobes some love… I’ve never had pierced/stretched lobes and can’t pretend to give you any advice but every week or two someone asks the same damn question about dealing with blowouts and the nice bme folks answer it patiently time and again.

Search AskBME for “stretching”, sit down and read for half an hour and you’ll find stacks of well answered questions from people who’ve also stretched way too fast (although I think you may have set a new record for pace with this one). There are lots of products which help sore/damaged lobes. Use them, let your ears close up as best as possible, and then leave your lobes alone for at least a year or two. Stretching that far in a month isn’t just a bit too fast, it’s 10-20x too fast.

redeye on September 23rd, 2008 at 12:27 am

ok i stretched my ears for a month but thats been over 2 months ago so my ears have no prolems they have not hardened, im not saying there wont be any problems with them but they seem fine. and sorry im not clear enough on what i say but when i said tear i meant like a very bad tear but they only bled one time. but anyways i get the point slow down, i figured that but i wanted to see what yall would say. ok kidds thanks for all the love youve shown and if u have any other advice fo me just tell it like ya mean it.

love,
TYSON

tyson on September 23rd, 2008 at 9:15 pm

the answers on this page have helped me incredibly, as i just purchased some acrylic size zero tapers and stretched my ear from a two. it hurt, and now realize that i should have stayed at a two for more than the month that i had them in. after only two days me ears bled a little, and then i took them out to clean the dried blood and discovered puss as well as blood. i typically wait a month or a little longer to stretch form size to size but now, i am defiantly going to wait a longer period of time.

nick on January 25th, 2009 at 7:34 pm

Hey, I recently tried stretching up from a 2 to a 0, and I got SOOOO close before it got too swollen, so I stopped, not wanting to experience the “blow out” that is so commonly talked about.

Well, my right lobe turned out to be stretched a little farther than the left, and seems to hurt a little more as well, along with the slight bleeding. But I clean them 2 times a day and I know they aren’t infected. I’m afraid I may have blown my right lobe out… I was looking at the back with a mirror and theres a very small cut along the edge of the circle. But not flaps of skin sticking off of it. Is there any way I can make sure its blown? And what do I do to make it heal? Are there any consequences I should know about if it IS blown?

Sylvia on February 6th, 2009 at 3:00 am

Honestly, you only have one set of ears. I can speak from experiance. I am normally really good about stretching, but I just bought my 1/2″ a week after i stretched to a 7/16″ with no problem. I experianced alot of pain. More than usual. But I saw no blood. After I saw the swelling and pain wasn’t going down I decidied to take them out and see what was up. I had a couple of bad tears on each of my lobes. They were terrible infected. I am now using emu oil 3 times a day, and it has been a miracle worker. My ears will eventually heal, but I’m not sure how well. I will probably never have the same earlobes I once knew, and I will have scar tissue for the rest of my life. Due to the scar tissue being so bad I will never be able to stretch my ears after that. I probably shouldnt either way considering I am going to be a Music Teacher.

Elaina on May 16th, 2009 at 9:47 pm

My ears are at 1 inch. It took my one year to get to an inch from a 00. Someone told me that was unhealthy for my ears, blah blah blah. But my ears are fine, and my body heals really well. What’s your opinion?

Lacey on July 21st, 2009 at 2:06 am

My personal favorite is when people say they “gouge” their ears.

amanda on November 4th, 2009 at 4:24 pm

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ok so I’ve been stretching for some over a year now. I’m at 00 and I just wanted to know if that’s too short a time to be at 00? I started off pierced at 10g and waited about 3 months between each stretch after that. (I was stupid and stretched from an 8 to a 6 in 3 days luckily for me I suffered no blowouts and a minor tear in both lobes. I really paid in pain with that one). I’ve only had my 00’s for 3 weeks and I bought 7/16″ tapers. (hell no am I thinking of putting those puppies in just yet I’m waiting at least 2 more months) but is that enough time? should I give it more? I have double-flared plugs in now and they pop in and out without issues or pain but I hear from 00 to 7/16 is a considerable jump. what say you on the matter? (I’ve read a lot on stretching but I’m still pretty much a novice and try my best to always consult professionals before doing something stupid).

thanks
Dani on August 15th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
everyones body reacts differently to stretching. personally i wait about 3 months in between stretches as long long as my ear is healthy and the stretch isnt very painful. i also use bio oil which is like a vitamin e oil to aid in my stretching. but some people have to wait much longer and only you can really know what works for your ears. just listen to your body and if your ears really hurt after a stretch then downsize and wait longer. its better to wait and have beautiful lobes then rush and have horrible blow outs or worse.
knucklehead nick on September 11th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
my left earlobe on the outside is thin like i think 3mm how strong is that? can it rip easely?
cpttight on September 18th, 2008 at 6:16 am
Ive been stretching my ears for about a month and i went from 16gauge to 9/16 and yeah it hurt really bad but ive really had no problems. Ive had very little bleeding but no tears. So with my ears being very cooperative with my fast stretching should i continue stretching them this fast?
tyson on September 21st, 2008 at 12:38 am
Tyson: That depends, how excited are you going to be about the massive blowouts and cat’s arses that your earlobes are going to rockin’ as they heal? And just so you know, “hurt really bad” is a pretty good indicator of problems when stretching piercings.
Lori St.Leone on September 22nd, 2008 at 8:03 am
I’m with Lori. You need to slow WAY down with the stretching. It might seem “fine” now, but at some point, it’s very much not going to be if you keep up that kind of pace.

And just so you know, when you say:

“Ive had very little bleeding but no tears”

The only thing that causes bleeding…is tears in the skin. So, if you’ve bled, you’ve torn.
Derek Lowe on September 22nd, 2008 at 10:30 am
Hmmm… at 1mm every 3 days or so, I’d probably give it a break after a couple of years to be safe. Nice 8-10″ plugs are hard to find unless you’re willing to settle for the cheap SE Asian crap.

Seriously, if it’s only been a month there’s still some hope you haven’t permanently screwed your ears beyond repair. Take out the jewelry and show your lobes some love… I’ve never had pierced/stretched lobes and can’t pretend to give you any advice but every week or two someone asks the same damn question about dealing with blowouts and the nice bme folks answer it patiently time and again.

Search AskBME for “stretching”, sit down and read for half an hour and you’ll find stacks of well answered questions from people who’ve also stretched way too fast (although I think you may have set a new record for pace with this one). There are lots of products which help sore/damaged lobes. Use them, let your ears close up as best as possible, and then leave your lobes alone for at least a year or two. Stretching that far in a month isn’t just a bit too fast, it’s 10-20x too fast.
redeye on September 23rd, 2008 at 12:27 am
ok i stretched my ears for a month but thats been over 2 months ago so my ears have no prolems they have not hardened, im not saying there wont be any problems with them but they seem fine. and sorry im not clear enough on what i say but when i said tear i meant like a very bad tear but they only bled one time. but anyways i get the point slow down, i figured that but i wanted to see what yall would say. ok kidds thanks for all the love youve shown and if u have any other advice fo me just tell it like ya mean it.

love,
TYSON
tyson on September 23rd, 2008 at 9:15 pm
the answers on this page have helped me incredibly, as i just purchased some acrylic size zero tapers and stretched my ear from a two. it hurt, and now realize that i should have stayed at a two for more than the month that i had them in. after only two days me ears bled a little, and then i took them out to clean the dried blood and discovered puss as well as blood. i typically wait a month or a little longer to stretch form size to size but now, i am defiantly going to wait a longer period of time.
nick on January 25th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
Hey, I recently tried stretching up from a 2 to a 0, and I got SOOOO close before it got too swollen, so I stopped, not wanting to experience the “blow out” that is so commonly talked about.

Well, my right lobe turned out to be stretched a little farther than the left, and seems to hurt a little more as well, along with the slight bleeding. But I clean them 2 times a day and I know they aren’t infected. I’m afraid I may have blown my right lobe out… I was looking at the back with a mirror and theres a very small cut along the edge of the circle. But not flaps of skin sticking off of it. Is there any way I can make sure its blown? And what do I do to make it heal? Are there any consequences I should know about if it IS blown?
Sylvia on February 6th, 2009 at 3:00 am
Honestly, you only have one set of ears. I can speak from experiance. I am normally really good about stretching, but I just bought my 1/2″ a week after i stretched to a 7/16″ with no problem. I experianced alot of pain. More than usual. But I saw no blood. After I saw the swelling and pain wasn’t going down I decidied to take them out and see what was up. I had a couple of bad tears on each of my lobes. They were terrible infected. I am now using emu oil 3 times a day, and it has been a miracle worker. My ears will eventually heal, but I’m not sure how well. I will probably never have the same earlobes I once knew, and I will have scar tissue for the rest of my life. Due to the scar tissue being so bad I will never be able to stretch my ears after that. I probably shouldnt either way considering I am going to be a Music Teacher.
Elaina on May 16th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
My ears are at 1 inch. It took my one year to get to an inch from a 00. Someone told me that was unhealthy for my ears, blah blah blah. But my ears are fine, and my body heals really well. What’s your opinion?
Lacey on July 21st, 2009 at 2:06 am
My personal favorite is when people say they “gouge” their ears.
amanda on November 4th, 2009 at 4:24 pm

Stretching

«« Importance of black outlines on tattoos? Stretching a dermal-punched helix: yay or nay? »»

Monday July 21st, 2008 @ 4:58 PM

Filed under: Ear, Lip/Cheek

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13 Responses to “Stretching”

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