Monday July 21st, 2008 @ 4:58 PM
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.
+31 / 35 votes 
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Posted by Derek Lowe | Permalink | 13 Comments
Monday July 21st, 2008 @ 3:02 AM
Filed under: Ear
Hi There,
I had my tragus pierced a week ago at a professional piercing place with a bar. It has healed really well, no puss etc etc and I have been cleaning it twice a day with ‘protat’ (the Australian version of ear solution) and salt water bath.
I have noticed however that I have excruciating dental pain on the right side of my face (same side as piercing) in the upper two back teeth in my jaw. I saw the dentist three days later who confirmed I have an impacted wisdom tooth however it is on the BOTTOM jaw and not the TOP. I havent been to see the specialist yet however I find it hard to believe that an impacted wisdom tooth on my bottom teeth could be causing pain in the top two back teeth - so close to my piercing.
To touch the piercing itself (which i do not do often) is not too bad. It is not red and i have no problems with using a cue tip to massage the solution or salt in. I can sleep on it (probably shouldnt) and do not feel pain, though sometimes a dull ache. I have also had my belly button and tongue pierced (took tongue out) and two piercings in each of my lobes. I also have two tattoos.
On a pain scale - getting it done didn’t hurt that much at all (supposed to be the worst - though..i did fall asleep getting my tattoo done! hehe) - it is the dental pain that is KILLING me! Can’t get in to see the specialist for another two weeks. In the meantime I am drinking heaps of water, keeping the piercing clean, and taking a crap load of pain killers for my teeth. My dentist also put me on antibiotics for the wisdom tooth and said it wouldnt hurt my piercing either (i mentioned the pain to her - and she didn’t think that it would be from my piercing - though she was a dentist and not a dental surgeon).
Thoughts/suggestions/ideas? Have you ever heard of a Tragus piercing causing severe dental pain? I have heard of headaches for the first two to three weeks - but agonising dental pain? I don’t want to have my wisdom teeth ripped out for nothing! Hehe. I would appreciate if you could email
First thing first: throw out the Protat
Protat contains a harsh chemical additive that’s very dehydrating and damaging to newly forming skin cells. It should not be used at all, or even the amount of times most Australian piercers are suggesting.
The only thing you should be doing is the salt water soaks and even then, that requires a precise measurement of water and salt. Or visit a chemist and obtain 0.9% Wound Irrigation Sterile Saline.
As for the pain you’re feeling, welcome to the world of impacted Wisdom Teeth. The pain will vary from individual to individual, but personally, my wisdom teeth made me feel like my head was going to explode. I had shooting pains and serious migraines and I do not recommend anyone go through what I had to go through, I was side-lined for almost 4 weeks after my wisdom teeth removal.
If you need your wisdom teeth removed, they have to be removed…And its very unlikely that getting your tragus pierced is what’s causing the dental pain, if you’ve had an actual dentist,etc confirm your wisdom teeth need removing.
+6 / 12 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 3 Comments
Sunday July 20th, 2008 @ 1:04 AM
Filed under: Ear
A friend of mine went to a studio about a month ago and had the her outer conch dermal punched at a 0 gauge. It was punch at a 0 and 0 jewelry inserted, with no stretching. It’s been a month so far and there seems to be very little healing, and in fact the jewelry, though it is flared, has been sinking into the hole. (I know a picture would help right about now, sorry) I’m just wondering if not stretching the hole after punching it is causing these problems, or if it’s normal for a large gauge cartilage punch to take this long before showing signs of healing.
Stretching a punched hole after punching is a good way to reduce bleeding. However, if anything it would be the source of more problems, not prevent them. From what you describe it sounds like the piercer used too small a piece of jewelry. It could be caused by something else altogether, but I assure you it is not a result of NOT stretching after the punch.
+5 / 9 votes
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Posted by Sean Philips | Permalink | 1 Comment
Friday July 18th, 2008 @ 9:48 PM
Filed under: Ear
I have been stretching my ears for almost 2 years now, and this just past march accomplished the measurment of 1 1/4, and of course I was ecstatic! Unfortunately, in my first year of stretching my lobes, I had blown out my ears, and are left with some hefty scar tissue. The scar tissue appeared as I hit 7/8’s, which was a year ago June, so I have had it for a while.
Anyways!
This scar tissue has obviously had a negative effect on the overall look of my earlobes, but much more that other people with blowouts I have seen. If I keep my plugs in for any time over maybe 3 hours, the blowouts get extremely red, and begin to have drastic swelling if left in for more than a couple days. This was the worst when I had stretched to 1 1/4. I had the plugs in (one pair was made out of raintree wood, and after thinking it might have been the wood I made a pair of walnut plugs wrapped with tape)for 2 or 3 months, when I finally took them out for a couple weeks and went down to 1 inch. I had previously taken my plugs out totally for about a month and a half at an attempt to rid myself of the scar tissue but due to not keeping them out long enough this did nothing for them. Unfortunately this downtime has not helped the looks of them at all. What can I do to get rid of the redness and swelling?
Two years to get at an Inch and a Quarter? What were you pierced at originally? In fact don’t answer that, I don’t want to know or even think about it. Just know that the time frame you’ve listed, is too fast…What’s done is done. Now lets correct this issue.
Step 1: Take your jewelry out and leave them out for quite a long period of time. Massaging your lobes daily with: high quality extra virgin olive oil, neem oil, Holy Butt’r, Shea Butter, jojoba oil, emu oil, any of these products or anything that seems to work nicely on your lobes.
You’re going to have to downsize, and NOT wear ANY jewelry, until the blow outs re-absorb into your body. This could take a month it could take two years, its subjective to how your body wants to react to the situation.
Step 2: Put whatever slides in comfortably into your lobes and leave your ears at that size for roughly 2 years before you even consider the option of stretching to a larger size.
This may not be what you wanted to hear, but if you have the type of blow outs you’re describing, this is your first mode of attack. If they do not go away after doing steps 1 and 2 the other option is to visit a medical practitioner who is capable of removing the blow outs.
+29 / 45 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 2 Comments
Friday July 18th, 2008 @ 9:35 PM
Filed under: Ear
How permanent would a conch punch/stretch be, and do you know anyone in particular I should travel to to get this procedure done in southern Ontario, Canada?
Permanent as in how? Permanent in the way that you’re coring out tissue and cartilage, thus completely removing a circular hole out from your ear? From the sounds of that, provided you heal it, it’s going to be pretty darn permanent. Sure if you take it out after it’s healed it’ll shrink up a tad, but if you take it out early in the healing stage it will quite often seal up (the cartilage gone but the tissue grows and seals the hole up).
Expect punching to be a permanent change in your body and is something to full comprehend before you go around asking for it, or having a piercer try to talk you into it.
Also know whether piercers will try and set punches are legal for them to use, the reality is its also ILLEGAL for them to use…Welcome to the very grey area of trying to define what is a medical tool and what isn’t. Sure the area’s health department might say: “Sure yo can use it” the Health Department doesn’t govern over such legal matters, the inspectors only care about current guidelines/protocols. As all it will take is for one client to get their ear/nose/whatever punched and messed up and a lawsuit to be filed. And presto you’re slapped with a practicing medicine without a license lawsuit.
Much like in Canada its legal for someone to buy a syringe and xylocaine. They can even put the xylocaine into the syringe. However you are legally not allowed to inject the xylocaine into anyone. You can squirt it onto them, but not inject it into them.
Just out of curiosity though where in Southern Ontario are you, as that’s a rather broad range with plenty of cities within its region. Toronto? Hamilton? St.Catharines? Niagara Falls? Mississauga? Guelph? Southern Ontario is a very vague generalization and if you could provide us with an exact location it’d make pointing in the right direction easier.
Also remember there’s LOTS of piercers “playing doctor” and wanting to play with this type of equipment. However there’s only a small number of artists I’d trust, in Southern Ontario, to use a Biopsy/Dermal Punch and use it properly and effectively.
0 / 16 votes 
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | Comments
Friday July 18th, 2008 @ 6:53 AM
Filed under: Ear
I recently made a trip to a new piercing place and i found some fossilized mastodon ivory plugs they are so brutal however they are at 3/4 and im at 5/8 so i was trying to find some cheap stainless steel tunnels to gauge up however given the size it has proven difficult to find an affordable price so i was wondering if anybody had some good links with variety and affordability in mind!
Variety and Affordability…..Hmmmmm….Cheap…..
These are things a Jedi craves not…
The reality is if you want quality, WHICH YOUR BODY DESERVES, you’re going to have to pay a bit more then the Tree Fiddy that that no good Loch Ness Monsta is gonna be axin for!
Steel, Titanium, Gold, most metals are sky-rocketing in price…It’s all apart of that HUGE escalating number that is available to put on websites,etc that shows just how much the wars are costing us. Oil, Metal, everything is going UP UP UP UP UP in price. And sadly we the people of the world have to suffer and cope.
One option for you to look into is pyrex plugs/eyelets, as usually they are priced a bit cheaper then Steel/Titanium. And if I were you I wouldn’t look to variety or various different styles, I’d just stick to plain old clear Pyrex plugs/eyelets until you get to your desired size, which should take roughly 6 months to a year or just even a bit longer, depending on your ears elasticity,etc.
Then after you get to your desired size comfortably, that’s when you can buy your “brutal” Mastadon Ivory plugs…Or you can buy them now and just wait to put them in until you safely get to the 3/4″ size.
+10 / 12 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 3 Comments
Friday July 18th, 2008 @ 6:19 AM
Filed under: Ear
I got my tragus pierced 3 days ago, and my jaw hurts, kind of like an ear-ache. I was wondering if that was normal?
Dear Poster of this Question…You’ve had a couple days or so now, since getting it pierced. Has the jaw hurt/ear-ache you’re feeling gone away?
It has? AWESOME LIKE A POSSUM!
I’m making the assumption that it’s gone away because that’s the wonderful thing about the body, especially when you penetrate it with a needle. It really doesn’t “like” that idea, hence the chaotic ballet of trying to heal the wound begins.
This delightful ballet involves: redness, discharge and even discomfort/pain. Who knew that passing a needle through the body would trigger a “discomfort/pain” reaction in your ear/jaw region? I always thought they felt like angel kisses and fairy bj’s.
Not trying to make light of your situation but the fact is yes pain/discomfort is something to expect, literally 3 days after getting pierced. With tragus and other ear cartilage work you can expect discomfort even upto 6 months to a year after the piercing being done.
However if you ever see/feel something that perhaps doesn’t look/feel right, most definitely visit the piercer who did the piercing and have them inspect the piercing to make sure it’s doing well. If it sounds like they’re just brushing you off and telling you its fine, even though its not…Then perhaps visit a couple piercers to get their opinions on the situation and with all their answers make a educated/informed decision…Or you can even take a good/crisp/clear picture of your tragus and post it here for the AskBME staff to analyze and provide their own opinions/thoughts,etc.
+1 / 7 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | Comments
Saturday July 12th, 2008 @ 6:23 AM
Filed under: Ear
I recently stretched my left ear lobe from 00g to 1/2″ sometime in March. I blew it out I know, I had a flap of skin on the back of it in one area but didn’t think much of it. I changed my plug from an acrylic plug to a stainless steal one every so often. For a few days, I had my acrylic in and this morning I changed it to my stainless steal. About an hour later I relized the back of my lobe was discharging clear liquid goo all over and the what I think is just a flap of skin, grew all around the area and it looks like its trying to form over my plug. I never experienced this before, I don’t know whats going on. I just took some pictures of it but don’t have them yet but if someone would please e-mail me back, I’ll be more than happy to share them with you and hear your thoughts on whats happening.
Thank you.
What happened to 000g?
I’m guessing if you are skipping sizes you are also stretching too quickly. What is going on is that you have caused trauma to your lobe which may result in excess scarring thus limiting your future stretching potential. As I’ve stated before (do a search, folks, questions like this are all too common), this can result in compromised blood supply and even necrosis if you continue to stretch in this manner.
Ok, damage limitation time. Remove your plugs. Do twice daily seasalt soaks until it has healed. Massage your lobe with either vitamin E oil or Holey Butt’r and once and only once they are happy with you, pop in some plugs that your lobes will accomodate with ease and start again from that size. Do a search on BME and find the information on the correct way to stretch.
I have to say that I really don’t understand the mentality that alot of people have with regards to getting as big as they can or want in least amount of time. Damaged, stretched lobes look unattractive. They really do! Chicks don’t dig scarred lobes.
+13 / 15 votes
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Posted by Tiff Badhairdo | Permalink | 11 Comments
Thursday July 10th, 2008 @ 3:15 AM
Filed under: Ear
Well, I’ve had my ears at an inch and a quarter for the past year or so, and recently found a new shop that sells larger plugs and whatnot for a good price, aka $60 for a pair of 2″ tunnels.
So it would seem I’m going back to work on these lobes. But how is the best way to go about doing something like that? In the past I’ve just guaged slowly up over time with larger and larger peices since I had access to a workshop and could make my own. Also my ears weren’t so big, and I didn’t have the fear of snapping my lobes… I’ve downgauged a few times, and the flesh is pretty happy, but it’s still a concern. And lastly, what of ear weights, would those do me any good, seems like a pretty gentle way of going about things.
Step One: “Stretched” or “Downsized” not “Gauged” or “Downgauged”. As per Samuel L Jackson a la Pulp Fiction people: “English Mother F***er, Do You Speak It?”
Sorry not trying to piss people off or get them upset or anything, just trying to keep the english language alive and well. Instead of it spiraling down into Idiocracy.
But back to the questions at hand…Actually the issue with ear weights is that they concentrate the stretch in one specific area of the lobe tissue. This can make an irregular shape of your lobes and even thin the one portion out.
As for getting up to the 2″ you mentioned, you’ll need to start the stretching process all over again. Starting off wearing whatever jewelry fits comfortably and snug, then soon as that relaxes and becomes uniformed, slide the next size in. Do not force the stretch, the stretch should occur naturally. Continue doing so from the size you are at now, until you get to whatever goal size you may have.
And please remember patience is a virtue so don’t rush this. Take your time and be careful and stretch properly and you’ll have happy and healthy large sized lobes.
+12 / 30 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 4 Comments
Thursday July 10th, 2008 @ 3:11 AM
Filed under: Ear
OK, For awhile now I’ve been streching my ears. When I went to the studio I frequent, they would quickly shove the taper through my ear and send me on my way.
My question is, is this the right way to do it? After I started streching my own ear, I did it slowly and paid attention to what my ear was telling me (if it hurt, I’d stop). Doesn’t shoving a taper through your ear run the risk of tearing it?
CAN HAZ SERCH FUNKSHUN 4 STRETCHIN PLZ KTHNXBI!
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+8 / 28 votes
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Posted by Warren Hiller | Permalink | 1 Comment
