Shop new arrivals. Shop earrings. Shop septum jewelry. Zip Code. I agree with the terms and conditions. So you've decided to stretch your ears, eh? Welcome to the club! Stretched ears are a beautiful and expressive form of body modification, and we're excited about your interest to learn more. From gauging to aftercare, here are some helpful tips. Igor Russet Teardrop Plugs on captainzombie Pre stretch To prepare your ears for stretching, apply a warm compress to the piercing for several minutes in order to ease up the tissue and make the stretch easier.
Then, wash the area, rinse well and pat dry. You can apply one drop to the front and back of the piercing and massage it into your skin twice daily. Stretching with a taper Stretching with a taper has its share of pros and cons. We encourage doing research about this method before embarking. If you should decide to stretch with tapers, then First, apply drops of oil to the front and back of your piercing and gently slide the stretching taper in until you experience mild discomfort.
Stretching with tape Stretching with tape is a gradual and slow process. Care instructions vary depending on the material the plugs are made of — i. Plugs and tunnels made of porous materials like organic plugs require substantially different care from those made with non-porous materials.
Instead of washing them, only clean them with a damp cloth mixed with antibacterial soap, and pat them dry afterwards. For non-porous materials antibacterial water soaking is the best and easiest option!
The terms plugs , tunnels and gauges , are often used interchangeably, which leads to so much confusion when first starting with ear stretching. The most prominent difference is between plugs and tunnels : Plugs are solid, and tunnels are hollow. When wearing them, plugs will fill the stretched earlobe, and tunnels will only give it shape while enabling anyone to see through the actual piercing.
There are also plugs that are fully see-through, which might cause confusion because it seems like they are tunnels at first glance. Other tunnels , however, have decorative shapes inside the actual hole, making them appear like plugs at first, but since the decoration is still inside a hole, they are still considered tunnels. Gauges are something different altogether and even though many people tend to use it to refer to plugs or tunnels , gauges are actually a type of measurement.
The smaller the gauge size, the larger the tunnel or plug will be. Gauges go from 20G the smallest all the way to 00G, which is the largest gauge size. After that, larger tunnels and plugs are referred to in inches.
The materials of your plugs and tunnels also play a part, with acrylic plugs and silicone plugs being more prone to this issue. They need to be cleaned more often and not be worn over longer periods of time.
Note: Some funky smells can indicate an infection, so if you have a smell along with any oozing or pain you should take a trip to your doctor to get it checked out and potentially antibiotics. Try to avoid putting cream on it without consulting your doctor first as it might aggravate the infection. This is called a blowout, as it looks like the piercing is turning inside out.
Healing it takes time, but it can be done! Put your earlobe into the solution and let it soak for at least ten minutes! Do this at least two to three times a day, and combine with ten-minute massages each evening. We sell ear stretching kits as well as individual tapers of varying sizes so you can start your ear stretching journey straight away. New Designs. Single Flare vs. To prevent blowouts while ear stretching, make sure you size up gradually.
Only stretch once you have healed from the previous stretch. Another tip to prevent blowouts is to use a lubricate while stretching.
The lubricant will keep your ears moisturized and more protected vs dry stretching. We strongly recommend using GaugeGear Stretching Balm. Rub the balm into your ears just before stretching, and rub some on the jewelry you're about to use to stretch up. It acts as both a lubricant and conditions the skin. It is also great for daily use to keep your skin soft and nourished.
Go To GaugeGear. Keep it clean and hydrated! Use ear care solution for cleaning away crusties or little bits of sand-like tissue that comes out of your ears.
Jojoba oil is an all-around great product. Its best uses are to soften skin, reduce scar tissue, thicken lobes, and to moisturize. By massaging jojoba oil daily on your lobes, it helps to thicken them up over time and to keep them healthy. It also helps to reduce the size of blowouts over time if massaged daily. Go To Jojoba Oil. Search Search Right. Account Log in. Cart 0. AB Stretching Guide. Arctic Buffalo has your guide to all things ear stretching. If you are trying to fit a set of double flares in that are under 0 gauge then it's good to try doing a little tape wrapping see info on the tape wrapping method above to help loosen up your ears a bit and get the plugs in.
Jojoba oil is an all-around great product. Its best uses are to soften skin, reduce scar tissue, thicken lobes, and to moisturize. By massaging jojoba oil daily on your lobes, it helps to thicken them up over time and to keep them healthy. It also helps to reduce the size of blowouts over time if massaged daily. Organics generally don't require much more maintenance then the average set of plugs though.
Materials such as wood will expand and contract as they get wet though so to avoid cracks and swelling, it's for sure best to keep them as dry as possible.
If you are purchasing a set of organic plugs that isn't super expensive, then just wear them and don't worry about if they wet or not. But if you have a nice set that you want to keep for years then it's highly recommended to keep them as dry as possible. Also organic pieces that have inlays or where multiple materials are used such as multiple inlayed woods , then you for sure want to keep them dry to avoid breakage or cracking. It's also really good to use jojoba oil on organic jewelry to keep the pieces looking fresh and polished.
All you need to do is take a small drop onto your fingers and rub the jojoba oil into the plugs and they will look like a fresh new pair. The topic of gauges vs. We thought it would be easier to make a video on the topic so here is Chris talking the issue.
If you are noticing issues such as extreme swelling, redness, discharge, itching, and hotness then you more than likely have an infection. An infection can be a serious problem so it's best to take care of it as soon as possible. If you have recently stretched your ears and are having all of the above problems then it's for sure best to downsize and let your ears get back to normal.
Also wearing jewelry like steel or glass is the best to wear with an irritated piercing these materials will minimize your risk of prolonging the infection. If you feel like it's getting too much or is a serious problem then it is best to consult a local doctor and have it checked out. If you let it go for a long time then you can have some serious problems so make sure to have it checked out by a doctor as soon as possible.
What size can I stretch up to without permanent damage? How long should I wait between each stretch? All about tapers and how to use a taper to stretch your ears Tapers are a great way to begin your ear stretching journey. Acrylic Tapers Acrylic tapers are an economy style of tapers that are pretty popular since they are the least expensive. Basic Steel Tapers Basic steel tapers are a good option for those who are on a budget but looking for better quality than acrylic. Concave Steel Tapers Best to use Concave tapers are the best and highest quality tapers to use.
So you've decided on your taper, now it's time for the stretch So once you have decided on what style of taper you want to use, the next part is getting the stretch done. How to stretch your ears with the tape wrapping method Once you get to a larger size generally around 0 gauge then using the tape wrapping method is a good option to use for stretching and it is the method almost everyone uses over 1 inch.
Bondage Tape Bondage tape is another great tape to use for the tape wrapping method. Will stretching too fast and skipping sizes damage my ears? What is a blowout and how to fix it?
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