Only use PTFE or bondage tape. Remove the tape and clean the jewelry and your ears. Apply new tape daily. It is also recommended to apply jojoba or another skin conditioning oil daily to keep your skin moisturized and more elastic.
Every week or two, do an additional wraps to continue increasing the size of the plug. After about months, you should be at your next size. It's highly recommended to use a set of single flare plugs or tunnels, so you can easily trim the excess tape.
What's good about the tape wrapping method is you can really take your time and slowly increase the size of your piercing without the healing issues of tapers. It's a lot slower than using tapers, but it is a really efficient and gradual way to stretch with minimal risk. Go To Tape. So once you have decided on what size of taper you need to use, the next part is getting the stretch done. The first thing you will need is a lubricant to use on your taper. Lubricant will make the taper super slick, so it will slide through easy.
Lubricants make a stretch easier. Lube up your ears and also the taper. Slowly insert the taper all the way up to the base of the bigger side. Once it is through, take your plugs and follow through after the taper. When stretching, one stretch should start by pushing the taper in from the front, and the next stretch should be pushed in from the back.
Repeat that process a few times. This helps to keep scar tissue from forming and stretching easier. Some people say taking a hot shower before stretching helps to make your ear a bit more stretchy.
Also, massaging it to get the blood flowing is a good way to increase elasticity in the ear lobe before stretching. Stretching too quickly and skipping sizes is a common problem that can do some serious damage to your piercings. When you do this, you are doing more ripping of your skin than actual stretching.
Human skin only has a certain elasticity, so going too big and too fast is enough to cause ripping and tearing of your skin. It's highly recommended to wait at least a full month between each stretch and to never skip sizes, so your ears will have minimal chances for long term damage.
Also, the slower you go the thicker and healthier your ears will be in the long run which is important if you plan on going to a large size. This is a good ear size chart to determine how long you should wait in between stretches :.
There is also the option of getting it surgically removed which is highly recommended if you have the funds to do so. Once your ears start to get stretched, a common problem that everyone has is the issue of "ear funk".
Ear funk is essentially the dead skin cells of the inside of your ears being trapped in the inside of your fistula the skin inside of your piercing. Most of the dust in your own home is actually from dead skin cells that shed off of your body, ear funk is from the same thing.
When you wear plugs for several days, the dead skin cells start to build up on your jewelry and when you remove the plugs they can be super gross. The way to get rid of this issue is either to wash out your ears daily in the shower or to just wear organic plugs. Organic plugs are porous so they soak up all of that ear funk and keep your ears dry and smelling fresh. Many people have the problem of not being able to fit in their double flare plugs if they have never worn them before.
A double flared plug is a plug that has flares on both ends the flares are actually slightly larger than the actual center. Double flare plugs are totally fine to wear but they can sometimes be hard to get in especially on sizes under 0 gauge. There are several tips on getting them in that will make it much easier. The 1st thing to help with getting them in is to use lubrication. Any water based lubricant will help to get them in and out easily.
Also you will want to insert them at an angle. If you try to force them through straight into your ears then it will be much harder for them to fit through. Inserting them at a slight angle gives them enough leverage to pop through. On sizes under 0 gauge however, they will often require you to stretch slightly larger to be able to fit them through. The larger you stretch, the easier double flares will be able to get in, so the smaller sizes are a lot harder to get through.
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. Most people can stretch up to 0 gauge and shrink their ears back without having an issue. Whether you will be able to do the same depends on many factors including:.
Some will easily be able to go up to 00g, whilst others might struggle to get back from 10g. If not, you might have issues getting back to your original size after stretching. Wear plugs and tunnels that are the smallest size your ears will shrink to. Opt for a reconstructive option like having the holes stitched and surgically altered back to their original size.
The best time to insert plugs is right after a hot shower. The warm water helps loosen the skin a bit and relaxes it, which makes it easier and more comfortable.
You will also need a lubricant too. If you have recently stretched your ears you should wait around four to eight weeks before trying to wear double flared plugs. Note: Never, ever try to force plugs and tunnel in, or you could tear your earlobes, resulting in scarring, blowouts, and improper healing.
Tapers are specialised tools used to stretch ears that most of the time look like very long cones. Slowly insert the pointy side first and then try to slide it through. If there is resistance or pain, you should wait to stretch your ears further. If there is no resistance and it feels comfortable, simply line up the next gauge of tunnels or plugs and push them through.
Your earlobe may feel warm, tingly, or sting slightly but if you have any pain or discomfort, remove the jewelry and wait at least one or two more weeks. Just as it sounds, taping bondage or PTFE tape specifically is used to increase your stretch size by wrapping tape around your plugs and tunnels a couple of times to help increase the stretch size with your own jewellery. The main rule here is the longer you wait between the stretches, the healthier your lobes will remain and the more viable they will be for the bigger gauges.
It will also avoid the build up of scar tissue. Following this process it would take roughly two years to get to 00 gauge this way. Remember, you can do it faster too, but your earlobes will thank you if you take it nice and slow.
Oil massages are the best practice after stretching your earlobes and this is best done after a shower because they need to stay moisturised. Use natural or water-based products to massage your earlobes, for at least five minutes each which helps get rid of any scar tissue, dead cells, and remaining sebum.
If you get any tears or injuries you should treat your newly stretched ears like any new piercing and soak them in sterile saline wound wash, not saltwater for at least 10 minutes a day to speed up healing and avoid infection. We'd recommend using Neilmed sterile saline wound wash in the fine mist. Try to avoid alcohol, peroxide, and similar chemical products because they are quite harsh on the skin and will dehydrate it or aggravate your stretched ears further.
First and foremost, use antibacterial soap to clean your hands and the area, or you risk getting bacteria all over your plugs. 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.
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