How many sizes can you stretch your ears at once?
Go up one size at a time.
Stretching your ear too quickly can tear the skin. Only increase your jewelry by one size (2 gauge) at a time.
There's a few taper sizes that have a 2mm difference, such as 2g (6mm) to 0g (8mm.) So I'm sure you'd be able to stretch 2mm at a time however you're doing it. Just be sure to use lots of lubrication and take your time-the 2mm stretches were the worst when I was stretching my ears.
Stretching your ears can take months or years, depending on how large you want them to be. During this time, your ear will be sensitive. However, they should never be painful or stressed. A good rule of thumb is to go up one gauge size every four to six weeks.
2g to 0g - 4-5 months. 0g to 00g - 4-6 months.
Stretching too quickly can tear your ear tissue in half or cause earlobe skin to detach and hang from your head. Stretching too quickly or not taking care of your ear may also result in an infection. Here are some infection symptoms to watch out for: painful redness or swelling.
No! Skipping gauge sizes is never a good idea. Doing so increases the chances that you will cause permanent damage to your ears and may even mean that you have to stop the process of ear stretching altogether as a result.
2g to 0g - 4 months. 0g to 00g - 4 months.
The earlobe can shrink back to its normal size if the earring or gauge is less than 14mm or a size 2 gauge. Anything larger than this size will require reconstructive surgery. Stretching of the ear with gauge piercings is a process that takes many months and should not be rushed.
It's a minimum 6-8 weeks for your lobes to properly heal between ear stretches, you should always wait for them to fully heal. Every time you stretch you create micro-tears which if not allowed to heal before stretching to the next size can create problems for future stretching or if you ever wanted to downsize.
This is the reason we recommend that you wait at least a month between stretches, if not longer. If you stretch slowly, you will be able to stretch your ears much bigger in the end. Stretch slowly and never skip sizes!
What is the best lubricant for ear stretching?
First of all, get a good lubricant: Vitamin E oil (jar or pill form), jojoba oil, olive oil, or emu oil are commonly used. This assures a smooth painless insertion of jewelry.
Silicone plugs are great for healed stretched piercings and other large piercings because they're so comfy and lightweight. But always make sure you wait until after the piercing has calmed down and properly healed after stretching!
Why does this happen? Your body secretes a substance called sebum, sebum is an oily secretion which helps your skin keep lubricated and keep it waterproof. The sebum mixes with the dead skin cells between your ear and the jewellery to make this unpleasant odour.
Wet Ear. While uncommon, stretching with non-porous materials (typically glass) can occasionally result in a condition some piercers refer to as “wet ear.” This is where the skin in contact with the jewelry secretes too much fluid, creating a sticky, moist, “sweaty” layer between the ear and the jewelry.
If you just had your body pierced and you start to notice a crusty material around the piercing site, don't worry. Crusting after body piercing is normal—this might just be the result of your body trying to heal itself.
One of the most common questions I get asked about ear lobe stretching is “will my ears shrink back down?” Yes – to an extent. Most of the time, the size of your stretched holes will go back down to just under half of your maximum stretched size. For example, 30mm would shrink back to about 10-15mm.
If you stretched your lobes properly, the hole should mostly close up on its own. Gradually decrease the size of the gauge you wear. Go down one size, and wait until the size shrinks up around that smaller gauge. Once it fits properly, go down another size until you reach the smallest gauge.
Once your piercings are fully healed (after 12 weeks), you should remove your jewelry when you shower. This is the most effective way to clean both your piercings and your jewelry. Be sure that your hands are clean before you remove your ear gauge jewelry.
To avoid damaging the ear lobe, it is necessary to use “half sizes” to keep the stretches at one millimeter increments. The half size between 2g and 0g is 7mm, also known as 1g. The half size between 0g and 00g is 9mm and is occasionally called 00g.
Going by professional piercing association standards, if your ears are freshly pierced you should wait 6 to 8 weeks after the initial healing period of 6 to 8 weeks and only go up one size. That would mean going from 18 gauge to 16 gauge.
Can I leave tapers in overnight?
Typically you will keep the ear tapers in your ears for no longer than a day before replacing them with the single flare plug. You really do not want to wear the ear tapers for longer than 4 days.
Ear gauging, also known as ear stretching, is a process where the ear is gradually stretched out for the purpose of wearing larger piercings. Even though ear gauging has grown in popularity in recent years, it is still a painful process that could result in unwanted effects and the need for ear gauging surgical repair.
The most consistent and reliable solution however, is reconstructive surgery. “When stretched beyond 00g, or the lobes just don't shrink, surgery is the best solution,” says Dr. Mamelak. The procedure is typically performed as an office visit, with local anesthesia.
Standard ear piercings are a 20g or 18g if they were pierced by a gun. If they were pierced by a professional, the lobe piercing will typically be a 16g or 14g. After a minimum of two months it is typically safe to change the jewelry, but the piercing may still feel sensitive.
Answer: Postop care after Gauged ear repair.
In my patients I generally recommend Aquaphor ointment 2-3x day applied to the suture line, and the use of gentle soap when showering like Dove or Cetaphil.
It's important to note, though, that each body is different. While someone who may have had their ears stretched to a large size had them shrink back down, it may not be the case for you. With this said, it generally takes anywhere from 4 months for smaller gauges to a year or more for larger gauges.
It's a minimum 6-8 weeks for your lobes to properly heal between ear stretches, you should always wait for them to fully heal. Every time you stretch you create micro-tears which if not allowed to heal before stretching to the next size can create problems for future stretching or if you ever wanted to downsize.
The next size after 00g is 7/16". The sizes go up by 1 sixteenth of an inch from there, but they're reduced fractions, so instead of 8/16", we just say 1/2".
For someone who has "attached lobes," you may only be able to reach a size like 3/4" (19mm). Ultimately, if you are safe, patient, and dedicated enough, you could even stretch to sizes much bigger than 1" (25mm), although plugs different than 1" will be a more extreme look.
Most people can go between 2g (6mm) – 00g (10mm) and expect their ears to revert back to a normal piercing, after a few months of healing. If you don't want stretched ears forever, be sure to stretch slowly and never skip sizes.
What's the biggest gauge size that will close?
Those who have their ears pierced and haven't worn an earring in a long-time will know that the hole can close back up, but where is the point that it stops happening? Most professionals would say that size 0g (8mm) to 00g (10mm) is the absolute point of no return.
Overstretching usually leads to an ear stretching blowout, which is why ear stretching should be done slowly and gradually. If you increase the size too quickly, blowout stretched ears are all but guaranteed. You could also be dealing with lobe tears and infections if you are not taking it slow enough.
With this said, it generally takes anywhere from 4 months for smaller gauges to a year or more for larger gauges. Some of the factors that contribute to how long it takes to close your stretched ears include: Whether or not you had any blowouts, scarring, or other damage to the tissue during the stretching process.