GUIDE - How to Stretch a Lobe Piercing and FAQs

[Hazel]

How to Stretch a Lobe Piercing

There are a few different ways to stretch a piercing, these will be covered in this guide. In the next post is an extensive but not exhaustive list of FAQs regarding stretching, please read them before posting a question. If you can’t find an answer to your question then reply to this thread and the community will be more than happy to help you.

Tapers
Many of you will see tapers sold in shops, online and sadly hanging out of people’s ears. Please note that tapers are tools, not jewellery. They are simply there to guide the plug into your lobe.

How to use a taper:

• Once your lobe is ready to be stretched, you’ll need the following – a flat ended or concave taper, a single flared plug made from steel, titanium or glass.
• Use a natural oil or lotion to lubricate the lobe.
• Slowly slide the taper through the lobe and butt up the plug to the edge of the taper as you slide through so the plug follows through seamlessly.
• The taper will have come out the back of your lobe and the plug will now be in place, put on an o-ring and you’re done!

Dead Stretching
This is similar to the above except you don’t use a taper:

• Once your lobe is ready to be stretched, you’ll need a single flared, round ended plug made from steel, titanium or glass.
• Use a natural oil or lotion to lubricate the lobe.
• Slowly push the round end of the plug into the lobe.
• The plug will now be in place, put on an o-ring and you’re done!

Taping
Again, no use of tapers here but you’ll need PTFE tape, also known as plumbers tape, this can be bought in any hardware store and is very cheap.

• Once your lobe is ready to be stretched, you’ll need a single flared plug, PTFE tape and some natural oil (emu, jojoba, vitamin E etc.)
• Wrap a layer or 2 around the plug, make sure to smooth out any wrinkles
• Put plenty of oil on the tape and make sure it’s all absorbed into it, it will go clear at this point
• Insert the plug into your ear and you’re done.
• After 4-5 days add another 1-2 wraps (some people replace the whole lot, some just add on top with no problem)
• Again oil the tape and slide into the lobe, keep repeating this and you’ll eventually move up 1mm.
• If when inserting the plug you find it won’t go in then it will likely be because you have put too much tape on, take some off and try again. Always make sure it’s well-oiled too.

Some people also use bondage tape as it’s thicker and they find it easier to work with. You may find trying to use tape at very small gauges may be near impossible. Many find it just about ok at 2g/6mm.

DO’S AND DON’T’S

There’s quite a lot to take in when it comes to stretching so here’s some pointers to get you started on your way.

DO take your time, it’s not a race!
When stretching you want to only ever be going up in 1mm increments, if you can’t find a plug at a 1mm step up then ask for help. Only ever stretch when your lobe is ready and wait an absolute minimum of 1 month between. Many even suggest waiting longer at larger sizes so 2 months after 3mm and 3 months after 6mm.

DO listen to your body!
When stretching up you may feel a slight burn, tingle or sting that goes after a few moments. This is normal and means you have stretched ok. If you feel any discomfort, resistance (plug won’t go in), or any pain then you must stop. At this point if you carried on you wouldn't be stretching, you’d be ripping your lobe open causing significant damage.

DON’T wear tapers or spirals to stretch with
They have an uneven surface and are often made out of poor materials. They will cause issues down the line for you.

DON’T leave the plug in or ignore any problems
If you’re bleeding or weeping, if the lobe is angry/sore/swollen then remove the plug carefully and go back down a size or more to let the lobe repair and heal.

[Hazel]

STRETCHING - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

This FAQ is designed to help you with stretching queries as part of the above guide. If you cannot find the answer to your question here then please reply to the thread.

Why do I have to wait? Why can’t I just skip sizes? My friend went to 6mm-10mm in one go and he/she’s fine so why shouldn’t I do it?
We get it, stretching can seem like a long, boring process especially if you’re starting at 14g and wanting to go to an inch. However there are reasons you shouldn’t rush, tearing open your lobes and causing damage can lead to the following:

Rips/Tearing - http://wiki.bme.com/index.php?title=Earlobe_Tearing

Catbutt - http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1...en7o1_1280.jpg

Uneven lobes - http://wiki.bme.com/index.php?title=Uneven_Stretching

Blowouts - http://wiki.bme.com/index.php?title=Piercing_Blow-out

Thinning/Snapping - http://wiki.bme.com/index.php?title=Piercing_Thinning

Not all of these will happen right away, so even if you can go from one size to another in 2 days or you can skip 3 sizes, it will very likely turn around and bite you on the arse in weeks/months to come!

As an example, this is what a healthy stretched lobe should look like, note how there is no catbutt, no blowouts, no redness or swelling, nice and thick and even ^_^

What are all these sizes? What's 2g?
When stretching many people will start at around 1mm, here's are the sizes:
1mm>1.2mm>1.6mm>2mm>2.4mm>3mm>3.2mm>4mm and then 1mm increments after this.

In the UK/EU we tend to use mm (millimeters) to measure but other countries - mainly the US/Canada use the American Wire Gauge system. Here's a conversion chart:



Why can’t I use acrylic/silicone/stone/wood to stretch with?
They’re porous for a start and will harbour nastiness from the healing micro tears in the lobe causing irritation. Many people are allergic to acrylic so wearing it in a fresh stretch is a massive NO!

Why can’t I wear tapers and/or spirals and just push them through over days?
They cause uneven lobes (see link) and are usually made from poor quality materials like acrylic.

So why do shops sell these kits and tapers with o-rings?
They don’t care, they just want your money.

I’ve stretched too fast, what can I do?!
The main thing is to downsize ASAP, let the lobe heal and once it’s no longer ripped, open, weeping etc then you should do oil massages 2-3 times a day to break down any scar tissue and strengthen the area. Do this for at least 2-3 months before you try to stretch up again.

How should I care for my stretched lobes?
Once you’ve stretched up make sure to rinse them in the shower, after a couple of days you can take them out and give them a clean properly. Make sure you clean them every day otherwise you will get smelly sebum build up on them. Also make sure you remove the jewellery and massage them 1-2 times a day with a natural oil.

Once you’re at 0g/8mm or so you may find leaving them out beneficial as well to give them a rest and promote blood flow. Do this gradually, for an hour at first, then 2 and 3 and so on so you can see if you can get to the point of sleeping “naked”.

My lobes were gunned years ago, can I still stretch them? What size are my lobes?
Unless you have masses of scar tissue then you’ll very likely have no problem at all. If you’re still wearing fashion jewellery (the wire stuff) then you’re likely to be at 22g or 20g which is 0.6mm or 0.8mm so look into getting some 1mm barbells.

What size can I stretch up to without being able to shrink them back down?
An often asked question with no exact answer. Many say around 0g/8mm is the point of no return but for someone else this may be 3mm or 10mm. It’s best to say if you’re very worried about how it may look in the future then do not stretch.

To assist in shrinking back down you will have to go naked, do frequent massages and be patient. If after several months of this you still aren’t happy then you can consider lobe reconstruction. I advise you speak to a good modification artist about that rather than a cosmetic surgeon.

I’ve just had my ears pierced – when can I start stretching?
It’s advisable to wait for 5-6 months so the piercing is strong enough to support the pressure of a stretch. This is of course as long as your healing is uneventful, if you have problems then you may need to extend this waiting period.

I don’t want to wait, I want stretched ears NOW!
Some mod artists will pierce ears up to around 6mm from nothing so you can get a jump start there. If you’re already stretched and wanting to go further and skip sizes then you can consider scalpelling, however be aware there is a risk of self-stretching so be prepared to end up at a larger size!

What can I use to stretch/massage my ears with?
To use when stretching it's best to go with a natural oil (not essential oils) like vitamin E, jojoba, coconut, emu (not vegan friendly), the same should be used for early massages. You can even use a sex lube like KY to stretch with. Things like scented lotions should be avoided in case they cause irritation and vaseline/petroleum jelly is dreadful as it's comedogenic meaning it clogs the skin and prevents it from breathing. For older stretched lobes you may use some gentle lotions but listen to your skin.

My ears close up or wrinkle a little with no jewellery - is that normal?
Yup, totally normal, however if you're seeing redness, excessive wrinkles (aka catbutt), swelling etc then you may have stretched too fast.

[Hazel]

Please note, this is a work in progress, if you have any ideas or suggestions please PM me.

Thanks.

[Firedrake]

Awesome guide Hazel!

[Hazel]

Awesome guide Hazel!

Thanks

[Mk1]

I expect this thread to get a lot of external traffic as forum users refer people here, you don't need [my] adjective approval, so take some thanks for looking out for people's well-being instead!

[Hazel]

Thanks.

All please use this as a thread to also discuss stretching if desired

[Firedrake]

I can not for the life of me get from 3mm to 4mm :( I can get the taper halfway through and it sticks, I don't want to force it excessively, what else can I do, would taping work at such a small size?

[neonlights]

I can not for the life of me get from 3mm to 4mm :( I can get the taper halfway through and it sticks, I don't want to force it excessively, what else can I do, would taping work at such a small size?

Taping might be a bit hard at a size as small at that but you can try. If it doesn't work you'll just have to wait a bit more so that your lobes will loosen up enough.

[Hazel]

I can not for the life of me get from 3mm to 4mm :( I can get the taper halfway through and it sticks, I don't want to force it excessively, what else can I do, would taping work at such a small size?

You've skipped a size, read the guide above.