If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Read the community guidelines before posting ✨
Options
ear stretching
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I've done a search on it on here but didn't quite find what i was looking for. I've read the requisite articles on BMEzine, know I have to start with a 12 ga SOMETHING, but have had conflicting advice. do I put in a BCR first of all or are there 12 ga tusks available.. and what material is best to start with, acrylic or titanium or something else? and any other advice/comments welcome.
0
Comments
http://onetribe.nu/catalog/stretching.php
BCR - ball closure ring
I dont think there are any rules tbh, you stretch it as much or as quickly as you want to, according to how much pain you can handle.
The way I did it, was just buying bigger and bigger BCR's and steel Tapers. I started of by putting a 1.6mm navel bar through, and kept that in for 5 weeks. A couple of weeks later, I changed it for a 1.6mm steel bcr - the weight helped to stretch it.
6 weeks later and I bought a 2mm taper and some KY jelly and stretched up to 2mm, and put in a 2mm BCR... 6 weeks later, 2.4mm .... and you get the idea.
Ilora x
Stretching should only be done with a minimum of 5 weeks in between stretches - otherwise, you risk causing 'blowout' - where your ear will tear and bleed (this can become a real problem and need surgery to sort out).
Stretching isn't something you can do in 2 weeks. It takes months of patience to acheive a desired gauge.
And... stretching shouldn't be painful if done PROPERLY.
Ilora x
My ears are well healed (having been pierced for over 19 years :P) so assumedly I can begin stretching possibly with a 1.6mm BCR straight away, woohoo.. thanks again for the advice.
Ooh almost forgot, where do you shop for your stretching jewellery? I'm away from home and don't know where the best piercing place is round here
I buy all my gear online, it's so painfully overpriced in the shops.
I recommend www.bodyjewelleryshop.com and www.tajarts.co.uk
Ilora x
Ilora x
It depends on the elasticity of your skin - which is different for everyone.
Ilora x
Yep, that would have to be a very big hole... My better half took his out 2 years ago. They were about 12mm and shrank back to a dot after a few months.
Ilora x
Hehe your all mad then.
All I have to say is ouch. I can't even wear some normal earrings because the posts are a bit thicker than others and even that hurts me too much!
Props to anybody who can do it. :thumb:
Just because YOUR piercer told you only do it in 1mm increments, doesnt make it scientific fact that anything else is completely the wrong way to do it.
I get annoyed by how much a stickler you are for rules and thinking there is only one right way of doing anything. loosen up a bit.
If it hurts too much, then go for smaller jewellery, or maybe get one of those ear taper things so you can adjust it as often as you can bear without having to buy all seperate jewellery.
I think they look horrible tbh but that's just my conservative taste for you
You can talk to any piercer and they'll all recommend 1mm increments. It's not just something I believe in. It's piercing general knowledge, that I like to share with people who ask for it and believe it to be irresponsible to advise otherwise.
Ilora x
I am a piercer, I don't practice anymore (well only on SCC and myself) cos got bored of piercing everyone and 2mm is more than safe... the only reason piercer do it as slow as possible is because they make more money this way and cos most people are woos and they can't be bothered with people coming to them ever time they feel a little pain... 2 mm is far from being a big extension at all...
some piercers even hang themself from their piercings (like the guy below) and they are fucking piercers and they don't get any blowout, they are professionals and wouldn't do it if there was a risk...
The guy on this pictures extend the piercings he have by way more than 2,3 or even 4 mm and he will be perfectly fine... it might seem a crazy stuff to do, but I will repeat myself, they are professional and wouldn't do it if they didn't know it was safe...
The skin is much stronger than people think... they simply go properly under the skin and not under the first few layers and use some hooks big enough so they don't cut your skin...
They can do it with thinner hoock as well, but they will need more so there is less weight per hoock and less pressure on the skin...
I never done that tho, but always wanted to give it a go and would probably if given the chance...
Also obviously this is not pan free...
But hey, no pain, no game...
Will try to add it as an attachement then...