Stretching Guide

A guide by Todd, edited by Mason. Intro:

So you've decided to stretch, but where do you start? Getting pierced is always the beginning of any stretching journey. If you've already been pierced, establishing your current gauge size in your piercing is necessary to proceed. Earlobes are generally 20g-18g standard, almost everything else is 16g standard ie; Cartilage, Septum, Lips. Earlobes, Septum and Lips can be stretched 6 months after being pierced. Any piercing through cartilage comes with a recommended 1 year before stretching.

A common word used when discussing stretched piercings is gauge. The gauge is just a term used to express the size of the jewelry. There are two different methods of sizing stretched jewelry; Imperial and Metric. Imperial measures in gauge (G) while Metric we measure in millimeters (mm). Metric can be a more preferable way to keep track of your size, it gives you a precise number to go by and a better understanding of how big the next jump is. Some companies now also make what we call half sizes and quarter sizes for some of the larger stretches to help us stretch safer, usually only referred to in metric millimeters.

Imperial - Metric: (Small to Large)

20G    0.8mm	18G    1mm	16G    1.2mm	14G    1.5mm	12G    2mm	10G    2.5mm	8G    3mm	6G    4mm	4G    5mm	2G    6mm
0G    8mm	00G 10mm	7/16” 11mm	1/2" 12.7mm	9/16” 14mm	5/8” 16mm	3/4” 19mm	7/8” 22mm	1” 25mm

Common Half Sizes: 3.5mm, 7mm, 9mm, 12mm, 15mm, 18mm, 20mm, 24mm.     

 Stretching Methods:

There are multiple ways to stretch your piercings. Many ways are severely outdated like using tapers, plumbers tape and silicon expanding. These methods carry the highest risk of blowouts, rips/tears and infections. The absolute best way to stretch your earlobes is by dead-stretching them. Dead-stretching is done by simply inserting single flare glass in the piercing site, keeping it lubricated and letting gravity do its’ job. Taking a nice hot shower can loosen the tension in the earlobes for an easier stretch. Depending on your size and elasticity you will want to move up only by one millimeter at a time. This method has been proven to be painless and really low to no discomfort, as long as you give your piercing ample time to adjust to the stretch. Times do vary per size and can vary per person. These are the most average and safe timings; Piercing stretch/wait times:

• Fresh Piercing: 6+ months.

• 20g(0.8mm), 18g(1mm), 16g(1.2mm) and 14g(1.6mm): 6 Weeks per size.

• 12g(2mm) and 10g(2.5mm): 6-8 Weeks per size.

• 8g(3mm), 6g(4mm), 4g(5mm), 2g(6mm): 2-3 Months per size.

• 7mm, 0g(8mm), 9mm, 00g(10mm) – 3 months per size.

• 7/16”(11mm)+: 4-6 months per mm.

The time periods above are expressed with greater times at the bigger sizes because blood flow can really slow down at the higher sizes. This causes us to slow down and care for our lobes more. Thinning spots can occur when sizing up to fast that will prevent you from getting into higher sizes. Thinning can also eventually cause the hole to completely rip, leaving you with no hole and just some dangling flesh. If you start to see thinning immediately start leaving your jewelry out of your ears and downsize your gauge as far as possible. It’s possible to bring some thickness back, but once it rips it must be stitched and is possibly un-stretchable due to scar tissue.

Routine Care:

Learning how to care for your stretched ears is pretty easy. In between stretches you will need to remove your jewelry 1-2 times daily and do oil massages on your lobes. The massage is mostly to relax the tissue and encourage more blood flow to the area. Depending on the oil/butter you use, you can also hydrate and moisturize your ears keeping them extra healthy. When the ears are nicely lubricated with your oils/butters it helps the jewelry not adhere to the skin and really let gravity pull them down. Common oils to use are Jojoba, Emu Oil, Coconut and Vitamin E. There are a lot of butters sold online for ears, however because of the extra additives, most are not acceptable. Recovery makes an excellent butter called both Smelly Gelly / Skin Conditioner. Other good brands are Zeep, Booda Butter and Holey Butter.

Jewelry:

The type of jewelry you use can affect your experience healed or fresh stretched. There are many type of jewelry in many variations of material. Plugs and Tunnels are the most common everyday wear. Plugs are completely solid and tunnels have a hole in them. Plugs and tunnels come in three different builds; Single Flare, Double Flare and No Flare. Single Flare jewelry has no ridge on the back making them the easiest to slide in, they are usually held on by a silicone O-ring. Double Flare jewelry has ridges on both sides and usually requires you to be well into your stretch. No Flare is usually held on with a silicone o-ring on both sides. There is also Faux Double Flare, the backs will usually be threaded so you can unscrew them and put them in easier. The best type of threaded jewelry is going to be Internal Thread. External Threading will have exposed threading that must be passed through the hole and cause minor serrations. The best jewelry to stretch with is Single Flare glass Plugs.

There are also Hangers and Weights. Hangers are usually defined as less than 30 grams in weight while weights are 30+ grams. Weights can be used in stretching sparingly while hangers can be worn for a maximum of 8 hours a day. Weights can cause thinning of the lobe, rips and blowouts if not careful. Using weights should be a last resort for stretching, and for only 4-6 hours at a time. Personally I recommend the 4 month mark. Inquiring your local shop about half sizes or even quarter sizes can be a safer route for most.

Materials:

• Acrylic – This is one of the worst materials you can wear. It is very porous which can harbor bacteria. It also scratches really easy which can lead to micro wounds inside the fistula. Because of the porous nature it can also lead to some pretty smelly ears or potential fusion to your fistula.
  

• Glass – Glass is the absolute best to wear. It is the least porous material giving it the least smell and no bacterial harboring. Glass is also very durable making it long lasting and safe. It also comes in many colors and variations that can be pretty fun to play with. Glasswear Studios and Gorilla Glass are good brands.
  

• Steel – Steel is one of the most common things to find. It’s usually pretty cheaply made. The finish will usually be more porous and can harbor bacteria causing problems or smells. If the polish is good on the inside it can be tolerable, however if you’re sensitive or allergic to any metals it is highly recommended to steer away from steel.
  

• Titanium – Also one of the best to wear. It’s implant grade and usually high polished. It can be very hard to find different options to wear in titanium and the styles that are offered usually come only in custom ordering and with a hefty price per pair. Anatometal is a nice company to get these.
  

• Silicone – Silicone is also very common to find. However, most are quite cheap in make and can cause a lot problems such as adhering to the skin or smelling bad. Kaos branded silicone skins are one of the best to wear if you want to go this route.
  

• Wood – Wood can be a very attractive wear. It does require certain upkeep like regular oiling and removal during showers or swimming. Not all wood is fit to wear, make sure you can identify the material before you buy. Wood like Ebony, Tamarind, Areng and Coconut Wood are some of the most popular choices for allergy and durability reasons.