If you’re interested in stretching your ears beyond the size of standard piercings, you’ll need to use gauges to get there. The process takes time, depending on how wide you want to stretch your ears. The key pieces of equipment used to achieve the look are a taper, which is measured in gauges, and a plug, which fills the piercing after you push the taper through. The higher the gauge, the smaller the size. Before you head to a store that specializes in body jewelry, keep this information in mind.

What You Should Know About Gauges

Which Gauge Sizes Are Available?

You should have some idea of how much you want to stretch your ears before you begin. Then you can determine the gauge sizes that you need. Most standard ear piercings are 18 gauge. To open that further, you may want to get started at a 16 gauge, which will widen the opening just a touch. This is the safest way to achieve the stretch without rushing the job. The largest size is 00 gauge.

How Do You Get Started?

Your piercing should be clean, healed, and free of irritation before you start the stretching process. Gently massage the earlobe to draw blood to the area and make the skin a little more flexible. Then wash your hands thoroughly, and make sure your body jewelry tools are clean. Apply lubricant, such as coconut oil or a commercial solution, to both your ear and the taper. Delicately push the taper into your piercing.

Be mindful of any sensations of pain during this process. If you experience pain, stop immediately. Otherwise, hold your taper carefully with one hand and use the other to align the taper with the plug. Then push the plug to the taper, which will then come out. The plug will then be firmly in place in the piercing.

Do You Need to Wait Between Stretching?

Although it’s exciting to see visible changes, it’s important to stretch your ears carefully instead of rushing the process. Going too quickly could lead to discomfort, tears, and even infections if your skin cannot handle the trauma. It’s best to wait for at least a couple of months to give your ears time to heal and grow accustomed to these size changes. Make it a habit of purchasing the next gauge at the jewelry store only when you need it; you’ll be less tempted to speed through stretching this way.

Locals throughout Elko, NV, visit 5J Music for all of their body jewelry needs. The shop also carries an extensive selection of vinyl albums, sports memorabilia, CBD oil, and guitars for music enthusiasts. Visit them online to browse some of their products, or give them a call at (775) 778-0484 to speak with a friendly member of the team today.