Stretch to Whatever
At A Glance Author Justin Bennett Contact Justin Bennett@bme.anon When N/A Artist Self done Studio Home Location Battle Creek, MI
Ok, my name is Justin Bennett. I love piercing. But even more than that I love to stretch them. I first got my ear pierced when I was 13, at 16ga. The day I got it done, there was a girl at the jewelry place where I got it pierced that had her lobes stretched to a 2ga. At that time, I thought that was like the coolest thing ever. So I wanted to pursue it. I started the week after with a 12 ga. captive hoop, bought from Gash, the local tattoo guy. So I took out my 16ga barbell, put some antiseptic on my ear and pushed the hoop through, looked at it in disappointment, this is way too small.
So I waited a week, went to Hot Topic and bought an 8ga plug. I got home, went to the bathroom, put some ear cleaner on the plug and pushed it through. Wow that hurt. But pain is fun for me, so it wasn't anything to me. Two days later I went out and bought a 6ga plug, got home and put that through. That didn't hurt too badly, but it was red and swollen, it hurt, and all I could do about it was to look at it. Please always, even if you don't think you need to, clean your piercings. It is very important, if you don't the piercing will not heal correctly.
Then at school this girl had two free 4 ga tapers, of course I took them, got home lubed it up with some ear cleaning solution, and slid one in, wow, that hurt! I would recommend tapers to people because it reduces blow-out, because if you try to just shove something to big into a hole that is too small, too quickly, the skin inside your ear will be outside, making thus, the dreaded blow-out.
This was, unfortunately the only taper I used during my experience. I was young, and wanted to have big earrings, no matter what it took. I took it to the extreme, and a dangerous one at that.
I became so obsessed with stretching, that I would spend every dime on earrings. But as time passed I had forgotten all of the important things, I forgot the before and aftercare. Important in every aspect. I had become careless in my stretching. It was getting to the point where I would find random things, and jam them through there. Not to smart I know. Even though it never get infected, that's not to say what could happen if you tried it. Please do NOT try any of the irresponsible things I have done in this story.
This kept going one for a while until I hit 00ga. Everyone at school was so amazed by it; I kept it in for a while, a month or so. But it was really looking small to me. A few days later I went to this concert, there was a kid there named Gerard, he had a package of 1/2" silicon tunnels. I took one from him (my ear was at 00ga) I squished it and shoved it through, HOLY COW! I screamed. That was really painful. I thought it would just stretch my ear naturally, like it would slowly come back to its circular shape, but no. it expanded all at once, and it ripped my ear lobe. Blood was all over. But I didn't care, I loved it. No antiseptic was used in that, I am surprised it never got infected.
What comes after 1/2"? HUGE! Well I thought so, so I went to my friend's house, Paul, he had just bought two bone spirals that were 5/8", and he couldn't get them in so, I took the liberty in taking them and forcing one through with this stuff called "Shocker lube", it is for Paintball guns. That was a really dumb decision because it was basically grease that you would use on a car. It made my ear all slimy.
You all know how proud you are when you just stretch your ears? Well I wasn't. The next week, I was sitting in band class, I had these triangle beaters (I play Drums) and they had a case that was 3/4 " of clear plastic. I got home, and I cut it apart, I tried and tried to get it in, it just wouldn't go, I was disappointed, so later that night I got in the shower with it, and I decided to try again, I pushed and pushed, until, blood all down the front of me. Wow, I said in delight. I got it in. it looked so huge, and awesome. But it looked really bloody. But I thought that there was nothing I could do, so I left it. I left that in for around 3 months. At about 2 months left in school, I had been slowly stretching it to 7/8" Paul(my friend) had cut apart a Turkey baster that was exactly 7/8" I went over an I slid it through, well I had to push it till it cut the inside of my ear to hell. The blood was back, yet again. No aftercare. It healed completely in about 4 or 5 days. Afterward, I had a noticeable blow-out. I hated it, but the 7/8 tunnel thing I had in fit in there perfect. And I was content with it for a few weeks. Then, as usual I got bored.
One day in shop class, I decided to make a few earrings out of wood, I got the circle template, and I made one 15/16" and one 1", I got home, I went to the bathroom. No luck, so I went to my room, and found my trusty Teflon tape, and taped it up. I then went back to the bathroom, put some lotion on it and pushed as hard as I possibly could, and jammed it through, Wow! That hurt like hell, and not the kind of pain it usually hurt like, this actually was hurting. But no blood this time. I went to sleep. I got up the next morning, put on my hood. And went to school, when I got there I showed everyone, they were so amazed. I was so happy; I was so close to an inch. I kept that in for like a week, until I got bored of it. But when I tried to take it out, it was stuck. Oh damn, I said. I pulled and pulled..... nothing. I was so scared. I was like, "what have I done"? I tried and tried, and finally it came out, along with the blood. I was so scared.
A few moments later I found the 1" plug I made with a star burnt into it and jammed it threw, that was surprisingly easy. It must have been the blood that helped it through. Not safe at all, Always clean your piercings. I had that in for about a week. But then as usual, that also looked small, so I went to take a shower I took of one of the tops to a shampoo bottle, and decided to try and shove it through, it went in easy.
My mom is a Massage person. She has bottles of oils and things. The caps to them were 1 1/4" I was like; there is no way that those are going to fit. I tried and tried. And it fit. I was stoked. I had actually gotten my ear to 1 1/4.
That was about a year ago.
I had taken my gauge out about a month after that.
I went to a wedding this summer and the hole only closed to about 5/8", from 1 ¼". I had to go and buy some plugs to cover up the hole for the wedding. So I got black 5/8" plugs. I put them in, and I realized that I still wanted earrings. So I kept it in.
Now it is back to around 3/4". But now I take much better care of my ear, I clean it everyday, and make sure it doesn't get infected. And if you are thinking of stretching it to as big as I did, be responsible. If you don't want your ear deformed for the rest of your life, I would advise you not to try it.
This is my story, and I hope you enjoy my experience.
~Justin~