This is a follow onto my last experience I sumitted (1mm, bored, 2.5, 4, 6, got bored again). I'd stretched my left ear to 6mm and left it at that for about 3-4 months. Then I got bored again. Out of shear curiousity I tried to put a 1.6 ring in with my 6mm tunnel. It went in really easily, so the next day i did the same and again the next day. I then went to my piercer for a tragus piercing and asked if it would be easy to stretch to an 8mm. I bought an expander and it popped in no problem without any lube. And as a bonus it was completely painless.
At A Glance Author helen Contact helen@bme.anon IAM helanus When Three months ago Artist me Studio at home However, the next stretch to 10mm wasn't as easy or painless. I put a few rings in with my expander so I would slowly stretch my ear. I went to buy a 10mm expander and got told they didn't have any, so I bought a PMMA plug instead. I thought if I put a few rings in with my expander I wouldn't have a problem putting the plug in. I ended up with 4 1.6mm rings and a 1.6mm bar (i ran out of rings) AND my 8mm expander in my ear. I left my ear for a few days since the rings were making it a little sore. I did my usual cleaning routine (which I usually do with new piercings but since my ear was acting up I felt it would be best to clean it) and generally left it alone. After a few days it calmed down and decided to try to put the plug in. When I took the rings out they ended up all over the floor and I nearly lost 2 of them. I gathered them together (after a few minutes looking around) and went ahead with trying to insert the plug. But I didn't have any vaseline nearby so it didn't really feel that good. It stung like crazy but I'm not patient enough to wait another few days.
After a few minutes of very painful and forceful pushing the plug popped into my ear. I don't think I've been so happy in my life. My ear was swollen for a good few days and little bit scabby. But it was fine after a week or so. I had intended that I not go any further and leave it at 10mm. Then I thought about jewellery and I had wanted some Ikon picture plugs for a while and I thought the bigger the hole the better the picture will look. So 12mm is the stopping point.
Trying to stretch to a 12 was not very much fun. Again I went to buy an expander only to come home empty handed. I bought a 12mm plug and I could at least do the same as I did with the 10mm plug.
I had read about people using tape to stretch their ears. (At the minute I can't remember if it was plumber's tape or nylon tape or something else) My dad is an electrician so I "borrowed" some of his electrial tape. I didn't think it would do anything to harm my ear since it's like plastic and can easily be cleaned. So I put a couple wraps of tape around my 10mm plug. I cleaned it with savlon then pushed it through my ear. It didn't hurt too much, just stung a little bit. I did it again for a couple of days but when it came to putting the 12mm plug in it didn't go through. So I lubed up the plug with some vaseline and it went straight in. There was a small amount of force needed since I had lubed it first. I left the plug in for about a day. I'd ordered some black silicone tunnels and I got them the day after I had stretched to a 12mm. I popped in one of the tunnels and felt it was still stretching my ear. My ear hadn't started to maintain 12mm since it had only been a day. I only left the silicone tunnel in for a few hours, it became more uncomfortable than painful. I put the plug back in and it felt a lot better.
At the minute I'm back to the silicone tunnel. It's so squishy and cool! It hasn't been any bother, accept the skin around the hole is a little dry. I've had that problem before, I just left it alone and it went away. Other than that I haven't had any problems at all.
I've started stretching my other ear. I'm at 6mm now but it's still a little scabby even after a few weeks but I'm going to wait till it's calmed down before I try anymore stretching. 12mm is the goal for my right ear now.