I'm only here to let you guys know about my experience thus far with stretching my earlobes. I only hope that my experience will be helpful to those even though my ears are still at a somewhat infantile stage (2g), which is nowhere near my ending goal, which will be somewhere between a half inch and full inch.
At A Glance Author jono Contact jonathon.peck@gmail.com When Six months ago Artist Cole Studio Deep Roots Location Seattle WA I've always been interrested in stretching my ears, but for whatever reason (job, girlfriend, etc) had never shelled out the cash to get it started. Being that I have been at a steady job now since i started stretching my ears, I'm guessing it isn't a problem, but I will cross that bridge if and when I come to it. When I actually decided to go have it started (mind you a couple of years after I had been seriously wanting to), it was pretty much on an impulse. I had just quit smoking 3 days prior and was feeling pretty edgy, and decided to stop in at this new mod shop on my way to work and check out what kind of jewellery they had there, look through portfolios, etc. I had some extra money on me and I said to myself "hey, why not?" picked out some pirex plugs at an 8 guage, and told them I wanted to get my lobes pierced with the intention of stretching them to 1/2 inch or more.
The piercer there (Cole) was very friendly, explained that she was going to pierce with a ten guage needle and stretch right away to an eight. I let her know that I intended to do the rest of the process myself. She told me it could be a very rewarding thing for me to do, if I do it correctly. Of course the piercing went smoothly, hardly felt a thing (I have done many other body modifications), and I was on my way to work happy.
Ater about a month or so of fast healing I very easily dead stretched with the use of vitamin e oil (which i swear by) to a six guage CBR that I had purchased over the internet. After about a month at a six, I got the itch, and began looking around on the internet for wholesale jewellery suppliers, and found a deal I couldn't pass up. For about sixty dollars including shipping I purchased a set of SS single flair eyelets and silicone double flare eyelets from a four guage up to a half inch (keep in mind, twelve pairs of jewelery for 60 dollars, comes out to 5 dollars a pair). Two weeks went by and I recieved the jewellery.
The next stretch I performed has been the only one using a taper. I already had a six to four guage taper from previous mod stretching. I took out my CBRs and lubed up both my lobes and the SS four guage eyelets with vitamin e oil and began to insert the taper in my lobe. No problems whatsoever just a little tightness. Repeated with the next lobe and voila, I was finished. I just continued to do my natural regime of salt soaks, massages, and shower cleanses. after about three weeks I wasn't happy though, I needed to stretch again, and I needed to do it then.
I didn't have any means of stretching again, but even though it had only been about three weeks since my last stretch, my lobes felt happy, healthy, and healed. so I decided (I know, everyone is saying TSK tsk, but it worked so far) that I would lube up and dead stretch to a two guage. well it worked surprisingly well on my right ear, but my left ear (problematic one) gave me a little trouble, and I had to give a couple of attempts. Once again I had stretched, and I was devoted to my normal healing regime.
That was about 3 months ago, and while I am still wanting very much to go larger, I am biding my time and giving my ears more than enough time (to be on the safe side) to make the jump from 2 to 0. I am excited though of course.
The next stretching method I will be trying is tape wrapping with PTFE teflon tape. I am kind of excited about this one because I believe with the gradual sizing up I will have a chance to really listen to my lobes and make sure I am going at the right pace for myself. I am also sometimes not too happy with tapering because of the trauma it can cause the lobe.
All in all, I am very happy so far (even though two guage is quite small) and will continue to stretch.
Listen to your body, you only have one. Respect it and don't fuck it up.
Happy Modification!