I've always been a slave to fashion. But now, I invent it.
At A Glance Author dane surgery When N/A Artist myself Studio multiple showers across the city Location newcastle I used to be a rather easily-influenced person, and was constantly appalled at the large gauge lobes of the local 'punks'. After doing a few vague traces of research, I decided that I would like to start stretching my primary-school-gunned lobes.
I bought a nice $20AUD steel taper from Charlestown Square (still my favourite piece of jewelry) and it ended up sitting in my wallet for quite a length. After roughly two months I was having a bath at a mates place, and remembered the taper. I'd heard from Brendan at Tribal Urge that you should warm your ears in a hot shower for quite a while, rub some liquid soap on the taper and push through slowly but firmly (Very good advice from a very novice piercer.)
I did as I was told, and as this was my first time performing any kind of modification myself, I wasn't quite sure what kind of pain or sensation to expect. It took me two pushes, and a burning (not unpleasant) sensation as I was doing it. When the lobe reached the straight part of the taper, I felt a popping sensation and the o-ring slid quickly to my ear. I was stoked! I rinsed the ear and was pumped all week.
This experience is about the stretching not the DIY piercing, so to make a long story short after a period of roughly a month I had three holes in my right lobe and two in my left.
After making my second hole in my right lobe, I bought a 4mm titanium eyelet cheap, and was surprised when it fitted straight into my left lobe (I wasn't aware the jewelry loosens when healed.) I stretched the bottom hole in my right lobe with the steel taper on the same day from memory and put a stud in the unstretched hole.
My memories here are a bit fuzzy due to some personal issues, but I remember putting a 5mm black talon in my left ear without stretching (another surprise) and wearing the 4mm eyelet in the bottom right hole, the 3mm taper in the middle right hole and matching studs in the other two holes. I then stretched my left lobe up to a 7mm white acrylic spiral (which I was in love with) and was content for a little while.
After much daydreaming I decided my goal was to wear three black spirals in my right lobe, a large one at the bottom, average one in the middle and small in the top. I remember somehow having the 3mm taper in the top hole, and the medium (7mm) and small (4mm) spirals in the bottom and middle holes respectively.
Then I became really stupid.
I ended up stretching all three holes in my right lobe in the one night within five minutes of each other due to excitement at having bought the largest spiral (9mm). I stretched them properly of course (see paragraph 2), but being diligent with the process doesn't make up for the short timeframe.
They healed pretty quickly actually, and within a week I was showing them off plenty. I wasn't satisfied of course, and wanted to stretch more. A lady at a professional body piercing studio advised me not to stretch anymore in that ear due to lack of tissue. I had stretched them way too fast and put them a bit close together as well.
I ended up replacing the largest spiral with an flared tribal icon plug of roughly the same diameter, and putting the largest spiral in my left lobe instead (which healed really well). After waiting 3-4 weeks, I painfully stretched my left lobe to 1cm using a blue acrylic taper (healing substantially less well.)
At this point I learnt the definition of the BME-famous line "listen to your body." My left lobe just didn't want to heal! Lots of pain, lots of crusties and a bit of blood went by for three days til I downsized to 8mm.
At around the same time, after considering it for over a week, I removed the middle spiral in my right ear to let the hole close up and hopefully distribute more tissue for my bottom hole. This was 2 days ago, and has closed up very quickly (but is currently looking like an anus.)
At present, I have a 8mm clear acrylic taper and a CBR in my relatively tender left lobe (from bottom to top), and a healed 10mm blue acrylic taper, a closing 6mm hole, and a 4mm steel eyelet in my "famous" right lobe (also from bottom to top).
I am far from done stretching my ears, and refuse to let a bit of excitement and foolishness sever any chance of stretching my right ear more. I intend to take both bottom holes to an inch at least, and stretch my 2nd hole in my right ear to a matching 4mm. I will continue stretching, waiting, and learning more about my body for years to come.
Just remember, if you decide to stretch your lobes past 6mm (the "safe" point), be sure you will be happy with large holes in your ears for a very long time.
Dane