Dedicated to my Gramma, who always wanted me to dedicate something to her.
At A Glance Author broken_wings Contact broken_wings@bme.anon IAM broken_wings When A month ago Artist me Preface
This is a true story; it did not happen to a friend of a friend of mine – it happened to me. I know I acted rashly, but some things just have to be done at certain points in time. Hesitation, as Hamlet well knows, can have dire consequences. I recommend that the reader take into account that the following is my own opinions and choices – I do not necessarily condone the behavior in others. Think for yourself, do as you will. And never, ever get your ears gunned. And now I begin.
The Beginning
City dwellers, country folk – lend me your ears! (Because they probably have more piercings and higher gauges than mine!) This is the tale of how my ears went down that fateful path of stretching... for the second time. Ultimately, it happens to us all. We see the beautifully stretched lobes, and eventually we covet them so intensely that we seek to make them our own. This is my story. This is how it happened.
Long long ago, in a far away land not so far from where I am now, I had 4ga ears. They were gorgeous, and I often adorned them with jewelry of all shapes and materials: wood, horn, metal, glass..... plugs, hoops, and circular barbells. It was a wonderful relationship. I spent all of my money on expensive 4ga jewelry, and my ears reciprocated the gesture by looking their best all of the time. Alas, all good things must come to an end. And so it proved with my 5.2mm stretched lobes.
You see, they had been scorned by the evil cat-butt factor. To be true, they were not truly cat-butt lobes, but they did have a slight crinkling effect (when the jewelry was removed) that I found more than a little disconcerting.
So that was the demise of my 4ga circle-y goodness. I had chosen the perfect size for me, and over the course of a few days they shrunk back up to nothingness. While this is an excellent metaphor for the cyclical pattern of events in one's life, I was in despair. I had dozens of 4ga jewelry, and not a single 4ga vessel in which to insert such splendor.
I suffered for a few months, while a pair of 16ga CBR's resided in my diminished lobes. Ultimately I decided that although perfection may not be attainable, it would be compensated with INTENSE HAPPINESS. I decided to forgo my unfulfilling quest for perfection, and to go back up to 4ga (eventually) despite possible defects.
Upon my resolution, I raced to my dresser drawer. There was not a moment to spare.
I quickly fished out some 14ga curved barbells. Adorable. I knew that I was "playing with fire" by choosing jewelry that had acrylic balls and had been purchased from a dollar store – but I am so capricious that factors such as these did not deter me from my resolve. With their low-grade steel bar, they would serve my purpose well. I washed them with some SATIN anti-bacterial soap, but since I was the only being that had ever worn them, this was probably superfluous. I then jumped (yes, jumped!) out of my clothes and jumped yet again into my shower. (Extreme hopping is a common side-effect one procures whilst getting/altering a mod. Exuberance is tremendously, if not dangerously, buoyant.)
As I was gently attacked by jets of water, I summoned the courage for what I was about to do. I was about to embark upon a new journey, one of intrigue, espionage, deceit – oh, who am I kidding? It was only a stretch of 0.27mm! An infinitesimal stretch! Despite its small magnitude, this stretch had consequences of epic proportions. It was the top of the slippery slope – after this stretch would come many others (only five actually).
But I digress. In the shower, with my lobes properly moistened (this is supposed to help somehow, I believe it makes the lobes stretchy and loose)... I did the unthinkable. I applied water based lubricant to the 14ga barbell (after unscrewing one of the balls) and I carefully and deftly inserted it into the formerly 16ga hole.
Let me take this moment to clear up a common misconception that may be assaulting your mind. My KY jelly was purchased solely for the purpose of stretching my lobes, and I would like it to remain clear that no sexual connotation should be attached to my possession of my KY jelly, my water-based lubricant. Water-based lubricant is superior because it washes away easily with water – use it for all your stretching needs! And I find it to be more effective than soap.
After the same action was carried out on the other side, I had accomplished my goal. Mission impossible? Not at all! I was now (for the second time of my life) the proud owner of two 14ga earlobe piercings.
Epilogue
The aftercare was simple. For all of TWO days afterwards, I did non-iodized sea salt soaks twice daily. My aftercare was minimal because of the extremely small stretch. I felt it would be unnecessary to go overboard. But I maintained good hygiene and took my vitamins. I used soap that had no cold cream, dye, or perfume (Pears).The stretch was painless and successful, and the first of many (like I said, five more to go!).
This stretch marked the beginning (for the second time) of my journey to 4ga (for the second time)... and I am just so excited about the prospect of "lobular" completion!