When I was young, I'd always notice that my father had, among his tattoos, one piercing on his left ear lobe. I'd always say I wanted my ear pierced to my mother, and she obviously said 'no.' This, however, is when I was very young.
At A Glance Author Zalixar Contact Zalixar@bme.anon When N/A In October of my 5th grade year, I decided that I wanted to be a vampire for Halloween. Not just any vampire though, one with an earring, like my father, and like my friend who had it done. I thought it was so cool. Then, finally, on October 30th, the day before Halloween, my mother gave in and let me get it pierced.
The procedure was at a jewelry shop, done over the counter with a gun. It was done on my left ear, because I remembered my father told me 'left is right and right is wrong.' I wanted the piercing so bad that I didn't even consider the pain; it was sort of satisfying, maybe because I finally got it done.
I loved my earring, and my friends liked it, too. I took proper care of it as I was told, but ran into many problems having to take it out for gym in school. Years passed and I just had one basic 18g (or whatever the standard size is when done with a gun). Then I entered High School.
I think a few days before the Summer was over, I convinced my mother to let me get my right ear pierced as well. Miraculously, the same guy worked at the jewelry shop, and pierced my ear just the same way, and I took care of it the same way as the other. I now had two earlobe piercings.
In my sophomore year, I decided that I wanted my cartilage pierced. My mother agreed to this easily, I doubt she minded many things on my ears. After talking to the same guy that pierced my earlobes, he suggested some place in the mall.
I didn't think it was a good idea to get it pierced in a mall, but I decided to go anyway. We went to a place right in the middle of the mall where they sold jewelry, and sure enough they agreed to pierce my cartilage with a gun, even though I wanted it done with a needle.
Although it hurt more than my ear lobes, my helix piercings were done. My mother even got it done with me, but it hurt her a lot more, and she ran into more pain problems than me.
My earlobes by this time were wearing 14g circular barbells, and I did the same for my cartilage. I really wanted more though, and I knew another piercing was out of the question.
I decided to stretch my ear lobes. I didn't know a lot about it, so I simply put two or three different 14 gauge earrings in my ear lobe at once. Then I discovered BME, and learned a lot more about stretching, and proper ways to do it. I needed to get tapers.
Around the same time as my helix piercings, I went to HotTopic and purchased a pair of 10 gauge clear tapers, since I felt that 12 gauge would be too small of an increase, especially since my ear lobes were stretched a little from just playing with them. I also bought a pair of 8 gauge clear tapers, just in case I wanted to go higher.
When I got home, I put the 10 gauge tapers in, and they went in so easily that I knew I could just go to 8 gauge. With a little pressure, and not much pain at all, or any lubricant, I successfully stretched to 8 gauge. (Side note: With my spare 10 gauge tapers, I attempted to stretch my helix piercing, and when it hurt a lot, I read up on the dangers that can come from stretching cartilage. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO STRETCH CARTILAGE PIERCINGS.)
Having new 8 gauge tapers in, and some new 14 gauge CBRs for my helices, I felt great. There was always something, however, that made me feel incomplete. I'd read and look at pictures on BME everyday, until I decided I wanted tunnels. I then ordered some silver double-flared tunnels from eBay, and wore those, happily.
I thought I'd stop at 8 gauge, but I was wrong. One day, at the mall with my girlfriend, shopping, we stopped in HotTopic. The thought of going to 6 gauge had crossed my mind before, but I thought my mother wouldn't approve of it. My mother wasn't there though.
I walked out of the store with my new 6 gauge black pinchers, explaining to my mother later that they just look bigger because they're a different style. I experienced very little pain again, probably because of my bad habit of playing with my earlobes all the time. I stretched them right there at a clothing store in the mall while my girlfriend was trying on clothes.
A while passed, and just recently, a few days before writing this, I decided that I really wanted to go to 4 gauge. A friend of mine had 4 gauge tunnels, and I thought they looked great. I feared of not being able to go back to normal if I ever needed to, for a job or something in the future, but I read that it is possible to go to 2 gauge without permanently stretching the lobes.
After looking at Kaos Eyelets, clear ones that would work great for gym since I wouldn't have to take them out, I decided that I wanted to stretch to 4 gauge. I'm very impatient, though, and I needed to stretch that very instant, or do *something.*
I attempted to pierce a second hole on my earlobe, like I had many other times, but I'm a pussy when it comes to that, and I couldn't manage to do it, especially with the wetness from the ice I used to numb the lobe. Then I thought about stretching with a household item: a straw!
I read about it before, and decided to see how it measured to my 6 gauge tunnels I am used to. The tunnels fit inside the straw, and the straws were like tunnels, so I decided to do it, assuming the straws are approximately 4 gauge.
Just like I read, I curled one end of the straw so it was kind of like those coffee straws they have at Dunkin Donuts, and it was as if it was (lol) a taper, leading into the round part of the straw. (By the way, don't cut the straw to be pointed, because it might cut your ear lobe.)
It stung a lot, and throbbed, but I was happy with my 4g-ish straws/tunnels, and they barely hurt now. I might still get the clear Kaos Eyelets. I don't know if I'm going any larger than these 4g-ish straws, but I'll update if I do and there's anything special to add. Feel free to e-mail me any questions you may have if you're a beginning stretcher -- Zalixar@yahoo.com.
Stretching can be a really fun experience, but very addicting. If you want to stretch, make sure you're doing it correctly, and always listen to your body. Don't rush things or be impatient, and always be sure to be happy with what you've done; it's your choice.