At A Glance
Author	TheUsedFan
Contact	TheUsedFan@bme.anon
When	It just happened

Although I had always known about gauging, I never knew the proper terminology, how it was done, or even what the jewelry actually looked like. That is, until my first year in high school.

I already had my ears pierced (done with a gun at a beauty salon when I was two years old) and hadn't actually worn any earrings in them for a good three years, I found them to be boring and dainty. Looking back on it now, I'm really grossed out by how they were pierced, and I wouldn't think of getting anything pierced with a gun again. It's unsanitary.

So, when my new friends (all MUCH older than I) came back every day or two, with one of them having a new piercing, I instantly was interested. I'd always had a love for body modification, but living in a small town with no piercing studio to speak of, I never had the chance to (and my parents sure as hell were not going to take me!)

But, I soon discovered the piercing and tattoo parlor that was only a two minute walk from my up-town high school, with relatively low prices and friendly staff. I walked there alone, knowing very little about anything outside of what my friends had told me.

I told the man working that my ears were an 18, and I wanted to stretch them as far as I could at one time. He warned me that stretching too far would damage my ears, and suggested that I only jump a few sizes the first time. And so, I left the store with stainless steel 12g hoops.

I was so happy, I ran around and showed everyone I knew. I was always taking pictures of them and making sure my hair was behind my ears so everyone could see. But, soon enough, I wanted to go bigger. This time I bought cheap hoops from the music store, 10g. That proved to be a mistake, as the jewelry came with a loose ball that wouldn't stay in.

After that, I only used my friends (cleaned!) jewelry, or bought my own from the tattoo place down the road. (usually brightly colored acrylic talons and pinchers) My ears remained at a humble 6g for the better part of a year, until recently, when I went and got 4g talons.

I'd wanted to make the jump for a while, but feared that my parents might finally notice just how big my ears were getting. But I put that aside, and ended up with neon green talons, that glow in the dark. I was so excited, I put them in right away, sitting by my locker, while my friends watched.

The left one went in smoothly, with just a little stinging, but the right one, which had always been difficult to take the formerly 6g earring in and out of, was hell. Although it was fine and healed from the last time, my right lobe just refused to accept the bigger earrings, until I used extra force. It slowly went in, although only halfway at first.

By the end of the day, they were both in place and looking wonderful. The right one still stings, and is hard to move or clean, and I can't sleep on that side just yet. There's been some bleeding on the left one, but the left one is better already and looks beautiful. I just use my hair to hide them away from disapproving eyes, which has worked quite well up to this point. I was a bit taken aback by the bleeding and healing process this time, never before have my ears bled due to gauging, so it was a surprise. Everything is running smoothly now, however.

I clean them both with q-tips and sea salt regularly, (almost 3 times a day, more if I can) and am careful not to play with them or let anything tug or rip at them. They're like my little babies.

Since this experience, I've been a much happier person, and if you're ever down in the dumps I recommend gauging an old, boring piercing that you're unhappy with. It really lifted my spirits, and now I am considering stretching my bellybutton piercing as well. It's amazing how much of a change this has made in my entire personality, everyone notices them and seems to love them just as much as I do (they're hard not to notice when they glow in the dark and are the brightest green you've ever laid eyes on)

I'll probably leave my lobes at this size for a while, (it took me a year and a half to get to this point!) and I doubt I'd ever go bigger than a zero. I'm happy with this size for now, and I highly suggest that anyone teetering on the edge of gauging and not gauging, to do it! It all pays off in the end, and looks fantastic.