Get That Stretched Ear Gauge Look: A Complete Guide to Stretching Your (2024)

Get That Stretched Earlobe Look: A Complete Guide To Stretching Your Ear Piercings

After you’ve had your ears pierced for a while, you might feel the itch to try something different. Stretching your lobes allows you to choose larger gauged jewelry for a variety of new styles.

The fantastic thing about stretching your ears is that you can stretch them as little or as large as you want them. The only limitation is your personal preference and whether you’d like the option of allowing your ears to go back to normal someday.

Although you can easily stretch your ears on your own, you still need to be patient and stretch them properly in order to avoid any complications.

Here’s a complete guide to the lobe stretching process.

Ear stretching is a fairly simple process.

  • Find jewelry that’s ½-guage or one gauge larger than your piercing hole.
  • Gently fit the jewelry into the piercing.
  • Wait at least six weeks for the skin to stretch and heal, then repeat the process.

It’s important to note that your piercing may appear healed from the outside, but it might still be healing internally. Because of this, it’s a good idea to talk to your piercer before you stop aftercare practices and change your jewelry.

That’s about it!

Some people invest in ear stretching kits which consist of tapered tools that assist in stretching the ear. However, these are often unnecessary since the lobe is fairly elastic, and you shouldn’t have too much difficulty inserting jewelry that’s a slightly larger size.

In fact, if you do experience discomfort or you have difficulty inserting the larger jewelry, it’s a sign that your lobe hasn’t finished healing after the last stretch, and you should either wait or seek the help of a professional piercer.

As you stretch your ears, it’s a good idea to massage the area and use lotion or coconut oil to keep the lobes moisturized. This will break down any scar tissue and keep the lobes healthy as they stretch.

Although you can complete this process at home by yourself, it’s a good idea to have a piercer help you along the way. If you pursue the stretching process too quickly, you could experience painful complications, which we will talk about later.

Do not try to stretch more than one gauge at a time. In fact, you might find that you’ll need to stretch less than one gauge at a time. If you’d eventually like to stretch your ears to a significant gauge, then you might get frustrated with how slowly the process takes. However, if you stretch too quickly, you can cause some painful damage to the lobe.

Ear Stretching Complications

Get That Stretched Ear Gauge Look: A Complete Guide to Stretching Your (2024)

FAQs

Get That Stretched Ear Gauge Look: A Complete Guide to Stretching Your? ›

The starting point for most people is 14g, which is just slightly larger than a regular earring. If you were pierced with a piercing gun you are likely at a 20g. If you've only recently healed from a regular ear piercing, you may want to start out with 16g plugs, just to be on the safe side.

What gauge should I start stretching my ears at? ›

The starting point for most people is 14g, which is just slightly larger than a regular earring. If you were pierced with a piercing gun you are likely at a 20g. If you've only recently healed from a regular ear piercing, you may want to start out with 16g plugs, just to be on the safe side.

What size gauge can you not go back from? ›

Most professionals would say that size 0g (8mm) to 00g (10mm) is the absolute point of no return. But, to be on the safe side most would recommend staying under 2g because at this point most people can shrink their ears back.

What is the best thing to put on stretched ears? ›

What oil should I use on my stretched lobes? Any natural oil is good for your ears, but we recommend you try using jojoba oil (try our jojoba oil ), vitamin E oil, coconut oil, olive oil, emu oil, and bio oil. Any of these will do a great job and soften earlobes to help them retain the necessary moisture.

How long does it take to stretch ears to 1 inch? ›

Stretching your ears can take months or years, depending on how large you want them to be. During this time, your ear will be sensitive. However, they should never be painful or stressed. A good rule of thumb is to go up one gauge size every four to six weeks.

At what size will gauges not close? ›

In North America, most stretching methods go up by a single even-sized gauge increment at a time. 0g (8 mm), is generally considered to be "the point of no return": a hole larger than this size will rarely close to a standard piercing size.

Can I take my gauges out overnight? ›

Yes, it is absolutely possible to sleep without gauges in.

At what size are gauges permanent? ›

The so-called “point of no return,” which is the size or gauge after which you will not be able to go back to original size, is a range between 0g and 4g for the majority. But, it's important to note that this isn't always the same for everyone.

Do ears go back to normal after gauging? ›

One person's earlobe may shrink back to normal after having a stretched piercing and another may need surgical repair. Generally, holes that are less than a half inch in diameter may shrink back naturally if the jewelry is left out. There is no guarantee, however.

Can I use Vaseline to gauge my ears? ›

It also doesn't allow the skin to breathe, which can slow down the healing process of a fresh or recently stretched piercing. In short, while Vaseline may be useful for many things, it's not recommended as a lube for ear stretching. Stick to safe and natural options to ensure a smooth and successful stretching process.

How do you hide stretched ear holes? ›

If your ears don't shrink up completely, and you need to have the appearance of a fully closed ear, you can purchase solid silicone plugs that match your skin tone. Kaos makes silicone plugs designed specifically for hiding stretched ears.

What does ear stretching symbolize? ›

As an example, Aztecs thought that by stretching their ears, they could connect with their gods and spirits more easily. Additionally, it may have served as a symbol of wealth or status within certain classes, as those with larger stretched ears were seen as having greater social standing than those without them.

What is an ear stretching blowout? ›

Blowouts are an uneven distribution of skin and are the direct result of stretching too far, too fast. A blowout occurs when the pressure on the stretched skin becomes too great and, as a result, a lip of skin bulges out. In extreme cases, your piercing may actually look as though it has been turned inside-out.

How long should you leave tapers in your ears after stretching? ›

In the ear stretching process, typically up to 24 hours during a given interval is the maximum amount of time that you would want to allow for wearing tapers before switching over to ear piercing plugs.

What size do most people stretch their ears to? ›

Typically, 14-16g is the gauge range for those new to earlobe piercing stretching. 14g is typically the first gauge size to aim for after your initial piercing has fully healed, though many people opt for 16g sized jewelry instead in order to be on the safe side.

How far can you stretch your ears before it's irreversible? ›

It really is all relative. But if we have to answer this question for the "normal" person and have a definitive answer. You should be able to stretch your ears to around 0 gauge and then it will heal itself back to 14 gauge earrings.

What gauge do ear piercings start at? ›

Gauge Size

Most earlobe piercings are made with a 20G needle, as are some nose piercings. Shop our 20g flat back earrings (aka Nap Earrings). An 18G needle can be used for earlobe piercings, nose piercings, as well as some cartilage piercings (e.g. forward helix).

How long to wait between 4g and 2g? ›

How long does it take to stretch ears?
Gauge Size TransitionMinimum Wait Time Between Transition
6g to 4g3 months
4g to 2g3 months
2g to 0g4 months
0g to 00g4 months
5 more rows
Aug 8, 2023

Will a size 2 gauge close up? ›

Natural Way to Closed Stretch Ears

In most cases, the earlobe will shrink back to its original size so long as the piercing is less than between a 4g-6g. This is typically referred to as the point of no return. It's important to note, though, that each body is different.

How long should I wait to stretch my ears from 14g to 12g? ›

14g to 12g - 1-2 months.

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