How long should you wear tapers before switching to plugs?
If you have recently stretched your ears you should wait around four to eight weeks before trying to wear double flared plugs. To insert double flared plugs you’ll be using the “button up” method, where you’ll be inserting them the same way you would thread a button – at an angle, to get the edge in first.
Can you put plugs in right after tapers?
You don’t need to rush through this process, but your ear should stretch pretty easily. 4. Once you have the taper through, you’ll put the plug in right after.
What can I use instead of tapers?
You can also use bigger plugs to stretch your ears without tapers, but you cannot move up more than 1 size at a time. If you have PTFE, Teflon, or bondage tape, you can add layers of the tape to the rim of your current plugs to expand your gauges.
Are tapers or plugs better?
Many people recommend steel tapers because they slide through the piercing easier. But they’re slightly more expensive. Cheaper tapers and cheaper plugs are often of unknown quality and may irritate the ears, slowing the healing process.
Is it OK to leave tapers in your ears?
They are only for wearing in healed stretches as jewelry because they are porous and can carry too much bacteria. Once your ears are healed, stone tapers are a really pretty choice of jewelry. In general, tapers are only recommended for wearing in smaller gauges as jewelry.
How far can you stretch your ears before its irreversible?
Most people can go between 2g (6mm) – 00g (10mm) and expect their ears to revert back to a normal piercing, after a few months of healing. If you don’t want stretched ears forever, be sure to stretch slowly and never skip sizes.
Should I take my gauges out to shower?
Once your piercings are fully healed (after 12 weeks), you should remove your jewelry when you shower. This is the most effective way to clean both your piercings and your jewelry. Be sure that your hands are clean before you remove your ear gauge jewelry.
How big can you get gauges before they won’t close?
There are a lot of different opinions on this topic, but the majority of professionals in the body modification industry recommend never going any larger than 2 – 0 gauge if you want your ears to totally close up where you can’t see through them.
How long do you keep 14g tapers in?
This is a good ear size chart to determine how long you should wait in between stretches: 16g to 14g – 1 month. 14g to 12g – 1 month. 12g to 10g – 1.5 months.
When should you take tapers out?
Do not do it too often during the day, but if you feel like the ears are a bit cold, you can get some heat back in them by rubbing or massaging. We say you should wait 4-8 weeks between gauges, but those numbers are not set in stone. We recommend a minimum of six weeks since some people might call it too early.
Should you sleep with tapers in?
You really do not want to wear the ear tapers for longer than 4 days. Ear Tapers are very difficult to sleep in. So it is ideal to try to do the stretch in the morning and have the single flare in your ear before you go to bed.
What is the point of no return ear stretching?
Any size larger than 8mm is normally given as the “point of no return” for earlobe piercings, as beyond this size there is a significant risk that the hole will not shrink back to the size of the original piercing and may require cosmetic surgery in order to close the hole completely.
Does 00g shrink back?
It depends on the person, but usually anything less than 00g will shrink back to the 16-20 range.
Should your ears bleed when stretching?
Stretching your ear safely shouldn’t cause sharp pain or bleeding. These are signs that you’re trying to stretch your ears too quickly.
Why do ear gauges stink?
Why does this happen? Your body secretes a substance called sebum, sebum is an oily secretion which helps your skin keep lubricated and keep it waterproof. The sebum mixes with the dead skin cells between your ear and the jewellery to make this unpleasant odour.
Why do gauged ears stink?
The stink in your ear comes from dead skin and oil produced by your skin called sebum. The sebum and the dead skin get trapped in your piercings if you constantly keep your plugs/tunnels in. It is a result of sebum and dead skin being trapped in your hole.
Should I take my gauges out to sleep?
It keeps the skin from drying out and cracking. I recommend you sleep with your plugs in your ears. Sleeping without them can cause irritation, dryness, and cracking. (This could just be my preference.)
Can I sleep in tapers?
Ear Tapers are very difficult to sleep in. So it is ideal to try to do the stretch in the morning and have the single flare in your ear before you go to bed. Once you feel good with how your ear tapers feel you want to push in the single flare plug while pushing the ear tapers out of your gauged ear.
How big can you stretch your ears before its irreversible?
2 – 0 gauge
What size can I stretch up to without permanent damage? There are a lot of different opinions on this topic, but the majority of professionals in the body modification industry recommend never going any larger than 2 – 0 gauge if you want your ears to totally close up where you can’t see through them.
What does ear stretching symbolize?
History has shown us that ear stretching was initially used to show that an individual belonged to a group or a tribe. It was accepted by the group and they were marked as being “one of us”. When someone did not have stretched ears they were considered to be an outsider or someone who did not belong to the tribe.
Will a 00 gauge go back to normal?
If you stretch your lobe to 00g or smaller, you are a much better candidate for your ear going back to “normal”. However, if you stretch your ear to a severely large size – like an inch in diameter – then your chances are much smaller that your ear will ever go back to the way it was.
What does a blowout feel like?
A blowout is one of the most common complications of ear gauging. It’s a ring of scar tissue that forms behind the jewelry and gives the piercing the appearance of turning inside out. Blowouts usually occur from trying to stretch the hole too quickly. They often cause sharp pain and inflammation.
Will gauges ever stop smelling?
The odor will be stronger while you are stretching your ears. This is because the ear is trying to heal and will produce more sebum and dead skin. When you get to your desired ear gauge you will notice less of an odor. The other part of the smell is the plug itself.
Can you shower with gauges in?
Maintaining Ear Gauges. Remove your jewelry when you shower. Once your piercings are fully healed (after 12 weeks), you should remove your jewelry when you shower. This is the most effective way to clean both your piercings and your jewelry.