Help With Gauges Please.

May 15, 2015

Beth W.

From my experience, you can tell when its ready to be changed because it won't hurt anymore when you touch it or move it kinda thing. For me it was different on each one I did, going from 4mm to 6mm and then 6mm to 8mm was fine and I could change it after having it in for about 2 weeks or so, but going from 10mm to 12mm and so on I had to leave them in a lot longer. For me it was different for each size I went up :) and yes! definitely clean them! You have to clean your ear and the stretcher, I used to do mine everyday whilst stretching and still do now I've stopped going up in sizes, if you don't clean it will be more prone to infections and stuff. It will also become smelly, I know a couple of people with smelly stretchers because they don't clean them :')

May 15, 2015

Rissa G.

I started stretching my ears about 6 years ago, and the first time around I skipped sizes a lot and went bigger every week and a half lollll. Thankfully, nothing went wrong, (that's not the way to go because you can get a blow out). I'd say stretch every month or so. I only went to a double 0, and let them close then last year I wanted to stretch them again but it went right in because they never fully healed. (They shrunk, but never fully like actually shrunk if that makes sense) lol. And YES. Of course you have to clean them.

May 15, 2015

Rissa G.

Do not use alcohol or anything to clean them. use a sea salt solution for a while, then once you're at your desired size you can just use regular soap at water ( I personally do anyways) lol.

May 15, 2015

Bre H.

What do you clean then with Nd thanks so much beth and renay.

May 15, 2015

Bre H.

Oh nvm spoke to soon and thanks again so basically when it's not hurting to move or anything it's okay to change.

May 15, 2015

Rissa G.

Yeah minimum of three weeks, don't change them right away lol. I mean I didn't have any complications when I did it but I'd rather recommend the safer way to go about it you know.

May 15, 2015

Bre H.

Yas okay thank you and you said when you took yours out the size didn't go back how small did they go when you took them out.

May 15, 2015

Rissa G.

Now, they did shrink back, like they looked like earring holes just a littttttle bit bigger. But like when I wanted to stretch again, it was so easy, like it just stretched right back lol. it stretched even tho it looked like it shrunk back

May 15, 2015

Rissa G.

If you go too big tho it might not shrink much at all

May 15, 2015

Kailey L.

I would try to wait at least 3-4 weeks so you don't get a blow out. And do your stretching right when you get out of the shower, your hole will stretch much easier!

May 16, 2015

Bre H.

thanks gurls

May 16, 2015

Shaye M.

When I had my ears stretched (I was at 22mm) I was waiting 4-6 weeks between stretches to avoid a blowout or any torn ears, however 4 weeks is generally a decent amount of time to wait, I personally did clean mine after every stretch but I'd wait a day for any swelling there might have been to go down or tenderness, etc.
My only real advice Is don't rush the smaller sizes, going from 6mm to 8mm was the worst for me, don't know why that particular stretch was particularly painful but it was fine after a couple of days. Once I got to 10mm I started stretching with tunnels instead of tapers haha.

May 16, 2015

Bre H.

Thanks shaye my ears a little tender right now lol

May 16, 2015

Kailey L.

Shaye brings up a good point, definitely don't rush really any of the sizes, but especially the smaller ones. I lost my 16g taper so I went right from 18g to 14g. Mistake lol it was awfully painful, and my ears stayed swollen for a lot longer. So definitely take your time!

May 17, 2015

Shaye M.

Also, this is probably irrelevant to you at this point but when you do get to larger sizes like 16mm+ if you decide to go that big or any bigger just be careful about how you sleep on your ears, I actually had to take my stretchers out because I slept on one wrong one night and woke up with a huge swollen, sore ear and I was super, super disappointed about it haha! I did downsize to 16mm from the original 22mm but ended up just leaving them out, I can wear earrings now that have larger backs and I think I could fit a 6mm in if I had any tiny plugs around but I don't haha! So yes be careful with them! 😘